CHAPTER XV
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.