CHAPTER V.
CAPTURED.
All morning the journey through the woods continued. At intervals the bigtrees became more sparse, and the party took all precautions againstbeing seen, as they flitted through the open places.
About noon, Lieutenant Anderson made a foraging expedition, and returnedwith a basket of food, which he had purchased from a nearby farmhouse.Hungrily the five disposed of it, quenching their thirst from a sparklingbrook of cool water. Then they resumed their march.
Night was falling when the travelers at length emerged from the woods.Half a mile ahead could be seen the lights of a town.
Lieutenant Anderson called a consultation.
"If I mistake not," he said, "those lights indicate the town ofStettin. We shall have to be very careful. They are bound to be on thelookout for us."
"Has anyone a plan?" he asked, after some further talk.
"I think I have one," returned Hal. "It might work out all right"
"Let's hear it," demanded Chester.
"Yes," chorused the others, "what is it?"
"Well," said Hal, "my idea is that it would be much better for us toseparate. If we all approach together we are sure to be recognized. Ournumber alone would give us away. But, if we go singly, or by twos, fromdifferent directions, we stand a chance of gaining the city without beingchallenged."
"A good idea," exclaimed Captain Derevaux; "I heartily approve of it."
"And I, too," declared the young lieutenant; "and I recommend that we putthe plan into execution at once."
The lone dissenting voice came from the wounded chauffeur.
"I don't know your plans, gentlemen," he said; "and I don't want to knowthem. I have had trouble enough. I am a German, and, from what I haveheard, although I know I should look upon you as enemies of my country,I do not believe you mean any harm. Besides, you have treated me well,and I will not betray you. But I must ask that you leave me here. I willmake my way into the town some time during the night I shall beperfectly safe."
"Had we not better make him go with us?" questioned Chester. "Is he notlikely to betray us?"
"No; I am sure he would not," said Hal.
"And I," agreed the French captain.
"I am a little inclined to doubt the advisability of leaving him behind,"said Lieutenant Anderson, "but--"
"Sir!" broke in the chauffeur. "I am just as much a gentleman as you are,and my word is my bond!"
The young Englishman's face flushed.
"Forgive me!" he exclaimed, extending his hand. "I am sorry for myunreasonable doubts. I am sure that you can be trusted."
"I believe that our friend's decision simplifies matters exceedingly,"declared Hal.
"In what way?" demanded the lieutenant.
"In the first place, it makes one less of us. And, again, it does awaywith the necessity of one of us approaching the town alone, which isalso a good thing. While for two to approach the town is much betterthan four, under the circumstances, two are also better than one, forthe reason that they can give a good account of themselves shouldoccasion arise."
"Which is good reasoning," declared Captain Derevaux. "I agree with you."
"I suggest," said Lieutenant Anderson, "that one of the boys go with you,captain, and the other with me. I shall go back a short distance into thewoods, make a detour, and enter the town from the west."
"Another good idea," replied the captain. "Hal and I will wait here halfan hour after you have gone, and will reach the town from this side atabout the time you and Chester arrive."
"Where shall we meet?"
"I believe the best plan would be to meet in the hotel. Whichever of usarrives first will wait for the others."
"Good," said the lieutenant. "The best part of that idea is that,providing we get into the town safely, the hotel will be the least likelyplace our pursuers will look for us. They probably will figure we willsneak along the outskirts."
"Sure," broke in Chester. "But how are we to get out of the town? Won'tthe other side be so closely guarded that we can't get through?"
"Yes, I suppose they will be laying for us, all right, but we shall haveto leave that to luck. The thing to do now is to get in. We will get outas best we may."
"Right," declared Hal; "and I guess that, as long as we are going, wemight as well go now. The sooner we start the better, is the way Ilook at it."
Chester and the lieutenant said good-by to the chauffeur, and thenChester turned to Hal and held out his hand.
"In case--" he said, as they gripped, and a moment later he and the younglieutenant were gone.
Hal, Captain Derevaux and the chauffeur reentered the woods, where theysat down to wait the half hour agreed upon.
As his chum's form disappeared from sight, striding rapidly along besidethe gallant lieutenant, Hal experienced a peculiar sinking sensation inthe region of his stomach, while his heart throbbed jerkily, and heturned faint. For almost the first time he realized the real seriousnessof the situation.
"Good old Chester!" he said to himself. "I hope nothing happens to him. Iwish I could take all the danger upon my own shoulders."
In vain did he try to shake off the feeling of uneasiness that oppressedhim; and it was with a heavy heart at the absence of his friend that hefound himself bidding the chauffeur good-by, when Captain Derevaux rousedhim from his reverie and announced that it was time for them to be ontheir way.
Striking out from their shelter, the two approached the town boldly. Theywalked silently and swiftly.
It was now quite dark, but the gleam of a full moon made their figuresplainly discernible. At the edge of the town they unconsciously breathedeasier and quickened their step.
Just passing the first house inside the city, they heard the sound ofrunning footsteps behind them. Hal looked over his shoulder. A uniformedfigure was hurrying after them.
