Book: The Boy Allies in Great Peril

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"Good-bye, and good luck," he said. "You just do as I tell you and you'll
have no trouble. Remember, you are just as big as any of these fellows,
and a whole lot bigger, if it comes to that."

Chester gripped the hand hard.

"Good-bye," he said, "and thanks."

The little man gazed after the boy as the latter strode away with
shoulders squared and head held high.

"He'll do," he muttered to himself.

Chester disappeared, and Stubbs turned and strode in the opposite
direction.

"Now for my holler--and my new papers," he told himself.

Chester was halted at the extreme Austrian front. He produced Stubbs'
papers, which he gave the man without a word. Luckily, as Stubbs had
explained, the safe conduct was simply made out to "Anthony Stubbs, war
correspondent," without description.

The officer scanned the papers closely, looked Chester over from head to
foot and seemed about to speak. Chester gazed at him sternly and the
Austrian closed his lips without uttering a word. He shrugged his
shoulders, summoned an orderly and commanded:

"Take a flag of truce and conduct this gentleman to the Italian lines."

Two hours later Chester was safe.

To the Italian officer who approached him, he demanded to be taken to the
general commanding the division, and this was done without protest.
Chester explained the circumstances to the general, and the latter
believed him. He turned him over to an orderly, with instructions that he
be taken care of; and in a tent of his own, Chester sat down to await the
arrival of Stubbs.

Stubbs, after Chester had left him, immediately betook himself to the
commander of the Austrian forces at this point. The latter received him,
although he didn't know Stubbs from any one else.

"General," said Stubbs, "somebody stole my papers, among them a safe
conduct to the Italian lines. I want to get there."

"No papers, no safe conduct," replied the general briefly.

This was what Stubbs had expected.

"Look here now, general," he said familiarly, "that's no way for you to
talk. I want to get into Italy, and I had safe conduct from General
Oberlatz at Trieste."

The Austrian commander got to his feet.

"I have told you, sir," he said, "that without papers you cannot leave
our lines."

"I heard you," replied Stubbs, "but you don't seem to understand the
answer to my being here. I've got to get into the Italian lines. You
can't blame me. The fellow you want is the one who stole my papers; he's
probably a spy."

"And you may be one, too," said the officer.

"Sure, I may be," said Stubbs; "only I'm not. Now, I'll tell you, you
just push through a little wire to General Oberlatz and he'll straighten
this thing out."

"Can't be done," replied the general.

"But it's got to be done," declared Stubbs. "I can't stay around here
when I have orders to go elsewhere. I don't want to have to take this
matter up with my friend, the archduke."

The Austrian commander looked up in surprise at this last remark.

"You know the archduke?" he questioned.

"Well, rather," said Stubbs. "He and I are pretty good friends."

"Then," said the general, "it would do no harm for you to appeal to him
in person."

"You're right, there, general," declared Stubbs. "My friend, the
archduke, would fix this thing up in a minute. The only trouble on that
score is the matter of time. Time is precious, you know, general, and
time presses."

"Fortunately for you," said the officer, "the archduke happens to be in
the next room at this moment. If you will be seated, I shall call him."

Stubbs sat down abruptly. A slight whistle escaped him, though it did not
carry to the general's ears.

"Good night!" muttered the little man to himself. "I've sure enough gone
and done it this time."

But Stubbs didn't betray himself. To the general he said:

"The archduke here? By Jove! This is what I call luck. Have him come out
and talk to me."

With a bow, the Austrian commander turned and passed from the room. The
moment he crossed the threshold, Stubbs sprang to his feet and dashed to
the door through which he had entered a few moments before.

"This," he said, as he came again into the open, "is no place for
Anthony Stubbs."

He disappeared from within view of the general's quarters with
amazing rapidity.

"Wasn't much use of me patting the archduke on the back," he told
himself. "Never having seen me before, I guess he wouldn't have
remembered me. I don't want to be shot."

Half a mile from the scene of his trouble, he entered a little
restaurant and sat down to have something to eat and to figure out what
he should do.

"This place is going to be too small to hold me," he said to himself over
a second cup of coffee. "They'll have all the natives on my trail. I've
got to get over the frontier some way. The question before me is how?"

He meditated for some moments, then rose, paid his check and left the
restaurant. In front of the door he stopped and looked toward the south,
where, in the distance, he knew heavy Austrian patrols faced the Italian
pickets only a few miles beyond.

