Our Young Aeroplane Scouts in Germany; or, Winning the Iron Cross — John Shaqi
Our Young Aeroplane Scouts in Germany; or, Winning the Iron CrossPorter, Horace
Science
Our Young Aeroplane Scouts in Germany; or, Winning the Iron Cross
Porter, Horace
World War, 1914-1918 -- Aerial operations -- Juvenile fiction
It had not, however, occurred to Henri to smile a response. He was just
then indulging in a cold perspiration, caused by a leaping thought that
Roque might personally supervise their change of garments, and in that
curious way of his light upon the tissue billet pinned on the inside of
his (Henri's) shirt-front.
Because they had not fully understood the meaning of the dimly dashed
message, Billy had suggested that they keep it for another sitting. The
paper wad had not then turned into a torpedo.
Roque's house might have belonged to a retired gardener rather than
to the man with the iron grip who claimed it as home. The dooryard
blazed with red flowers, and the well-kept lawn was lined by earth beds
spangled with blooms in colors beyond count.
"Welcome, young sirs."
Roque waved the way into a wide hall, at the end of which yawned a
great fireplace. Bowing before them the boys saw the tallest man they
had ever met outside of a sideshow, a very giant, who wore a long gray
coat, with a good day's output for a button factory in front.
"This is my man of business, young sirs--Paul Zorn."
The "young sirs" instantly formed the opinion that Zorn would have no
trouble in cracking a cocoanut between the row of glittering teeth he
displayed when Roque so introduced him.
"We are going to put our young friends into store clothes, Paul. I hope
you will be able to properly fit them, and it will also be my care that
you do."
"Confound the man," thought Henri, "he has never since he called me
out of the machine shifted his eye long enough for me to get a hand on
that tissue, and now he's going to act as my valet. He's just full of
suspicion."
Billy, also, had been figuring some in his mind just what would break
loose if Roque should find the sailor's note in Henri's possession.
All of the powers of argument this side of the North Sea would then
avail nothing in the matter of convincing Roque that he had not been
double-crossed.
The only crumb of comfort that Billy felt he could hope for if the drop
fell was that Roque would quit his comedy acting behind the scenes
for the once--but that was scant comfort, surely, under this cloud of
anxiety.
The boys soon knew what Roque had meant by "store clothes," for
it was a regular storehouse of the styles of all nations that the
makeup magician maintained in the second floor back of his Hamburg
home--uniforms galore, the garb of the fighting man in the Old World
war, known under the folds of Britain's Union Jack, the Tricolor of
France, the black double-headed eagle of Russia, the sable Cross of the
German Empire; the attire of the dandy civilian, the sedate tradesman,
the student, the clerk, the livery of house and carriage service, and,
indeed, what not?
"A nice little collection, young sirs," observed Roque, which remark
again prompted the giant Zorn to display his mouthful of shining
molars.
"How do you think Paul would look in this outfit?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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