CHAPTER XVII.TO SURPRISE THE TURKS.
“And now,” said the Colonel, “if you are through with your breakfast I will send first of all for the private who went to the upper camp with Arturus the Greek, and then, in turn, you can meet the guide.”
He was as good as his word. In a very few minutes a soldier came up and saluted, a fellow who had discarded the leggings with which he had come from the other side of the world, and turned up his trouser-legs so as to keep cool, for the weather was already feeling rather uncomfortably warm to one accustomed to a cooler climate.
Later on these men from the other side of the world stripped half their garments off, and fought in that “free-and-easy” fashion, as they termed it. Some of them must have had the blood of Scottish Highlanders in their veins.
“Lancing, these two young chaps are American boys who are looking for an aviator named Frank Turner,” the officer explained to him as he stood there at attention, as rigid as a stick. “They have some reason to believe he is ashore here. You told me when you made your report that you had spoken with an air pilot whose aeroplane was at the camp of the New Zealanders. Now show him the picture, Amos.”
Amos only too gladly complied. He fairly held his breath while the stiffened figure of the private put out a hand and took the photograph. He was looking intently at it now.
“That picture was taken, they tell me, several years back, Lancing,” the Colonel went on to explain, “so naturally it might not be exactly like the original as he is today. Now, since you have examined it, can you say whether the man you met and talked with resembled this picture to any degree?”
“He does, sir, and he does not,” answered the man.
“Still you can see no reason why they shouldnot be the same, can you? Is the color of the hair similar, and the general features much alike?” continued the obliging officer.
“On the whole, sir, I’m tempted to say I have talked with the original of this picture,” the soldier finally admitted. “Yes, I can see now the odd little smile around the corners of the mouth that I noticed in the air pilot.”
Amos gave a gurgle of intense satisfaction. It seemed to him that, as Jack had declared, their third attempt was fated to meet with the success that had been denied to them on two previous occasions.
“That will do, Lancing. When you go back send the Greek Arturus to me. Tell him it is a matter of great importance.”
He turned to the boys after the soldier had again saluted, wheeled stiffly in his tracks, and walked away in a machine-like fashion.
“It begins to look promising, I am glad to note, Amos, and I sincerely hope you will be able to find your brother before another daybreak. Though, like others you have told me of, I amsorry to know you mean to coax him to leave us, in order to go home. I only trust that after he has seen his father he will come back again and continue his wonderful work for our cause.”
The Greek must have been close at hand for he now made his appearance. Jack was favorably impressed with his bold, resolute bearing. He likened him to some of those old-time worthies of whose brave exploits history teems; and whose names are held in reverence wherever Greeks continue to gather, for they live a good deal in the past.
Arturus listened to what the Colonel had to say. Meanwhile he was casting covert glances toward the two boys. When he first learned that he was expected to pilot the pair up to the other camp, through numberless perils, he had frowned because he deemed it a fool’s errand. The Colonel soon disillusioned his mind on this point.
When Arturus learned that Jack and Amos had actually captured, alone and single-handed, the terrible gun-runner and his crew, as well as turned the cargo and the boat over to the Allies,his manner changed at once. He evidently knew enough of Captain Zenos to understand that anyone who could trap him so cleverly was not to be treated with scorn or derision, even though mere boys in point of years.
It was speedily arranged that Arturus would pilot the Colonel’s guests to their intended destination when night again fell upon Gallipoli. Nothing was said as to payment, but Jack felt sure this part of the matter could be easily settled. With Arturus the wish of the Colonel was as good as law; and he would have promised to do his part even without thought of any reward.
The Greek made an engagement to meet them at sundown. He would come to the Colonel’s tent at that hour ready to explain his plan of campaign. So he passed away, and Jack, looking after him, noted that the man was a born woodsman, for he planted his feet on the ground as softly as a cat, and his eyes seemed to continually rove from side to side as though nothing could escape them.
“You will have to excuse me from now on,boys, and shift for yourselves,” they were told by the commander of the Territorial force ashore on the peninsula. “Remember that you have promised not to take any unnecessary risks while observing the action today.”
They renewed their assurances, having no desire to expose themselves to the marksmanship of some German sharpshooter who might be posted up on the hillside, eager to pick off such of the invaders as he could discover.
It was not long before there were positive signs of “something doing,” as Amos called it. The khaki-clad men with their guns began to gather in squads. There was evidently no attempt going to be made to “rush” the trenches of the Turks in the conventional way, for the presence of those quick-firers above cooled all such ardor.
“It’s going to be something like the old-time Indian fighting over in our own country, you can see, Jack,” asserted Amos, as he and his chum stood and watched some of these detachments start forward.
