Boy Allies at Verdun; Or Saving France from the Enemy Read online

  CHAPTER III

  GENERAL PETAIN

  To the soldier the voice of the great guns speaks plainly. Their earsaccustomed to the various forms of bombardments, Hal and Chesterrealized as well as the rest that this was no mere resumption of anartillery duel. It was not a single salvo from a single German positionthat had been fired. The great guns boomed from north and south; andcontinued to boom.

  The officer who was conducting the three friends to the headquarters ofGeneral Petain turned and called a single word over his shoulder:

  "Hurry!"

  He broke into a run and the others did likewise. A short turn or two andthey brought up before a tent somewhat larger than the rest. This thelads knew was General Petain's field headquarters.

  Even as the French officer approached the entrance, the general himselfrushed from the tent, followed by members of his staff. The officer whohad conducted the lads there accosted him.

  "Sir," he said, "despatch bearers from General Durand at Marseilles."

  General Petain waved them aside.

  "I've no time for them now," he said, and made as if to move on.

  Hal stepped forward.

  "Sir," he said, "the despatches we carry have to do with theimpending action."

  General Petain stopped suddenly and eyed the lad keenly. Then hesaid abruptly:

  "Come with me."

  He led the way into the tent, and Hal, Chester and Stubbs followedhim. The general seated himself at a desk at a far end of the tentand demanded:

  "The despatches."

  Hal produced several documents, which he passed to the general. Thelatter broke the seals quickly and read. Then suddenly he sprang to hisfeet and dashed outside. The lads could hear him delivering sharp ordersto members of his staff. A moment later his voice became inaudible.

  After fifteen minutes' waiting, Chester grew fidgety.

  "Wonder where he went?" he said.

  "Don't know," returned Hal with a shrug.

  "Let's go out and see what's going on," said Stubbs, and movedtoward the exit.

  "Hold on," said Hal. "We're under General Petain's orders now. We hadbetter remain here until he returns."

  "You and Chester may be," said Stubbs, "but I'm not. I'm going out andhave a look around."

  "Better stick around, Stubbs," said Chester grimly. "If they find youwandering about you're liable to be put under arrest. You can't gosnooping around without permission, you know."

  "Snooping!" repeated Stubbs. "Snooping! Who's going snooping? I want tofind out what's going on."

  "Same thing," said Chester.

  The little man was offended.

  "Call it snooping when I go out hunting news for my paper?" he asked.

  "It's snooping when you go sticking your nose into other people'sbusiness," declared Chester.

  "This is my business," exclaimed Stubbs.

  "Oh, no, it's not. It's just a plain case--"

  "I tell you it is my business. It's the business of the New York_Gazette_. The people in the United States want to know what is going onover here."

  "I'm afraid General Petain wouldn't agree with you, Stubbs," interposedHal. "He doesn't care what the people in the United States want. All hecares about right now is to lick the Germans."

  "Well, maybe you're right," Stubbs admitted, "but just the same--I wantyou fellows to know that hunting news is not snooping."

  "Stubbs," said Chester, "I've got to give you credit. In my opinionyou're a first class snooper."

  "What?" exclaimed the little man, fairly dancing with rage. "Snooper? Mea snooper? What do you mean?"

  "Of course you are," replied Chester; "and a good one. Why, I canremember once or twice that if you hadn't been a good snooper Hal and Iwouldn't be here now. Remember?"

  "Well, yes," said Stubbs, somewhat mollified, "but I don't know whetherthat's what you meant or not."

  "Why, Stubbs," said Chester, "what else could I have meant?"

  Stubbs looked at Chester coldly; then turned and walked to the far endof the tent.

  "Now see what you've done, Chester," said Hal, in a whisper meant forStubbs to overhear. "You've made him mad."

  Stubbs whirled about angrily.

  "You bet you've made me mad," he declared. "You can bet, too, that Iwon't ever do any more snooping on behalf of either of you. The next timeyou get in trouble you'll have to depend on someone besides AnthonyStubbs to get you out of it."

  "See," said Hal. "I told you not to do it, Chester. He's liable to let usboth get killed. He--"

  Stubbs could stand no more. He turned on his heel and made his way fromthe tent. But even as he would have moved away he became involved inmore trouble.

