CHAPTER XVIII.
HAL AND UNCLE JOHN.
While Chester and his old friend, Anthony Stubbs, war correspondent, areresting at ease for the moment with the Italian troops at the extremenorthern front, it behooves us to go back and see what has happened toHal and Uncle John.
When the two were led away from the headquarters of the Italiancommander, under guard, Uncle John's rage had by no means subsided; buthe cooled down somewhat after Hal had, to the best of his ability,attempted to show him the viewpoint of the general.
"It's a contemptible trick," Uncle John protested.
"Well, let it go at that, then," said Hal helplessly.
And Uncle John did.
Now the thoughts of the two turned to Chester, for both were greatlyworried about him, and their anxiety increased as the long hours passed.
So darkness came, and they lay down to sleep. They were awake with themorning light and the first thought of each was whether any word had beenreceived from the Italian commander in Rome.
And two hours after daylight they knew. An orderly entered and informedthem that the commander desired their presence immediately. Theyfollowed him.
"Everything all right, general?" Hal greeted him, with a smile.
The Italian commander frowned.
"The answer to my wire will hardly gain you your freedom," he replied.
"What, sir?" demanded Hal, in great surprise.
"Exactly," replied the commander, this time smiling a little himself.
"What did General Ferrari say?" inquired Hal anxiously.
"Well, he didn't say anything," replied the Italian. "He is no longer inRome, but has gone to the front. My wire did not reach him. Consequently,I shall have to turn you over to the civil authorities here forsafe-keeping. I cannot be bothered with you."
Hal gazed at Uncle John in dismay.
"What did I tell you?" the latter broke out. "And you sided with him,too. Tried to show me where he was right, didn't you? Well, what do youthink of him now?"
In spite of the seriousness of their situation, Hal was forced to smileat Uncle John's righteous wrath.
"It will turn out all right," he said quietly.
"I'm glad somebody thinks so," declared Uncle John. "I don't."
Hal addressed the commander:
"General, I can assure you that all we have said has been the truth. Youwill learn so in time. I, sir, have seen active service. I have foughtwith the Belgians, the British in France and the Russians in the easternwar zone."
"From your own accounts you must have had quite a time," said the Italiancommander dryly. "Now, I may as well tell you that I do not believe asingle word of your story and protests will avail you nothing. Were I tofollow my own inclinations, I would order you both shot as spies withinthe hour. However, there is always a chance that my convictions may bewrong, which is the only thing that is saving you now. I shall wait untilI have word from General Ferrari. Orderly!"
A subordinate entered.
"Turn these prisoners over to Colonel Brunoli. Colonel Brunoli," hecontinued, addressing Hal, "is the chief of police. I can guarantee thatyou will be safe in his keeping."
Hal would have protested, but the orderly signalled him to march outahead, of him. Hal took Uncle John by the arm, and they left, but notbefore Uncle John had hurled a final remark over his shoulder to theItalian commander.
"You will hear of me again, sir," he thundered. "I'm an American citizenand we have an ambassador over in this benighted country. He'll warmthings up for you when he learns of this outrage."
"March!" commanded the orderly and Uncle John heeded the order.
Before an imposing building a short distance away, the orderly called ahalt and then motioned them up the short flight of steps. Through a longhall they were marched and into a room at the far end. Here a man inuniform with much lace and gold facings sat at a large desk. Hal didn'tneed to be told that he was the chief of police.
"What have we here?" he demanded, swinging about in his chair and eyeingthe two severely.
"Prisoners, sir, whom I am instructed to turn over to you," was theorderly's reply. "You are to hold them until you receive furtherinstructions, sir."
"Very good," said the chief. "You may go."
The orderly saluted, turned on his heel and departed.
"You may sit there until I have completed this piece of work," said thechief, motioning the prisoners to chairs behind him.
Hal and Uncle John sat down and the chief turned again to his desk andwas soon busy writing.
Hal's eyes roved about the room. An idea struck him like a flash. Theysat between the chief of police and the door by which they had entered.What would be more easy than to tip-toe to the door, which stood slightlyajar, and disappear unbeknown to the chief?
