SENTENCED TO DIE.
Chester's and Lieutenant Anderson's interview with General Brentz was far
from being the pleasant few minutes that Hal and Stubbs had experienced.
Hal now considered the general a pleasant middle-aged man and a courteous
gentleman; Chester looked upon him almost as a barbarian.
General Brentz was striding wrathfully up and down his quarters when
Chester and Colonel Anderson were taken before him. He greeted their
arrival with a fierce scowl and motioned the guards outside the door with
an angry gesture.
"So!" he exclaimed. "You are British spies instead of German secret
agents, eh? Well, we know how to treat all such here. What have you to
say for yourselves?"
"Nothing," said Colonel Anderson, replying for both.
"'Twould do you no good," responded the officer. "But there is one thing
I would know. How does it come that you are familiar with the password of
the Wilhelmstrasse?"
"I can't see where it would do any good to tell you, general,"
replied Chester.
"But I demand to know."
"You'll never learn from me," declared the lad.
Colonel Anderson smiled.
"That goes for me, too," he said quietly.
The general glared wrathfully at first one and then the other.
"Very well," he said, controlling his anger. "You shall both be shot
at sunrise."
He gazed at the two closely to see what effect his words had; but if he
expected to find an expression of fear upon either face, he was
disappointed. Colonel Anderson and Chester eyed him steadily, though
neither spoke.
It was what they had expected.
After a few moments the general spoke again, this time more kindly, with
his eyes full upon Chester.
"You," he said, "appear to be too young for this sort of business. How do
you happen to be mixed up in such desperate work?"
"It's too long a story to go into, general," replied Chester quietly.
"Besides, as we have not much longer to live, Colonel Anderson and I
would rather be left to ourselves."
The general seemed about to make an angry reply; then changed his mind,
and asked:
"Are you English?"
"No, I am not," replied Chester. "I am an American."
"I thought so," declared the general. "Well, it's too bad, but if you
will mix up in business that does not concern you, you must pay the
penalty. Orderly!"
His orderly entered and came to attention.
"Have these prisoners closely confined," was the command. "Station a
detail of five men and see that they are not unguarded a single moment.
Then present my compliments to Colonel Frestung and tell him to have a
firing squad ready at sunrise. These men are spies and must die."
Again the orderly saluted and motioned the prisoners to precede him from
the general's quarters.
With heads erect and shoulders squared, Chester and Colonel Anderson
marched out ahead of him. Each realized the futility of a break for
liberty and each was determined to live his last moments and die the
death of a soldier.
Outside a squad of soldiers surrounded them and they were led to a large
tent, which was to be their last prison. Inside they found comfortable
chairs, a table and several books.
"They seem to take pains to make it pleasant for a man about to die,"
remarked Colonel Anderson. "We should be able to spend a profitable day."
"So we should," was the reply. "I wonder if Hal and Uncle John got
through safely?" he remarked somewhat irrelevantly.
"I guess we can bank on that," said the colonel. "They got through if
there was a possible chance."
"I hope that Hal does not venture into the Austrian lines in an attempt
to rescue us," declared Chester. "It would be sticking his head into the
lion's mouth."
"Nevertheless, that is what he is likely to do," asserted Colonel
Anderson. "It is not like him to keep quiet when some one is in danger."
"That's what worries me," confessed Chester. "There is no use of his
being killed, too."
"Oh, well," said the colonel, "whatever happens is beyond our power to
remedy. Let's talk about something pleasant."
And so they did, whiling away the rapidly flying hours with stories and
reminiscences; and the shadows deepened as darkness approached.
"It seems to me that we could get out of this place some way," declared
Chester suddenly.
"It seems to me that you are wrong," said, the colonel grimly. "There are
five guards outside, each armed to the teeth. What chance would we have?"
"Well, I don't know," confessed Chester. "I was just thinking."
"Think while you have a chance," said the colonel with a slight grin.
"Looks like our thinking days were about over."
Chester's eyes roamed about the tent. His eyes sparkled.
"We might as well have a little fun, anyhow," he remarked. "How hard do
you think you could hit a man with that chair you are sitting on?"
Colonel Anderson felt the chair carefully with his fingers.
