CHAPTER IIIA BREATHLESS MOMENT
“We’regoing to try to cross that canal yonder,” the corporal explained. “Headquarters wants to learn something about the disposition of the German forces. If what we find out suits our officers, they may throw pontoons across and attack. If you ask me how we’re going to get across tonight, I tell you frankly I don’t know. Perhaps we’ll have to swim. We’ll have to trust to luck and our own wits. Are you ready? Then come along.”
He led the way and they trailed after him like so many shadows into the night.
There was no special reason for silence just yet, as the Army Boys followed their leader, for there were no Germans except wounded and prisoners left on this side of the canal, and they conversed freely among themselves, although instinctively in low tones.
“If Bart were only with us!” said Frank regretfully. “We’ve never yet gone on a trip of this kind that that boy hasn’t been along.”
“He’ll be kicking himself for having missed it,” prophesied Billy.
“There promises to be excitement enough in this to satisfy even Bart,” added Tom.
They soon passed through the last line of sentries and reached the bank of the canal, or river, being partly natural and partly artificial. It was quite a wide watercourse and there was a fringe of trees that bordered it back of the towpath and the boys kept close in the shadow of these. But they no longer stood erect, for they feared that some light from the camp might form a background against which their figures could be seen. Down they went on hands and knees and crept along with the stealth of so many Indians out on a night foray.
Across the canal they could see a long and irregular glow which came from the dugouts and trenches where the Germans had established themselves. The line was at some distance from the canal itself, but they did not doubt that sentries were established along the whole bank on the lookout for just such a venture as the boys were engaged in.
“The corp was right in calling for volunteers,” whispered Frank in Billy’s ear.
“Looks to me like the riskiest thing we’ve been in yet,” returned Billy.
“We’ll have to do some classy swimming to getover without making a splash,” grunted Tom.
For half a mile or more they kept on down the canal, until they got beyond the zone of light and felt it safe to rise and emerge from the woods, cross the towpath, and reach the very edge of the bank.
In some places the bank went down straight into the water, and they could not drop in without making a noise. In others, however, it shelved somewhat, and these Wilson explored with the greatest care.
Suddenly he stopped and beckoned the boys to come nearer. They gathered about him.
“Look at this,” he whispered, and they saw that he had his hand on the stern of a small boat that had been drawn in the shelter of a little arch at the side of the canal.
“Just what the doctor ordered,” commented Frank, as he saw that the boat was big enough to carry four on a pinch and could faintly see the outline of a pair of oars lying across the thwarts.
“It beats swimming,” murmured Tom.
“Get into it,” ordered Wilson. “No, don’t do that,” he said hastily, as Billy was about to take up one of the oars. “I’m afraid they’ll hear us if we use the oars. We’ll just push it across with our hands. It’s slower but it’s safer.”
They slipped into the boat as silently as ghosts, and dipping their hands in the water with the utmostcaution began to propel the craft towards the further bank.
The boat was a homemade affair, probably built by some peasant, and was heavy and clumsy. Moreover, with the four it was forced low in the water and moved with difficulty. But there was plenty of time, for they had the greater part of the night before them.
Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the boat progressed. No shot greeted it, no hail from the shore told that it was discovered. The silence was almost uncanny.
On they went until at last the further bank loomed up before them. Soon they were near enough to touch it with their hands. But it was smooth and steep and they could not reach the top.
They worked their way along the wall, until finally they came to a place where several stones had fallen out, so that the holes left by them served as holds for their hands and feet. At a whispered command from the corporal, Frank worked his way up until his eyes were on a level with the top of the bank. There he stood and looked and listened with every faculty intent.
“Nothing stirring,” he reported, as he let himself down again in the boat. “Either the Germans haven’t strung their lines down this far or they’re lying mighty low. I think it’s worth takinga chance to land here. There’s a patch of woods a hundred yards or so away, and if we can reach that we can take our bearings and decide on what we’ll do next.”
“All right,” said the corporal after a moment’s consideration. “I’ll chance it on your judgment, Sheldon. We’ll leave the boat here and Bradford with it.”
Tom made a move to protest, but discipline asserted itself and he resigned himself without a word, although sorely disappointed at not being allowed to go on with the others.
“The hoot of an owl will be the signal,” Wilson told him as they prepared to leave the boat. “When you hear that, give the answer so that we can find our way to where you are. Have the oars all ready, as we may have to leave in a hurry.”
Tom nodded his understanding and the rest left him, dropping flat on the bank as soon as they reached the top and worming their way over the space that intervened between them and the patch of woods some distance beyond.
