DICK PRESCOTT'S PRIZE CATCH
It was the older man, he of the German uniform who now spoke.
"So Berger was really caught in the act of signaling us?"
"Yes, excellenz (Your excellency)," replied the younger man.
"And he is to be shot for treason?"
"It is so, Excellenz!"
The language used by both was German, but Dick followed every
word easily.
"Too bad! And our commander will regret the loss of Berger much,"
sighed the German colonel, "for Berger has served us long and
usefully. Strange that he should be caught, when he has so long
and safely used that electric light pencil of his. I suppose
Berger grew careless."
"It was an American officer who caught him at it and denounced
him," said the younger man.
"Ah, well! At least we have you still in that regiment, and you
are more cautious. You will not be caught."
"Not alive, at any rate, Excellenz," the younger man assured the
enemy colonel.
"Wrong, there!" spoke a low, firm voice.
Both men started violently, with good excuse, for before them
stood Captain Dick Prescott, a cocked automatic pistol held out
to cover both.
"You will both put your hands up!" Dick ordered them sharply,
in German. "You will be shot at the first sign of resistance,
or even reluctance. This trench is no longer German!"
Dully both men raised their hands. Quietly as Prescott spoke
there was that in his tone, as in his eye, which assured them
that their lives would not outlast their obedience.
"You will pass up before me," Dick continued, "and neither will
attempt any treachery. I assure you, gentlemen, that I shall
be glad of the slightest excuse for killing you!"
It was the German colonel who came first, for he was the nearer
one. There was no visible sign of his being armed, but the younger
man in the sky-blue uniform carried an automatic in a holster
at his belt. Dick deftly took the pistol from the holster and
was now doubly armed.
"Not the lightest outcry, nor the least attempt at treachery!"
Dick warned them sternly. "Face west! March!"
Though both prisoners obeyed promptly Captain Prescott was not
simple enough to imagine that they had no plan or hope of rescue
or escape. In making this double arrest Dick had realized fully
that he was probably throwing his life away, yet he had deemed
possible success worth all the risk.
After going thirty or forty yards the older prisoner halted squarely.
"Proceed!" Dick ordered in a stern whisper, aiming one of the
pistols at the defiant one's breast.
"I do not care about being killed needlessly; neither do you,"
said the colonel. "I can save my life, and give you some chance
for yours by informing you that, at the moment you appeared in
the dug-out, I pressed one foot against a signal apparatus that
calls our men back to these trenches. Just now I heard them entering
a trench section ahead. Others have entered behind us. Your
chance, your only one, will be to climb over this parapet and
do your best to reach the French lines. If you decide to do that,
I give you my word that I will not allow our men to fire upon
you as you withdraw."
"A German's word!" mocked Dick. "Who would accept that?"
"It is your last chance for life."
"And you are throwing away your last chance, both of you!" Dick
uttered in a low voice. "Each of you is within a second of death.
March!"
With an exclamation that sounded like an oath the German colonel
obeyed, followed by the younger man and Prescott. Neither of
the prisoners had dared risk lowering his hands.
"You are foolish---life-tired!" warned the colonel, in a hoarse
whisper.
"If you speak again I'll kill you instantly," Prescott snapped
back.
After that the prisoners proceeded in moody silence, until, at
last, they rounded out a traverse and ran into several soldiers.
But these soldiers wore the French uniform. In a word, they
were Lieutenant De Verne's party.
"Prisoners!" cried De Verne, in a hoarse whisper. "Captain Prescott,
you are indeed wonderful! But no, you bring only one prisoner,
this German, for the other is Lieutenant Noyez. Noyez, my dear
fellow, how do you happen to have your hands up?"
"Because of the idiocy of this American," hissed Noyez.
"Lieutenant De Verne, from the conversation that I overheard I
learned that Noyez is a spy, and that he was reporting to his
chief, this enemy colonel," Dick stated. "Now that I have brought
them to you, both are naturally in your hands."
"It is a stupid lie that you, De Verne, must set straight," Noyez
insisted angrily.
"Since Captain Prescott has made the charge, it must stand, of
course, until you have been taken before competent authority,"
De Verne said coldly. "Pirot! Grugny! I turn Lieutenant Noyez
over into your charge. You will give him no chance to get out
of your hands. And now, we must find our way home."
Two men were sent up over the parapet, then the prisoners were
ordered up and held there at the muzzles of rifles. The rest
of the patrol followed.
"We will make fast time back," ordered Lieutenant De Verne, "as
we know there are no enemy hereabouts in the first-line trenches."
Crossing rapidly, though softly, the patrol was challenged by
a sentry in the French trench. De Verne went forward to answer
and to establish the identity of his patrol. Then they were allowed
to pass in by the wire defenses, and next descended to the trench.
