Part 38 (1/2)
”You would all be taken near the wire fence,” he said, ”and what about the men who would be without their pa.s.ses while you had them?”
”They must not show themselves,” she said.
”And if they are found in their homes?”
”Oh!” she cried impatiently, ”they must be willing to risk something too.”
”Have you thought of any one?” he asked.
”Yes, I have thought of D. and G., if you will bring them to me. Fetch them, F. I'll go and tell the men to wait for the pa.s.ses. You will find me at your gate.”
”But then you would have only two pa.s.ses, Hansie.”
She looked earnestly into his eyes, and he turned away without a word.
He went off in one direction and Hansie in another, and when she reached Mrs. Malan's house she was told that the three men had decided to risk the dangers of the street and to leave immediately. In this they were impelled, not so much by the consideration of their own safety, as the thought of the perils to which they exposed the Malans by remaining in their house. When Hansie told them she was procuring residential pa.s.ses for them, they held a short consultation and eventually decided to wait another half-hour. With pa.s.ses in their pockets they would be comparatively safe.
Promising to come back immediately, Hansie rushed to F.'s rooms, where she met him coming through the gate with D. and G.
”F.,” she whispered, ”be quick. They are on the point of leaving.”
He drew her aside and said: ”I am very sorry, Hansie. The fellows refuse to lend you their pa.s.ses.”
”Refuse!” she echoed in miserable incredulity. ”Refuse! oh Heaven, and this means life or death to those men! They _cannot_ appear on the streets to-night without pa.s.ses.”
”It is a great thing to ask, Hansie. You cannot blame them.”
”F., I must once again remind you of your promise. Help me now. I am not pleading for myself.”
He drew his residential pa.s.s from his pocket and placed it in her hand, motioning her to go. She gave him a quick look of grat.i.tude, but returned the pa.s.s with the words, ”No good to me unless I have three.
Think of something else.”
He called to the two other young fellows who were standing moodily apart and ordered them to think.
They thought. Perhaps they would have been standing there thinking still, if F. had not suddenly burst out with:
”Look here, you fellows, it is not safe to stand out here like this, and we are losing time. Let us go into my room and talk this thing over.”
They walked rapidly towards the house, where a number of bachelors lived together, and reached the room un.o.bserved.
F. drew the blinds, locked the door, and placed Hansie in an easy chair, while he and D. rummaged in a writing-table for some papers. G.
sat on the bed with his long legs stretched out in front of him.
The two young men were whispering together, bending eagerly over some papers they had found.
”This one will do,” Hansie heard F. say, ”but it will take some time.”
”Don't you think I ought to go and tell the men to wait?” she asked.