CHAPTER TEN
EMBARKATION
The moment Nancy saw Tini step into the hall she knew she was intent onmaking some secret contact with someone outside their unit. Withnoiseless speed she jumped from her bed and followed through the doorin her stocking feet. In spite of her prompt action Tini had vanishedby the time she reached the dimly lighted hall.
She couldn't have rung for the elevator and taken it in so short atime. With swift insight Nancy surmised she was headed for her friendon the seventh floor by way of the fire-escape stairs. How glad she wasshe had made a point of asking Mrs. Webber's room number at the desklast night before dinner.
For an instant Nancy stood there in the silent hall in an agony ofindecision. What should she do? She was tortured between twospeculations--that Tini, herself, was a spy in their midst, or hadinnocently, but foolhardily let herself be drawn into a net of spies.No matter which she was it seemed obvious her intention was to let Mrs.Webber know they were alerted.
She thought of Major Reed. Even had she known his room number she wouldhave hesitated to go to his room at this hour of the night. LieutenantHauser was three doors down the hall. Even while Nancy was trying todecide what she should do, she was on her way there.
To her relief she saw light under the crack of Miss Hauser's door andfound her superior officer fully dressed. Nancy wasted no time inpreliminary explanations, but burst forth as soon as she was inside."Tini Hoffman has gone out--to Mrs. Webber's room, 705," she said."She's Carl Benton's sister. They'll find out we're alerted."
"Thanks, Nancy. This is not unexpected," Lieutenant Hauser said, andacted promptly, picking up the phone. "Connect me with Major Reed, room829," she told the operator.
A moment later she was saying into the phone, "This is Blanche Hauser.Nancy has reported the expected. Set off the action--705."
She was as cool as a veteran under fire when she put the phone back inits cradle. "We're not surprised, Nancy," she said, seeing the girl'spuzzled look. "We have the trap set, and had to let things go this farin order to spring it."
Nancy's brown eyes were wide with wonder as she asked, "Then Tini _is_a spy?"
"I think not--just a fool in the hands of spies!"
Nancy wanted to cry, but she couldn't let her superior officer see hergive way in this crisis.
Miss Hauser came to where Nancy had dropped limply on the foot of thebed. She placed her hand affectionately on her shoulder and said, "Ofcourse I know all that's happened before, through Major Reed. You'vebeen wonderful, Nancy--dependable as old Plymouth Rock. Without such asyou our national freedom would long since have been undermined."
"It hasn't been an easy position," Nancy admitted.
"We've been fully aware of that. But when you stop to realize you'veprobably saved our convoy from some horrible disaster what does any ofthat matter?"
"Are you sure it's not too late?"
"I hope so. Your prompt action has always been taken just in time.You'd better go back to your room now, or your other roommates mayrouse and be curious."
"I'm afraid I'll never sleep, not knowing what's happening."
"You deserve a full explanation, Nancy, but it probably won't comebefore sailing. I'm not at liberty to say more. Major Reed will have todo that."
With what composure she could command, Nancy went back to her room andcrept to her cot without rousing the others. She strained her ears atthe sound of the elevator gliding up and down several times, but ittold her nothing of the stark drama being enacted on the floor below.Never before had she felt so like a small cog in a gigantic machine.She must perform her function efficiently, leaving to a greater mindthe finished product that the machine turned out. Toward dawn shefinally went to sleep and didn't rouse till her two friends were readyfor breakfast.
"Tini must be hungry this morning," said Ida Hall. "She's already gonedown."
"But she left her coat and cap," Mabel observed.
Nancy said not a word as she touched up her lips. When they returned totheir room an hour later all the things Tini had left on her bed,musette bag, pistol belt, canteen, short coat and overcoat, were gone.
When Ida Hall commented on this, Mabel observed, "Her foot locker andsuitcase, too. Something's gone wrong, girls--wonder what?"
Nancy could only remain silent, feeling miserable and deceitful, evenwhile she wondered what had actually become of Tini. When nothing morewas seen of their blond roommate by lunchtime, Mabel confronted MissHauser with a question about her in the dining room.
Miss Hauser's manner was as casual as could be when she replied. "MissHoffman didn't pass all the tests," she said. "Some do fail to get overat the last minute, you know."
Silently the trio went back to their room. Each sat on the side of herbed, staring into space. After an interval Mabel said, "She didn't failon her physicals, I can bet you that. Tini's strong as a mule."
"And just as stubborn about having her own way," Ida asserted.
Nancy offered no opinion, for fear she would betray more than sheshould. The afternoon dragged by. Nancy brought Shorty in to be afourth at a table of bridge, and they played until time to go down fordinner.
"I didn't think units were held over, after alert, more thantwenty-four hours," complained Mabel. "Sure wish we'd get on the move."
"Maybe the convoy is delayed somehow," suggested Ida.
Nancy wondered if Tini had anything to do with the delay. She tried toforget the unpleasant incident. When they were in the dining room thatevening she suggested, "You girls had better lay in a good meal. Thismay be the last you'll get before you're too seasick to eat."
