CHAPTER NINE
_A Desperate Mission_
Dawn was a little over an hour away and Dave Dawson couldn't drag hisbody forward another step. For hours he and Freddy Farmer had trudgedacross strange country through the darkness striving to put more andmore ground between them and the pursuing Germans. A dozen times theyhad almost stumbled headlong into roving German mop-up patrols. And oncethey had crouched for a solid hour in a road ditch while a long line oftanks, and motorized artillery units had rumbled by heading westward.
But now he just couldn't go another step. He didn't care if the wholeGerman Army was right at their heels. He had to stop and rest. There isa limit to the endurance of even the strongest of men, and Dave andFreddy had most certainly proved themselves to be men, not just mereboys, during those hours of mad flight across enemy held ground. Wherethey were Dave didn't know, nor did he care much right at the moment.The North Star had been his guide all the way, but they had been forcedto change their direction in order to skirt bomb blasted villages filledwith German troops, and roads clogged with parts of the mighty Nazi warmachine, so it was impossible even to guess how far they had traveled,or in what general direction.
Now, though, as he came to the outer edge of some woods and saw theshadowy shapes of barren fields beyond, Dave flung himself down undersome bushes and gave his body over to the utter fatigue and wearinesswhich had been trying to drag him down for the last several miles. Histhroat was dry and craving for water, and his stomach was screaming forsome of the bread and the hunk of cheese he and Freddy had so wiselysaved from that huge breakfast, and had stuffed inside their shirtsbefore crawling out the window. Yes, food and water would go fine, butlater. He was too dead tired now to so much as move a muscle. In a dullsort of way he was conscious of Freddy flopping down beside him, andthen a moment later he felt himself slip away into blissful peace.
A soothing warmth on his back eventually woke him up. He started to movebut the sudden aches and pains in his body brought a stifled groan tohis lips. He stayed where he was for a moment with his face buried inhis crossed over arms, soaking up the soothing warmth on his back. Thenhe rolled over on his back and stared up through the bush branches atthe sky. It was another perfect spring day and the sun was well up onhigh. That realization finally filtered into his tired brain and broughthim sitting bolt upright.
"Gee, it must be close to noon!" he heard his own voice whisper. "Andwe've still got a heck of a ways to go. But where, and in whatdirection, I wonder?"
He turned and put out his hand to shake Freddy sleeping close besidehim. But when he saw the pale drawn face of his friend he let his handdrop back into his lap. He just didn't have the heart to wake up Freddy.The English youth was positively dead to the world, and one look at thecompletely exhausted expression on Freddy's face told Dave the youthwouldn't be fit to travel even if he were awakened. True, it might bevery dangerous for them to remain where they are. German soldiers mightstumble about them at 'most any moment. Just the same a strange sense ofresponsibility took possession of Dave. He was the older of the two, andthe stronger. By more or less mutual consent he had become the leader.As the leader he should use his head. And it would _not_ be using hishead to wake up Freddy and force the poor kid to continue on.
"No, it's best to stick here, at least until dark," he argued withhimself. "We're pretty well hidden under these bushes. And ... and,gosh, I just haven't the heart to wake him up!"
His decision made, he put his hand inside his shirt and pulled out thevery much crushed half loaf of bread and the hunk of cheese. He ate alittle of each and then made himself put the rest back inside his shirt.It helped his stomach a little, but it only served to aggravate histhirst. He'd rather have a glass of water right now than be standing inthe middle of Piccadilly Circus, in London, with his father.
He lay back on the ground again and started thinking about his father inan effort to forget his thirst. But after no more than five or sixseconds it just wasn't any use. He sat up again and peered around. Itwas then he saw the farm house and the sheds about half a mile away.Smoke was coming from the farm house chimney, and he could see figuresmoving about in the yard. Because of the sun in his eyes he couldn'ttell if they were German troops or not. Off to the right he suddenly sawa moving cloud of dust. He knew at once it was a car traveling along aroad. And presently the car came into view from behind a string oftrees. It traveled up to the farm house and came to a stop. Fourfigures climbed out and hurried into the farm house. A faint hope thathad been flowering in Dave died out at once. His straining eyes had madeout the bucket shaped helmets and the tight-fitting field-grey uniformsof German officers.
