Evening star., 1939-01-14
Surprises for Steenhold.

spoke standing.
"Reedly's lost his nerve" he said
Hes put his Putsch on-a month
perhaps. And here we are. He
means to strike. He's got train
load of French troops coming here
from Antwerp, but that may get
switched on to the frontier. Evil
dently he means to grab this place
and us. That's for the transport
section, Steenhold. What can you
do? Thirp doesn't know exactly
what he has in the town-but !
doubt If it's ready. He's got no guns
anywhere. Neither at Antwerp nor
in Amsterdam. Thirp thinks he has
some of the groundsmen here.
That's the situation. There's no
doubt he's moving now. We may
have raid here at any time. But
we've got those planes out there
He may have stuff for the four or
five he has at Constance. You'd
better pack up, Bodisham-in case
-. Wen keep one plane for you.
-. But that's by the way. =.
Steenhold in Charge.
First of all, the situation here
I want you, Steenhold, to take charge
Of all this. The police here don't
number 400, there's only youngster
in command-we don't know any,
thing about him-and Thirp will
hand over the command to you. You
must have got a section of your
transport corps at Rotterdam and
some at the port here. They're
scattered, I suppose Can you get
them together? We want the air.
drome and the radio station held
and all this. breed had better 60 to
the radio station forthwith. You'll
assist him to improvise a defense
It's very important to keep the radio
going. Steenhold-if you will 70
with Thirp to the door-your second
in command is outside. Thirp and
Olders and I are going to vanish.
You'n hear from us soon enough"
He went and sat down beside
Bodisham and began to talk to him
rapidly in undertones. Bodisham
nodded quickly and approvingly.
Steenhold felt anxious. Where
was Rud going? Oughtn't there to
be some sort of council of war?
Il don't understand" he began.
"Steenhold," said Rud, you've got
your orders. Things can't wait for
explanations now. You must do
something about those French
troops from Antwerp. They have to
be held up. There's not much time
If they are really entrained. Does
the line come through Rotterdam?
I don't know"
=, Salutes Rud First Time.
"Gee!" said Steenhold, blew and
then got up and saluted. He had
never saluted Rud before.
Rud went on talking to Bodisham
That's Rud. That was" said
Steenhold as he left the room with
Thirp.
They found a bright youg officer
OF police outside, who Saluted. ThirI
led the way to the ground floor
where there was a large-scale mar
OF the airdrome and its surround
ings. SHOW the Minister where
your men are" he said.
"Is there siren or anything
handy" said Steenhold, taking hold
OF the situation, ito call the men tc
quarters?"
The first intimation that Reedly's
Federalist friends in Amsterdam hac
OF trouble afoot was the siren at the
airdrome.' Thirp's secret police were
already In possession of the Ant.
werp telephone exchange and were
intercepting Reedly's calls to action
and taking down the names.
Most of them were caught nm.
awares. But not all. =
This is damned great place tt
hold with only 400 people," sale
Steenhold, standing on the steps o1
the main building and surveying hi.
area of responsibility. In the after.
noon sunshine it looked tranquil al.
most to drOWzineSS. II wonder what
one ought to treat as vital points
and just where the trouble will come
from and what shape it will take"
Receptive Mind.
Steenhold had a lively but re.
ceptive mind. He had never beer
a man of action. He did not fee
like man of action now. He haC
always looked on at life, egged peo.
ple' on, enjoyed the results of theil
initiatives. Rud had been his great
discovery, his staple entertainment
Now suddenly, an hour after lunch
he found himself with q recalcitrant
bunch Of disconnected responsible.
ties thrust intos his hands and nj
one to observe but himself. Hole
this place? Hold it how? Hold II
against what? Away there by thu
air station were half a dozen plane.
lined up and small one some way
of in the corner of the field. These
he supposed, would have to bt
guarded-the pilots were probably
standing by and they would be Bel.
lacourt's men, but there ought tt
be- some police to support them
Rud had said something about dis.
loyal groundsmen. The machine.
had to be protected from sabotage
A man with a bomb might play
havoc there. Then, half hidden BY
the main building, was breeds radio
station. breed would be warned
and would see to the defense o1
that, but he ought to be reinforced
Three essential points," Steen'
hold told himself, Headquarters