Part 21 (1/2)
”Stay with me, Andra,” she murmured. ”I may faint. I don't want to say! Is he alive? Oh, Andra; does he live?”
Fully alive to the peculiar exigencies of the situation, and deeply sympathizing with Avella, Andra clung to and supported her sister until both were themselves again. Thereafter they watched, helped when they could, and as a rule kept as quiet as mice. It was really a ticklish situation for two young girls, both among the elite of official society in Was.h.i.+ngton, though transferred of their own volition to strange scenes and duties in this foreign land. Sisterly always, they now clung together more than usual.
”Is -- is poor Buck dead?” asked Stanley, gaining strength with each word. ”He left us to raid some more Boches and -- and get help.”
”The young man is all right.” This from the surgeon who had just finished his examination. ”He will pull through with good nursing.
It's a bullet wound between the ribs and I f ear, although I'm not certain yet, that in pa.s.sing it pierced the lungs. It has gone out at his back, near the shoulder, and that's a good thing. Leaves a clean Wound.”
By degrees Buck was brought to, revived by a tonic, braced up by a subtle injection of some kind, after which his wound was carefully, thoroughly, and scientifically dressed.
Laying back after this, the first person on whom his sleepy eyes opened was Stanley, now raised on one elbow, so strong had he already grown, regarding Bangs much as one might look at some one supposed to be dead, but returned to life.
”h.e.l.lo, Buck!” Stanley actually tried to sit up in bed. ”When we saw you put out up in them clouds, I sure thought you were a goner!”
Buck weakly shook his bead, but was restrained by the nurse from trying to talk. ”No use!” he whispered wearily. Then his eyes sought that sweet girl again . She was still looking at him. He gave a sigh of satisfaction and almost immediately fell asleep.
All at once Stanley seemed to remember what he had come through a flying death for. He cursed his forgetfulness, then said aloud:
”I want to see Captain Byers. It -- it's important. Please send for him.”
But Byers, already alert, was stepping close and; saying:
”If it is important, go ahead. But if it can wait --”
”But -- it can't wait, Captain,” pleaded Stanley. ”They sent me 'cause they couldn't come. All our planes were bombed from overhead. Had to use Fritzy's little old Fokker after we got him and his machine.
Believe me, they're a tight place, and there's two women with 'em, one of them an American girl from Chicago; t'other a good old Belgian.”
”Go ahead, my man,” urged Byers.
Thereupon Stanley, refreshed by a mug of real Red Cross French wine, proceeded to relate a succinctly as he could all that the reader now knows Irwin, and Bangs, so far as Stanley had known. Also their varied adventures after following the defeated Hun down amid the ruins of the old baronial chateau.
”Believe me, sir, they are in bad shape,” continued Stanley earnestly.
”Both them chaps are clean knocked out for the time being, though I know they will be able to travel by the time we get back there.”
”You say there are women there, too?”
”Yes, sir; two of 'em. One is sister to the wife of the Belgian baron who owns the whole chateau and estate. They got a permit somehow and came through the lines; but in view of recent troubles around there they don't know how to get back. ”I'm sure sorry for them.”
”What did they go there for, knowing the Germans controlled all that territory? Had they no better sense?”
”So far as I could understand, they went in the first place for some important papers hid away there, and which the Boches don't know of.”
”Private papers or papers pertaining to the, war?”
”Don't know, sir. All I know is that they said, they had left safe and were to bring them back if they ever do got back.”
Of course the surrounding group were listening. Among these was a runty, pockmarked, weasel-eyed little chap who went by the name of Pete, and whom was not much thought of, being considered by those who knew him best to be more than half German by blood. Be this as it may, he now began to edge outward from the group and gradually gravitated towards a side door.