THE MUNITION TRAIN’S APPROACH
“Do ye not hear it comin’, Rab?” Donald asked in the other’s ear.
“Something must be done, or it will be too late!”
“We will find the wire, Donald,” the scout master assured him.
“Oh! ay, but will it be in time?” begged the other.
Rob understood what doubts and fears were racking that faithful heart.
He also had a plan whereby Donald might make assurance doubly certain.
The time had apparently arrived when a division of their forces would
appear to be the best policy.
“Listen, Donald,” said Rob, still in that low whisper that even the
other fellows could not catch, though they tried very hard to do so,
“you must climb the bank, and, perhaps, find one of the guards. Failing
that, you can run back along the track so as to warn your father of the
danger. You know how to do that, and here is my little torch you might
use, also some matches, my red bandanna to put over the light as a
danger signal, and a part of a newspaper. Do you get my meaning clearly,
Donald?”
“Oh! ay,” said the eager boy, as he clutched all that Rob was thrusting
into his hand. “Shall I go the noo, Rab?”
“Yes, be off with you,” came the command. “Be careful how you stand up
when you reach the top of the embankment. The enemy are hiding down
here, and would outline you against the sky. Crawl all you can, Donald.
Good-bye, and good luck go with you. Meanwhile, depend on us to find
that wire!”
A fervent clasp of the hand. Donald crept hastily away, heading so as to
reach the bank at the terminus of the trestle; for, of course, he could
not hope to climb the latter itself.
Andy was able to partly guess what mission Rob had given into the
keeping of the young Canadian. Possibly Andy would have liked being sent
forth on such an exciting errand himself, but then he recognized the
fact that Donald really had a superior claim to such a task. He was at
home on his native heath, and could better make the Canadian guards
understand, if he had the good luck to come upon any of those in whose
care the bridge had been placed by the authorities. Then, again, it was
his father whose life was in danger. Another thing satisfied Andy that
Rob knew what was best in selecting Donald for action—being brought up
in a railroading family he was apt to be much better acquainted with the
ways by which signals are given calculated to stop trains. Yes, Donald
was the proper one to be chosen, Andy concluded, and, as usual, Rob had
wisely placed “a round peg in a round hole.”
After their force had been diminished, the rest of the party continued
their hunt for the hidden wire. Rob knew just about how it would be
staked down as close to the earth as possible, by means of metal
staples, or wickets like those used in the game of croquet, only much
more diminutive. This would be done in order to prevent any passer-by
from catching his foot in the wire, and thus bringing about an
astonishing discovery that would break up all the plans of the plotters.
So Rob was feeling very carefully. He did not mean to miss anything
while engaging in the search. He was also positive that they ought to
run across the wire at any second.
But once more the breeze brought the sound of the approaching train more
plainly to their ears. It was coming fast, they understood. In
imagination Tubby could see the glare of the headlight in the west,
though a second look convinced him he was probably mistaken, and that it
was only one of the largest planets about setting below the horizon.
After that he breathed freely again.
If Donald were only successful in meeting one of the guards, and could
explain matters in a great hurry, a man might be sent down the track to
wave a red lantern and thus stop the oncoming train. Failing in that,
Donald must do the best he could with what Rob had provided for the
purpose.
But even though this were done, the costly and invaluable bridge would
not be saved unless that necessary wire were quickly discovered. Rob
himself was beginning to feel a little worried over the matter. He
thought they should have come upon it before then, unless his
calculations were all awry. At the same time this did not mean he was
ready to quit and call the game off, for that was hardly his way of
doing things. They took more desperate chances with every foot that they
drew nearer the threatened trestle, for it was impossible to say how far
some of the timbers might be hurled when the explosion came, if it
eventually did. That would depend altogether on the amount and
concentrated energy of the explosive used; those men undoubtedly meant
to do the most damage they could while about it.
Rob, in the start, could easily have covered three times as much ground
as he did, and also discovered what he was looking for, had he dared use
that wonderful little torch of his, which he had given to Donald. But
this would have been utterly out of the question. It must have excited
the suspicions of the concealed invaders, and caused them to hasten the
culmination of their plans; or even, failing that, the attention of the
armed guards above must have been attracted to the spot; and they were
under orders to send a volley _first_ at any moving object, and
investigate afterward.
Foot by foot they continued to thoroughly comb every bit of territory
over which they crept. If Rob failed to happen on the wire possibly
Andy, or Zeb, or even Tubby might be the lucky one. They knew enough to
understand that such a discovery was to be instantly communicated to the
leader, so that he might start trying to sever communications.
