ULRICH VON GOBENDORFF
Hauptmann Max von Argerlich, senior surviving officer of the 99th
Regiment of Askaris, was in a furious temper with himself and every one
with whom he came in contact. It might have been the unusual exertion
of a forced march in the heat of the sun, or an insufficiency of food
that had upset him. The hard-worked Askaris had good cause to dread
his passionate outbursts, for on these occasions lashes were ordered at
the faintest pretext, for efficiency, according to the hauptmann's
ideas, could only be maintained by an active display of physical force.
Von Argerlich's depleted and harassed force lay entrenched at M'ganga,
after having withdrawn from another fortified position half an hour too
late according to the hauptmann's idea. All but surrounded, the
Askaris just managed to escape being captured to a man, and now,
temporarily safe from pursuit, the regiment had arrived at a prepared
position to await another column known to be retiring in a
north-westerly direction.
The hauptmann was a middle-aged officer, a Prussian who through some
indiscretion that had given offence to his Imperial master had been
practically banished by being sent to German East Africa. That was two
years before the war. Upon the outbreak of hostilities he hoped by
melodramatic means to find himself restored to favour, but to his
chagrin he saw that younger officers gained promotion in the German
Colonial Forces while he remained at this present rank of hauptmann.
With a bottle of spirits by his side von Argerlich sprawled upon a camp
bed, while in the absence of mosquito curtain two lean Askaris,
terrified by the Hun's drunken outburst, were diligently fanning him
with broad leaves of a palm, knowing that if their efforts relaxed or
developed into greater zeal than the hauptmann desired, the schambok
awaited them.
Von Argerlich had good cause to remember the scrap before the retreat.
A bullet fired from behind had nicked his ear, and he knew that it was
one of his Askaris who had fired. As a warning he had ordered half a
dozen of the luckless natives to be executed, but even then he was far
from certain that the culprit was included in the number. There were
strong signs of mutinous insubordination in the ranks of the 99th
Askari Regiment, and only the fact that the expected column was on its
way to join the forces under von Argerlich's command kept the black
troops in any semblance of order.
The hauptmann was both sorry and glad on that account; sorry because he
would automatically drop into a subordinate position when other German
officers superior in rank came in with the column; glad, since there
would be sufficient Europeans to overawe the iron-disciplined yet
mutinous native troops.
The appearance of the German sergeant-major interrupted the hauptmann's
reveries. Clicking his heels and stiffly saluting the veteran awaited
his officer's permission to speak.
"Well, dolt?" enquired von Argerlich thickly.
"A scout has just reported that the Gwelba column has been sighted,
Herr Hauptmann," announced the warrant officer. "The advance guard
ought to be here within half an hour."
"It is well," replied the hauptmann, rising unsteadily. "Tell
Lieutenant Muller to get the men under arms. Where's my sword? Hans,
you black schweinhund, bring me my boots, and take care that there are
no centipedes in them, or----"
Still grumbling the hauptmann buckled on his sword, donned his
sun-helmet and boots and went out into the open space between the
trench and the lines of low-built huts where the remnants of the 99th
regiment--250 men out of a full strength of 1,200--were falling in.
Worn and weary the advance guard of the column limped into the camp,
followed at regular intervals by the main body. With the latter was
Oberst von Lindenfelt, the senior officer of the column, and another
individual dressed in nondescript garments whose face seemed familiar
to von Argerlich.
"Greetings, Max!" exclaimed von Lindenfelt. "Let us hope you have
plenty of food. We are almost starving."
"Not much in that line, Herr Oberst," replied von Argerlich. "How have
you fared?"
"Donnerwetter!" said the oberst vehemently. "Things have gone badly.
It is indeed fortunate that we managed to find our way in. Had it not
been for von Gobendorff here--you have met von Gobendorff before, I
understand?"
"Der teufel!" ejaculated the hauptmann, grasping the hand of the
motley-garbed man, "of course I have. Ulrich, ten thousand pardons,
but in two years a man is apt to alter, especially in these strenuous
times. Has anything happened that you have been compelled to drop your
Scottish name? Let me think. Ach! I have it. MacGregor, was it not?"
Ulrich von Gobendorff shook his head. "Nothing compelled me, Max," he
replied. "The time was ripe--therefore Robert MacGregor is no more.
The name and character served their purpose," he continued, assuming a
boastful tone. "It was I who warned von Lindenfelt's column when it
stood a good chance of being cut off at Gwelba kopje. Again it is to
my credit that a detachment of our forces was not ambushed at Zwarte
kloof. I covered my tracks very effectively, did I not, Herr Oberst?
Himmel. I have news for you, Max. The brother of your personal enemy,
Rupert Wilmshurst, is with the English forces operating against us.
Several times I have spoken to him."
"Has he any suspicion?" asked the hauptmann anxiously.
"None at all," replied von Gobendorff. "It was easy to tell him a
plausible tale. And how fares the interfering Englishman, Rupert
Wilmshurst?"
"We still have him in close confinement up in the Karewenda Geberge,"
replied the hauptmann carelessly.
