MAKING HISTORY
The three chums exchanged looks when the surgeon made this extraordinary
request. At least it proved what confidence he had in their ability to
carry out the work of delivering the interrupted dispatches. Had there
really been any one else handy in whom he could trust possibly the
American surgeon would never have thought of imposing such an arduous
duty upon Thad and his comrades. It was really a Frenchman’s task and
hardly fitted for those who considered themselves neutral in the battle
that was going on.
Somehow or other Thad quite forgot that just then. The mere fact that he
had been asked to do this thing appealed to all that was valiant in him;
and we happen to know that times without number he had proven himself
the possessor of red blood in his veins.
“Say yes, Thad!”
That was Allan urging him to accept, and yet in times past this same
Allan had often betrayed unusual signs of caution. He, too, must have
been overwhelmed with a sense of the high honor thus suddenly thrust
upon them; though, for that matter, the tragic events of the day would
have been quite enough to make those lads feel that they were enlisted
heart and soul in the cause of the Allies.
“How did he come to be hurt, sir?” asked Thad, first of all.
“He was riding a motorcycle at mad speed when a van crossed in the way,”
explained the surgeon promptly. “The result was bad for the messenger,
since his machine was smashed and he himself hurled against the van.
They found him there, doubled up in the road, and carried him back to
us. That is all I have learned, except that he has plain directions
where Headquarters can be found. He will give them to me as soon as any
one swears to carry his dispatches through.”
“Thad, we ought to do it, sure as anything!”
Why, if it wasn’t Bumpus himself who was saying that; and surely if the
stout chum felt that a duty had been thrust upon them that they ought
not attempt to shirk, Thad should be the last one to hold back.
“We’ll undertake to deliver the dispatches, sir, though of course it’s
none of our business what their nature is,” he immediately told the
waiting surgeon.
“That’s fine of you, but no more than I expected, son,” the other
hastened to tell him; and then, once more bending down closer to the
wounded officer, he commenced to talk with him.
They guessed that he was asking for the directions as well as where he
would find the dispatches secreted about the person of the wounded man.
Presently the surgeon stood up again. He was holding a small packet in
his hand, and it looked as though it might be of importance, seeing that
it was wrapped in yellow, water-proof material such as Thad remembered
sailors’ garments were made of.
“Here is the packet you are to place in the hands of General Joffre
personally and as quickly as you can get to Headquarters. If they could
have been sent by aeroplane it would have been done, but that means was
not available. I am putting a great trust in your hands, my boy; see
that you carry it through as becomes a true-hearted American Scout.”
Thad without any hesitation accepted the packet and hastened to conceal
it upon his person. It must have struck him that in so doing he was
taking more or less risk, for should he happen to be caught by any
raiding German column he would be treated harshly, and might even be
looked upon as a spy.
“And now, sir, how about the directions?” he asked quietly, trying to
keep his voice well under control.
“I will give them to you plainly, and I request all of you to listen
carefully, so that if one should forget another can remedy the defect.”
Then the surgeon proceeded to describe just how the course was to be
followed; telling how many miles they would proceed along a certain
road, how they were to know where to branch off, and, finally, taking
them to an obscure spot far in the rear of the French battle-line, where
the great General Joffre had his headquarters, sending most of his
orders forth by telephone, or it might be aeroplanes, which, it appears,
is the modern way of conducting a great engagement between hundreds of
thousands of combatants on either side.
“Do you think you can remember it all clearly now?” demanded the
surgeon, when he had finished his instructions.
“I’ve got it printed like a map in my mind,” said Thad. “Scouts are
taught to do that sort of thing, you know, sir; and unless something we
don’t count on hits us a hard blow we’ll get to General Joffre’s
headquarters all right. Now please make some arrangement for a vehicle.
Can you get us a car, sir?”
“I suppose you are used to driving one?” queried the other with a smile;
he had apparently taken a most decided fancy to Thad, and deep down in
his heart believed the wide-awake lad could do almost anything that was
possible for the best of them to attempt.
“Oh! yes, we know a whole lot about such things, sir;” Thad assured him;
“but I hope we have better luck than with an old rattletrap affair we
got hold of along the Rhine when we heard war had broken out and tried
to break through the lines so as to reach Antwerp.”
“I’ll see what can be done,” said he.
His word was law in the field hospital, and hence Thad was not at all
surprised when he saw him take possession of the best car in sight. The
owner, an old though patriotic Frenchman, who had been urgent in trying
to do all he could to assist in taking care of the wounded, even to
risking his own life in the cause, upon hearing why his car was wanted,
instantly handed it over to the good American surgeon, to whom all
France would later give praise for his wonderful work during those dark
days along the Marne.
“He’s beckoning to us, Thad!” called out Bumpus, who seemed to be
intensely interested in the adventure, which appealed to that natural
love for excitement such as dwells in the heart of the average boy.
When they hurried over to where the surgeon waited he gave them each his
hand.
“Here you are, boys, a pretty decent car placed at your service by this
gallant citizen of France. If you live to get through, let us hear from
you. As for the car, turn it over to the military authorities to use as
they see best. Its owner has already dedicated it to the service of his
country and does not expect to ever see it again.”
“Get in, Bumpus, and hurry!” urged Allan, impatient to be off on the run
which might mean so much for the French cause.
“Yes, get away quick as you can, boys,” said the surgeon, “before I have
a chance to change my mind. Even now my heart misgives me, and I begin
to feel doubts as to whether I am doing just the right thing in letting
you go.”
Upon hearing him talk in that strain both the others scrambled aboard
with all haste. They did not mean to give him a chance to go back on his
word if it could possibly be avoided.
“Don’t fear for us, sir,” Thad told him, as he grasped the wheel and
took a look so as to familiarize himself with the working of the car,
which, of course, differed from any other which he had ever handled,
being of French make. “We’re accustomed to getting whatever we go after,
and this sort of thing doesn’t feaze us one whit. Good-bye, sir!”
“Good-bye, boys, and the best of luck go with you!”
Then they were off, for Thad had started the motor going while talking,
and it required only a simple movement of his hand to complete the
operation.
Allan and Bumpus might look back and wave their hands to the kindly
surgeon, but Thad, as the pilot at the wheel, had his work cut out for
him elsewhere. It was no easy task to thread his way in among the
numerous vehicles in motion without a collision of some sort. The road
was close at hand, however, and once on that he would have things
easier. At times fair speed might be made, though often they must follow
in the wake of a clumsy laden van because the other side of the road was
taken up completely with vehicles going to the front.
And now they could no longer see the field hospital, since a spur of
land hid it from the view of those who looked back; but they would often
have distinct visions of that amazing picture in days to come, and
always must find indelibly stamped upon the picture the face of that
noble American surgeon who gave all that was in him for the cause of
suffering humanity.
“Well, we’re off at last!” said Bumpus, when they found themselves
gliding along the road smoothly, dodging trouble as it loomed up in the
shape of puffing motor trucks and lorries, both French and English, all
packed to the limit with such supplies as a vast army must have day by
day.
“And say, this machine is a big improvement on that old shebang we ran
up there in Belgium a while back,” added Allan with a smack of
satisfaction in his manner.
“The proof of the pudding is in the eating of it,” Thad told him. “Don’t
crow too soon, boys. It may turn out that I’ll wreck the car in some way
before I’m done, though you can bet your last cent I’m going to be
mighty careful. We’re making history right now, come to think of it, and
can’t afford to take chances.”