They took her advice and put in full orders. A few in the crowdeddining room had started eating and Nancy had taken only one bite fromthe breast of a chicken when Major Reed came in. His face told all whoturned toward him that the moment had come.
"This is it!" he said, when he rapped for attention. "You will file outimmediately to the room across the hall and wait further orders. Yourroom baggage will be taken care of."
Now they understood why they had been told to come to meals, preparedfor marching orders. They filed into a drawing-room across the hall.Some did not even sit down, expecting to be on their way to the docksat once. However, when an hour passed and marching orders had not yetcome, they lit more cigarettes and hunted seats. Nancy, Mabel, Ida andShorty huddled together on a window seat.
"Why in heck didn't they let us finish our dinner?" Mabel wanted toknow. "I'll see that wasted, juicy steak to my dying day."
"I'd be glad for even a drink of water," said Shorty.
"No law against drinking from your canteen," Nancy told her. "I guessthis situation rates as an emergency."
The time dragged into an eternity. Everyone wondered what had happened.Would they be sent back to their rooms for another night's sleep? Thenat long last Major Reed appeared to give them the final alert. Nancyglanced at her watch. It was ten minutes of twelve. They had beenwaiting in this room over four hours. She wondered what was back of thedelay.
They were packed into trucks waiting in the alley at the back of thehotel. Then by dark, back streets, their convoy approached the dock.When the nurses were lined up beside a long warehouse Nancy's heartswelled with pride that she was one of this brave, snappy unit. Everynurse wore her dress uniform and carried her overcoat over one arm. Hermusette bag, filled with a score of oddments she might need in anemergency, was slung over her shoulder. In her pistol belt was afirst-aid kit, and on her left hip was a freshly filled canteen.
With a rhythmic shush, shush of many feet they passed by the longwarehouse, and went across the dock to the great ship rising like agiant from the water. To Nancy it seemed incredible that anything solarge could remain afloat. She had taken only two ocean trips in herlife, and those were on small, coast-wise steamers between Charlestonand New York in the good old days when no subs darkened the waters, nordeath wings roared overhead.
They marched
up the long gangplank and were directed to their quarters.Everything moved with oiled smoothness. The staterooms had been turnedinto bunk rooms. Some of the larger ones, that had once been luxurysuites, had as many as sixteen bunks lining the walls, three tiers deepwith a double bunk to each tier. Fortunately Nancy, Mabel, Ida andShorty got together once more in a small four-bunk cabin. Each nursewould have to use her bunk for lying, dressing and sitting, for allfloor space was filled with the hand luggage.
Each nurse hung her helmet on the head of the bunk, close to her lifepreserver and well-filled canteen. In her musette bag Nancy had crammedwhat she thought she might need in case they had to take to lifeboats.She had a small flashlight, some milk chocolate, a change of undies, anextra pair of dark glasses, cleansing tissues, a small comb, two tinsof concentrated food, and many other odds and ends.
An hour after going aboard the nurses slipped off their coats and capsand stretched out on the bunks, prepared to jump up the moment therewas any indication of leaving the dock. But for hours longer there camethat steady tramp, tramp of soldiers' feet as the transport was packedto sardine-tin tightness.
It was still dark, however, when Mabel shook Nancy out of a sound sleepto say, "I think we're moving!"
The other two girls were already pulling on their overcoats to go ondeck, and together they rushed out. Faint streaks of dawn were in thesky. Hawsers had already been released and the giant ship was beingeased out of the harbor by tugs that looked like midgets in comparison.
The first light of day was striking glints from the water when theyslipped through the submarine net at the mouth of the harbor. Thenet-tender waved at them, and Nancy thought a little wistfully thatthis was the only farewell they had had. She watched the shoreline ofour country recede, not without a feeling of sadness dulling her joy.But her sadness was more for those she left behind than any fear ofwhat might be ahead. She was young and strong and eager to do hershare, fully aware of the privilege and responsibility of being part ofthis great task force.
Her group, huddled close together, had fallen silent when suddenly theloud speaker began to bellow, "Life jackets--all personnel must wearlife jackets."
There was a general exodus to individual quarters to don theuncomfortable rig, which they dubbed their "Mae Wests." Not until theirjourney ended, weeks hence, could they be separated from them again.
Nancy couldn't sit still after she was safely girded in her lifejacket. She kept popping her head up to the porthole to see what washappening outside. One of the others filled the spot every time shevacated it.
They had orders to line up for breakfast at seven. The nurses werescheduled to eat first. It was an hour, however, before they had beenserved and could finish eating.
When they reached the deck again Nancy burst forth, "Look, girls, thisis the real thing!"
They joined her at the rail to see that their transport was now one ofa great convoy of vessels of all sorts, moving steadily into thesouthwest.
"Breath-taking, isn't it?" said Shorty.
"I can hardly believe we're really on our way at last," said Nancyhappily.
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