ESCAPED PRISONERS
When Jimmie's toe prodded the Kaiser's horse in the ribs, that animal
gave a mighty spring and bounded from his position. Usually a
tractable, though mettlesome beast, the horse was greatly surprised at
the treatment he was receiving, and it is not surprising that he made
every effort to escape the punishment.
At the first movement of his comrade, Dave had urged his own horse
forward in the expectation that Jimmie would attempt escape.
So swiftly had the movement been executed by Jimmie that none of the
officers near by had been able to intercept the flight of the three.
Before the Kaiser could check the mad rush of his mount and bring the
noble animal to a quivering stop, considerable distance had been
covered. Jimmie rode on the Kaiser's right Hank, his own horse's
shoulder close to the other's saddle. Dave followed immediately behind
Jimmie so close that when the halt was made he fairly crowded Jimmie
beside the Kaiser. He was still mystified when they stopped.
With a face livid with wrath at the treatment, the Kaiser turned toward
Jimmie. The next instant he began a forceful speech. It was never
delivered. Jimmie slipped from his horse and began to drag the other
from his mount. He was too excited for coherent speech.
"Young man--," began the other in a severe tone.
"Shut up!" stormed Jimmie. "Get off your horse, quick! It's coming!"
As he spoke, the boy, looking earnestly into the face of the man he had
pursued, pointed toward the French lines and in the direction of the
spot where the hasty flight had begun.
Dave glanced back to see a knot of officers and Uhlans closely packed
about the very spot where the three had stood a moment before. As he
looked he shivered slightly. A huge black object was hurtling through
the air. It landed in the center of the group, bearing down with a
shriek of agony a horse and its rider.
Instinctively Jimmie and Dave had thrown their arms up to cover their
faces. By this means they had protected themselves in a degree from
the force of the flying scraps of earth that stormed upon them like
hail. They were covered with dirt to a woeful degree.
As the rain of dirt ceased Jimmie looked up at the man he had tried so
hard to rescue. His face bore a look of solicitude.
"I tried to get you out of there," he said. "I saw it coming."
"A pretty story!" stormed the other. "What conduct is this?"
In amazement Jimmie drew back a pace. He grasped the bridle reins of
his horse in his left hand. Looking keenly at the mounted man, the lad
recognized the fact that his intentions had been misunderstood.
Without another word the lad mounted his animal.
"Where are you going, Jimmie?" asked Dave anxiously as Jimmie wheeled
his mount. "What are you going to do now? Shall we make a break?"
"I guess we've made break enough," replied Jimmie with set jaw. "Here
I go and rescue one perfectly good Kaiser from a dropping shell that he
don't see, and now he gets sore at me for doing it. I'm going back to
the position where I was ordered to stand, and they can all be shot to
pieces next time for all the help they get from me!"
"Then I'm going with you!" declared Dave. "Come on!"
Gravely Jimmie returned to the very rim of the crater that had been dug
in the solid earth by the bursting of the gigantic shell. Here he
halted, drew himself erect in the saddle and waited. Dave drew
alongside.
In another instant the two were surrounded by officers and Uhlans.
"Dismount at once!" ordered an officer.
Jimmie glanced quickly at the man and discovered him to be none other
than von Liebknecht, the man who had been so closely concerned in
Jimmie's recent experiences. Not deigning a reply, the lad obeyed.
His action was quickly followed by Dave.
Following an order rapidly given in German, one of the Uhlans urged his
horse forward and grasped the reins of the two horses. He fairly
jerked the leathers from the hands of the boys and led the two away.
"My word!" declared Dave with emphasis. "We're in for it now!"
"I wonder just what they're going to do?" asked Jimmie in a whisper.
"Firin' squad at sunrise, most likely!" said Dave. "We're now, as I
understand it, criminals of the worst sort."
"I don't get you," puzzled Jimmie. "What's the big idea?"
"We've committed one of the worst crimes in the calendar!" declared
Dave. "As I understand it, we've meddled with the person of the
Kaiser, and that's only one degree less awful than saying horrid things
about him. That's what I've been told, at any rate."