"Well, pretty hard, I guess," was his reply. "What's the idea?"
"Think you could hit him so hard he wouldn't have time to cry out?"
"Yes; if I was particular how I handled it."
"Well, we'll have a try at it then," declared Chester.
"Try at what? What do you mean?"
"I'll tell you. I'll step out of the tent. The first guard in sight will
order me to get back inside. I'll protest. Then he'll put me in. When he
lets loose of me, you whack him over the head with that chair, and be
careful how you do it."
"Yes, but the other guards?"
"I guess we can work that all right. I have noticed that no two of the
guards are in front of the tent at the same time--they are walking around
all the time. When you have disposed of the first man, we'll work the
same trick on the other."
"And then what?"
"Why then," said Chester simply, "we'll put on their uniforms and walk
out of here."
"By Jove!" ejaculated the colonel. "Now I wonder--"
He broke off and for some moments was lost in thought. Then he got
quietly to his feet, determination written upon his strong features.
"It may work," he said. "We'll try it. But we'll have to move quickly and
silently; and we shall have to don the uniforms almost in a single jump."
"All right," said Chester. "Ready?"
"All ready," replied the colonel with a nod.
He picked up the heavy chair and swung it once about his head. Then
he took up a position at the side of the tent, just out of view from
the entrance.
Chester walked boldly from the tent.
"Get back in there," came a harsh command in Austrian.
Chester paid no heed and continued to gaze straight ahead into the
rapidly descending darkness.
"Get back in there," came the command, and still Chester made no move.
The Austrian soldier came up to the lad, and taking him by the shoulders,
thrust him within the tent. Chester threw out an arm and succeeded in
drawing the man in after him. Then he released his own hold, and with an
effort shook off the grip of his captor. At the same moment he jumped
lightly aside and called in a hoarse whisper:
"Now!"
There was a rush of air as the heavy chair descended, followed by a dull
thud, and a second impact as the soldier fell to the ground with a
crushed skull. Colonel Anderson was over the unconscious form in a
moment, ready to choke an outcry should his blow not have been true. But
there was no need for this. His aim had been true, and the man was
unconscious before he fell.
"All right," whispered the colonel hoarsely. "Rip off your clothes while
I get him out of this uniform."
Chester flung off his clothes hurriedly, and stepped quickly into the
uniform Colonel Anderson gave him. Then he deprived the man of his gun
and revolvers.
"All ready for the next one," he said. He moved toward the door.
"Hold on there," called the colonel. "You can't go in that uniform."
"By George! you're right," declared Chester. "What now?"
"You'll have to wield the chair," was the reply. "There is no time to
change again."
He walked out of the tent and Chester picked up the chair and stepped
into position.
This time, therefore, it was Colonel Anderson who engaged in a heated
altercation with a second Austrian soldier. The plan worked as well as
before and the man pushed the colonel back into the tent. The latter
dragged the man in after him and stepped hurriedly aside, just as Chester
brought the chair down upon the Austrian's defenseless head with all his
power. The man dropped like a log.
Hurriedly Colonel Anderson stripped off his outer garments and climbed
into the Austrian's uniform. Then he seized the man's gun and revolvers
and led the way from the tent.
"If you see another of them, keep your back toward him if possible,"
whispered the colonel.
And just as Chester emerged from the tent a third guard stepped around
the side. Chester turned his back, as did Colonel Anderson, and the man
paid no heed to them. The fugitives walked away quickly.
Out of sight of the tent they slowed down and breathed with relief.
"Which way now?" asked Chester.
"As straight toward the front as we can go," was the reply. "We'll have
to trust to luck to get through."
They made off with all speed.
And suddenly, from the direction in which they had come, there came a
loud cry, followed by several pistol shots and the sound of footsteps
running after them.
"They have discovered our escape!" shouted Colonel Anderson. "Run."
He suited the action to the word and Chester ran after him.
"We'd better double back and try to throw them off our track," called the
colonel over his shoulder.
He swerved to the right, ran a few rods, and turned to the right again.
And then, abruptly, he came to a pause. Chester, a step behind, crashed
into him. He stumbled, and uttered an exclamation of dismay, as he heard
Colonel Anderson say:
"We surrender!"