"That's the way I want to go," he told himself. "So I may as well be
starting in that direction."

He moved off.

Possibly half a mile from the utmost Austrian line he stopped and sat
down. So far he had been unchallenged and now, as he sat there, a plan
came to him. He took his revolver from his pocket and examined it.

"I'll try it," he said briefly to himself. "If Chester knew what I was
about to do, he would be greatly surprised. But the thing is I am more
afraid to stay here than I am to take this chance."

He arose and moved on. As he expected, probably five minutes later, a
mounted officer came toward him. There was no one else near. He halted
the correspondent.

"Where are you going?" he asked sharply.

"I'll tell you," was the reply. "I am a war correspondent and I am just
looking about a bit. Am I going too far? If so, I shall turn back."

"Well, I can permit you to go no farther," said the Austrian, with a
smile.

"Oh, all right," said Stubbs.

He drew a cigar from his pocket, bit off the end, struck a match and
lighted it. Then, with a start, he produced a second cigar.

"Beg pardon," he said. "Have a smoke?"

The Austrian signified that he would. Stubbs gave him the cigar and
struck a second match. The Austrian leaned from his horse and put the
cigar to the flame. At that moment Stubbs drew his revolver with his free
hand and, dropping the match, seized the Austrian by the leg with the
other. The latter came tumbling from his horse, and when he looked up, he
gazed squarely into the mouth of Stubbs' revolver.

"Quiet," said the little man briefly. "I want you to change
clothes with me."

The Austrian appeared about to protest, but changed his mind and
signified his willingness to comply with the command.

"Stand off there and remove your clothes," ordered Stubbs, pointing.

The man obeyed, Stubbs the while keeping him covered with his revolver.
The man's clothes removed, Stubbs approached him.

"I'll have to tie you up minus your outer garments," he told him. "I
can't take any chances on you while I am donning your robes."

He tied him up in most approved fashion and then gagged him with his
handkerchief.

"Just to keep you from giving an alarm," he said.

Rapidly he donned the Austrian's clothes and then walked over to his
horse. This he mounted and turned the animal's head southward. He waved a
hand at the Austrian.

"_Auf Wiedersehen_," he said, and rode away.

He kept as far as possible from the Austrian troops that patrolled the
outposts and half an hour later was beyond the Austrian lines. Out of
sight he halted and discarded the Austrian uniform he had drawn on over
his civilian attire and then rode on more confidently.

And the little man welcomed a command that broke upon his ears a short
time later:

"Halt!"

He drew rein. A soldier in Italian uniform advanced toward him.

"Thank the Lord," said the little man.

He drew a hand across a moist brow and gave a whistle of pure relief.

"No one will ever know how scared I was," he muttered. "Now to
find Chester."

He turned to the soldier who had accosted him.

"Take me immediately to your commanding officer," he ordered.




CHAPTER XVIII.

HAL AND UNCLE JOHN.


While Chester and his old friend, Anthony Stubbs, war correspondent, are
resting at ease for the moment with the Italian troops at the extreme
northern front, it behooves us to go back and see what has happened to
Hal and Uncle John.

When the two were led away from the headquarters of the Italian
commander, under guard, Uncle John's rage had by no means subsided; but
he cooled down somewhat after Hal had, to the best of his ability,
attempted to show him the viewpoint of the general.

"It's a contemptible trick," Uncle John protested.

"Well, let it go at that, then," said Hal helplessly.

And Uncle John did.

Now the thoughts of the two turned to Chester, for both were greatly
worried about him, and their anxiety increased as the long hours passed.

So darkness came, and they lay down to sleep. They were awake with the
morning light and the first thought of each was whether any word had been
received from the Italian commander in Rome.

And two hours after daylight they knew. An orderly entered and informed
them that the commander desired their presence immediately. They
followed him.

"Everything all right, general?" Hal greeted him, with a smile.

The Italian commander frowned.

"The answer to my wire will hardly gain you your freedom," he replied.

"What, sir?" demanded Hal, in great surprise.

"Exactly," replied the commander, this time smiling a little himself.

"What did General Ferrari say?" inquired Hal anxiously.

"Well, he didn't say anything," replied the Italian. "He is no longer in
Rome, but has gone to the front. My wire did not reach him. Consequently,
I shall have to turn you over to the civil authorities here for
safe-keeping. I cannot be bothered with you."