  With head down and not looking where he was going, he collided withanother figure and was pushed violently backwards. Stubbs looked upangrily and was about to say something when he glanced at the other. Itwas General Petain. The latter spoke before Stubbs could apologize.

  "What's the matter with you?" he demanded. "Can't you see where you'regoing? What were you doing in my tent, anyhow? Who are you? What's yourbusiness here?"

  The questions, came so fast that Stubbs was confused.

  "I--why--I--" he stuttered.

  "Come inside here," said the general.

  He stretched forth a hand, seized Stubbs by the collar and pushed him inthe tent. Stubbs, caught off his balance, went stumbling and almost fellinto Hal's arms. General Petain entered the tent immediately behind him.

  When his eyes fell upon Hal and Chester he gave a start of surprise.Evidently he had forgotten all about them. Then he remembered.

  "So you're still here?" he said. "I had forgotten all about you."

  "We are awaiting your orders, sir," said Hal.

  "I don't know as I have any for you," was the reply. "I have taken whatprecautions I can. Had you arrived a day earlier it might have beendifferent. I would have had more time."

  "We came as fast as we could, sir," said Chester.

  "I've no doubt of that," said the general. "Your information is of greatvalue, of course. I suppose you will return to Marseilles?"

  "We had rather remain here a while, sir," said Hal.

  "So," said the general. "It's fighting you want, eh? Well, I guess I canaccommodate you. I probably shall need every man I can get hold of. Ishall attach you to my staff temporarily. But tell me, who is this manhere?" He pointed to Stubbs.

  "War correspondent," replied Hal briefly.

  "What?" roared the general, "and in my tent! I'll have him courtmartialed!"

  Stubbs quailed visibly.

  "A war correspondent, eh," continued the general, "and walking aboutwithin my lines as free as air. He may be a spy. I'll have him shot."

  "Look here, general," said Stubbs, "I--"

  "Silence!" thundered General Petain. He turned to Hal. "Your name, sir?"

  "Paine, sir."

  "A lieutenant, I see."

  "Yes, sir."

  General Petain turned to Chester.

  "And your name?"

  "Lieutenant Crawford, sir."

  "Good. I'll turn this man over to you. You may do as you please with him.I see he is a friend of yours."

  "Yes, sir," returned Hal. "He's a good friend of ours, sir. He's renderedus several valuable services. Also, sir, he is to be trusted. He willseek to send out no information which you desire suppressed."

  "I never heard of one like that," said the general.

  "He's the only one in captivity, sir. His name is Stubbs, sir, of the NewYork _Gazette_"

  "His name will be Mudd, sir, if he doesn't conduct himself properly whilewithin my lines," declared General Petain. "Take him with you. FindLieutenant Maussapant and tell him to find quarters for you. Report to meat midnight. I probably shall have work for you."

  The lads saluted and made their way from the tent. Stubbs followed them.Chester glanced at his watch.

  "Great Scott!" he ejaculated. "I had no idea it was so late."

  "How late?" asked Cheste
r.

  "Ten-thirty."

  "Nor I," said Chester. "Where do you suppose we are going to findMaussapant?"

  "You've got me. However, here comes a young officer; we'll ask him."

  Hal did so.

  "That is my name," was the young man's smiling response.

  "Then we're in luck," said Hal. "General Petain requests that you findquarters for me."

  "As it happens," said the young Frenchman, "two of my brother officershave been transferred and I can ask you to bunk with me."

  "How about Stubbs?" asked Hal.

  "Stubbs?"

  "Yes; our friend here, a war correspondent."

  "Oh, I guess we can find room for him. Come with me."

  The three friends followed the young Frenchman and presently wereinstalled in a large, comfortable tent.

  "Turn in whenever you're ready," said the Frenchman.

  "We must report to the general at midnight," was Hal's reply.

  "What's up?"

  "You've got me," said Hal. "Hope it's something good, though."

  "Probably is, or he wouldn't want you at that hour."

  "Well," said Stubbs at this point, "you boys can do what you please. I'mgoing to get a little sleep."

  "All right," said Chester. "If we shouldn't be around in the morning,don't worry. We'll turn up sooner or later."

  Stubbs nodded and made ready for bed.

  At five minutes to twelve o'clock, Hal and Chester started for theheadquarters of General Petain.

  "Here's where we get busy again, old man," said Chester.