The Dispatch Riders Part 38

"You must come with me," he added; "you and your witnesses."

"Sorry I cannot," said Kenneth.

The sergeant p.r.i.c.ked up his ears.

"I order you," he declared.

"Tell me where you are taking the prisoner, and we will be there as soon as possible. At three o'clock I have an appointment with Commandant Fleurus, and it is nearly that hour now."

The sergeant acquiesced, but took the precaution of discreetly sending a couple of men to watch the movements of the two corporals in Belgian uniform who were stated to be English. Experience had taught him that there were such things as forged doc.u.ments, and that Germans had masqueraded as English officers and men.

"You are slightly after time," was Commandant Fleurus's remark as the dispatch-riders presented themselves.

"We arrested a spy, sir," announced Kenneth. "He gave himself away."

"How was that?" asked the Commandant.

Kenneth reported the details, and how Jules de la Paix had rashly declared that he was compelled to denounce the English lads to von Koenik at Brussels.

"Good!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Commandant Fleurus. "It is indeed a fine service to trap such carrion. We have suffered greatly from these pests, but I fear one the less will make but little difference. Antwerp shelters a horde of them. But here is your dispatch. See, I have endorsed it: 'Bearers detained upon special service'."

By the time that Kenneth and Rollo arrived at the head-quarters of the Civil Guard a court martial had already been const.i.tuted. The presence of the princ.i.p.al witnesses made it possible for the trial to open.

The proceedings were brief, but with every semblance of fairness. The accused, having had time to consider his position, tried to deny his statements; but there were several witnesses who had overheard the prisoner's terrified confession to Kenneth.

Members of the Civil Guard reported that they had searched the accused's premises. In a garret with a well-concealed trap-door they discovered a powerful wireless installation, the aerials being hidden from outside view by being placed between two rows of chimney-pots. In the garret were also found plans and doc.u.ments of great official value, besides a copy of a code, several flash-lights, and arms and ammunition. On the face of this evidence the prisoner was doomed.

In addition the Civil Guards discovered that at the end of the garden was a shed ab.u.t.ting on a ca.n.a.l that communicated with the Scheldt. In this shed was a large sea-going motor-boat, painted a dark-grey, and completely equipped for a voyage. It was presumed that, should the spy find himself compelled to leave Antwerp hurriedly, this craft would enable him to reach Dutch territory, whence he could easily regain the ground held by the invaders.

Within an hour from the opening of the Court the spy was condemned to be shot, and the sentence was put into execution forthwith.

"A rotten business," remarked Kenneth as the two lads rode towards Wavre Ste Catherine. "I feel as if I have that fellow's blood on my head."

"He jolly well deserved what he got," rejoined Rollo.

"Undoubtedly; but, all the same, I wish I hadn't a hand in it.

Trapping spies is hardly a soldier's game. What I should like to have done would be to have given him a thundering good hiding."

CHAPTER XXVII

With the Naval Brigade at Antwerp

Fort de Wavre Ste Catherine had fallen. Unable to fire an effective shot in reply to the terrible bombardment of the formidable German 28-cm. sh.e.l.ls, the strongest of the outer line of Antwerp defences suffered the same fate as the steel-clad cupolas of Liege.

Antwerp was doomed. The Belgians themselves realized the fact. Their one hope was that the German infantry would attempt to rush the trenches. Then it would be proved again that the Belgian infantryman was as good as or better than his Teutonic foe.

Nevertheless, driven from the outer forts on the southern side of the defences, the garrison was not dismayed. In spite of the fact that by their resistance Antwerp itself would presumably suffer at the hands of the Germanic hordes, the Belgians knew that their sacrifice would not be in vain. To take the city a huge force of Germans would be required--and that force was badly needed elsewhere. Day by day, hour by hour, the British and French allied forces were extending their left wing from the Aisne to the Belgian frontier, circ.u.mventing all the efforts on the part of their foes to turn their flank. The "holding up" of the German besiegers of Antwerp was sufficient to enable the Allies firmly to establish their threatened left flank upon the coast of the North Sea.

