All for a Scrap of Paper Part 36

"Anything may happen here, sir," said a young non-commissioned officer to Bob.

"Still things seem pretty quiet; we may as well feed now."

Bob was on good terms with his men, and while he never slackened discipline in the slightest degree, he tried to be friendly with all.

He ate the same food and partook of the same danger--never in any degree commanding them to do what he himself shirked.

The little meal was nearly over, and Bob was taking his last drink of tea out of a tin can, when he caught a sound which brought him quickly to his feet.

Ten seconds later every soldier was on the alert, ready for action.

Then in the light of the dying day they saw a number of men marching from behind the trees.

"They look like our own men," said Corporal West; "still, them blessed Germans' uniform seems just the same colour as our own in this light."

A minute later some English words rang out in the still evening air.

"We're the Lancashire Fusiliers," said a voice.

"Wait a minute," said Bob to the corporal. "I am going to see who they are before taking any risks."

He covered the intervening s.p.a.ce in less than a minute, and saw that the other party was not quite so large as his own, but still of considerable strength. They wore, as far as he could judge, the English uniform, and gave evidence that they were our own soldiers.

Barely had he reached the man whom he supposed to be the officer, however, than from behind the trees a dozen more rushed to him, whom he had not hitherto seen. A second later, he was surrounded.

"Speak one word, and you're a dead man," was the cry. Bob knew what this meant. If his soldiers remained in ignorance, and were unable to give alarm to the general army, the enemy could easily surprise them and have them at advantage. Without a second's hesitation, however, and unmindful of his own danger, he shouted aloud:

"They're Germans. Fire!"

Almost at the same moment there was a crash of rifle shots, and the men around him fell by scores. It seemed almost miraculous that he himself was untouched, but, before he had time to say another word, a huge German struck him with the b.u.t.t-end at his revolver, and he felt himself hastily dragged away.

For some time after this he little knew what was taking place; he had a vague idea, however, that he was in the hands of the enemy, but, from the fact that they were going away from the English lines, he hoped that his action had not been in vain.

As his senses returned to him, he saw that he was accompanied by a dozen German soldiers, and that he was being hastily dragged towards the German lines.

"We've got _you_, anyhow," said one by his side.

"Where are you taking me?" asked Bob.

"You'll soon know," was the reply.

"I fancy I spoiled your little game, anyhow," and Bob was able to laugh, in spite of the fact that the world seemed to be swimming around him.

"Yes, our trick nearly succeeded; but, thanks to you, it has been spoiled," was the German's grim reply. "Still, better luck next time."

"I fancy you have lost heavily," said Bob.

"Yes," replied the German, "every man except ourselves is either killed or taken prisoner. Still, we've got you."

"That doesn't matter much," replied Bob. "Your little plans are spoiled, and by this time all the information will be in the right quarters."

The German with whom he had this conversation spoke English almost like a native; indeed, but for certain intonations, he might easily pa.s.s as an Englishman. The others were evidently ignorant of our language, but spoke to each other freely in their own tongue. Apparently they imagined that their prisoner was entirely ignorant of what they said, and Bob was not long in gathering the importance of what had taken place. But for his little company, which had surprised and overwhelmed them, they would have been able to carry out their plans without our Army's knowing anything of their whereabouts. It was evident, too, that they were in considerable apprehension as to how they would be treated when they reported their failure. They had not only failed to accomplish their purpose, but they had lost a large number of men. As Bob thought over the matter, he realised that had he hesitated a second before speaking, he would have been silenced altogether, and that they would have been able to accomplish their purpose.

Half an hour later he found himself in the German camp.

Night had now fallen, but in the light of the moon he saw that he was surrounded by vast hordes of men. No one spoke to him, however; but he saw by the many glances that were cast at him, that he was an abject of great interest.

Some time later he came to the conclusion that he had reached the quarters of officers in high position. He was evidently away from the main army, and from the nature of his surroundings he came to the conclusion that he was to be questioned by those in high places.

The officer who had captured him and who spoke English, made his way to a large tent, and was evidently making his report of what had taken place.

Bob could not catch a word of what was being said, but he noted that the officers constantly threw glances towards him.

A few minutes later he found himself amongst a number of men, whom he couldn't help realising occupied important commands.

To his surprise these men seemed to speak to him quite freely, and appeared to desire to be on friendly terms. They told him they were naturally chagrined at the failure of their plans, but congratulated him on his coolness and courage in giving warning to his men. After this, they tried to draw him into conversation about the numbers of the Allies, and of their plans of warfare. As may be imagined, however, Bob was very careful of what he said, and gave them only the vaguest generalities.

One thing, however, struck him very forcibly; instead of being treated harshly, each seemed to vie with the other in showing him kindnesses.

Good food was brought to him, and excellent wine was placed before him.

He, like others, had heard of the harshness with which English prisoners were treated; thus, when he found himself regarded rather as an honoured guest than as a prisoner of war, his astonishment was great.

Nearly all the officers spoke English, and they laughed and chatted with him freely. They told him that all the reports he had heard about the bitterness of the Germans towards the English were so many lies.

Of course, they said, now they were at war they meant to fight it out to the end, but it was impossible for them to feel bitterly towards the English, with whom they had for so many years been friendly. They also pretended to speak freely of their plans, evidently with the intention of leading him to copy their example.

To his surprise, moreover, he found himself a little later in a well-appointed tent of his own, and whilst it was guarded jealously, he was surrounded with comforts which he had never expected.

It was nearly midnight, and he was just on the point of falling asleep when an officer came to him.

"Follow me," he said brusquely, and ere long he found himself again in the open, walking between lines of soldiers.

As he thought of it afterwards, his experiences that night seemed to him almost like a dream. He was pa.s.sed from guard to guard, seemingly without reason, yet according to some pre-arranged plan. After what appeared to him an interminable time, he was ushered into the presence of a grave-looking military man, whose uniform bespoke the fact that he was of the highest rank.

This man was quickly joined by another, and a whispered conversation took place between them, and Bob saw that keen, searching glances were constantly directed towards himself.

"He's only a lieutenant," he heard one say.

"It's no use; he will have it so," replied the other; "after he had heard the report, he gave his orders, and there's nothing else for it."

The other shrugged his shoulders, as if impatient at something, and then Bob was again commanded to move forward to another place.

Eventually he found himself in what seemed to him like an ante-room of some apartment of extreme importance. Here he waited for nearly half an hour; still on each side of him stood a soldier, erect, motionless, silent.

Then some curtains were drawn aside, and Bob found himself in what might have been a richly appointed room of an old French mansion.

Seated at a desk, covered with doc.u.ments of all sorts, his face almost hidden from the light, sat a man--alone. He did not look up at Bob's entrance, but went on reading quietly, now and then making a note on the margin of the papers which he was examining.

He was clad in an officer's uniform, but what rank he held, Bob was unable to determine; that he was in high command, there could be no doubt.

Minute after minute pa.s.sed, and still this lonely figure sat reading and examining.