"Run!" cried Hal to his companion, and he suited the action to the word.
The captain also broke into a quick run.
A command of "Halt!" behind them went unheeded, and the two friends spedover the ground, heading for the friendly shelter of the first crossstreet that was now but a few yards away.
Slackening their speed but a trifle, they rounded the corner just as thesharp crack of a rifle rang out. Around a second corner they dodged, andanother, and still another.
Stopping a moment to gain a much-needed breath, they could hear thesounds of great confusion, and again they broke into a quick run.
"The whole town will be aroused and on our track in a few minutes,"panted Hal. "We will have to lose ourselves some way awfully quick."
Luckily, the streets they had traversed so far had been deserted. But asthey rounded another corner they saw a crowd of men coming rapidlytoward them.
"I guess it's all up," exclaimed Hal, and the two slowed to a walk.
The crowd moved rapidly, and they advanced to meet it.
"No use running," said the captain. "We will try to bluff it out."
The first man of the crowd to reach them stopped.
"What's the row back there?" he asked.
"Just a street fight, I guess," replied Hal. "We didn't stop to see."
"More than likely some Frenchman has been rounded up," said the man."Better come along and see the fun," and he broke into a trot again.
"We had better make a bluff at going," said Hal to the captain, as henoticed that some of the crowd eyed them queerly.
Turning, they joined the crowd, and began to retrace their steps. Theywent slowly, however, and the crowd gradually drew away from them. Atlast, finding themselves behind the last man, they turned suddenly into aside street and broke into a run again.
Turning another corner, they slowed down to a walk.
"We had better get away from here," exclaimed the Frenchman. "They willbe back after us in a minute."
They continued their walk, still stepping along at a rapid pace, and atlength emerged, without further difficulty, into a brilliantly lightedstreet, wh
ich, they learned, was the main thoroughfare of the town.Mingling with the crowd, they were soon comparatively safe.
"The thing to do now is to find out where the hotel is," said theFrenchman.
Stopping in an open shop, Hal made an inquiry.
"Two blocks ahead," was the reply, and following directions, Hal and thecaptain soon came upon a large, though unpretentious, hotel. They went inand sat down in the rotunda. Chester and the lieutenant had not arrived,and once more Hal felt that queer sinking sensation in his stomach.
"If anything has happened to Chester," he mused, "I don't know what Ishall do."
But his anxiety was soon set at rest, for a few moments later Chester andLieutenant Anderson appeared in the doorway.
Hal jumped to his feet and seized Chester by the hand.
"I was afraid--" he began in a queer voice, but the lieutenant silencedhim with a gesture.
"Careful!" he whispered.
Hal returned to his seat and Chester and the lieutenant also sat down.
Hal recounted the experience he and the captain had had, and thelieutenant said:
"Then we have no time to waste. We must leave here at once."
Rising, the four companions left the hotel.
"We must get something to eat before we go," declared the Frenchman, andaccordingly they dropped into a little restaurant, where they treated theinner man to his entire satisfaction. Then they went to the street again.
"The best thing we can do is to go straight through the town and out onthe other side--if we can," said the lieutenant, and they turned theirsteps toward the north once more.
They reached the northern extremity of the town without difficulty andjust as they were congratulating themselves on their good fortune, Halgripped lieutenant Anderson by the arm and whispered:
"Look!"
Not two hundred yards ahead could be seen a line of army huts, extendingon either side as far as the eye could see.
"Ummm," grunted the lieutenant. Then: "Doesn't look like much chance ofgetting through here."
At the same instant there came from the rear the sound of the footstepsof a large body of men approaching with confusion.
"The crowd!" cried Hal.
The lieutenant was a man of action, as already has been seen.
"Follow me!" he exclaimed, and dashed to the right. His three companionsran after him.
Suddenly the lieutenant stopped and pointed ahead.
"Horses!" he whispered. "Good!"
He advanced more slowly, the others closely behind him.
"If we can cut out four horses," explained the lieutenant, "we will havea chance. We'll make a dash and trust to luck and the darkness."
Silently they approached the horses, which stood quietly a few yardsaway. A sentry passed nearby, and the four companions dropped to theground. Fortunately, the sentry did not look in their direction.
"That's what I call luck," whispered Hal.
From behind the sounds of confusion became more audible, indicating therapid approach of the crowd. At the same time lights flared up in thehuts, and an officer stepped to the entrance of one only a few feet fromthe four friends.
He espied them on the instant, and then the lieutenant acted.
"Quick!" he cried, and jumped toward the horses.
A revolver cracked, and a bullet whined over Hal's head even as heleaped forward.
With a bound all four fugitives were among the horses, and almost with asingle movement each threw himself into a saddle.
But at that moment the camp came to life. Armed men sprang up onall sides.
In the very act of digging his heel into his horse's flank, thelieutenant pulled up.
"It's no use," he said quietly to his friends. "To move is certaindeath."
Then came a voice from right before them.
"Surrender!" it cried. "Surrender or you are dead men!"
Boy Allies at Liège; Or, Through Lines of Steel Page 5