One by one the outer forts fell. A sh.e.l.l demolished the waterworks and threatened the city's water supply. Back fell the Belgians, reluctantly relaxing their hold upon the trenches, in which they were subjected to a heavy fire without even so much as a glimpse of a hostile grey-coat.

During these momentous days Kenneth and Rollo were busily employed conveying important messages under fire. It was a matter of impossibility for them not to realize the hopelessness of the position, but they did not relax their efforts on that account. The Belgians were not fighting with their backs to a wall. Behind them lay the neutral territory of Holland. At any given time they could evacuate the city and allow themselves to be interned; but this they would not do until they received news that their allies were firmly established in their proposed position.

On the second day of October preparations were made for the Government to abandon Antwerp, when suddenly the exodus came to a standstill. The word flew from mouth to mouth that a strong British force was to be thrown into Antwerp, and, with the aid of the Belgian army, to raise the siege and turn the enemy's flank.

"That's good news," remarked Kenneth; but Rollo was far from optimistic.

"We've heard such a lot of this sort of talk before, old man," he said.

"Until I see a British regiment in Antwerp I'll have my doubts."

Early on the morning of the 4th, the lads were roused from their slumbers by a roar of cheering. Emerging from their sh.e.l.l-proof shelter, they were surprised and delighted to find that rumour had merged into fact. Surging along towards the trenches in the direction of Lierre were hundreds of men dressed in the well-known British naval uniform. As yet they were not under sh.e.l.lfire, for the German guns were devoting their energies towards the works at Lierre, and the hostile air-craft had not noted the approach of British reinforcements.

Presently the bluejackets halted and piled arms. It was their last breathing-s.p.a.ce before they dashed into the sh.e.l.l-swept trenches.

"Let's go and see them," suggested Rollo; and his companion agreeing, the two chums hurried towards the resting bluejackets, who were surrounded by hundreds of their Belgian allies, for the present off duty from the firing-line.

"I wonder how we manage to spare this crowd of sailors," remarked Kenneth as they made their way towards their fellow-countrymen. "I should have thought that every man would be wanted for service with the fleet."

"At any rate, they're here," said Rollo; "and there are fellows in khaki coming along the Lierre road, if I'm not much mistaken."

The lads stood watching the sailors for some time. Their insular reserve kept them from immediately entering into conversation, although they were filled with impatience to know what had happened.

For the most part the bluejackets were young men of good physique.

They lacked the bronzed appearance of seamen who have braved the breezes of the five oceans. Many of them were pale, not with apprehension, but with a consciousness that they had before them a stern task that would tax their energies and courage, for they were going under fire for the first time.

Presently one of the bluejackets strolled up to the spot where Kenneth and his chum were standing.

"Est-ce--est-ce que vous--oh, hang it! what's the French for----" he began.

"Try English, old man; it will be a jolly sight easier for you," said Kenneth, laughing.

"Why, you're British, and in Belgian get-up!" exclaimed the bluejacket in surprise. "What are you doing here, I should like to know?"

"Exactly the same question we want to ask you," replied Kenneth.

"We're dispatch-riders in the Belgian service. We heard that British troops were to be sent here, but we didn't expect sailors."

"Nor are we," replied the other. "Candidly we're not, although we are the Collingwood Battalion of the Naval Brigade."

"Never heard of it before," remarked Rollo.

"You haven't? Have you heard of Kitchener's army, then?"

The lads shook their heads.

"Then you are behind the times. Whatever have you been doing with yourselves? I'll tell you. As soon as war broke out Kitchener asked for half a million men. He got them right enough. In addition they started Naval Brigades. It was a good wheeze, for a lot of fellows joined for the sake of wearing a naval uniform instead of khaki, although there was no intention of using us at sea--at least, not at present. Two months ago I was an actor. To quote the words of the immortal _Pinafore_: 'I never was upon the sea'."

"'What, never?'" queried Rollo, continuing the words of the song.