HER ENEMY
The dim light fell on them where they slept seated upright, unconscious,
swaying as the car swayed. Unseen forests swept past on either side
under a dark sky set with stars; low mountains loomed in the night,
little rivers sparkled under trestles for a second and vanished in the
dull roar of the rushing train.
The man, sunk back against the upholstered seat, lay as though dead.
But after a while the girl dreamed. It was the frontier toward which
they were rushing through the night--a broad white road running between
meadows set with flowers, such as she had often seen.
Two painted sentry boxes stood on either side of the boundary; the one
on her side was empty, but in the other she realized that her enemy was
on guard, hidden, watching her.
She desired to cross. In all her life never had she so longed for
anything as she longed to cross that still, sunny, flower-bordered
frontier.
She dared not. Her enemy stood hidden, armed, watching her from within
that painted sentry box. She knew it. She was afraid. She knew that her
enemy would step out with weapon levelled and challenge her the instant
she set foot across that flowering frontier. She was afraid of his
challenge, afraid even to learn what her enemy might look like.
Yet she _must_ cross. Something had to be done--something had to be done
while the sun was shining and the breeze in the meadow set the flowers
all swaying. She looked desperately at the silent sentry box. Nothing
moved. Yet she knew her enemy was watching her.
Then, frightened, she set one foot across the line--took one more step,
very timidly.
"_Halt! Who goes there?_"
She knew it--she _knew_ it! It had come--it had happened to her at last!
"F-friend!" she faltered--"but I do not know the countersign."
"_Pass, friend, without the countersign!_"
Could she believe her ears!
She listened again, her hand resting against her heart. But she only
heard a child laughing inside the sentry box, and the smothered ruffle
of preening wings.
Her dream partly awoke her; she lay very still, vaguely conscious of
where her cheek was resting, then closed her eyes to seek her enemy
again among her dreams.