CHAPTER XXIIITHROUGH THE LINES
Hal turned the matter over in his mind. Should he make prisoner of this talkative German officer now or should he wait until later to appropriate the dispatches the man said he carried?
Hal decided to wait.
He did this for two reasons. First, the colonel’s presence was useful right now in showing the road, and, second, he might come in handy should the party be stopped en route. So the lad decided to humor the man by continuing the conversation.
“It’s too bad, sir,” he said. “Why, I can remember in the early days of the war when the emperor figured on eating Christmas dinner in Paris. It’s too bad, sir; too bad.”
“So it is,” agreed the colonel, “but personally, I’m getting tired of this business of killing. It’s so useless, it seems to me.”
“Those are bold words, sir,” said Hal; “bold and not overly cautious, should they come to some ears.”
“But you agree with me, don’t you, captain?” exclaimed the colonel, in some alarm. “I am talking now between friends, you know. Surely you will not repeat what I have just said?”
“Certainly I shall not repeat to any German officer what you have said,” Hal declared truthfully.
At this moment the car rounded a sharp curve in the road. Ahead Hal saw the headlight of a machine drawn up in the middle of the road. It was impossible for the lad to drive around the second machine, so he brought his own car to a stop.
“Hope there is no trouble ahead,” he told himself.
But, as it developed, there was trouble ahead.
Hal sprang from the car, as did Harding and Chester. The three realized that if there was trouble it would be better for them to stick together. The German colonel, however, leaned back in his seat, making no effort to move.
Half a dozen figures advanced toward the three fugitives, five privates and a lieutenant.
The lieutenant saluted Hal, who was in advance, as did the privates.
Hal returned the salute.
“What can I do for you, lieutenant?” he asked. “Machine in trouble?”
“No, sir. I’m guarding the road in the hope of picking up three prisoners who escaped from the camp at Villingen.”
“I see,” said Hal. “Word flashed ahead, eh?”
“Yes, sir, and it was deemed probable they would come along this road.”
“I haven’t seen anything of them en route,” said Hal. “It may be that they are behind us. Wish you luck, lieutenant. Sorry I can’t stay and have a hand in the capture, but I bear important dispatches and must be on my way. Will you please move your car to one side of the road?”
“Sorry, sir,” said the lieutenant, “but I am instructed to examine carefully every one who passes.”
“Oh, well, I suppose I can drive around you,” said Hal, eyeing the side of the road.
“One moment, sir,” said the lieutenant as Hal turned to move away. “I am satisfied with you, sir, but I must interrogate your companions. Remember, it is my duty, sir.”
“Very well, then, lieutenant,” said Hal. “Proceed, sir.”
Chester approached and replied to the German’s questions without hesitancy. Then Harding was forced to step forward.
One look at the big Englishman was enough for the German lieutenant. Nevertheless, he spoke in German.
“May I ask your name, Herr Captain?” he said. Harding opened his mouth to reply, but at that moment Hal took prompt action. Stepping close to the German lieutenant, he shoved his revolver against the man’s side and said quietly:
“Enough of this, sir. You will either order your men to move that automobile from across the road immediately, or I shall be compelled to fire.”
The German’s face turned a chalky white in the darkness, although this was not distinguishable. For a moment he hesitated, but Hal shoved the revolver more closely against him and the lieutenant gave the necessary command.
“Now Chester,” said Hal, “you and Harding go back and get in the car, and whatever you do, make sure that our friend the colonel doesn’t get out. He’s a jewel of rare value, Chester, and we can’t afford to lose him. Do you understand?”
“You bet,” was Chester’s reply, as he and Harding turned and ran for the car.
The German colonel was about to alight as Chester and Harding dashed back.
“What’s the trouble?” he asked.
“Nothing serious, sir,” said Chester. “Please get back in the car.”
“Wait a moment now,” protested the colonel. “Guess I’ll have a look ahead first.”
“Get back in that car!” said Chester in a stern voice.