“Well,” Jack remarked, “these Territorials, whether from South Africa, Canada or the other side of the world, all know about those sort of tactics. Many of them are hunters, or have been cowboys. Others have had experience with crafty savages, and copied some of the ways of the heathen.”
“Yes, it’s a good maxim to follow—‘when you’re in Rome do as the Romans do,’” Amos said reflectively. “They’re going to fight fire with fire. See how they drop down in that brush, and start to crawling along like snakes. I’m only afraid we won’t be able to see much of this scrap after all.”
“Wait a while,” his chum advised. “I reckon that when enough of them have managed to creep up close to the trenches of the Turks there will be some sort of a signal given, at which every Territorial will leap to his feet, and be over the line like so many wolves.”
The anticipation of such a thrilling picture caused Amos to quiver with eagerness. His only regret was that he himself could not be one of theselect company on whom this gallant advance was to fall; for with his reckless nature Amos would have liked nothing better.
“I wonder if the Turks look for anything like this today?” he remarked a short time later, as they found seats where they could rest comfortably.
“Oh! so far as that goes, Amos, they must be on the watch day and night, when they’re facing these Territorials. They can never tell when something is going to happen. But you remember the Colonel told us they were expecting that the enemy might be somewhat off his guard today, because this is one of their holy days, when the true Mohammedan fasts, and devotes a lot of his attention to his prayer rug, bowing toward Mecca.”
“Now that’s what I call a clever trick—planning to take the Turk by surprise when his mind’s turned on other things. We’ll soon see whether it works or not, Jack.”
“Not for some hours, I’m afraid,” the other told him. “They have a long distance to cover,and very nearly every foot of the same they must snake their way along. Then there are several gullies lying between that must be crossed. Likely there’ll be absolutely nothing doing for some time.”
“We might look up that Arturus, and pump him some, in order to learn what we can of what’s ahead of us,” Amos suggested. “The country is terribly rough all around here, and we’re apt to have a sweet time of it making our way to the other camp, especially in the pitch dark, and with hawk-eyed Turks roaming around looking for a chance to cut down the number of their foes.”
Jack thought the idea worth carrying out, and accordingly both kept watch for the Greek. It was an hour before he came along, but seeing Amos beckoning, he hastened to join them.
“We said nothing about a reward for your services, Arturus,” Jack told him, “for the Colonel gave us no chance to mention it. Would you be satisfied with twenty American dollars? We are not as well supplied with ready cash aswe would like, you understand, Arturus, or we would double that amount.”
The young Greek smiled until he showed his even white teeth under his black mustache. He also shook his head vigorously in the negative.
“I am not thinking of the money, I assure you,” he told them. “Listen. Once upon a time I knew this same Captain Zenos. In fact, I was one of his crew, and went with him on three voyages. Then we had words, and he struck me. See, there is a mark, just under my hair, which I shall carry always with me. I dared not answer him as the rage in my heart would have tempted me to do; but I was resolved never again to sail with him. Besides, my heart was not in the work. I detested the cruel Turks by whom I had lost a father and elder brother in the last war. So you can now understand why I left Captain Zenos.”
“And it’s a good thing you did, Arturus,” said Amos, warmly. “You are on the right side now, depend on that, and fighting for all that is worthwhile in this world—the coming of a peace that will last forever, it is hoped.”
“And after I have heard what it was you two boys have done to my former captain,” continued the Greek, smiling again, “I was determined to serve you to the best of my ability. I owe you that, and much more, because in humbling that man you have at the same time avenged my wrongs. So please do not speak to me of money when I am only too glad to help you valiant boys.”
They asked Arturus to sit down and chat, for there were many things they wished to know. These not only concerned the methods by which the Territorials expected to surprise the Turks on one of their fast and holy days, but also covered the subject of their intended journey on the coming night.
The Greek told them what he could of the ground they would be compelled to pass over. Part of the way they might expect to utilize the sandy beach, but after getting a certain distance from the camp there was too much danger attachedto that method of progression. Then it would be necessary for them to worm their way along, something after the manner the Territorials did when creeping up toward the lines held by the enemy.
The time dragged slowly, and it became noon.
Amos and Jack had been by themselves for several hours now, Arturus going about his own business. An oppressive silence seemed to hang over the scene, where on the preceding day a constant booming of great guns had made the air quiver with the concussion.
“It looks like there was going to be nothing doing from the fleet today, because we’ve hardly had a distant glimpse of a war vessel all morning,” Amos remarked, as he watched some of the soldiers who had been left behind, for the most part suffering from slight wounds, start to prepare the midday meal.
“Oh! that’s only to be expected,” Jack told him. “The wear and tear on the big guns must be something fierce. And then, you know, they have to take on more ammunition so as to be alwaysready for business. No, whatever goes on today will be ashore here; and up to now we’re in the dark just whether or not the boys can crawl up close enough to make an attack.”