"A personal matter?" enquired Oberst von Lindenfelt.
"The accursed Englishman struck me a blow because I thought fit to
chastise a thieving native woman," replied von Argerlich. "That was
when the fellow was still prowling round to find the ammunition which
we buried in readiness for the present time. Our good friend Ulrich
trapped him."
"Why didn't you shoot the Englishman as soon as I had departed for
South-West Africa?" enquired Ulrich von Gobendorff. "It would have
been a simple solution to the difficulty, for dead men tell no tales."
"I would have done so," replied the hauptmann, "but for this reason.
There were hundreds of natives who saw him taken away under arrest. If
things go wrong with us they will most certainly inform the English.
Also I do not wish to be a subject for reprisals, as I hear our foes
are adopting that attitude. If we are to be on the losing side it pays
us to walk circumspectly. By the bye, have you heard anything lately
of your brother, Ernst?"
"Not for many months," replied Ulrich von Gobendorff. "The last time I
received indirect tidings that he was doing good work in England. It
will take a very smart man to catch Ernst. He is one of the most wily
Secret Service Agents in the employ of the German Imperial Government."
Oberst von Lindenfelt having dismissed the troops the three Germans
adjourned to the hauptmann's quarters, where over the remains of the
bottle of spirits conversation was resumed.
"Tell me how you gave the Englishman the slip, Ulrich," asked von
Argerlich.
"It was quite a simple matter," replied the spy. "I informed the camp
commander--he was a simple sort of leutnant--that I was going to
overtake the column, the column, by the bye, having been sent by me on
a fool's errand to capture an imaginary laager on Gwelba kopje.
According to previous arrangements I fell in with Hauptmann Schmidt's
company, and he obligingly set a squad of his Askaris to work to stage
the last stand of Scout MacGregor. We trampled the grass, left a few
cartridge cases lying about and sent my borrowed horse away with a
bullet-wound in his flank to hurry him up, and to give additional
colour to the effect. I should not be surprised to see the name of
Robert MacGregor posthumously honoured with the British Military Medal
or something of that sort."
The three Huns laughed uproariously. Under the temporarily
exhilarating effect of the rank spirit they were beginning to forget
their physical exhaustion.
"To be on the safe side," continued von Gobendorff, "it will be
necessary for me to get as far away from the Nth-West African Regiment
as I can. I presume that you have no objection to my leaving you, Herr
Oberst?"
Von Lindenfelt grunted assent.
"Can you get clear of the colony?" he asked. "Every frontier is
guarded, while since the _Jaguar_ succeeded in running her cargo of
quick-firers ashore even the coast is rigidly patrolled by those
accursed English cruisers."
"Give me a dozen native carriers, rifles and ammunition, and I'll wager
that before another fortnight I'll be in Rhodesia," declared von
Gobendorff. "Once there the rest will be easy; train to Cape Town,
mail-boat to Plymouth, our splendid unterseebooten permitting; then,
having applied to a certain compatriot in London for a forged passport,
I'll cross to Flushing and be in German territory three months from
now."
"If you do, please don't forget to inform the authorities at Berlin
that I am still doing good work for the Fatherland," remarked the
hauptmann earnestly. "The War Office seems to forget us out here."
"Quite so," agreed von Lindenfelt. "We do not get even Iron Crosses,
although we are still holding out after two years of incessant
guerrilla warfare. Only the other day----"
A junior officer stood in the doorway, his flaccid features working
with excitement.
"Pardon, Herr Oberst," he exclaimed, as he saluted. "An English
aeroplane----"
"Donnerwetter!" interrupted the German excitedly. "Is that so? Von
Argerlich, I trust that there is a positively bomb-proof shelter
available? How far away is the accursed machine, Herr Schmidt? Is it
flying in the direction of M'ganga?"
"No, sir," replied the leutnant gravely. He wanted to smile, but a
display of mirth at the expense of a superior officer was not
advisable. "It has fallen at about twelve kilometres from here. Our
scouts reported that the two occupants were seen tramping through the
bush in the direction of the English bivouac four miles south of
Gwelba."
"Why did not the Askaris shoot them?" demanded Oberst von Lindenfelt.
"There were but three of our scouts and the Englishmen were armed,"
explained the German. "I would venture to suggest, Herr Oberst, that
the men did well to return immediately with their report rather than
risk being disabled in an attempt to engage the airmen."
Von Lindenfelt pondered a few moments, then he turned abruptly to
Ulrich von Gobendorff.
"I believe you understand aeroplanes, Ulrich," he said. "Did you not
fly at the great Johannesthal meeting a few years ago? I thought you
told me so. Ah! yes. You will accompany Hauptmann von Argerlich and a
half company of Askaris. If the machine is easily repairable, fly it
back here, otherwise destroy it. Until this duty is performed I
withhold my permission for you to leave the column. Start as soon as
possible. A horse will be provided you."
It was useless to demur. The oberst's word was law. Inwardly raging
von Gobendorff rose to his feet, stiffly saluted and followed the
hauptmann out of the hut in execution of von Lindenfelt's order.