With Hal to think was to act. Fearing to lift his voice in a whisper, heat last managed to catch Uncle John's eye. Then he laid a warning fingerto his lips and beckoned Uncle John to follow him. Uncle John manifestedsome surprise, but he signified that he understood.
Carefully Hal got to his feet and Uncle John followed suit. Then Hal,stepping very softly, moved toward the door. Now it was five, now four,now three paces away--and then the boy laid his hand on the knob. UncleJohn was right behind him.
The door swung open without so much as a creak, and Hal stepped out.Uncle John followed him. Hal motioned Uncle John to lead the way down thehall, while he remained behind to close the door. The order was obeyed.
Hal took the precaution to close the door tightly and then hurried afterUncle John. "Well--" began Uncle John, just as they stepped from thebuilding, "I guess we--"
Came a sudden roar from behind them--the roar of a human voice.
"The chief!" exclaimed Hal. "Run!"
Uncle John needed no urging and the two went down the steps four and fiveat a time. Hal led the way and Uncle John followed close at his heels.
Around the corner they darted even as the chief of police appeared in thedoorway--too late to see in which direction his erstwhile prisoners hadflown. But the two fugitives could hear his voice raised in another roar,as he thundered out a call for his men to give chase.
"Come on, Uncle John!" shouted Hal, and the latter, although he had longsince come to believe that his bones had stiffened with age, surprisedhimself by the manner in which he flew over the ground.
Fortunately, the street at the moment was deserted. Around one, two, thenthree corners Hal doubled, and then slowed down.
"Guess we are all right for a few minutes," he gasped.
Uncle John stopped and gasped for breath.
"I'm not as young as I used to be, Hal," he said. "Don't forget that. Ican't go a hundred yards in eleven seconds any more."
"Well, you didn't miss it much," said Hal, with a chuckle. "But come on,we must get away from here. If we are caught now, the chances are theywill stand us up against a wall and have a shot at us."
"In which event," said Uncle John dryly, "I can still do a hundred yardsin ten flat."
Side by side the two walked on.
"The question that now arises," said Uncle John, "is how we are going toget away from here?"
"First," said Hal, "we must go back and see if Chester is still where weleft him."
"Like looking for a needle in a haystack," said Uncle John. "This is apretty good-sized town."
"Not at all," replied Hal. "I have a pretty keen sense of direction;besides, I always make it a point to look at the names of the streets. Ican find it in half an hour. Come on."
The lad had not boasted and less than an hour later they stood again inthe house where so lately they had been prisoners.
"Well, he's gone," said Hal quietly. "We cannot help him here. The bestthing for us to do is to return to Rome and lay the case before theambassador, who can take the matter up with Ambassador Penfield atVienna, or through Washington."
"The thing to do, then, is to hunt the railroad station," declared UncleJohn. "Do you think you can find it?"
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"If I can't, I can ask," replied Hal.
Thirty minutes later saw Hal at the ticket window asking what time thenext train left for Rome.
"In an hour," was the reply.
Hal purchased two tickets. Then with Uncle John he strolled aboutthe station.
Suddenly the boy halted in his tracks and grabbed Uncle John by the arm,pulling him into a corner. And it was well that he did so, for a momentlater there brushed by the spot where they had stood none other than thechief of police and several other men in uniform.
"He may not be looking for us, but the chances are he is," said Hal.
The chief went straight to the ticket office, where he engaged the agentin conversation.
"No Rome for us now," declared Hal. "Come on."
He led the way out of the station and directly stood in the trainshed. The boy heard a cry of "All aboard" and saw that a train wasabout to pull out.
"Don't know where it is going, but we'll get it!" he cried, and UncleJohn followed him in his mad dash. By a hard run they succeeded inclimbing into an unoccupied compartment even as the guard would haveclosed the door.
"Where do you suppose we are bound?" asked Uncle John, as he satdown, panting.
"Don't know," was Hal's reply. "We'll find out directly."
A few minutes later the conductor enlightened them.
"Milan," he said.