Approaching the farm house was out of the question, now. He had hopedthere might just be peasant farmers there, passed by by the Germans. Butthat obviously wasn't so. The place was alive with Hitler's soldiers.Fighting back his momentary defeat, he got slowly to his feet, took amake-sure look at the sleeping Freddy Farmer, and then crept off intothe woods in search of a brook or a small pond.
Remembering his Boy Scout training, he broke branches off bushes everynow and then so that he would be sure to find his way back to thesleeping Freddy. As a matter of fact, though, there really wasn't anyneed of his doing that. At the end of a quarter of a mile the groundsloped down into a shallow valley, and there was a small brook tricklingthrough the middle. With a low cry of joy Dave rushed down to it, flunghimself flat, and buried his face in the icy cold water. Never, never inall his life had anything felt so good, so completely satisfying as thecoolness of that brook. Cupping his hands he drank until he couldn'thold another drop. Then tearing off part of his shirt sleeve he used itto wash his face and his neck. Finally, feeling almost like a new man,he got up and retraced his steps to his hiding place.
Freddy was awake when he got back, and when the English youth spottedhim a look of fear and utter misery was instantly banished by joyfulrelief.
"Phew, what a fright you gave me!" Freddy choked out. "When I woke up Icouldn't remember if we'd come to this spot together, or if we'd losteach other last night. I came jolly close to yelling for you and then Isighted those German blighters over at that farm house. Where have youbeen, and I wonder where we are?"
"I wish I knew," Dave said. "But I've got some good news, anyway. Gostraight back about a quarter of a mile and you'll find a brook. Bet youcould do with a nice long drink of water, couldn't you?"
"I should say so!" Freddy cried and sprang to his feet. "My throat feelscompletely filled up with dust."
"Then hop to it," Dave grinned and pointed. "Straight back. You'll seebranches broken off the bushes. I'll wait here and try to figure ournext move."
"Be right back," Freddy said and hurried off into the woods.
When the English youth left Dave sat down on the ground and fixedfrowning eyes on the farm house. Last night in that prison room hisbrain had concentrated on but one problem. The problem of getting out ofthe room. Well, they had done that, and they had put considerabledistance behind them. That was all, however. Now, there were moreproblems to confront, and consider. Number one, was to find out wherethey were. Number two, was to decide whether or not it was safe yet tostart heading west, or to continue north, and number three, was theproblem of food. Whether they went north, south, east, or west they hada long road facing them, and their bread and cheese was not going tolast forever. They would have to get food some place. And that farmhouse....
Dave let his thoughts trail off and stop as Freddy came up and sat downbeside him. The English boy looked like an entirely different person.His eyes were clear and not heavy with fatigue. There was a lot of colorback in his face, and there was a happy and contented smile on his lips.
"I'll remember that brook all the rest of my life," he said. "Gee,nothing ever seemed so good. Well, have you thought up a plan? I fancy,though, we'd better stay here until it's dark. We're bound to bestopped in daylight. That colonel chap has probably radioed adescription of us all over the place."
"Gee whiz
, you think so?" Dave ejaculated. "Just to catch a couple offellows like us?"
"I fancy so," Freddy said in a sober adult voice. "He'll be hopping madthat we escaped. And besides pricking his pride it will probably add tohis silly ideas about us. Yes, I think the blighter will go to all endsto catch us. So, we'd better keep a watchful eye out even if we are in ahurry. What do you make of that farm house?"
"I've been thinking about it," Dave grunted. "There are Germans there,of course, but there must be food, too. If we could only manage to swipesome food I'd feel a lot better about starting out again. It's going tobe a long walk, and it's a cinch we won't be able to do any hitch-hikingwith German tanks and armored cars all over the place."
"True," Freddy murmured. "But we might have to walk for days, and days.Then the information we have might not be of any use to the Allied HighCommand. We've got to get back quickly, Dave, and I'm afraid we can't dothat by walking all the way."
"No, I guess not," Dave said unhappily. "But we'd be taking a heck of achance trying to thumb a ride. Maybe, though, if we moved over close tothat road over there, an empty truck or something might come by and wecould slip aboard it for a little ways, anyway. Gosh, it seems a hundredyears since I left Paris!"
"Two hundred," Freddy said with a sigh. "I certainly never even dreamedthat anything like this would ever happen to me."
