All for a Scrap of Paper: A Romance of the Present WarHocking, Joseph
General
All for a Scrap of Paper: A Romance of the Present War
Hocking, Joseph
World War, 1914-1918 -- Fiction
Daylight had just begun to appear when he heard the murmur of voices.
He felt sure he was some distance from the main line of the English,
and yet he thought he heard some English voices. "It will be some men
on outpost duty," he thought; "at any rate, I will have a try." Hiding
behind some bushes, he listened intently. "Yes," he thought, "they are
our own chaps."
"Who goes there?"
Bob knew it was a question which must be answered promptly.
"I say, you fellows," he cried, "wait a minute."
A dozen rifles were pointed towards him. Evidently the men who held
the rifles waited for the word of command to fire.
"It's some German spy," he heard some one say.
Bob threw up his arms as a sign of surrender, and immediately he was
seized. A few minutes later he told his story, which at first was not
believed; but when he told who he was, and asked to be taken
immediately to either General Fortescue or Colonel Sapsworth, the
sergeant in command of the little company of Englishmen opened his eyes
wide with astonishment.
"By George, he talks like an Englishman, anyhow!" said the puzzled
sergeant; "and I did hear some talk three days ago about a Lieutenant
Nancarrow giving the alarm to his own soldiers at the risk of his own
life; anyhow, we've got him."
Hours later Bob found himself in the presence of his own superior
officers.
"Talk about miracles," said Colonel Sapsworth; "but you're about the
biggest miracle of this war. Nancarrow, we had all mourned for you as
dead, although your name was sent to England as missing. I never knew
the General so cut up as when he was told what had taken place; he
seemed to think it mean of Providence to allow you to be taken when you
had acted in the way you did. By gad, man, do you mean to tell me that
you escaped from those infernal Germans?"
"You see, I robbed the poor beggar of his uniform," was Bob's answer,
"and I knew their lingo; I had a near shave several times, but it was
bluff that did it."
"You're a plucky young beggar, anyhow," and the Colonel laughed almost
merrily as he spoke. "Yes, yes, my boy, you'll get mentioned in
despatches. It was a great thing you did, and Sir John French will
hear of it."
As may be imagined, Bob was questioned closely concerning his
experiences in the German lines, and when he told of his conversation
with the Kaiser, they listened to him with opened mouths.
"Good, good!" they cried again and again, as he repeated what he had
said to the Kaiser. "By George, Nancarrow, if you could get back to
England now, you would be interviewed by all the newspapers in the
country. You would be a God-send to the English Press."
But times were too stirring for more than a passing notice to be taken
of the young Cornishman's experiences.
A little later he was back at his post of duty again, little realising
that although a man might be fortune's favourite on one day, the next
might bring him dire disaster.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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