CHAPTER XIX
A FRUITFUL RUBBISH CAN
December heralded many comings and goings at Camp Sterling. With almostevery day, a detachment of soldiers marched to the station to return nomore. Traveling seaward by circuitous routes, the waiting transportsclaimed them and bore them away to "Over There." The draft now in fullswing, hundreds of men constantly arrived to replace them. Soldieringwent on with a rush. Across the water had come the Allies' cry, "MoreMen!" and Uncle Sam did not propose to be behindhand in furnishing histrench quota.
On the Saturday before Christmas our four Khaki Boys departed in highglee on a four-days' furlough, to be spent with the Blaise family. Onlyone regret lurked beneath their exuberant joy. It had to do with aforlorn comrade, shut in the guard house, and apart from all Christmascheer. Schnitzel was still awaiting trial, due to numerous halts in themachinery of military law, occasioned by the thoroughness of theinvestigation. Once definitely established that Company E's men had beenthe victim of arsenic poisoning, instead of powdered glass, it becameless easy to establish Schnitzel's guilt.
Grilled over and over again as to where he had obtained the arsenic, hisundaunted protest of innocence was not without effect. Undoubtedly hecould not hope to escape trial. He was the only man in camp against whomanything incriminating had been discovered. Rigid testings of suppliesin the commissary departments had yielded no further traces of poison.This did away with the theory of outside agency, and fastened theopprobrium more strongly on the German-American.
"A friend in need is a friend indeed." Shut off from any possibleopportunity to see Schnitzel, the four Khaki Boys did not forget him.Many verbal battles were fought by them in his behalf. Few others besidethemselves believed him innocent.
Each of the quartette, including Iggy, had written to Schnitzelcheerful, hopeful letters, breathing firm belief in his innocence. Allhad planned to buy him some token of remembrance as soon as they went ontheir furlough.
Bob's secret campaign to gain information concerning Bixton, Eldridgeand the kitchen men on duty with Schnitzel at the time of the poisoninghad not been specially fruitful. He gathered considerable dataconcerning Bixton, not specially useful to his purpose, in that it hadno bearing on the mystery. What Bob burned to know was the origin of thetabulated list of poisons. He was now certain that Bixton had notcompiled it. He suspected Eldridge, but of the latter he could find outlittle. He was considerably older than Bixton, fairly well-educated, butmost uncommunicative except to his bunkie. He claimed Buffalo as hishome town, but Bob believed him to be from the middle West. His walk,voice and mannerisms smacked faintly of the Hoosier.
On the Wednesday after Christmas, the noon train into Camp Sterlingunloaded its freight of returned soldier boys, the four Brothers a partof the throng that passed through the big gates, and tramped the snowyroads to their various barracks.
Much to his disgust, Bob found himself "settling down" a good dealsooner than suited him. According to the cold information of SergeantDexter, a quantity of discarded wrapping paper, together with numerousends of string, had been found under his cot on the previous Saturdayevening. Rebuked for untidiness, he was condemned to a detail ofpolicing barracks that filled him with righteous wrath.
"I can guess who was to blame for that," he sputtered angrily to Jimmy."Eldridge put up that job on me. Bix went away on the same train wedid. The other sneak didn't. It's up to him. I know it."
"Funny he didn't do the same to the rest of us," commented Jimmy.
"Oh, he wasn't particular as to which of us got it," snapped Bob."Probably he just dumped those papers and beat it in a hurry. Makes mesick. It's the first time I've got it in the neck since I came toSterling. I don't mind the detail. It's being dished that makes me sore.The worst of it is, I couldn't say a word. Just had to stand and take itfrom the Sarge."
"Oh, well, it's no great disgrace," comforted Jimmy. "Think of poorSchnitz."
"I am and I have. Do you realize that his trial is bound to come offbefore long? According to our manual, thirty days, with an additionalten added if approved by military authorities, is the longest a case canhang fire. I don't know whether that holds good in Schnitz's case. Ishould think so, though. Anyhow, we've not done a thing for him. We'vegot to get busy and do something."
"What?" Jimmy made a gesture of despair.
"I don't know yet, but I do know that it's got to be done mighty soon."Bob shot a baleful glance across the squad room toward Eldridge, who wasseated cross-legged on his cot, undoing a small package. "Look at him!"muttered Bob, as the man proceeded to tear the outside wrapper intostrips. "More rubbish for Bobby to cart away."
Jimmy's eyes followed Bob's. Suddenly he gripped the latter's arm."Maybe he got that package in the mail. Maybe it's from his home.Maybe----"
"Great guns!" exclaimed Bob softly, and swung round, his back towardEldridge. "Don't let him see you rubbering, Blazes. You've given me ajolt, though. I'm going to watch what he does with those strips of paperand nab 'em. Oh, boy! Why is Bobby on police duty?"
The paper presently went into a receptacle at one end of the squad room,provided for that purpose. When supper call sounded, Bob declined toanswer it. "You fellows go ahead," he directed. "I don't want anysupper. Later on I'll go down to the canteen, and fill up on cakes andmilk. This is my chance, and I'm going to take it."
The moment the squad room had emptied itself, Bob sped to the rubbishcan. Fortunately for him, the scraps of paper he sought were of a dullgrayish green, and thus easily distinguished from the rest of the can'scontents. Quickly, but thoroughly, he searched, making sure that he hadevery scrap of the paper he sought in his possession. Too shrewd toattempt to piece them together in the squad room, he wrapped them in ahandkerchief, and hurried off to the Y. M. C. A.
It was over an hour later when he returned to barracks, his black eyessnapping with triumph.
"I know what I know," he exulted, dropping down beside Jimmy, who wasseated on his cot. "Come on outside and I'll show you something. Whereare the fellows?"
"They just went over to the canteen. Rodge wanted to buy some soap to dohis family washing with. I told 'em I'd wait here for you."
"Let's find 'em. I'm going canteenwards myself to feed. We'll probablymeet 'em there."
"Now show me," demanded Jimmy, the moment they were out in the companystreet.
Bob took a small flashlight and something else from a trouser's pocket.The "something else" was a half-sheet of paper. Training the flashlightupon it, he read, "'Alice E. Eldridge, 1205 N. Clark St., Chicago,Illinois.' That's a return address. I copied it, then got rid of thepapers. Had a great time piecing them together. Regular Chinese puzzle.Now this is what I'm going to do. I've a friend on the _ChicagoAmerican_. As soon as I feed, I'm going back to barracks and write tohim. I'll send him this address, and ask him to get me all the data hecan about the Eldridge family."