A BREATHLESS MOMENT
“We’re going to try to cross that canal yonder,” the corporal
explained. “Headquarters wants to learn something about the disposition
of the German forces. If what we find out suits our officers, they may
throw pontoons across and attack. If you ask me how we’re going to get
across tonight, I tell you frankly I don’t know. Perhaps we’ll have to
swim. We’ll have to trust to luck and our own wits. Are you ready? Then
come along.”
He led the way and they trailed after him like so many shadows into the
night.
There was no special reason for silence just yet, as the Army Boys
followed their leader, for there were no Germans except wounded and
prisoners left on this side of the canal, and they conversed freely
among themselves, although instinctively in low tones.
“If Bart were only with us!” said Frank regretfully. “We’ve never yet
gone on a trip of this kind that that boy hasn’t been along.”
“He’ll be kicking himself for having missed it,” prophesied Billy.
“There promises to be excitement enough in this to satisfy even Bart,”
added Tom.
They soon passed through the last line of sentries and reached the bank
of the canal, or river, being partly natural and partly artificial.
It was quite a wide watercourse and there was a fringe of trees that
bordered it back of the towpath and the boys kept close in the shadow
of these. But they no longer stood erect, for they feared that some
light from the camp might form a background against which their figures
could be seen. Down they went on hands and knees and crept along with
the stealth of so many Indians out on a night foray.
Across the canal they could see a long and irregular glow which came
from the dugouts and trenches where the Germans had established
themselves. The line was at some distance from the canal itself, but
they did not doubt that sentries were established along the whole bank
on the lookout for just such a venture as the boys were engaged in.
“The corp was right in calling for volunteers,” whispered Frank in
Billy’s ear.
“Looks to me like the riskiest thing we’ve been in yet,” returned Billy.
“We’ll have to do some classy swimming to get over without making a
splash,” grunted Tom.
For half a mile or more they kept on down the canal, until they got
beyond the zone of light and felt it safe to rise and emerge from the
woods, cross the towpath, and reach the very edge of the bank.
In some places the bank went down straight into the water, and they
could not drop in without making a noise. In others, however, it
shelved somewhat, and these Wilson explored with the greatest care.
Suddenly he stopped and beckoned the boys to come nearer. They gathered
about him.
“Look at this,” he whispered, and they saw that he had his hand on the
stern of a small boat that had been drawn in the shelter of a little
arch at the side of the canal.
“Just what the doctor ordered,” commented Frank, as he saw that the
boat was big enough to carry four on a pinch and could faintly see the
outline of a pair of oars lying across the thwarts.
“It beats swimming,” murmured Tom.
“Get into it,” ordered Wilson. “No, don’t do that,” he said hastily, as
Billy was about to take up one of the oars. “I’m afraid they’ll hear
us if we use the oars. We’ll just push it across with our hands. It’s
slower but it’s safer.”
They slipped into the boat as silently as ghosts, and dipping their
hands in the water with the utmost caution began to propel the craft
towards the further bank.
The boat was a homemade affair, probably built by some peasant, and
was heavy and clumsy. Moreover, with the four it was forced low in the
water and moved with difficulty. But there was plenty of time, for they
had the greater part of the night before them.
Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the boat progressed. No shot greeted it,
no hail from the shore told that it was discovered. The silence was
almost uncanny.
On they went until at last the further bank loomed up before them. Soon
they were near enough to touch it with their hands. But it was smooth
and steep and they could not reach the top.
They worked their way along the wall, until finally they came to a
place where several stones had fallen out, so that the holes left by
them served as holds for their hands and feet. At a whispered command
from the corporal, Frank worked his way up until his eyes were on a
level with the top of the bank. There he stood and looked and listened
with every faculty intent.
“Nothing stirring,” he reported, as he let himself down again in the
boat. “Either the Germans haven’t strung their lines down this far or
they’re lying mighty low. I think it’s worth taking a chance to land
here. There’s a patch of woods a hundred yards or so away, and if we
can reach that we can take our bearings and decide on what we’ll do
next.”
“All right,” said the corporal after a moment’s consideration. “I’ll
chance it on your judgment, Sheldon. We’ll leave the boat here and
Bradford with it.”
Tom made a move to protest, but discipline asserted itself and he
resigned himself without a word, although sorely disappointed at not
being allowed to go on with the others.
“The hoot of an owl will be the signal,” Wilson told him as they
prepared to leave the boat. “When you hear that, give the answer so
that we can find our way to where you are. Have the oars all ready, as
we may have to leave in a hurry.”
Tom nodded his understanding and the rest left him, dropping flat on
the bank as soon as they reached the top and worming their way over the
space that intervened between them and the patch of woods some distance
beyond.
The strain on nerves and muscles was tremendous and it was with a sigh
of relief that they reached the shelter of the woods. Here they could
rise to their feet, although even this required the most extreme care.