“Look here!” exclaimed the colonel. “How dare you talk like that to your superior officer? You shall be disciplined, sir.”
“No time for words,” said Harding in English at that moment.
He ran in suddenly and seized the colonel from behind. In spite of the latter’s frantic struggles, the Englishman lifted him into the tonneau and held him as he climbed in himself. Chester also jumped in and showed a revolver, which he pressed close to the colonel’s head.
“One word and you are a dead man!” said the lad quietly.
Hal, still guarding the German lieutenant closely, saw the German privates move the machine and open the road.
“Now, lieutenant,” he said, “you’ll accompany me back to my own car, first ordering your men to stand one side.”
The lieutenant gave the necessary order and preceded Hal back to the other car.
“One more thing, lieutenant,” said Hal, as he placed his foot on the step prepared to leap in, “if you make an outcry before we have passed your men yonder, some of them will get hurt. Take my advice and keep still.”
Hal lowered his revolver slowly until it pointed at the German’s feet. Then he pulled the trigger.
There was a flash and a report and the German lieutenant skipped nimbly back as the bullet kicked up the dust about him. He was not wounded, nor had Hal intended that he should be. The lad’s act was simply a ruse to get a little start.
The moment he fired his revolver Hal leaped into the car, slammed the door behind him and sent the machine forward with a lurch.
From behind came an angry hail from the lieutenant and his revolver cracked. But the bullets went wild.
The lieutenant’s action, however, had served his purpose. It alarmed the soldiers ahead, who, seeing the automobile bearing down on them, cried loud commands to halt.
But the car kept on.
“Duck!” cried Hal, and suited the action to the word.
The occupants of the tonneau also ducked their heads out of harm’s way even as the German soldiers fired a volley from their rifles. Before they could fire again, however, the car was far down the road, and a moment later it disappeared around a sharp curve.
“There’ll be pursuit, Chester!” shouted Hal. “Rifle the pockets of our friend the colonel and climb in the front seat here with whatever you can find.”
Chester needed no further instructions.
In spite of the protests and struggles of the German colonel, Chester went through his pockets systematically and thoroughly.
“Now you guard him, Harding,” the lad said.
“I’ll guard him all right,” said Harding grimly. “I’ll toss him overboard at the first sign of trouble.”
The German appeared to understand the words.
Chester climbed into the front seat with some difficulty because of the lurching of the car as it sped along. In a few words Hal told him of the dispatches the colonel had carried.
“If he had ’em, I’ve got ’em now,” said Chester grimly. “I took everything he had.”
“We can’t stop to see now,” said Hal. “You climb back and tell him we are figuring on him to show us the way to the front direct. If he refuses or plays false, tell him you’ll shoot him.”
Chester clambered back into the tonneau again.
“I agree!” shouted the colonel when Chester told him what he would be expected to do. “And I’ll do better than that. I don’t want to fight any more. I’m tired of it. I am your prisoner, sir, and I wish to be taken into your lines as such.”
“That sounds pretty fishy to me,” said Chester.
“But it is true,” protested the German, “and I will show you the way through the German lines.”
There was something so apparently sincere in the German’s words, that Chester climbed back and again held counsel with Hal. The result of this was that the German colonel was transferred to the front seat, and Chester sat close behind him with a revolver at his back.
It was hours later that the automobile came within sight of the huge German army encampment. Hal was now forced to slow down.
But the party was not molested as the car proceeded through the heart of the encampment, Hal following the directions of the German colonel.
“Now,” said the colonel, pointing, “if you will follow that road, it will take us to the front line, where, by a dash, we shall be able to pass the last outposts.”
Hal followed the directions. Ten minutes later a German sentinel cried a command to halt, but Hal sent the car forward faster. There came a sharp report from behind, but the bullet went wild.
Ten minutes later there came another command to halt. But this command came in English.
Hal brought the car to a quick stop and climbed out.
“Safe at last,” he cried to Chester and Harding. “And now for General Pershing and the drive that will push the Germans back forever!”