"Me, too," Dave said and gave a little half shake of his head. "Boy,what I'll have to tell the fellows when I get back home!"
"We're not back home, yet," Freddy said grimly. "Let's talk some moreabout what we should do."
It was as though Lady Luck or the Good Fairy had been waiting for thatexact moment. From up in the sky to the east came the throbbing drone ofa German plane. The two boys swiveled around at once, shielded theireyes with their hands and peered upward. The plane was down fairly lowand coming straight toward them. A moment of panic seized hold of Daveand he unconsciously grabbed hold of Freddy and pulled them both downunder the bushes.
"Gosh!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Maybe they've got planes out lookingfor us. Don't move a muscle and they won't see us. Gee, it's a biplane,but it's got the swastika marking on the tail. I thought all the Germanships were monoplane design."
Freddy didn't answer for a moment. He sat crouched low under theprotecting bush branches and squinting his eyes up at the plane.
"That's a German plane, right enough," he said presently. "I recognizeit, now. It's an Arado AR-95. It's a two seater, and was built as atorpedo plane. They use it off airplane carriers, but it's a pretty oldtype. Look, Dave! The pilot has cut his engine. He's gliding down. Isay, let's get out of here! The observer in back has probably spottedus!"
"Now, wait!" Dave hissed and shot out a hand to stop Freddy from leapingto his feet and dashing back into the woods. "If they have spotted uswe'd not get far before we'd be caught. Besides, I don't think they'veseen us. Look! He's going into a gliding turn. Freddy! I'll bet you amillion dollars he's going to land in that smooth field over there. Yes,sir, that's what he's going to do!"
"You're right, Dave!" Freddy breathed. "And some of the Germans in thatfarm house are running out to meet them. But I don't like this, Dave.They may be landing to tell them where we are."
"Nope," Dave said doggedly. "They wouldn't land. They'd either drop amessage, or use their radio If they have one. They'd stay up to seewhich way we headed. Nope. That's some kind of a headquarters overthere, Freddy. I bet the plane is bringing them a message."
"I hope you're right," Freddy said in an uncertain voice, as his clearblue eyes clouded with doubt. "There! He's down on the ground, now, andbraking to a stop."
"That sure is a sweet looking ship!" Dave breathed softly. "An AradoAR-95, huh? Oh, sure, now I remember seeing pictures of that design. Ithas a B.M.W. radial engine. (_Bavarian Motor Works_). The Germans usedit a lot in training their pilots. It's not so fast as the other warplanes, and it's a cinch to fly, they say. _Freddy!_"
Dave almost shouted the name, and his fingers still gripping the Englishyouth's arm bit deep into the flesh.
"Ouch, my arm!" Freddy protested, "What's the matter, Dave? What's up?"
Dave didn't reply. He watched the German plane come to a stop. The pilotand observer jumped down onto the ground and walked toward the group ofGermans advancing from the farm house. They met and appeared to talk fora moment or two. Then all of them turned and went back to the farmhouse. When they passed inside Dave took a quick look over at the Aradowith its prop ticking over, then swung around to face Freddy.
"Maybe that solves our problem, Freddy!" he said in a strained whisper."That plane!"
"The plane?" Freddy echoed with a frown. "What about it? Good grief, yousurely don't mean...."
"Why not?" Dave countered. "I made my first solo on a better ship thanthat. I'll bet you anything you like I can handle it. What do you say,Freddy?"
The English youth gulped and looked most undecided. Dave took the momentof silence to press home his point.
"It's the best bet we could possibly have!" he argued. "Gee, in thatship we could be behind the Allied defenses in no time. I say let's tryit, anyway. Gee whiz, Freddy, we might be stuck here for months. There'sno telling what we might run into. What do you say? Are you game to tryit with me?"
The English youth was already smiling and nodding his head.
"Right you are, Dave, I'm game," he said quietly. "Anything's betterthan just sitting here. And between us we ought to make a go of it.Right-o, Dave, if you like."
"That's the stuff!" Dave said and slapped him on the back. "They're allinside the farm house now, and if we keep back of that field wall,there, we can get right up close without being seen. When I give you thesign, run like the dickens for the ship. Gee! We've got to make it,Freddy. _We've just got to!_"
The two boys looked at each other, nodded, and then started crawling outfrom under the bushes on all fours.