Officers and men hurriedly cleansed the black from their hands
and faces.
"We will now march to Captain Cartier," said De Verne, "and he
shall give us our further orders."
"You are looking for your friends, Captain?" spoke up a French
soldier in the trench, in his own tongue. "Captain Ribaut has
taken them west along the line."
"Thank you. If they return, you will tell them where I have gone."
By this time the German colonel was cursing volubly. He felt
that he could talk, at last, without danger of being killed for
his audacity. Noyez, pallid as in death, was silent, his eyes
cast down.
Back to the third line of trenches De Verne led the party, then
down into the dug-out of his company commander, Captain Cartier.
"A German colonel and Lieutenant Noyez, prisoners!" announced
the patrol leader.
"The German colonel I can understand truly," replied the French
captain. "But why Lieutenant Noyez?"
"Captain Prescott, of the American Army, arrested both and made
the charges against Noyez," De Verne responded. "You will hear
him now?"
As it was their first meeting Captain Cartier shook hands with
Dick, who then told what he had overheard.
"Noyez, a German spy!" exclaimed Captain Cartier. "Truly, it
seems incredible."
"It is worse! It is an infamous charge!" cried Noyez passionately.
"Yet our American comrade must be truthful, a man of honor," said
Captain Cartier, in a bewildered tone.
"May I suggest, sir," Dick interposed, "that it will be easy to
decide. If Lieutenant Noyez was in the German trenches by orders
of his superiors, or with their knowledge, then that would establish
a first point in his favor. But if he was there without either
orders or permission, then plainly he must have gone there on
treasonable business."
"That is absolutely fair!" declared Captain Cartier. "I will
send at once for Noyez's captain, and we shall hear what he says."
In dejected silence Noyez awaited the arrival of Captain Gaulte,
who promptly declared that he had no knowledge of any authority
for his lieutenant to visit the enemy's lines. Gaulte had, in
fact, supposed that Noyez was back of the lines on over-night
leave, for which he had applied.
"The business looks bad!" cried Captain Cartier, with troubled
face.
"Quite!" agreed Captain Gaulte more calmly.
"I must telephone for instructions," Cartier continued. "It may
require a long wait. Gentlemen, you will find seats."
First Cartier called up his regimental commander and reported
the matter.
"It will be passed on to division headquarters," reported Captain
Cartier, turning from the telephone instrument.
By and by the telephone bell tinkled softly. Orders came over
the wire that the arresting party should take the prisoners to
division headquarters.
"These are your instructions, then, Lieutenant De Verne. Of course
it is expected that Captain Prescott will accompany you as complaining
witness."
In the darkness of the night it was a toilsome march back through
the communication trenches. This time, when they were left behind,
there was no limousine to pick up the members of the party.
"It is a relief to be at last where we can talk," said De Verne,
in English.
"You may speak for yourself," retorted the German colonel gruffly,
betraying the fact that he understood the language.
Halted four times by sentries, the party at last reached division
headquarters. Outside a young staff officer awaited them.
"General Bazain has risen and dressed," stated the staff officer.
"He had undertaken to snatch two hours' sleep, but this cannot
be his night to sleep. The general awaits you, and you are to
enter. Through to his office."
As they entered the division commander's office they found that
fine old man pacing his room in evident agitation.
"And you, too, Noyez?" he called, in a tone of astounded reproach.
"It was bad enough that we should find Berger a spy! But to find
one of our trusted officers---it is too much!"
"I am neither spy nor traitor, my general!" declared Noyez furiously,
"and my record should remove the least suspicion from my name."
"But you were in the enemy's trenches this night, without knowledge
or leave of your superiors, Lieutenant. Have you a plausible
way to account for it?"
"All in good time, my general, when my head has had time to clear,"
promised the young sub-lieutenant.
"It is but fair that we give you time," assented General Bazain.
"It can give France no joy to find one of her officers a traitor."
It was now the German's turn to be questioned. He gave his name
as Pernim. As he was an ordinary prisoner of war he was led from
the room to be turned over to the military prison authorities.
"And it was you, my dear Captain Prescott, who captured one spy
who has since admitted his guilt. And now you bring in another
whom you accuse."
"Berger has confessed, sir," Dick asked, "may I inquire if he
implicated Lieutenant Noyez?"
"He did not."
"Yet, sir, from what I heard, Berger and Noyez worked together.
If Berger be informed that Noyez has been captured is it not
likely that Berger will then tell of this accused man's work?"
"Excellent suggestion! We shall soon know!" exclaimed General
Bazain, touching a bell.