Hal gazed at Uncle John in dismay.

"What did I tell you?" the latter broke out. "And you sided with him,
too. Tried to show me where he was right, didn't you? Well, what do you
think of him now?"

In spite of the seriousness of their situation, Hal was forced to smile
at Uncle John's righteous wrath.

"It will turn out all right," he said quietly.

"I'm glad somebody thinks so," declared Uncle John. "I don't."

Hal addressed the commander:

"General, I can assure you that all we have said has been the truth. You
will learn so in time. I, sir, have seen active service. I have fought
with the Belgians, the British in France and the Russians in the eastern
war zone."

"From your own accounts you must have had quite a time," said the Italian
commander dryly. "Now, I may as well tell you that I do not believe a
single word of your story and protests will avail you nothing. Were I to
follow my own inclinations, I would order you both shot as spies within
the hour. However, there is always a chance that my convictions may be
wrong, which is the only thing that is saving you now. I shall wait until
I have word from General Ferrari. Orderly!"

A subordinate entered.

"Turn these prisoners over to Colonel Brunoli. Colonel Brunoli," he
continued, addressing Hal, "is the chief of police. I can guarantee that
you will be safe in his keeping."

Hal would have protested, but the orderly signalled him to march out
ahead, of him. Hal took Uncle John by the arm, and they left, but not
before Uncle John had hurled a final remark over his shoulder to the
Italian commander.

"You will hear of me again, sir," he thundered. "I'm an American citizen
and we have an ambassador over in this benighted country. He'll warm
things up for you when he learns of this outrage."

"March!" commanded the orderly and Uncle John heeded the order.

Before an imposing building a short distance away, the orderly called a
halt and then motioned them up the short flight of steps. Through a long
hall they were marched and into a room at the far end. Here a man in
uniform with much lace and gold facings sat at a large desk. Hal didn't
need to be told that he was the chief of police.

"What have we here?" he demanded, swinging about in his chair and eyeing
the two severely.

"Prisoners, sir, whom I am instructed to turn over to you," was the
orderly's reply. "You are to hold them until you receive further
instructions, sir."

"Very good," said the chief. "You may go."

The orderly saluted, turned on his heel and departed.

"You may sit there until I have completed this piece of work," said the
chief, motioning the prisoners to chairs behind him.

Hal and Uncle John sat down and the chief turned again to his desk and
was soon busy writing.

Hal's eyes roved about the room. An idea struck him like a flash. They
sat between the chief of police and the door by which they had entered.
What would be more easy than to tip-toe to the door, which stood slightly
ajar, and disappear unbeknown to the chief?

With Hal to think was to act. Fearing to lift his voice in a whisper, he
at last managed to catch Uncle John's eye. Then he laid a warning finger
to his lips and beckoned Uncle John to follow him. Uncle John manifested
some surprise, but he signified that he understood.

Carefully Hal got to his feet and Uncle John followed suit. Then Hal,
stepping very softly, moved toward the door. Now it was five, now four,
now three paces away--and then the boy laid his hand on the knob. Uncle
John was right behind him.

The door swung open without so much as a creak, and Hal stepped out.
Uncle John followed him. Hal motioned Uncle John to lead the way down the
hall, while he remained behind to close the door. The order was obeyed.

Hal took the precaution to close the door tightly and then hurried after
Uncle John. "Well--" began Uncle John, just as they stepped from the
building, "I guess we--"

Came a sudden roar from behind them--the roar of a human voice.

"The chief!" exclaimed Hal. "Run!"

Uncle John needed no urging and the two went down the steps four and five
at a time. Hal led the way and Uncle John followed close at his heels.

Around the corner they darted even as the chief of police appeared in the
doorway--too late to see in which direction his erstwhile prisoners had
flown. But the two fugitives could hear his voice raised in another roar,
as he thundered out a call for his men to give chase.

"Come on, Uncle John!" shouted Hal, and the latter, although he had long
since come to believe that his bones had stiffened with age, surprised
himself by the manner in which he flew over the ground.

Fortunately, the street at the moment was deserted. Around one, two, then
three corners Hal doubled, and then slowed down.

"Guess we are all right for a few minutes," he gasped.

Uncle John stopped and gasped for breath.

"I'm not as young as I used to be, Hal," he said. "Don't forget that. I
can't go a hundred yards in eleven seconds any more."

