Part 30 (1/2)

They at once put them on, as the peculiarity of the purchases they intended to make was so great that, had they been in their civilian dress, it was certain that they would have been regarded with suspicion; and would have, perhaps, had difficulty in obtaining what they wanted.

Their first visit was to a hairdresser's shop. Rather to the astonishment of the proprietor, they told him that they wished to speak to him in a private room; and still more to his astonishment, when the door was closed, they told him that they wanted their hair dyed quite black. The hairdresser could hardly believe his ears.

The boys had both brown, wavy hair--Percy's being the lightest--and that two young officers of the staff should, at such a time, desire to dye their hair struck the man almost dumb with astonishment.

Ralph smiled.

”No wonder you are surprised, but we have an important mission to carry out, and it is essential that we should be completely disguised. We are going as spies into Von der Tann's camp. This, of course, is in the strictest confidence.”

The hairdresser was at once struck with the importance of the occasion.

”You want an instantaneous dye?” he asked.

”Certainly,” Ralph said, ”and one that will last, at any rate, for a week.”

There was no difficulty whatever in complying with the request and, in ten minutes, the boys' heads were raven in their blackness.

”Now,” Ralph said, ”I want my brother's hair--which is fortunately very long--to be completely frizzled; and I want a pair of the tongs you do it with, so as to be able to do it for ourselves.”

This also was easy enough.

”Now,” Ralph went on, ”for myself, I want my hair to be very long; to come down over my ears on to my collar, all the way round.”

”But the only way to do that is to have a wig specially made for you.”

”Not at all,” Ralph said. ”I could not put on a wig, even if you had one just as I want it, ready. The parting always shows, if it is narrowly looked at. I want some long flat bands of hair, like those you use for chignons. It must be black, to match my hair as it is now; but put a few streaks of gray into it. I must have a band of this hair, long enough to go round the head, from just above one ear to just above the other. If you part my hair, just at the place where the band is to go; brush the hair up; put the band of artificial hair on, with shoemaker's wax, or something else to hold tight; then brush the hair back again over the band, it would be absolutely impossible to see it was not all natural. Then cut the long hair so as to lie on my coat collar, frizzle it and the natural hair, and I will defy the keenest-eyed Prussian to see anything wrong about it.”

As soon as the hairdresser understood exactly what Ralph wanted, he entered heartily into his plans; and several of the short flat bands of black hair, used for chignons, were sewn on to a band.

This was fastened on to Ralph's head, in the way he had suggested; the long tresses were cut to the required length; the tongs were used on them, and on the natural hair; and plenty of oil put on and, in an hour, his headdress was perfect--an immense bush of frizzly hair. The cloth was taken from round his neck and, as he looked at himself in the gla.s.s, he joined heartily in Percy's shout of laughter.

”But, Ralph, how are you to go out in your uniform, and that head of hair?”

”Dear me,” Ralph said, ”I had quite forgotten that. Go to the tailor's, Percy, and tell them to send the suit I changed there in here, directly.”

Percy went off for the clothes, and Ralph then went on:

”Now I want a black or grayish beard, whiskers, and mustache.”

”I have not got such a thing,” the hairdresser said, ”but I know a man who keeps them. I will get it for you, in a quarter of an hour.”

In a few minutes Percy returned, with a boy with Ralph's clothes.

In a short time they were ready to start.

”You do look a strange object, Ralph.”

”Never mind, Percy, there are plenty of strange objects here. No one will notice me.”

Then saying that they would call in again in half an hour, for the beard, they went to a chemist's; from whom--after some talk--they obtained a mixture to give a slightly brown tinge to their faces.

They now dived into the back streets of the town, found a second-hand clothes shop, and speedily got the articles they required. Ralph had a long greatcoat, with a fur collar; and a pair of high boots, coming up to his knees and to be worn over the trousers. A black fur cap completed his costume. Percy had a black cap, made of rough cloth, with a peak and with flaps to come down over the ears; an old greatcoat, with fur round the pockets and collar; a bright-colored handkerchief, to go two or three times round the neck; and high boots like those of Ralph.