To the Fore with the Tanks!Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)
General
To the Fore with the Tanks!
Westerman, Percy F. (Percy Francis)
Adventure stories; War stories; World War, 1914-1918 -- Juvenile fiction
Bending over the plan was a tall, burly man, dressed in the uniform
of a British infantry officer. His face was in darkness, and whether
young or middle-aged Ralph was unable to determine.
On the floor by the side of the suspect lay a folded garment--a cloak
apparently--and a German army revolver; while to keep the edges of
the plan from being disturbed by the wind the man had made use of
four clips of cartridges as weights. By the brass material of the
clips Ralph knew that they were not British but German.
"Cool cheek," thought Setley. "Quite enough evidence to place him in
front of a firing party. He looks a tough customer, too." Presently
Danvers crawled up and also took stock of the suspect. The two
subalterns glanced at each other meaningly and nodded. Then, bounding
swiftly and agilely through the gap in the wall, they threw
themselves upon their quarry.
The improvised table flew one way; the spy, in the grip of his
assailants, the other. The plan coiled up and rolled across the rough
floor until it quivered against a projecting slab of stone. The lamp,
still alight, slipped to the ground, its rays directed skywards like
a miniature searchlight.
The fellow put up a tough fight. More than once he shook off his
attackers, but was unable to regain his feet and follow up the
advantage. He fought cleanly. He did not bite or kick--which was
remarkable for a Hun--but used his fists with good effect, as Danvers
had cause to know.
At length the two chums gained the mastery, although at the end of
the struggle they were almost played out.
"Now what's to be done?" gasped Ralph, when the suspect was securely
bound--wrists and ankles--by means of handkerchiefs and the man's own
revolver lanyard. "If we've got to bring him out of this we'll have
trouble. He's a lump of a chap."
"Get a man to mount guard over him until we can fetch the piquet,"
decided Danvers, wiping the perspiration from his forehead. "By Jove!
My nose feels as big as a turnip."
"It's certainly swelling some," remarked Setley, surveying his chum's
features by the aid of the captured electric lamp. "All right; you
stand by and I'll bring a Tommy back to look after the blighter."
In less than twenty minutes Ralph returned, accompanied by a corporal
of the Tank section whom he had met on the road.
"I've been trying to question the chap," reported Danvers. "Tried him
in German. Perhaps my rendering was so atrocious that he couldn't
understand, or else he's sullen. He tried to wriggle while you were
away, but he seems to be lashed up tight enough."
"Mount guard over him, corporal," ordered Ralph. "If he tries any of
his capers prod him in the stomach with your bayonet. I don't think
that would be bringing His Majesty's uniform into contempt. We'll
take that revolver and the map with us as evidence."
Leaving the corporal furtively eyeing his charge, like a terrier
watching a rat, the two subalterns hurried back to the camp.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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