"Well, you didn't miss it much," said Hal, with a chuckle. "But come on,
we must get away from here. If we are caught now, the chances are they
will stand us up against a wall and have a shot at us."

"In which event," said Uncle John dryly, "I can still do a hundred yards
in ten flat."

Side by side the two walked on.

"The question that now arises," said Uncle John, "is how we are going to
get away from here?"

"First," said Hal, "we must go back and see if Chester is still where we
left him."

"Like looking for a needle in a haystack," said Uncle John. "This is a
pretty good-sized town."

"Not at all," replied Hal. "I have a pretty keen sense of direction;
besides, I always make it a point to look at the names of the streets. I
can find it in half an hour. Come on."

The lad had not boasted and less than an hour later they stood again in
the house where so lately they had been prisoners.

"Well, he's gone," said Hal quietly. "We cannot help him here. The best
thing for us to do is to return to Rome and lay the case before the
ambassador, who can take the matter up with Ambassador Penfield at
Vienna, or through Washington."

"The thing to do, then, is to hunt the railroad station," declared Uncle
John. "Do you think you can find it?"

"If I can't, I can ask," replied Hal.

Thirty minutes later saw Hal at the ticket window asking what time the
next train left for Rome.

"In an hour," was the reply.

Hal purchased two tickets. Then with Uncle John he strolled about
the station.

Suddenly the boy halted in his tracks and grabbed Uncle John by the arm,
pulling him into a corner. And it was well that he did so, for a moment
later there brushed by the spot where they had stood none other than the
chief of police and several other men in uniform.

"He may not be looking for us, but the chances are he is," said Hal.

The chief went straight to the ticket office, where he engaged the agent
in conversation.

"No Rome for us now," declared Hal. "Come on."

He led the way out of the station and directly stood in the train
shed. The boy heard a cry of "All aboard" and saw that a train was
about to pull out.

"Don't know where it is going, but we'll get it!" he cried, and Uncle
John followed him in his mad dash. By a hard run they succeeded in
climbing into an unoccupied compartment even as the guard would have
closed the door.

"Where do you suppose we are bound?" asked Uncle John, as he sat
down, panting.

"Don't know," was Hal's reply. "We'll find out directly."

A few minutes later the conductor enlightened them.

"Milan," he said.




CHAPTER XIX.

WITH THE ARMY.


"Milan!" echoed Hal. "Good night!"

"Oh, well," said Uncle John, with rare optimism for him, "I guess we can
double back from there, can't we?"

"I suppose it can be done," agreed Hal. "But we haven't any business
wandering all over this country. We want to get to Rome."

"We'll get there, all right," said Uncle John.

"Yes; but if they happen to nab us we are likely not to get there whole,"
declared Hal.

When the train arrived in Milan, Hal and Uncle John were among the first
to alight.

"Well, here we are; now what?" demanded Uncle John.

"You've got me," declared Hal.

They made their way to the street and there they halted suddenly, for a
wonderful sight had met their gaze.

Passing along the street were thousands and thousands of soldiers,
mounted and afoot, fully equipped for the field. They passed by in a
steady stream. For an hour Hal and Uncle John watched the imposing sight
and still the long line wended its way along. Hal's heart beat faster as
his eyes rested upon this imposing array of fighting strength.

"By Jove! I'd like to go along," he muttered to himself.

And it was to be so, even sooner that he could possibly have hoped. But
the suggestion came from an altogether unexpected source.

"Tell you what, Hal," said Uncle John suddenly. "As long as we are here
we might as well see a little something. What do you think?"

"Just what do you mean?" asked Hal.

"Well, let's go along to the front with these fellows; that is, if we
can make it. We may see something that we will never have another
chance to see."

"Suits me," declared Hal. "Let's see if we can get a couple of
horses--it's pretty tough walking and we don't know how far we may
have to go."

This was easier than could have been expected; and an hour later found
them riding slowly along in the direction taken by the Italian troops.

"Don't suppose the authorities here have been apprised of our escape from
Milan," said Hal. "I guess we are safe enough."

Hour after hour they rode along, passing regiment after regiment of
infantry as it moved toward the front. Uncle John was greatly impressed
by the military carriage and bearing of the troops, but in spite of their
impressiveness Hal could not help thinking that they did not have the
businesslike appearance of the British troops.