The strain on nerves and muscles was tremendous and it was with a sigh of relief that they reached the shelter of the woods. Here they could rise to their feet, although even this required the most extreme care. They were by no means assured that it was a friendly shelter.It might contain machine gun nests or strong forces of the enemy.
Five minutes of the most intense silence and listening passed before they dared even to whisper to each other. Convinced at last that no one was close at hand, the boys drew near the corporal for his final instructions.
“We’re certainly in luck so far,” he breathed. “The only explanation of the failure to have sentries here is that they had no idea today that they were going to be driven back so far as to have to cross the canal. They came over helter-skelter and they’ve been so busy in blowing up bridges and getting their rattled forces together that other things have had to wait. But it’s only a matter of time before they’ll have guards set here, and we want to get back before that happens, if possible. Bring your watch hands close to mine and let’s compare so as to see that we have the same time.”
They did as directed, and the illumined faces of their radio watches showed that their time was practically the same.
“Five after ten,” remarked the corporal. “That gives us two hours until midnight. At twelve o’clock sharp, wherever you happen to be, start back for the boat. You’ve each got a compass and you can come pretty close to the place, and the owl signal will do the rest. Find out whateveryou can as to where the enemy has his battery positions, where he has gathered his greatest force, and where his wire entanglements are weakest. You’ve got your knives, and if I were you I’d depend on those if you find it necessary. Only use your revolver as a last resort, for if you have to fire the jig is up.
“Now we’re going to spread out like a fan. Sheldon, you go off there to the left. Waldon will bear a little away from the canal bank toward the north, and I’ll take the path between you two. I don’t need to tell you that your life depends on your being careful. You know that as well as I do. Twelve o’clock sharp, mind. Good-bye and good luck.”
Without another word they separated, gliding from tree to tree and gradually getting further apart, as they followed the general path that had been marked out for them.
Frank had not gone far before he had increasing evidence that he was approaching the main body of the enemy’s troops. The light grew brighter that came from the hastily dug trenches of the enemy. Groups of men passed to and fro with lanterns, sometimes coming so close to the sheltering woods that he had to flatten himself in the bushes, scarcely daring to breathe until they had passed.
Reaching at last the edge of the forest, he roseto his feet behind a huge tree and peered out. He could have shouted with delight, for he saw that he had happened upon a spot where the enemy was concentrating their heavy artillery. Great guns were being moved into position, emplacements for them were being hastily constructed, and he was able by the lanterns that flitted in and out among them like so many fire-flies to get a fairly accurate idea of their number and calibre. Here was information that would be more precious than gold to his officers. He could take no notes, but he went over the whole scene again and again in his mind, so that he should forget no detail.
So absorbed did he become in noting all that he thought might be of value to his officers that when a stream of light was thrown suddenly in his direction it struck him with almost the force of a blow.
He drew back like a flash and flattened himself against his side of the tree, making himself as small as possible.
After a minute or two he ventured to peer out. The light which came from a searchlight which was being tested by the enemy was darting about, now here, now there, but evidently without any special purpose in view, and his first fear that it had betrayed his hiding place subsided. But another apprehension took its place at once, for hesaw a man in an officer’s uniform coming directly toward him.
Frank instinctively felt for his revolver, but he dismissed that thought before his hand touched the butt. With enemies swarming all about him, a shot at that moment would be little less than suicide. But his knife was still there, and his hand closed around its handle while his lips tightened with resolution.
The officer came on and Frank crouched for a spring in case he should be discovered. But to his great relief, the officer paused just before he reached the tree, drew a pipe from his pocket and lighted it. Then with a grunt of satisfaction he leaned up against the tree and puffed away, while he looked at the animated scene from which he had withdrawn for a few minutes of rest and relaxation.
The tobacco was vile, more like burning leaves than anything else, and as the clouds from the pipe enveloped Frank, he had all he could do to keep from coughing or sneezing. But he kept the impulse in check and waited with what patience he could command for the officer’s next move.
The searchlight was flashing in another quarter now, for which Frank was devotedly thankful, but there was still too much light to make it safe for the young American to attempt to crawlaway. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was nearly midnight. The corporal and his chums would be waiting for him.
With infinite caution he peered around the side of the tree. Would that pipeful never be smoked out?
The officer had shifted his position somewhat, and Frank caught a glimpse of a paper protruding from an outside pocket of his coat. It looked like an official document of some kind. The thought came to Frank that it might contain some plans of the enemy for the next day’s fighting.
It was a tremendous risk to attempt to get it, but Frank resolved to take the chance.
Drawing his knife and holding it ready for instant action, his other hand reached slowly around the tree and crept toward the officer’s pocket.