CHAPTER XXV.
CHESTER AND JEAN.
Chester was confident that Hal could take care of his end of the affair,and he therefore allowed Jean to lead him along without protest. Jeanbecame talkative as they walked along the dark streets.
"It should be easy," he said with enthusiasm. "All we have to do is toget close to the President in the crowd. Can you shoot?"
"A little," replied Chester briefly.
"I'm not a bad shot, either," said Jean. "So, if you should miss withyour first shot, I'll turn loose myself. That will insure success."
"I have been thinking," said Chester, "how it would feel to be shot,and of what is likely to happen to us after we fire. What will thecrowd do to us?"
"Oh, we'll get away, all right," said Jean.
"We'll never get away," said Chester solemnly. "We shall be torn topieces before we can move a foot."
"I hadn't stopped to think of that," said Jean slowly.
"No, I suppose not," replied Chester. "Nevertheless, that is what isbound to happen. And they won't kill us on the spot, either. They'll putus to death slowly, by torture."
The lad looked sharply at his companion. Plainly this was an aspect ofthe case which had not occurred to Jean. He shuddered.
"Do you realize what we are about to do?" Chester went on. "We aregoing to shoot down, in cold blood, the President of France; thePresident of our own country. The crowd will go wild. We shall be tornlimb from limb."
"Stop it! Stop it!" cried Jean. "Would you have me lose my nerve?"
"And besides," continued Chester, "what has the President done to us thatwe should seek his life?"
"But," said Jean, "we shall have gold."
"And what good will gold do us after we are dead?"
"True," said Jean. "It won't do us much good, will it?"
"It won't do us any good," said Chester.
"But," said Jean, "Duval must have thought of all that. He--"
"Duval knows as well as you or I what will happen to us should weassassinate the President," said Chester. "He will have that much moregold for himself."
"Still, we may manage to escape," said Jean hopefully.
"And if we do," said Chester sternly, "what then? Do you suppose Duvalwill keep faith with us? There will be such a hue and cry as Parisnever heard before. Duval will turn us over to the authorities to savehis own skin."
"If I thought that," said Jean, "I--"
"Besides," interrupted Chester, "we shall only be aiding the Germans, andnot ourselves, and how long do you suppose the Apaches will be allowed tolive should the Germans invade Paris?"
"Why--" began Jean, but Chester interrupted again.
"One of their first steps would be to annihilate us," said Chester. "Theywould ravage the city, tear it into little pieces. Remember, it is ourown home, yours and mine. Would you like to see that?"
"No," replied Jean, "but--"
"No matter how you look at it," continued Chester, "you and I are sure toget the worst of it. Now, I don't know about you; but I am going to havenothing to do with the plot."
Jean did not reply for some moments, and they walked along in silence forseveral blocks. Finally the little man replied:
"But I have been ordered to shoot you if you fail to carry out your endof the work."
"In which event," replied Chester calmly, "you would also have toassassinate the President, and would yourself be killed."
"Then what am I to do?" cried Jean, now greatly alarmed.
"Follow my example, and have no hand in the matter," said Chester.
"It might be done," said Jean slowly, "for Duval himself will bepresent to-morrow, and, when he sees we have failed, he will do thedeed himself."
"Then we must prevent that also."
"What! Why?"
"Because, should the President fall before any hand--yours, mine, Duval'sor another's--we should still meet the same fate; for the city would bedragged by the troops and police and not an Apache left alive. No, thePresident must be warned."
"But that is treachery!" cried the little man.
"Is it treachery to save the President of your country from the hands ofan assassin?" demanded Chester, and answered his own question: "No!"
The two paused on a street corner, and there, for perhaps ten minutes,Jean stood wrapped in thought. Finally he spoke, and there was adifferent tone in his voice.
"I believe," he said quietly, "that we have both learned a lesson. Theremust be in us, after all, a spark of loyalty. No! We cannot assassinatethe President, nor can we stand idly by while he is shot down. He mustbe warned."
Chester grasped the little Apache by the hand.
"I knew I could make you see it that way!" he exclaimed. "Good! Now, comewith me, and we shall give the warning at once."