Now, in the distance, they made out what they could see was a great camp,
stretching out as far as the eye could see on both sides.

"This," said Hal, pointing, "will be the end of our tour of inspection.
Beyond those lines they will not let us go."

"We'll go as far as we can," declared Uncle John.

Suddenly from directly ahead came the heavy thunder of a single gun,
followed almost immediately by another giant voice. Other big guns began
to speak, and soon the roaring of thousands filled the air.

"A battle!" exclaimed Hal.

Other voices now, more faint but sharper of note, took up the
fighting--rapid firers and the rifles of the infantry coming into play.
From their present position Hal and Uncle John could not tell just where
the fighting was in progress, the numbers engaged, or whether the
Italians had taken the offensive, or the Austrians, or how the battle was
progressing. All they could hear was the terrible din and roar. They
could see nothing. They were at present far from the battle line.

Still they advanced.

Now they were suddenly in the center of the Italian troops, still
stationary, awaiting the word to move forward in support of the second
line or the first line as the case might be.

An officer rode up to them.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Nothing particularly," replied Hal. "I am a British officer and, being
in this neighborhood, thought I would look around a bit."

"Your papers?" was the next command.

"Unfortunately, I have none with me," returned the lad.

The officer hesitated.

"I'll tell you," he said finally, "there is a British officer commanding
a regiment here. Perhaps he will know you. I shall conduct you to him. He
has arrived from France only recently."

"I don't know all the British officers in France," said Hal, "but there
is always the possibility I may know this one."

"Follow me," commanded the Italian.

The two did so. To the far left wing their guide led the way, and finally
stopped before a tent somewhat larger than the rest.

An orderly came forth.

"Tell the colonel I have a man here who claims to be a British officer,"
said the Italian.

A moment later there stepped from the tent a long, tall Englishman,
attired in British uniform, youngish of face, and at sight of him Hal
started forward with a glad cry.

"Major Anderson!" he exclaimed.

The officer gazed at him in surprise, then came forward with
extended hand.

"Bless my soul," he exclaimed. "What in the name of all that's wonderful
are you doing here? I thought you were dead. And where is Chester?"

"I don't know," answered Hal, answering the last question first.

Upon Colonel Anderson's--he was no longer major--request, Hal plunged
into an account of what had transpired since they had last seen the
gallant Englishman. Now the Italian officer stepped forward.

"Then they are all right?" he questioned, indicating Hal and Uncle John.

"This one is," replied Anderson, laying a hand on Hal's shoulder. "I
don't know the other."

He hastened to introduce the two men.

Anderson turned to the Italian.

"It's all right," he said.

The latter saluted and moved away.

"While you are here," said Anderson, "you will make yourselves at home in
my quarters. I am now called to the front."

"Can't we go with you?" asked Hal anxiously.

The colonel hesitated.

"Well, I guess it can be done," he said at length. "You have your horses;
wait until I get mine."

A command to his orderly and the horse was soon waiting. The three rode
forward and as they went the colonel explained something of the situation
and his reason for being with the Italian army.

"I was sent here immediately Italy declared war," he said, "at the
request of the Italian government. Of course, they didn't ask for me
personally, but they did ask for a British officer who had seen active
service. General French selected me, with the rank of colonel. That's why
I'm here."

"And this fighting now?" questioned Hal. "Who is on the offensive?"

"The Austrians, at the moment," was the reply. "They have massed
thousands of men to the north, and at the far side of the Alps. We have
let it be known that we were in insufficient strength here and the
Austrians evidently hope, by a quick drive, to gain a foothold on Italian
soil. Fortunately, however, our lines were strengthened no later than
yesterday and reinforcements still are arriving. The Austrians have
delayed too long.

"Now our troops are falling back slowly and in good order. The Austrians,
feeling sure of a quick victory, will follow them too far. Then for our
coup. First the artillery, then the infantry and cavalry, and let me tell
you something, this Italian artillery fire is going to be one of the
wonders of the war. Its effect will be terrific. Watch and see."

In the distance now the three made out a squad of a dozen men advancing
toward them, with what appeared to be two prisoners in their midst.

"We'll have a look and see what's up," declared Colonel Anderson.

They rode forward.

As at last they were able to make out the faces of the two apparent
prisoners, Hal uttered a loud shout and spurred his horse forward. Uncle
John took a second look and did likewise. Colonel Anderson rode rapidly
after them.

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