They were by no means assured that it was a friendly shelter. It might
contain machine gun nests or strong forces of the enemy.
Five minutes of the most intense silence and listening passed before
they dared even to whisper to each other. Convinced at last that no
one was close at hand, the boys drew near the corporal for his final
instructions.
“We’re certainly in luck so far,” he breathed. “The only explanation
of the failure to have sentries here is that they had no idea today
that they were going to be driven back so far as to have to cross
the canal. They came over helter-skelter and they’ve been so busy in
blowing up bridges and getting their rattled forces together that other
things have had to wait. But it’s only a matter of time before they’ll
have guards set here, and we want to get back before that happens, if
possible. Bring your watch hands close to mine and let’s compare so as
to see that we have the same time.”
They did as directed, and the illumined faces of their radio watches
showed that their time was practically the same.
“Five after ten,” remarked the corporal. “That gives us two hours
until midnight. At twelve o’clock sharp, wherever you happen to be,
start back for the boat. You’ve each got a compass and you can come
pretty close to the place, and the owl signal will do the rest.
Find out whatever you can as to where the enemy has his battery
positions, where he has gathered his greatest force, and where his wire
entanglements are weakest. You’ve got your knives, and if I were you
I’d depend on those if you find it necessary. Only use your revolver as
a last resort, for if you have to fire the jig is up.
“Now we’re going to spread out like a fan. Sheldon, you go off there to
the left. Waldon will bear a little away from the canal bank toward the
north, and I’ll take the path between you two. I don’t need to tell you
that your life depends on your being careful. You know that as well as
I do. Twelve o’clock sharp, mind. Good-bye and good luck.”
Without another word they separated, gliding from tree to tree and
gradually getting further apart, as they followed the general path that
had been marked out for them.
Frank had not gone far before he had increasing evidence that he
was approaching the main body of the enemy’s troops. The light grew
brighter that came from the hastily dug trenches of the enemy. Groups
of men passed to and fro with lanterns, sometimes coming so close to
the sheltering woods that he had to flatten himself in the bushes,
scarcely daring to breathe until they had passed.
Reaching at last the edge of the forest, he rose to his feet behind a
huge tree and peered out. He could have shouted with delight, for he
saw that he had happened upon a spot where the enemy was concentrating
their heavy artillery. Great guns were being moved into position,
emplacements for them were being hastily constructed, and he was
able by the lanterns that flitted in and out among them like so many
fire-flies to get a fairly accurate idea of their number and calibre.
Here was information that would be more precious than gold to his
officers. He could take no notes, but he went over the whole scene
again and again in his mind, so that he should forget no detail.
So absorbed did he become in noting all that he thought might be of
value to his officers that when a stream of light was thrown suddenly
in his direction it struck him with almost the force of a blow.
He drew back like a flash and flattened himself against his side of the
tree, making himself as small as possible.
After a minute or two he ventured to peer out. The light which came
from a searchlight which was being tested by the enemy was darting
about, now here, now there, but evidently without any special purpose
in view, and his first fear that it had betrayed his hiding place
subsided. But another apprehension took its place at once, for he saw
a man in an officer’s uniform coming directly toward him.
Frank instinctively felt for his revolver, but he dismissed that
thought before his hand touched the butt. With enemies swarming all
about him, a shot at that moment would be little less than suicide. But
his knife was still there, and his hand closed around its handle while
his lips tightened with resolution.
The officer came on and Frank crouched for a spring in case he should
be discovered. But to his great relief, the officer paused just before
he reached the tree, drew a pipe from his pocket and lighted it. Then
with a grunt of satisfaction he leaned up against the tree and puffed
away, while he looked at the animated scene from which he had withdrawn
for a few minutes of rest and relaxation.
The tobacco was vile, more like burning leaves than anything else, and
as the clouds from the pipe enveloped Frank, he had all he could do to
keep from coughing or sneezing. But he kept the impulse in check and
waited with what patience he could command for the officer’s next move.
The searchlight was flashing in another quarter now, for which Frank
was devotedly thankful, but there was still too much light to make it
safe for the young American to attempt to crawl away. He glanced at
his watch and saw that it was nearly midnight. The corporal and his
chums would be waiting for him.
With infinite caution he peered around the side of the tree. Would that
pipeful never be smoked out?
The officer had shifted his position somewhat, and Frank caught a
glimpse of a paper protruding from an outside pocket of his coat. It
looked like an official document of some kind. The thought came to
Frank that it might contain some plans of the enemy for the next day’s
fighting.
It was a tremendous risk to attempt to get it, but Frank resolved to
take the chance.
Drawing his knife and holding it ready for instant action, his other
hand reached slowly around the tree and crept toward the officer’s
pocket.