CHAPTER VII
A SUSPECTED SPY
For a time Jimmie forgot the drudgery to which he had been sentenced asa result of his fight with Otto for possession of the tiny packetconcealed in the Cossack uniform. Forgotten were the multiplicity ofduties incident to his service as a member of the "kitchen police"--thework to which all offenders in the army were subjected, and whichcorresponded to the tasks of a garbage collector.
Apparently the lad was devoting himself wholly to the strenuous laborof calisthenics. There seemed to be no idea in his mind of making anycertain motion a given number of times for the purpose of developingdifferent muscles. Instead he merely placed his arms in variouspositions and held them there a moment before assuming a differentattitude. Seldom did he repeat any motion.
We know, of course, that he had seen the boys as they emerged from theunderground cavern that nearly proved their tomb. He had taken achance on their being his comrades and had made signals to attracttheir attention. When he received an answering wave of the arm fromNed he delightedly began sending a message by means of the well-knownsemaphore code. Although the lad possessed no flags or other means ofcarrying out fully the code as prescribed, he did the best he couldwith only his arms for signals. We know that Ned and his chums wereable correctly to interpret the message Jimmie was sending.
"Great frozen hot boxes!" mused the boy half aloud. "They are downthere among the ruins. I wonder how they got free of the searchingparty. Things have been coming pretty fast for me lately, and Ideclare I clean forgot the others. Wonder what they'll do."
He had not long to wait. Directly he saw Ned and the others consultingbeside the aeroplane. The next moment Ned had stepped clear of themachine and began waving his arms after the same fashion adopted byJimmie when he spelled out his own name.
"There he goes!" declared Jimmie to himself. "There he is making theletter 'C.' There comes 'A,' and next is 'N.' That is 'Can.' Nowhere comes 'U;' 'Can You.' Here is 'G,' 'E,' 'T.' 'Can You Get--.'Now he says 'A,' 'W,' 'A,' 'Y.' That's 'Away.' Can I get away? Notvery handy with all these Germans about. Guess I'll have to tell himsomething myself. Here goes."
Accordingly Jimmie began a reply in the same code. He briefly informedNed that he understood the regiment was to go west, probably to Verdun,where Jimmie had heard that heavy fighting was taking place. He alsostated that he was unable to escape in daylight, but that he would tryto do so after nightfall.
In response to this wig-wagging Ned began to give directions for theirco-operation in an attempt at escape by Jimmie, when suddenly hediscerned a soldier creeping up behind his red-headed friend.
Instantly he gave the well-known danger signal and tried to tell Jimmiethat someone was near. For some strange reason the lad failed tocomprehend the information given, and not until it was too late did herealize that it was himself who was in danger.
Intently watching Ned and trying to interpret the signals being made bythe older boy, Jimmie did not observe the footsteps of the approachingsoldier. Suddenly he felt an arm thrown about his neck. He was drawnirresistably backward by the strong arm that shut off his wind nearlyto the choking point.
With all the energy in his lithe young body the lad tried to kick andstrike at his unseen antagonist, but his efforts were unavailing.
For what seemed to the lad countless years the vise-like grasp wasmaintained upon his windpipe. He began to understand that hisstruggles were useless, and spent his entire energy in an effort tostiffen the cords of his neck, hoping to assist his breathing by sodoing. Presently, as he ceased his struggles, the soldier who had soskillfully captured him set the lad upon his feet.
"So," began the soldier, "think you that we understand not the factthat you are but a spy and that information you are giving to yourfriends in the city? Yes. It is indeed so."
Jimmie's only reply was a wrinkling of his freckled nose in a grimaceof extreme disgust and contempt. Even had he been so minded, thecondition of his wrenched neck and strained muscles prevented sprightlyconversation. He winked rapidly to clear his tear-filled eyes, andindulged in another wrinkling of the nose.
"So," continued the other, paying no heed to Jimmie's motions ofcontempt. "And this is why we have not had better success in ourcampaign. We must fight not only the enemy in their trenches, but wemust also contend with traitors in our own camps!"
"Who's a traitor?" demanded Jimmie in a belligerent tone.
"Your name I know not," answered the soldier, "but the red hair and theactive nose, with its habit of turning up toward the sky, would beidentification enough without a name. I need no name."
"Well, you haven't any name so far as I know," was the lad'simpertinent response. "And I don't want to get acquainted with you."
"The subject we will not change," was the cool rejoinder of the German."We just now are discussing your giving information to the otherRussian spies down there in the city. You will not need a name afterto-morrow, or possibly after this evening, if Herr Captain vonLiebknecht is as zealous in the service of the Kaiser as he has been.If I were giving orders, you would be shot now."
"Well," began Jimmie, pursuing the subject, "I'm not shot yet andyou're not shot, but in the language of the little old United Statesyou certainly act like a fellow just about half-shot."
"Half-shot?" inquired the German in a puzzled manner. "How can a manbe half-shot? He would then be only kerwundete."
"You and I are getting on famously, Old Man," Jimmie observed, halflaughing. "From all appearances you'd like to stand me up against awall at sunrise and I'd like to see you in Halifax."
"Halifax?" queried the soldier. "You speak of strange places."
