INTO GERMANY
"We'll have to have a leader for this party," said Hal, "one whose word
shall be law. I'm agreeable to Chester."
"I'd rather have you," said Chester.
McKenzie also voted for Hal, who already had done him some service.
This agreement, stood.
"All right," said Hal. "Now that I'm in command, I'll outline the
course of procedure. We'll go from here to the Dutch border."
"How about passports?" Chester wanted to know.
"That's simple enough. You remember the time when we drew up a set of
fake passports representing ourselves to be correspondents of the New
York Gazette? We'll follow the same plan, except that we each will be
represented as correspondents of different papers. See, I've already
drawn, them."
"I see," said Chester, "but American passports won't be honored in
Germany now."
"But they will be in Holland," said Hal. "We'll see what can be done
about having them changed there. Now, let's see if we know who we
are."
He passed the fake passports to the others.
"I'm Barney McCann, eh?" said McKenzie, gazing at the paper he held in
his hand. "Oh, well, I guess I can talk Irish as well as German if I
have to. And I represent the Chicago Mail."
"I'm still Chester Crawford," said Chester, "and I represent the New
York Gazette."
"I'm Hal Paine, and I represent the Philadelphia Globe," said Hal.
"We'll probably have to change our names when we go over the German
border, but these should answer their purposes in Holland.
Fortunately, we have learned a few things from Stubbs, so we are not
unfamiliar with the workings of a newspaper."
"Guess we had better get out of these uniforms," said Chester.
"Right. We'll don suits of plain khaki, such as Stubbs wears, and
we'll equip ourselves with the necessary paraphernalia."
This was a simple task, and several hours later, horseback, the lads
made their way toward where British troops, supported by French, were
close to, the border of The Netherlands.
They showed their passports, prepared by Hal, to the British military
authorities, and were permitted to pass.
Holland, although not a participant in the great war, nevertheless,
soon after the outbreak of hostilities, had felt herself called upon to
mobilize her military forces that she might protect her borders should
one of the belligerents attempt to overrun her, as the Germans had
overrun Belgium at the outbreak of the war. Therefore, when the three
travelers reached the border, they were held up by the military.
Hal presented his fake American passport, and Chester and McKenzie did
likewise. The officer who had accosted them turned them over to his
superior.
"Your intentions," said the officer, "I hope are such as not to break
Holland's neutrality?"
"We're perfectly peaceable, sir," returned Hal with a smile.
"Very well. This is a neutral country, and you are, of course, free to
travel about it at your leisure so long as you conduct yourselves
properly. Of course, were you American soldiers it would be necessary
for me to place you under arrest, and YOU would be interned until the
end of the war."
"I understand that, sir," said Hal.
"By the way," said the Dutch officer, "there is a Dutch newspaperman
here at this moment. Perhaps you would like to meet him. He is Herr
Heindrick Block, of the Amsterdamer."
"We shall be pleased," said Hal quietly.
The Dutch officer excused himself, and returned a moment later with a
young Dutchman, whom he introduced to the three friends. They shook
hands all around.
"I've already met a compatriot of yours," said the young Dutchman,
smiling, "a Herr Stubbs. He is with one of the New York papers--I
forget which."
Hal and Chester gave a start of surprise, but quickly recovered
themselves.
"He is with my paper, The Gazette, sir," returned Chester. "Is he in
these parts?"
"He was yesterday," replied Block. "I do not know where he is now."
The three friends took an instant liking to the young Dutch newspaper
man. He led the three to where he was temporarily quartered.
"We can have a little chat here," he said.
During the course of the conversation Hal asked:
"And what is the sentiment in Holland regarding the war?"
The young Dutchman hesitated a moment, and then turned and gazed around
quickly.
"The sentiment," he said at last, "is that Germany must be crushed. Of
course, at this moment Holland cannot afford to enter the arena.
Germany has massed thousands of troops upon our border. An unneutral
act would be dangerous. Nevertheless, Holland's sympathies are with
the Allies--have been from the start. There is another factor
besides Holland's natural gratitude to England--that makes for this.
Germany has overrun Holland, as well as the rest of the world with
spies. Holland is offended, but cannot afford to show it--now. But
while we are kept quiet, there are few of us who would not do much to
help the Allied cause."
Hal thought quickly. He glanced at the young Dutchman shrewdly. He
felt he could be trusted.
"Then," said the lad quietly, "can you conceive of any way by which we
can get passports from the Dutch government that will pass us into
Germany?"
The young Dutchman manifested no surprise.
"Have no fear," he said, as Chester and McKenzie manifested some
anxiety at Hal's words. "I shall not betray you. Only yesterday I was
able to get a passport for your friend Herr Stubbs."
"What?" cried Hal. "Stubbs gone into Germany?"
"I supposed you knew that," said Block. "I supposed he was one of
you."
"No," said Chester, "Stubbs is what he represents himself to be--a
war correspondent."
"Nevertheless," said Block, "he has gone into Germany as Herr
Klepstein, a Dutch newspaperman."
"That means," said Hal, "that it will be hard work getting passports
for us."
"Not at all," said Block. "I can do that with ease. There are many
Dutch correspondents in Germany. Two or three more won't matter. One
of you can take my passport." He looked at Hal. "You and I look
something alike, anyhow," he said.
"So we do," Hal agreed. "But can you get passports for my friends
here?"
"I can manufacture them myself, the same as I did for your friend
Stubbs," said the Dutchman quietly, "I need not tell you, however, that
should I be discovered I would probably be shot. But why shouldn't I
do it? My mother was an English Woman."
"We shall be greatly obliged," said Hal.
Block led the way from the tent.
"Mount your horses," he said. "We'll go to the railroad station and
catch a train for Amsterdam. You shall be my guests until the
passports are prepared."
Hal was nothing loath. He realized that they had encountered good
fortune in the person of Herr Block. He placed implicit confidence in
the man, for it was perfectly plain that Block was telling the truth
when he said his sympathies were with the Allies.
For two days the three friends were the guests of the young Dutchman at
his bachelor apartments in Amsterdam. Upon the morning of the third
day, Block presented them with passports properly vised by the Dutch
authorities.
"These will get you through," he said quietly.
"We can never thank you enough," declared Hal, quietly. "Some day you
will realize what a great thing you have done for the world."
"I realize it now," was the young Dutchman's reply. "I wish I were
going with you, but it may be that I can be of more service here."
"Undoubtedly," said Hal, "if this is an example."
"Now don't forget who you are," enjoined Block. "You," to Hal, "are
Herr Block, of The Amsterdamer." To Chester, "You are Herr Amusdem"
To McKenzie: "You are Herr Spidle, both of The Nederlander. Do not
forget. Should you encounter other Dutch correspondents, it will be
well for you to stand on your dignity, and to talk to them as little as
possible. Now, have you any idea how you are to go about the
accomplishment of your mission, whatever it is?"
"No," said Hal, "I haven't. We shall act in accordance with
developments."
"Well," said Block, "you may as well be going. The sooner you get
there the better. I shall go with you to your train. You will have to
show no passports until you get to the frontier."
At the station, Block saw them comfortably installed in a car that
would carry them across the border. He shook hands with them.
"Good luck," he said quietly; and added: "Should you, by any chance,
come out of Germany a jump ahead of a bayonet, remember you will find
temporary, safety in my quarters. Good-bye."