Part 32 (1/2)
”That's quite an accomplishment, all right,” offered Jack.
”Agreed!” announced Jimmie. ”But,” he went on, ”we're losing time and I'm losing flesh while you argue about it. Leave Dave alone, now.
Can't you see him blus.h.i.+ng over the praise you're giving him? Let's hustle about and get some eats started. I'm hungry, I tell you!”
”All right, Jimmie, your wants shall be supplied. We'll make another pot of coffee and all hands will take a cup with you for luck.”
”This all happened so suddenly,” said Ned, as the five lay about the fires waiting for the cooking to be finished, ”that I haven't had a chance to ask you a question nor tell you how overjoyed I am to have you with us again. But I'm really delighted. How did it happen?”
”Well, they took us with them after Dave knocked over one of their tents,” began Jimmie, with a sly look at his companion. ”If it hadn't been for that plucky kid over there, I most likely would have lost my temper two or three times and tried to whip the whole German army.”
”Oh, I say, you know,” declared Dave. ”He's putting it on too thick!
I really wasn't much help at all. It was Jimmie who got the Kaiser into a good humor and then saved his life!”
”Go on, go on!” urged Ned, excitedly. ”Tell us about it quickly!”
In response to the invitation, Jimmie and Dave together told the story of their adventures since last seeing their chums. Jimmie was in turn told of the exciting scenes through which the three boys had pa.s.sed, and to him also were made known the circ.u.mstances through which Dave had joined the party. As the boys finally drew their narratives to a conclusion, Jimmie, who had followed the tales of his comrades with interest, turned to Ned and said:
”And so you were on the point of rescuing me when that fellow shot the rope by which Dave was hanging and you thought it was all off!”
”You are right, we thought things were going wrong with us then.”
”And after that you pretty nearly got into a trap yourselves.”
”Yes and we were compelled to exchange our perfectly good uniforms for some old rags that would disgrace a wharf rat!” was Ned's indignant response. ”Then we simply took the privilege of putting on these garments. They are not what we would have chosen, but they match yours.”
”They fooled Dave and myself, all right,” laughed Jimmie. ”We thought that we had caught a mess of German soldiers.”
”That simply goes to show us, boys,” gravely commented Ned, ”that we ought to be extremely careful about our outward appearance. It's so easy for others to mistake us for what we are not.”
”Hands up!” the boys heard a rough voice say.They turned to see a rifle muzzle showing through a clump of bushes.
CHAPTER XXIII
TABLES TURNED
”What's coming off here?” asked Jimmie, jumping to his feet.
”Halt!” cried the voice from the shrubbery again as Jimmie rose.
”Who's there?” asked the lad, wheeling toward the low undergrowth which concealed their visitor. ”Come out into the open if you dare.”
”Ach, yes!” replied the other. ”I dare come out. You will all stand--and in a line, please. Aber you don'dt, I shoot!”
”What's this,” asked Ned, ”a hold-up or a joke?”
”Nein,” the newcomer replied. ”Aber you don'dt line up dere you find oudt it is no joke, not. Beside yourself stand, quick!”
”This is enough to make anybody fairly beside themselves!” Jimmie declared, unable to repress his tendency toward a joke.