"Well, all right," Jimmie replied. "I guess we'd better be going now,so I'll get my bucket from the place where I dumped its contents intothe ditch and we will go back to camp. I hold no resentment againstyou for your harsh treatment of me, especially since you weigh justabout three times as much as I do."
"The bucket will do well enough where it is," came the answer in a lowtone, cold as ice. "Just now you will appear before the Captain. Doyou not know you are under arrest?"
"Under arrest?" puzzled Jimmie. "Who's pinching me?"
"Ach! Ach!" protested the soldier, raising his hands in a gesture ofdespair. "What a strange person! What a strange language!"
"You're quite right there," Jimmie said, "and if I had my way we'd bestranger still. Yes," he added, "I think we'd be still strangers.That would just about suit me to perfection."
"Come on, now," the German ordered, with a trace of impatience tinginghis phlegmatic manner. "Long enough we have waited."
"I'm willing," said Jimmie, turning upon his heel. "We might as wellget the trouble off our minds. If I'm to be shot for keeps I hopethey'll do it soon and do a good job while they're at it."
Although the boy's manner was light and buoyant enough to deceive eventhe experienced and hardened Uhlan who had constituted himself captor,his heart was heavy, for he well understood the danger of his position.He could hope for little nursing from the peculiar German minds withwhich he had to cope. Appearances certainly were against him, and heknew that the evidence would be taken only at face value.
Resolved, however, to make the most of a bad bargain, the boyresolutely forced a smile to his freckled face and bore himself erectand with apparent fearlessness as the two neared camp.
No time was lost by the soldier who had Jimmie in charge. He wentdirectly to the spot where Captain von Liebknecht's tent was pitched.A sentry paced up and down the narrow limits of his beat, carrying hisrifle in the prescribed position. In accordance with regulations, hewas equipped with his full outfit, including a vicious looking swordbayonet and bandoliers of cartridges that gave forth a silent messagewhich to Jimmie's troubled mind spelled a most gloomy and forbiddingprospect for the immediate future.
A challenge from the sentry halted the pair until the necessaryquestions and answers could be exchanged. Upon being co
nvinced thatJimmie's conductor had an urgent message for the Captain, the sentryordered them to remain where they were while he hailed the guardstationed inside the tent. To this individual the sentry explained thereason for the visit and the request for an interview.
Jimmie was not left long in doubt. Almost instantly, it seemed, theguard returned and, after exchanging a few words in a low tone with thesentry, beckoned for the soldier and the lad to follow.
He led the way into the tent, raising the flap for Jimmie and hiscaptor to pass. More than ever the lad felt his appellation of TheWolf was well deserved. It seemed to him that circumstances wereconspiring to make him seem to the Germans a predatory animal, andwhile he would have been willing and was even anxious to dispel thisnotion from their minds, he well understood that nothing he could do orsay would be of effect in this direction. Feeling keenly the need ofmost careful handling of the situation, Jimmie glanced quickly andfurtively about the tent. He was somewhat surprised to observe there anumber of officers of the regiment apparently in conference.
A number of papers, amongst them maps, was spread upon the little tablein the center of the tent. Captain von Liebknecht had patently beendirecting certain movements of troops, using the maps to furtherexplain his instructions. Jimmie's entrance had interrupted theCaptain's action of tracing with his finger the line of railroadleading from Peremysl, or Przemysl, as it must henceforth be known.
As the Captain raised his eyes to observe who his visitors might be,Jimmie let his glance fall to the map, where he saw the finger pointingat the town designated as Cracow.
In a flash the boy realized that von Liebknecht had been givinginstructions for the transportation of troops by rail, and that Cracowwould be the next stopping point, where he guessed that the horseswould be detrained for water and rest if possible.
Mentally making a note of this fact, Jimmie raised his glancefearlessly to meet the cold blue eyes of the German officer. In thatglance Jimmie comprehended the fact that he could expect little mercyfrom a man whose whole ambition in life seemed to be unquestioning andunwavering devotion to his Emperor. He read also in the blue eyescraft and skill in diplomacy and a keen intelligence withal.
"Captain," began the soldier who had brought Jimmie to the tent, "thisCossack has been giving information to his Russian friends."
Jimmie detected without any difficulty the implied sneer in the term"Cossack," but forebore making any reply on the instant.
"So?" observed von Liebknecht. "Again? Must we always be troubled atcritical times with this wonderful recruit?"
As none of the group seemed able to reply, silence was the onlyresponse. The Captain let his glance wander about from one to anotherof his aides. His eyes rested for a moment upon the countenance of amember of the group apparently older than the others.
An almost imperceptible shake of the head answered the questioningglance. For some reason The Wolf felt a sense of relief.
"What have you to say for yourself, young man?" asked the Captain.
"I guess I said enough before I enlisted," answered Jimmie.
"Yet you have now some secret information," demanded the other.
"No, sir," protested the lad in wide-eyed amazement.
"No?" queried von Liebknecht in his accustomed level tones. "Then whatis it you have in that little packet you took from the Cossack uniformat so great a cost as a burned hand?" he added.
Involuntarily Jimmie's hand clutched at his breast.