SPIES!
Four days after war was declared, on August 8th, a motor-bike dashed
into the village, and from it jumped the District Commissioner. Before
long, he, the Scoutmaster, and three of the Patrol-Leaders were shut
into the Scout Headquarters; the Cubs hung about outside, longing to
know what was on.
The Commissioner’s news was that the War Office urgently called on
Scouts to guard the trunk cable-line from being tapped or cut in a
certain area, day and night, at once, until further orders. German
spies were suspected of tampering with most important telegraph wires.
Government secrets were getting out, wrong messages were coming
through. Also, messages were somehow getting through to Germany.
The Dutton Scouts were to patrol six miles of the road. The three
Patrol-Leaders dashed off on their bikes. In an hour, the troop, in
full kit, was patrolling the road and ready to challenge any doubtful
person.
_Spies!_ The very word thrilled Danny. And suddenly his heart stood
still, and then went on at a great rate. Spies? That was it. His
mysterious strangers were German spies, and they had some secret way of
communicating with Germany!
The hot afternoon sun beat down on the dusty road that wound like a
long white ribbon between the fields and woods. Two and two, the Scouts
marched up and down, each couple along their allotted distance. With
keen eyes they scanned the face of every passer-by. Now and then they
challenged a person of doubtful appearance.
Once the excitement was great, when a disreputable-looking man utterly
refused to answer, and tried to pass on, as if he had not heard.
The two Ravens took him in charge, and marched him off to the police
station. But, after all, he turned out to be a deaf and dumb tramp,
well known in the neighbouring workhouse.
“You were quite right to take him up,” said the Commissioner, when he
heard of this. “At such times we must take no risks.”
It was hot work patrolling the roads. The Ravens and Lions took on
the day duty, and the Otters and Kangaroos, in charge of Senior
Patrol-Leader Church, were told off for the still more important night
work. The Cubs looked on with longing eyes. Could they do nothing?
Before long their turn came. They were entrusted with the distributing
of rations to the Scouts on duty. Two Sixes undertook the food, and the
two others the drink; and the thirsty Scouts were indeed glad of it.
But the Cubs’ proudest moment came when the order was issued that the
Scouts--one Patrol at a time--should knock off duty for half an hour,
for tea, and that Cubs should take their place, and patrol the road in
company with the Scout left on duty, one out of each couple. It was
service for the King! They were guarding England from the Germans, and
helping to keep her secrets from the enemy! Each Cub’s heart swelled
with pride, as he marched by the side of his Scout.
He could almost imagine that a rifle with a fixed bayonet rested on his
shoulder. Behind every tree he _almost_ saw a German. He simply itched
to say, “Halt! Who goes there?”