INTO THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY
Hal and Chester advanced to the center of the room. They realized that
all eyes were on them and they held themselves stiffly erect.
"It is high praise I have heard of you, sirs," said Marshal Foch
quietly. "I trust that, should we have further need of your services,
you will be as fortunate as I judge you have been in the past."
Hal and Chester bowed slightly, but said nothing. Marshal Foch turned to
General Pershing.
"I do not know as there is need of further discussion," he said. "If you
have decided, general, that you will entrust the work you have mentioned
to these young officers, I should say that the sooner they get about it
the better for all concerned."
General Pershing bowed.
"Very well, sir," he replied.
"In that event," continued Marshal Foch, "I declare this conference
adjourned."
There was a scuffling of feet as the commanders and their staffs moved
toward the door. Almost before they had all departed, Marshal Foch had
turned again to his desk and was immersed in a mass of documents and
maps.
General Pershing led the way directly toward his automobile, and
motioned Hal again to the driver's seat. Chester climbed in beside his
chum.
"Back to my headquarters," General Pershing instructed Hal.
The return trip was made in silence and in record time.
As General Pershing alighted before his own quarters, he motioned Hal
and Chester to accompany him to his office. Once there, he dismissed all
members of his staff, and spoke to the two lads.
"You know, of course," he said, "what I wish you to ascertain for me,
and you know also why I desire this information. If you are not prepared
to undertake this mission, I wish you to understand that you may say so
without fear of censure."
"We shall be very glad to do what we can, sir," said Chester.
"Very well," said General Pershing. "Now I want you both to realize the
necessity of haste, but at the same time I want you to act with caution
enough not to jeopardize the result of your mission. The main thing is
that I must have the facts. That is why I believe it is better that two
men be dispatched about the work. If one man comes to grief, the other
may return safely. You understand that?"
"Perfectly, sir," replied Hal quietly. "You may be sure that neither of
us will risk a failure merely to help the other."
"Well spoken," said General Pershing. "I feel sure that I could not
entrust the task to better hands."
"Thank you, sir," was the reply from both lads.
"Now," said General Pershing, "I do not wish to burden you with orders
and instructions. It is my belief that you have more chance of success
if given a free hand. Therefore, I shall leave it to you entirely to
choose your method of campaign. But remember the essential points--the
strength and disposition of the enemy's troops in the various battle
sectors, and the question of whether the morale of the German armies is
still equal to withstanding an offensive such as I suggested at the
conference."
"We understand, sir," said Chester.
"That is all then," said the American commander. "You will report to me
the result of your mission at the earliest possible moment. I must
impress upon you, however, the fact that results may be more
far-reaching if you can make it convenient to return within seven days."
"We shall do our best to return within that time, sir," declared
Chester.
"Then good luck to you," said General Pershing.
Both lads saluted again stiffly, turned sharply upon their heels and
left their commander's quarters.
"Well, Chester," said Hal, when they were outside again, "it seems that
we have quite a sizeable task ahead of us."
"Right," agreed Chester, "and I can't say that I have any more idea of
how to go about it than I have of capturing the Kaiser himself."
"Nor I. At the same time, however, we can both see that if we are to
learn anything of the enemy's plans and conditions it is up to us to get
in contact with the enemy."
"Exactly. But the question is, how?"
Hal shrugged his shoulders.
"It's simply got to be done," he said.
Chester smiled.
"Sounds very simple, to hear you talk," he said. "Perhaps you can
suggest a plan."
"Well," said Hal, "we've been within the German lines before. I guess we
can get there again."
"Oh, it's easy enough to get in. The trouble is going to be getting
out," Chester grinned.
"We'll have to take our chances there," declared Hal. "The first thing
to do is get there. We'll worry about the return part of it later."
"Very good," said Chester, "but how are we going to get there?"
"There are several ways," said Hal. "We can go by airship, automobile,
horseback, or we can walk."
"And we'll be taken prisoners in either case, most likely."
"That's true enough. But we can't do anything from here. However, we've
been prisoners before now and have come through all right."
"But there may be a time when we won't come through," said Chester.
"Don't croak," said Hal. "You're beginning to talk like Stubbs,
Chester."
"I'm not croaking," declared Chester. "But I believe in looking on both
sides of a question."
"All well and good; but you'll agree with me that the first thing to be
done is to get within striking distance of the enemy."
"Exactly, and I'm leaving it up to you to find the way."
"Well," said Hal, "I suggest that we take this automobile and keep going
until we reach the German lines. We can concoct some cock and bull story
that will account for our presence there."
"Maybe you can," said Chester. "I don't believe my imagination will
carry that far."
"Climb in anyhow, and we'll be moving," said Hal.
Chester did as Hal suggested and a few moments later the large army
automobile was again heading toward the front.
Upon Hal's advice, they did not return to their own regiment, but made
straight for the front lines now held by General Lawrence and his
combined infantry and marines.
"We might as well go through there as elsewhere," Hal said.
"Anything that suits you suits me," was Chester's reply.
Before General Lawrence's headquarters, Hal brought the machine to a
stop and sought counsel with the general. In a few words the lad
explained the nature of their mission, and added:
"I wish you would have word sent to Captain O'Neil. He probably will be
alarmed at our absence."
"It shall be done at once," was General Lawrence's reply.
Hal and Chester re-entered the automobile and continued their journey
toward the enemy's country.
"By the way, Hal," said Chester, "don't you think it would be wise to
discard these American uniforms?"
"Hardly," said Hal. "We don't want to be shot as spies, you know. In
regulation uniform, the worst they can do if they capture us is to make
us prisoners of war. But with a spy it's different."
"That's true enough," Chester agreed, "and still we have often found it
convenient to enter the enemy's lines in civilian attire."
"I am against it in this case," Hal argued, "because we are working
against time, in the first place. If we are taken prisoner, well and
good. In fact, I am sure that we shall be captured."
"You are, eh?"
"Yes."
"Then it seems to me that our mission is doomed to failure," said
Chester.
"Not at all. I believe that we shall have more chance of making our
escape if we are apprehended as American officers than if we are taken
as possible spies. The life of a spy, or even a suspect, you know, is
short."
"Looks to me," said Chester dryly, "as though the lives of Lieutenants
Paine and Crawford were going to be short, no matter how you figure it."
"There you go croaking again," said Hal. "Never yell until you're hurt.
That's a good axiom."
"It's too late then," declared Chester with a grin.
"Well," said Hal, "there is no use talking about it. Either we are going
ahead or we are going to stay here."
"Let's be going then," said Chester. "I'm going to vote for you to lead
this expedition, and whatever you say goes. That stands until we return
to the American lines."
"Very good," said Hal. "So as long as I am the boss of the outfit, I'll
give my orders. Get back into the automobile and we'll be moving."
Chester took his seat and Hal jumped to the wheel.
The automobile moved toward the front again.
The lads were hailed several times by American outposts as they went
rapidly forward. To the Americans it must have seemed foolhardy for the
two young officers to be driving directly toward the enemy's lines. But
Hal did not slow down when hailed, so there was nothing for the American
soldiers to do but let them pass.
And at the last the last American position had passed and the automobile
moved into No Man's Land beyond.
A short distance away, Hal saw the German trenches.
"Well, here we go," he said quietly to Chester. "Maybe we'll get back
and maybe we won't. But at all events, we'll give the best that is in
us."
"Amen," said Chester fervently.
They drove straight toward the German lines. Five minutes after
Chester's last remark, Hal slowed the car down in response to a sudden
command.
"Halt!" came a sharp voice in German.