Part 23 (1/2)
Upon receiving the signal Kenneth began to haul. To his great surprise Rollo was pulled through the narrow opening with very little difficulty. Once more they were free; but they were not yet out of the wood. Between them and the Belgian army lay the lines of a vigilant and wary foe.
CHAPTER XVIII
Through the Enemy's Lines
”Everything's all clear, as far as I can see,” reported Kenneth. ”The question is, how are we to rejoin our regiment?”
”I can foot it,” declared Rollo.
”But not ten miles. Your ankle would give out before you walked a hundred yards. What I vote we do is that I ride the bike and take you on the carrier.”
Rollo shook his head.
”Too jolly conspicuous,” he protested. ”One fellow might stand the ghost of a chance, but two----”
Kenneth turned over the question in his mind for a few moments. To remain where they were was impracticable. They would be starving before many more hours had pa.s.sed.
”Tell you what!” he exclaimed as an idea flashed through his brain.
”We'll rig ourselves out in German uniforms----”
”And get shot as spies if we're collared! No, thanks, Kenneth. If we are to be plugged I'd rather be in Belgian uniform, since a British one is at present out of the question.”
”It's a risk, I admit. Everything is, under existing circ.u.mstances.
If we are spotted, then there's an end to it and us; otherwise we stand a better chance by masquerading in these fellows' clothes.”
”But if we are challenged? We couldn't reply in German.”
”You're meeting trouble half-way.”
”I like to go into the pros and cons,” declared Rollo. ”If you can convince me that your scheme is a sound one, I'm on; otherwise--dead off. For one thing, where are the German uniforms?”
”You've forgotten the Uhlans we slung into the ditch.”
Rollo shrugged his shoulders disdainfully.
”I draw the line at donning the saturated uniform of a dead Uhlan.”
”Come, don't be squeamish. If you are never asked to do a worse thing than that in the course of your natural, then you are a lucky individual. You'll find it's like taking a header into the sea on a gusty summer's day. The wind makes you s.h.i.+ver, and you think twice about it, but once you are in the water it's comparatively warm.”
”You haven't got over the language difficulty.”
”Yes, I have; at least I think so. If we meet any patrols, you must pretend to be half-dead----”
”I guess I shall be dead entirely if we do.”
”Badly wounded, then. I'll bandage you up, and at the same time put a scarf round my jaw.”
”What for?”