The Boy Allies in the Trenches Part 32

"Of course," said Chester. "General Gallieni simply sent this squad after us. He didn't explain the situation to the officer."

"By Jove!" said Hal. "Now, why didn't I think of that? It's plain enough, now that you speak of it."

They marched along in silence, and soon were ushered into the presence of General Gallieni. The latter dismissed the other officers with a wave of his hand and turned to the lads.

"Well, I see you escaped," he said, with a semblance of a smile on his grim features.

"Yes, sir; thanks to you, sir," said Hal, also smiling.

"Thank yourselves," said the general. "It took some resourcefulness to think of such a plan. It proves to me that you can use your heads. I am, therefore, more confident that you may be successful in your desperate work."

Hal and Chester were greatly flattered by this high praise, but they simply saluted and said:

"Thank you, sir."

"Now," said the general, "you may as well go about the work at once.

Further delay is useless. But you cannot go in those uniforms. Didn't you lay in some other clothes, as you suggested?"

"We did, sir," replied Hal, "but the officer who conducted us here wouldn't let us go after them."

"True," said the general. "I didn't explain the situation to him, because I feared that he might possibly give the _coup_ away. Perhaps I can fix you up here, however."

He struck a little bell on his desk a sharp tap. Immediately an orderly entered and to him the general spoke briefly. The orderly saluted and departed, returning a few moments later with a bundle of ragged clothing.

"You may go into the next room and change," said the general, and the lads hastened to obey.

Ten minutes later, dirty, ragged and unkempt, they once more stood before General Gallieni. The latter surveyed them critically.

"You'll do," he said at last, with an approving nod. "Now--are you armed?"

"Two automatics each, sir, and a good supply of cartridges," said Hal.

"_Bien_! Here," the general handed each a little silver whistle, "should you ever be in a tight place and in need of a.s.sistance, blow these, and, if help is near, you will get it."

The lads shoved the whistles out of sight in the clothes.

"I guess that is about all," said the general. "Remember, the main thing I want is Duval. Establish his true ident.i.ty and learn where he can be found and you will have done enough. The rest of the work will be for other hands. By the way, if I were you, I would go first to the _Quartier Latin_, and loiter about there. You know where it is?"

"No, sir," said Hal.

The general gave them the necessary directions and then rose.

"That is all," he said, and the lads, realizing that their interview was at an end, saluted and took their departure.

For an hour they walked along the streets, and at last found themselves in the midst of the Latin Quarter of the French capital. Here they saw many others of their own apparent ilk, dressed in rags, dirty, and carrying a certain hangdog and famished look.

"Guess we are in the right place," said Hal to Chester in a low voice.

"Looks like it," said Hal, "but the question is, how are we going to find out anything?"

"We'll have to trust to luck," said Chester.

But Dame Fortune smiled upon them sooner than they could possibly have antic.i.p.ated, and it came about in this wise:

As the lads walked slowly along they were attracted by a terrible din and confusion in the distance. They stopped for a moment and listened and then went forward swiftly.

Rounding a corner into a dark side street they came abruptly upon the scene of the confusion. A dirty little street Arab was defending himself with bravery and skill against an overwhelming number of other rowdies.

The little fellow was fighting with tooth, nail and foot, but in spite of his agility and stubbornness, he was getting the worst of the encounter.

He went down and the others piled on top of him.

"Come on, Hal," exclaimed Chester, "let's give the fellow a hand."

"All right," agreed the latter; "but, remember, no guns. It would give us away."

They dashed quickly forward, and, striking out right and left, cleared a path for themselves and were soon at the side of the fallen man. While Hal stood off the enemy Chester bent down and lifted the little man to his feet. The latter recognized the touch of a friendly hand and quickly jumped up.

"Thanks," he said briefly, and jumped to Hal's side to renew the encounter.

Chester sprang forward with him. And these reenforcements reached Hal none too soon, for he was being sorely pressed by his foes. One of the enemy, making a slight detour, suddenly launched himself headlong at Hal, and came down on his shoulder, and with his talon-like fingers clawed at the lad's face.

With a quick twist of his arm the lad succeeded in catching his opponent by the throat, and, exerting great pressure with his other arm, bore upward heavily. There was a choking screech from the man and he lay limp in Hal's arms. Then the lad, raising him at arm's length, dashed him full in the faces of the foe.

The little man to whose help the lads had come took this in out of the tail of his eye.

"_Bien! Bien!_" he exclaimed, and dashed forward.

Hal and Chester were right behind him.

Hal struck out with his right, and one of the enemy toppled over with an oath. Another went down before his left fist. Chester, with a heavy blow, felled another of their opponents, and the little man, snarling and fighting with hands and feet, quickly disposed of two more.

The enemy drew back and the three had time for a breathing spell. Their foes, however, had no mind to give up the fight, and with a sudden concerted dash, surrounded the trio.

The fighting became fast and terrific. The weight of numbers was beginning to tell, and suddenly Chester went down before a heavy smash on the jaw. He was badly shaken up, but was not unconscious. As he scrambled to his feet, the clear sound of a whistle shattered the night.

Immediately the fighting stopped and the a.s.sailants drew back.

"_Les Gendarmes_!" exclaimed one, and took to his heels, followed by the rest.

"_Les Gendarmes_!" exclaimed the little man to whose a.s.sistance the lads had come. "_Voila_!"

Chester got to his feet quickly, and, with Hal, dashed forward upon the heels of the little man. Round corner after corner, through dark streets and darker alleys he ran, the lads following close behind him. Finally, out of breath and tired of limb and body, he came to a halt in a secluded spot in a narrow street.

The lads came to a stop beside him. The man immediately threw himself upon the ground and the lads did likewise. Here, for a few moments, all lay silent, panting.

Finally the little man spoke.

"You came to my aid just in time," he said, "and I thank you. But for you I should have been killed."