Germans -- England -- Fiction; Spy stories, English; World War, 1914-1918 -- England -- Fiction
Klein was not greatly perturbed. In fact, he was very much elated
because Posser had told him secretly that he intended making his way
into the camp that night in the guise of one of the waiters at the
officers’ mess. They all ostensibly went to bed soon after ten
o’clock. Mister Haynes went to his room and Klein went to his, though
not to sleep. He made himself comfortable and took up a book and began
reading. Presently he heard a scraping on his door, and smiled, for it
was the agreed-on signal that Posser was stealing out into the night
to secure his information.
The house was wrapt in sleep at eleven o’clock, and Klein read on.
At one o’clock he heard a tap on the door. His room was next to Mister
Haynes, and thinking that Posser could not have returned at so early
an hour and that it was Haynes who was knocking, he opened the door.
And to his amazement and delight, for he saw success shining on his
comrade’s honest face, he admitted Posser.
“I’ve got it!” whispered our good Posser.
“Wait,” said Klein, in the same tone, and kicking off his slippers he
went into the corridor, softly opened Haynes’s door and listened. He
heard the regular breathing of the reporter, closed the door as softly
and came back.
“Now tell me,” he said quickly.
Posser explained how he had walked boldly into the camp in the
darkness, and how he had reached the shed, crawling through the
sentries, and had seen “the most remarkable machine that the war has
produced.”
“It is a triumph, my dear Klein,” he said, his eyes shining, “I have
in my head,” he tapped the good, broad German forehead, “the whole
construction of this engine. In twelve hours I will give you a drawing
and notes which----”
“Hush, hush,” said Klein, for in his natural excitement, Posser’s
voice had risen.
“Here is the rough idea.” Posser rapidly sketched a now familiar shape
briefly, outlined with rough squares and oblongs the position of the
engine and the guns.
“I will keep this,” said Klein. “You must get to work at once, my dear
fellow, and give us a more detailed drawing. But first we will drink
mutual congratulations.”
Klein got out a bottle of champagne, pulled out the cork, and these
two fine fellows, true and loyal sons of the Fatherland, drank in a
whisper to the destruction of civilization’s enemy--England!
Klein accompanied Posser to his room. They pulled down the blinds
before they switched on the light. Quickly the drawing pads, the
rulers, the T-squares and the compasses were taken out of Posser’s
suit-case and arrayed on the table.
“Now I will leave you,” said Klein, shook hands heartily with the hero
of that night’s adventure and left the room, as he said, without a
sound.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account