THE END OF THE TRAIL.
Hal, still somewhat dizzy, followed close upon the heels of his friend,
and behind him came General Gallieni. In the street, at a command from
the general, the lads halted, and the military governor dispatched an
aide to summon a squad of cavalry.
"We might as well do this right," he remarked to the lads.
Ten minutes later the squad appeared, and the general, mounting his own
horse, which had been standing by, placed himself at their head. Then he
motioned the lads to climb up before two of the soldiers and point out
the way to the den.
This the lads did, and soon the squad was trotting briskly along
the streets.
Some distance from the rendezvous Hal called a halt, and jumped lightly
to the ground. Chester and General Gallieni also dismounted.
"I believe it would be a good idea for my friend and I to go first," said
Hal to the general. "We are still in our Apache togs. One of your men can
come with us, so as to be able to point out the way. Then he can return
and bring you. In the meantime we can see that the door is left open."
General Gallieni assented to this plan, and Hal, Chester and one soldier
made their way forward.
Hal recognized the little frame house at once, but just as he was
about to enter a figure stole softly across the street and took
Chester by the arm.
It was Jean.
"You won't be able to open the door in the passageway," he said in
a low tone.
"Great Scott!" exclaimed Chester. "How do you happen to be here?"
"I expected that there would be a raid," was the reply, "and I came to
help you. You had better let me take the lead."
"All right," said Chester, and he explained the situation to Hal.
Jean now took the lead, and they entered the house. Once more they
traversed the dark passageway, and Jean opened the door in the dark and
led the way to the room beyond. Here Hal motioned for the soldier to
return and bring the others--the door had been left open--and the trooper
hurried away.
Hal approached the room and knocked sharply on the door--three light
taps, followed by one loud tap. There came to their ears the sound of a
scraping chair, the door was unbarred and unbolted, and Georges peered
through. He recognized the three figures in the passageway, and threw
wide the door.
"Successful?" he asked eagerly as the three entered.
"Yes," said Chester briefly.
"_Bien_!"
The others in the room, of whom there were perhaps fifty, also crowded
around and patted Chester and Jean on the back, profuse in their
congratulations.
The three sat down at the table, where Chester, in response to Georges'
request, began an account of the supposed assassination.
"I suppose the chief will soon be here," he broke off to say.
"And then," said Georges, rubbing his hands, "we shall receive our gold.
Did you see the chief in the crowd?"
"Yes; he was there, all right," said Chester.
Now came to Chester's ears the sound of stealthy footsteps in the
passageway beyond the door, which Georges had barred and bolted
immediately they had entered. The lad got nonchalantly to his feet and
walked slowly toward the door.
Hal and Jean also had heard the sound of footsteps, and they now ranged
themselves on either side of Chester.
Suddenly the revolvers of all three flashed out and covered the crowd of
Apaches, as Chester's voice rang out sternly:
"Throw up your hands, all of you!"
Taken completely by surprise, the Apaches obeyed.
Without lowering his weapons, Chester called to Jean:
"Open the door!"
Jean sprang to obey, and as he did so the Apaches, realizing that they
were trapped, sprang toward the two lads with cries of rage. Right in the
face of the muzzles of the four automatics they came on.
"Halt, or we fire!" cried Chester.
Jean was struggling nervously with the door.
The Apaches paid no heed to the lad's cry.
"Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!"
The automatics of both lads spoke four times in rapid succession, and as
many men fell to the floor. For a moment the Apaches fell back. In this
moment Jean swung wide the door, and, picking up his revolver, rushed to
the side of the two lads, while through the door streamed, one after
another, the squad of French cavalrymen.
Some of the Apaches now produced revolvers and fired wildly at the
approaching soldiers, and these, leveling their rifles, returned the
fire.
Immediately the den became a scene of tumult. Wounded men screamed and
others gave vent to their rage with fierce cries. Revolvers and rifles
flashed on all sides.
Hal and Chester, immediately the firing had begun, had dropped to their
knees, and so, as they still poured lead into the Apaches, the bullets of
the latter went over their heads. Jean, however, was not so fortunate.
Realizing that there must have been treachery some place, Georges had
naturally come to the conclusion that Jean was responsible for it, and
had singled the little man out as his own particular mark. Paying no heed
to the fighting that raged about him, he took careful aim and fired.
Jean gave a single cry, threw up his hands and fell squarely between Hal
and Chester.
But the fight could have but one outcome. Outnumbered two to one, the
Apaches were fighting a losing struggle. Half of their number lay dead on
the floor, and many others were nursing serious wounds. As suddenly as it
had begun, the fighting ceased, and the Apaches still on their feet
raised their hands in the air.