Rob managed to cast frequent glances up toward the spot where he knew
the solid ground was banked by a concrete wall, and the heavy beams of
the trestle began. He wondered whether Donald would be as careful as he
had cautioned him about showing himself, or if the boy, in his eagerness
to save his father, would betray his presence by standing upright when
on the embankment. So Rob was kept in a nervous state. Once he felt sure
he heard a small stone rolling down the bank, possibly dislodged by the
foot of the climber. He hoped that its descent had not been noticed by
those men waiting in the clump of bushes toward the south; or that a
vigilant member of the bridge guard would not come hurrying to the spot,
ready to blaze away down the slope.
Andy had advanced a little after Donald’s departure. He was now almost
alongside his chum and leader, ready to receive any necessary
communication that Rob would think fit to pass along. Apparently the
other saw no necessity for any exchange of opinions. He said not a word
as he went on, foot by foot, feeling the dead grass, and the weeds that
grew in profusion along the lower level close to the river’s verge,
always hoping that the next movement would bring success.
It was Andy clutching his coat that caused Rob to look sideways, for the
chum chanced to be on his left. This caused him to see what evidently
Andy had reference to. Another rocket was swiftly climbing upward into
the heavens; he could follow its yellow flight by the line of fire that
trailed behind.
Even as he looked it described a beautiful turn and started earthward
again, only to suddenly burst and discharge a swarm of writhing serpents
that went wriggling this way and that until they disappeared from view.
Plainly, then, a second confederate of the plotters, on duty at another
station still closer to the bridge, was endeavoring to let them know the
doomed munition train was passing there, and was on its way eastward.
The change from stars to serpents was significant in the eyes of Rob.
But after all what did it matter, when they already knew that much? The
sound of the heavy train reached them continuously, now rising higher,
and anon falling to a lower pitch, but constantly in evidence.
The lay of the land compelled a closer approach to the embankment as
they advanced, though Rob would much rather have kept a fair distance
away, taking as little chance of danger as he consistently could. He did
not yet give up hope of succeeding in his mission. At any second they
were likely to discover what they sought.
Rob had it all planned out, how to cut the wire and balk the game those
sneaking plotters had arranged. Perhaps he even gripped his wire-cutters
in his hand, or at least knew where he could clutch them instantly when
needed.
It was at this interesting time Rob felt certain he saw a dim object
roll over the top of the embankment, much as a dog might do on occasion.
Unless one were intently observing the particular spot where this took
place the scout master did not believe Donald’s action would be noticed.
The Canadian lad had gained the goal of his hopes, and if the spirit
moved him he was in a position to hurry along the up-track, so as to
meet the train. Rob wished he would do this. He was sorry now he had not
embodied this in his orders to Donald, instead of leaving it to his
discretion. If he started to look for one of the bridge guards he was
apt to waste valuable time. He also ran a great risk of being fired upon
before being able to explain who he was, and tell about the amazing
thing that had brought him there in the darkness of night.
Still, Rob rather fancied that this would be Donald’s plan. The great
affection he bore for his father would overcome all his scruples while
he climbed the bank. Rob had actually left it all to his discretion, and
love would bias him along the line of least resistance. Yes, Rob
believed more and more now that this was what Donald would conclude to
be his duty. It gave the scout leader considerable satisfaction to think
so.
After the danger was past, with the munition train halted before it
reached the beginning of the trestle and the mine prevented from being
discharged by the wire being cut in two—that would be time enough to
explain things to the guard, running toward the stalled engine to find
out what had happened to cause the sudden stop.
If all worked well, victory would be in their grasp pretty soon now;
but, oh, Tubby found himself oppressed with a dreadful fear that there
might come a hitch in the beautiful program, which would mean a
disastrous end to all their hopes.
Was there a wire at all, he asked himself? Could it be possible for
those clever German sympathizers to make use of some cunning method for
discharging the mine by means of wireless? All sorts of wonderful things
were cropping up every day Over There where nations were engaged in the
death grapple. Who could say what might not be accomplished? Tubby
remembered reading how a Yankee had proved that he could control a
torpedo spinning through the water by electrical appliances similar to
wireless, so that he could send it to the right or to the left as he
willed and cause it to hunt after an object a mile or more distant, just
as a magnet is attracted toward the North Star by some mysterious unseen
power. Tubby was in a condition to believe anything, no matter how
amazing.
Then the fat scout noted that once more Rob—yes, and Andy, too—had
stopped short. They appeared to be examining something on the ground,
and Tubby’s heart commenced to thump like mad as he speculated upon what
this meant. Was it the wire they had been so industriously hunting all
this while? Oh, he would willingly give all he possessed in the way of
boyish treasures, could he only be assured of this and know that Rob had
severed the same.
Tubby heaved a sigh of genuine relief. He had heard a low chirp,
peculiar in itself and yet not at all calculated to arouse any
suspicion. It was the most welcome sound that could have reached the
hearing of the anxious, nerve-racked Tubby. By it he became aware that
success had indeed rewarded their patient efforts. The copper wire was
located at last!