The Washington times., 1919-01-29

ress was interminably slaw. Every
few yards Francis raised his hand
and we stopped.
At last we reached the gloomy
glade where, as Francis had told US,
according to popular belief, the
wrath Of CharlemaEne was still
seen on the night of st. Hubert's
day gaIloping along with his ghost
~ followers Of the chase. The rust
ling OF leaves caught our ears in
stantly we all lay prone behind q
bank.
A group OF men came swinging
along the glade. One of them was
singing an ancient German soldier
song:
"Di Voglein i'm Wade
Sic singer so schon
In her Heimat, in der Heimst,
la gibt's Elm Wiederseh'n.
THE relief patrolr' whispered
to Francis, as soon as they were
past.
THE other lot they relieve will
be back this way in minute. We
must get across quickly" My broth
er stood erect. and tiptOed swiftly
across Charlemagne's Ride, and We
followed.
We must have crawled for an
hour before we came to the ravine.
IL was a deep, narrow ditch with
steep sides, fun Of underground
and brambles. Now we could hear
distinctly the voices OF men all
around US, as it seemed, and to right
and left and in front Ne caught at
intervals glimpses OF red flames
through the trees. We could only
proceed at a snails pace lest the
continued rustic OF our footsteps
should betray US. So each advanced
a few PAGES in turn; then we all
paused, and then the next one went
forward. We could no longer crawl:
the underground was too thick for
that: we had TO 60 forward bent
double.
We had progressed like this for
fully half an hour when Francis,
who was in front as usual beckon-
ed US to lie down. We all lay mo-
tionless among the brambles.
Then a voice somewhere above US
said in German:
And I'll have a man at the plank
here, sergeant: he can watch the
ravine."
Another voice answered:
"Very good, Herr Leutnant, but
in that case the patrols TO right
and left need not cross the plank
each time: they can turn when
they come to the ravine guard
The voices died away in a muir
mur. / craned my neck aloft. It
was. so dark 7 could see nothing
save the fretwork OF branches
against the night sky. 1 whispered
to Francis, who was just in front
OF me:
4UnIess we make a dash for it
now that man will hear US rustling
along!"
Francis held hp a finger.
heard a heavy footstep along the
bank above US.
Too late" my brother whisper
ed -B4ck. do you hear the pa
trols?"
Footsteps crashing through the
underground resOunded on the
right and left.
"Cold work. said a voice.
Bitter" came the answer, just
above our heads.
"Seen anything"
'NothinE!"
The rustlinE began again on the
right, and. died away.
They're closing in on the left.
Another voice this time.
Heard anything, your from the
voice above us.
mot a thing"
The rustling broke out once more
on the left, and gradually became
lost in the distance.
Silence.
I felt a hot breath in my ear.
Sapper MaEgs stood by my side.
There be a feIIer a-watching for
use up there?" he whispered
! nodded.
'Tf us could drar his 'tention
away, yew could slip by. next time
the patrols is past, couldn't 'ee?"
Again ] nodded.
IT'D be worse for yeW than for
me, suppOsin' yew'd be ca-art,
that's what t'other officer said,
warn't it?"
And once more ! nodded.
The hot whisper came again.
"IIl drar 'un Off for &c. zIr,
mex time the patrols pass. When
] holler. ycW and the others. ycw
run. Thirty-one forty-thTce Sap
per MagSs. L. r. from Chewton
Mendip that's me
maybe yew'H let us have a bit O.
writing TO the camp"
I stretched out my hand in the
darkness TO stop him. He had gone.
I Ieant forward and whispered 10
Francis:
when you hear a shout. make a
dash for it,
! felt him look at me in surprise
it was too dark to see his face.
Right" he whispered back.
Now TO the LEFT We heard voices
shouting and saw torches cleaning
red among the trees. To right and
rear answering shouts Tesounded.
Again the patrols met at the
plank above our heads, and again
their departing footsteps rustIed in
the leaves.
The murmUr OF voices grew
nearer. We could family smell
the burning resin OF the torches.
Then a wild yell rent the forest.