"Great frozen hot boxes!" ejaculated Jimmie. "Is it a crime to save a
man's life when you get the chance?"
"I can't just say how they'll look at it," replied Dave. "But here
comes the old top himself. Maybe he'll have a word to say."
Von Liebknecht began what seemed to the lads to be an apology, but was
cut short by the Kaiser, who gave a command in German. Without
attempting to complete his unfinished speech, the Captain repeated the
command to an aide standing near, and he in turn addressed two Uhlans.
Much to their surprise, the boys were confronted by their old
acquaintances, Otto and Fritz, who gave their orders in a single word.
"Vorwarts!" came the command in crisp tones as the two crowded their
horses almost upon the two lads.
"That means 'Hike!'" explained Jimmie, turning to Dave.
"Here goes, then," returned Dave, stepping out bravely.
"I say, Otto," began Jimmie presently, "where are we going?"
"Verboten!" came the only answer the Uhlan would offer.
"Ha!" cried Jimmie. "I know what that means. I've seen a good many
signs with that word on it. It means that we are forbidden to walk on
the grass, breathe, live, eat, or do anything else without permits."
"No, no, Jimmie," explained Dave. "He means that he is forbidden to
tell you where we are headed for. Isn't that it?"
"I don't know and don't much care!" was the other's reply. "They are
welcome to start a goat farm any time they wish. They've got mine for
a starter. Of all my going a-fishing, this is the limit."
After about half an hour's walk they found themselves near a building
that had evidently been a farm residence. In common with many other
rural establishments of Germany, this place had been built with the
barns attached to the dwelling house.
Into what had been the cow stable the boys were conducted by their
guards. A ladder stood in one corner, leading up through a trap door
to the fodder loft above. Up this ladder the boys were directed.
"Fine little old prison!" declared Jimmie contemptuously.
"Well, it might be worse," said Dave consolingly. "We're here yet."
"Yes, and if I ever get another chance at the Germans," declared Jimmie
with vigor, "I'll punch their heads as hard as I can!"
"We might as well make ourselves comfortable," suggested Dave.
"Not on your life!" cried Jimmie heatedly. "From now on I'm going to
make every move in the calendar to get out of this place and away from
those Germans. If I ever get back to America I'll never eat another
bit of sauer kraut as long as I live!"
Dave could not repress a laugh at this outburst. He could sympathize
with Jimmie's attitude, for he felt that they were being unjustly
treated.
"How are we going to give them the slip?" asked Jimmie, beginning a
systematic search of the place. "Are there any windows?"
"There are two on the east side," answered Dave.
"Now, then, let's tear up the bed sheets and knot them together," was
Jimmie's next suggestion, delivered in a half jesting mood.
"A rope would be better," offered his companion. "Let's look for one."
Presently he gave a cry and stooped to pick up an object at his feet.
"What do you think of this?" he said gleefully as he held aloft the end
of a line nearly as thick as his finger. "Isn't that luck?"
"My word!" said Dave heartily. "That's the silver lining, all right!"
"Now to get a cleat or something across that window so we can take the
rope with us!" urged Jimmie. "Hurry, Dave, hurry!"
They lost no time in doubling the line and passing the ends out of the
window. The loop which they still held was caught beneath the corners
of the window frame so that it would remain in position until the end
was loosened by the person descending.
Ahead Jimmie could make out the outlines of an aeroplane in an open
space. Following Dave's pointing finger, the lad saw a man in Uhlan's
uniform rapidly running through the wood in the direction of the barn.
A noise in advance of their position attracted his attention. He
gripped Dave's arm warningly and pointed to three figures in Uhlan
uniform moving about in the growth of underbrush.
Dave quickly unslung the coil of line from his shoulder and proceeded
to reeve a slip noose in one end. When he had adjusted the noose to
his satisfaction the lad moved silently forward, crouching as he went.
With a dexterous throw the lad sent the loop of line over the three
figures standing close together. Jimmie lent a hand to drag it tight.