"Where to?" demanded Jean.
Chester looked at him carefully a single moment, and a doubt of the man'ssincerity came to him. Therefore he replied cautiously:
"Never mind. Just follow me; and if you mean what you say, warning shallbe given at once."
For a moment Jean hesitated, then followed Chester down the street.
Chester's sense of direction now stood him in good stead. Not once in allhis wandering about had he lost a general idea of where lay the Hotel deVille, and he now steered a course in that direction. He finally cameinto view of the building, and here Jean hung back.
"What's the matter?" demanded Chester, as the little man stopped.
"We can't go in there," was the reply. "They won't let us speak. We'll bethrown into jail and kept there."
"Oh, no, we won't," said Chester. "Leave it to me. Come on."
A sudden suspicion struck Jean.
"Tell me," he cried, and grasped the lad fiercely by the arm, "are you adetective?"
"No," replied Chester calmly. "What made you think that?"
"I don't know," was the reply, "but the suspicion came to me and I couldnot down it. I will have nothing to do with a detective."
"Well," said Chester, "I am no detective; but"--he paused and laid hishand on Jean's arm--"I am a French army officer!"
"A spy!" cried Jean, and freed his arm.
"A spy, if you choose to call me one," said Chester, "but still yourfriend, for I believe you have come to your senses."
"I know," cried Jean, "you want to get me locked up!"
He stepped quickly backward, turned, took to his heels and ran.
Chester was after him like a flash, and as he ran he muttered to himself:
"Great Scott! I can't let him get away. He is sure to believe he has beenimposed upon, and undoubtedly will warn the others!"
The little Apache was fleet of foot, but still not so fleet as wasChester. Within the block the lad overtook the fugitive and his handgrasped the other by the collar.
"Now," he said quietly, "you shall come with me, whether you will or not.I mean you no harm, and, if you do as I say, you will be all right."
Jean was not convinced, however, and continued his desperatestruggles to free himself. But Chester was too strong for him, andwith some difficulty he succeeded in dragging the little man back tothe Hotel de Ville, and inside, where both were seized by half adozen French troopers.
"Call General Gallieni at once," demanded Chester.
The officer in command laughed at him.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" he laughed. "Look who wants to see the general."
He motioned to two of his men, who started to drag the prisoners towardan open door, beyond which, as Chester surmised, lay cells.
Chester shook himself free with a single movement and turned upon theFrench captain.
"I am an army officer," he said quietly, "and am engaged in a piece ofwork at General Gallieni's own suggestion. You will summon himimmediately."
The French officer was somewhat surprised at this, but he was not quiteconvinced.
"How am I to know that you speak the truth?" he asked skeptically.
"Because I say so," replied Chester quietly, taking a
step forward.
The French officer also advanced a step.
"It is my belief that you seek the general for some ulterior purpose," hesaid with a sneer, and, before Chester realized what he was about to do,the officer raised his hand and slapped him soundly across the face."Take them away," he ordered his men.
The blow in the face stung Chester to action.
With a quick spring he avoided the soldiers who would have seized him andleaped upon the French officer, whom he sent to the floor with a singleblow of his fist. The officer rose slowly to his feet, drawing hisrevolver as he did so.
"You dog!" he cried, and raised his weapon.
But he did not fire, for at that moment there came from directly behindhim the command in a ringing voice:
"Put down that weapon! What's the meaning of this?"
General Gallieni stood in the doorway. The officer turned and saluted.
"These dogs," he said, indicating Chester and Jean, who were now held bythe soldiers, "insulted me. I refused to allow them to see you, and oneof them struck me. I believe they came to assassinate you."
The general took a step back, for he had not recognized Chester.
"To assassinate me?" he exclaimed.
"You are wrong, General," said Chester quietly, "I have returned withinformation that will prevent the assassination of the President."
"Lieutenant Crawford!" ejaculated the general. "The President is to beassassinated, you say?"
"Yes, sir."
"When?"
"At noon to-morrow, when he speaks on the Palace steps."
"And perhaps you know who has been selected to kill him?"
"Yes, sir; I do," replied Chester quietly. "I have, sir!"