Immediately the soldiers advanced on them and made them prisoners. Each
was bound securely and hustled out of the door.
Chester and Hal were not wounded. The former now bent over the body
of Jean, in whom he saw there was still a spark of life. He lifted
the little man's head gently, and, as he did so, Jean looked at him
and spoke:
"Well, they got me," he said quietly. "I thought they would."
"You will be all right in a day or two, Jean," said Chester.
"You can't fool me," was the reply. "I know when I am done for. But I am
glad that, before my time came, you were able to put me on the right
path. It is better to die thus."
Chester did not reply. There was nothing he could say.
Jean looked at him and smiled, then reached out his hand and clasped
Chester's.
"It's all right," he said, pressing the lad's hand; "but let me give you
a word of warning. Do not let any of these Apaches know your real
identity. Their arm is long and they never forgive. Good-by."
He pressed the lad's hand, gave a single shudder and his grasp relaxed.
Chester rose to his feet and turned to Hal.
"He is dead," he said quietly.
Leaving the body of Jean to be disposed of with the others, the lads made
their way outside, to where General Gallieni stood. The latter greeted
them with a smile.
"Well, we have finished it up," he said cheerfully, "and thanks to you
two lads. I can see now why General Joffre has such confidence in you."
The lads flushed with pleasure at this compliment, but neither replied.
They merely bowed.
"Now," said General Gallieni, "you shall come with me."
"Where to, sir?" asked Chester.
"Never mind," was the laughing rejoinder. "Mount two of those horses and
follow me."
Without further questions the lads obeyed, and, after half an hour's
ride, found themselves before the Palace where so recently the attempt on
the life of the President of France had been foiled.
General Gallieni dismounted and motioned the lads to follow him, which
they did, going up the steps and entering the Palace itself. Here General
Gallieni gave his name to an attendant. The latter disappeared, but
returned a few moments later and bowed.
General Gallieni, closely followed by Hal and Chester, passed within the
next room. There a man in civilian attire, bearded and with flashing eye,
advanced to meet them.
"Allow me to present to you, sir," said General Gallieni, with a
flourish, "Lieutenants Paine and Crawford, sir."
Both lads bowed low, for the man who advanced toward them with
outstretched hand was Raymond Poincaré, President of France.
"I am greatly indebted to you boys," said the President, "for the aid you
have rendered me; but I am still more indebted for the service you have
rendered France."
He spoke at length to the two lads, and finally informed them that
they might withdraw, as he had matters of importance to discuss with
General Gallieni.
"Well," said Hal to Chester, when they were again on the outside, "what
shall we do now?"
"I guess we might as well hunt up our mothers," was Chester's reply.
Accordingly they turned and hurried in the direction of the hotel where,
the evening before, they had outwitted Uncle John.
Uncle John was standing just inside the entrance of the hotel. He glanced
at the lads as they entered, but, as they were still in their Apache
togs, and were ragged and dirty, he did not recognize them. Chester
approached him, and in a wheedling voice said:
"Will you give a poor orphan lad a small piece of money, sir?"
The hand of Uncle John, ever generous, immediately went into his pocket,
and he placed a franc in the boy's hand.
At that moment one of the hotel officials, perceiving the two dirty lads,
and mistaking them for street urchins, approached.
"Were these little beggars annoying you, sir?" he said to Uncle John.
"I'll have them kicked into the street."
"Oh, let them alone," said Uncle John, but the official, mumbling that it
was against the rules of the hotel, summoned a porter and ordered him to
throw the lads out.
"Are you going to let them kick us out, Uncle John?" asked Chester,
in English.
Uncle John turned quickly, and walked straight up to him. Stooping he
gazed searchingly into his face and then turned to Hal. With an
exclamation he waved aside the porter and grasped each lad by the arm.
"You young rascals!" he said. "Don't you know you have worried your
mothers nearly to death. You'll come with me now."
He led them to the elevator, and soon the two lads were once more in
their mothers' arms.
"Well," said Uncle John, when the greetings were over, "I don't think you
will get away from us again. We'll sail for America at once."
"I am afraid," said Chester slowly, "that we cannot go."
"Cannot go? And why not, sir?"
"Because," replied Chester, "I believe that Hal and I shall return
immediately to the front, and rejoin General French and his heroic
British troops."
Both Mrs. Paine and Mrs. Crawford cried out in alarm, and Uncle John
looked at the two lads with disappointment when Hal said:
"Chester is right."
But Uncle John was nothing if not a diplomat.
"We won't discuss it now," he said, with a wave of his hand. "To-morrow
we will talk the matter over."
This suited all concerned.
"And that decision having been reached," continued Uncle John, "let's all
go down to dinner!"
THE END.