The Boy Allies at Liege Part 42

"You sent for me, sir?" he asked.

"Yes; this boy is a German spy. I have positive proof. Have him shot at sunrise."

"Very well, sir," replied the lieutenant; then to Chester: "Come!"

"But--" began the lad.

"No words," said the lieutenant. "Forward--march!"

Chester saw it was no use to protest, so he marched ahead of the lieutenant without another word. He was taken to a small tent, thrust in, and a trooper ordered to mount guard over him. Wearily the lad threw himself down, and, in spite of his predicament, was soon asleep.

It was just beginning to grow light when he was rudely awakened by someone shaking him by the arm. Five minutes later and he was marched from his tent between a file of soldiers.

As he walked rapidly along between his captors, he suddenly espied an officer approaching on horseback. Even from where he was, in the dim light Chester recognized the horseman, and his spirits rose. It was plainly apparent that the rider would pa.s.s within a few feet of him.

A moment more, and he was close enough to the mounted officer to touch his horse. Suddenly the lad sprang forward and cried:

"General Givet! General Givet!"

The mounted officer pulled up his horse sharply. At the same moment the officer in charge of the squad sprang forward and grasped Chester roughly by the arm.

"Get back there!" he commanded sharply, but the boy paid no heed.

"General Givet!" he called again, and laughed happily aloud as the general turned his horse and came squarely up to him.

"Why, by my soul!" exclaimed the Belgian commander after a sharp look at the boy, "if it isn't young Crawford! What are you doing here?"

"They are going to shoot me as a spy, general," said Chester.

"What!" exclaimed the commander. "You a spy!"

He turned to the lieutenant in command of the squad.

"By whose order, sir?" he demanded.

"Captain Ba.s.sil's order, sir," was the reply.

"Captain Ba.s.sil, eh? Well, you will conduct your prisoner to my quarters.

Then you will inform Captain Ba.s.sil that I desire his presence immediately."

The lieutenant saluted, and the general rode off.

Ten minutes later, in the general's quarters, Chester was face to face with his accuser.

"Well, sir," said General Givet to Captain Ba.s.sil, "what was your reason for ordering this lad shot? You will please explain yourself at once."

The captain shifted uneasily from one foot to another.

"I was sure he was a spy, sir," he made reply. "Why else should he be spooking about your tent at such an hour in the morning? But if I have made a mistake--"

"You have, sir," interrupted the general, "a very serious one--one that will require a more satisfactory explanation than the one you have just given. This lad"--and the general laid his hand on Chester's shoulder--"already has proven himself invaluable to our cause. Had I not fortunately arrived in time, he would now be dead. And in that event it would have fared badly with you. But I must investigate this case farther. Captain Ba.s.sil, you will go immediately to your quarters and consider yourself under arrest."

As the captain saluted and turned to leave the tent, Chester, who had been silent thus far, exclaimed:

"One moment, please, Captain Ba.s.sil," and then turned to General Givet.

"I will explain, sir," he, added, "if you will have Captain Ba.s.sil remain a moment longer."

The general nodded and Captain Ba.s.sil remained. Chester walked up to him and looked him steadily in the eye for several moments. Then he turned to General Givet and said calmly:

"I accuse Captain Ba.s.sil, sir, of being a German spy!"

"What!" exclaimed the Belgian commander, starting back. "Do you realize what you are saying?"

"Perfectly, sir, and I am prepared to prove what I say."

Captain Ba.s.sil smiled sneeringly.

"I won't believe you will take any stock in such a wild story, sir," he said to General Givet. "With your permission, I shall go to my own quarters."

"One moment," said the general, raising a detaining hand, and then turned to Chester. "Explain yourself," he added shortly.

In a few well-chosen words Chester recounted his experiences of the day before.

"And I am positive," he concluded, "that if you will have Captain Ba.s.sil searched, you will find in his possession a paper similar to this," and he handed the commander the doc.u.ment he had taken from one of the conspirators before he entered their council chamber.

The commander ran his eye over the paper hurriedly, and turned sternly toward Captain Ba.s.sil.

"What have you to say to this charge, sir?" he demanded.

"That it is a lie!" shouted the accused officer. "He is accusing me to save himself."

The general looked at him in silence for some moments, apparently undecided as to how to act.

"Well," he said at length, "it will do no harm to find out."

He stepped to the door of his tent and spoke to the sentinel on duty just outside:

"Ask Lieutenant Armand to step this way at once."

As General Givet turned from giving this command, Captain Ba.s.sil suddenly uttered a loud cry and leaped upon the commander.

"At least you shall never live to thwart our plans!" he cried, as he sprang.

Taken completely off his guard, General Givet was hurled heavily to the ground by the force of the traitor's spring. The commander's head struck the ground with a crash, and he lay still. A revolver barrel gleamed in the sunlight that filtered through the half-closed opening in the tent.

But even as it was brought to bear Chester leaped forward.

With one strong hand he seized the traitor by the wrist, and deflected the revolver just as the traitor's hand pressed the trigger, and the bullet whistled harmlessly through the top of the tent.