The Brighton Boys in the Trenches Read online

  CHAPTER VI

  HITTING THE MARK

  "May I ask for what purpose, really, are you going to 'phone?" RoseThompson asked.

  "I told your mother what for, didn't I?" Herb replied.

  "I know; yes. But your real reason?"

  "Great Jehoshaphat! If you don't want me to use it I can get one nextdoor, perhaps, or somewhere."

  "No; use this one. But I have asked you a question. Now please answer. Iwant to know very much, indeed, and I know you will not refuse me."

  "Won't I? There must be many a thing that you want to know right badlyand can't. Well, I will use your 'phone as it's getting late." He hadglanced at the hall clock.

  "That clock is fast, very!" the girl declared. "And I must know. Imust!"

  She had interposed herself between Herbert and the 'phone and she lookedvery determined. It was not a pleasing position for the boy to be in,opposed by a gentle-appearing girl. Many a chap, even lesstender-hearted than he, would have turned away, hoping for some otherway to proceed, but Herb saw his duty first and clearly, the girl'sattitude making him the more determined.

  "Now, see here, Miss Thompson, you can hear me talk, can't you? I don'tlike to scrap with women, but I know my orders. Come, let me have that'phone, or I'll have to take it, anyway."

  She had put her hand against his breast and held him back. "When youtell me."

  "To see when we are to return, I said. The captain told me to call himup about it."

  "But that is not all. Tell me." Evidently she was playing for time.

  "Oh, nonsense! Let me have that 'phone." And with a quick dive past herhe did get it, and though she caught the cord and pulled it violentlyonce, he held receiver and mouth-piece firmly in place.

  "Give me the camp, please; Company H Barracks. Yes.--Captain Leighton?Whitcomb.--Return when?--Yes, we're all here.--It was indeed a dandydinner!--I understand.--Yes.--Right away.--All right." He hung up thereceiver.

  "I suppose now, you are satisfied, Miss Thompson."

  The girl hesitated a moment, thinking, staring at him. "I think I am.And I think you are anything but a gentleman!" Suddenly she dartedforward and dashed into the dining-room, Herb following with longstrides.

  "Yes, mother!" she exclaimed.

  The hostess gave Herbert a look of such mingled hate and fear that hadhe been less immune would have turned him cold. She struck the tablebell and turned toward the kitchen door. It opened to admit only abroad, very blonde face.

  "Gretchen, you know my orders! At once; then remain! Laura, our hats anddusters! Rose, the suitcases are ready!"

  Herbert knew that Rose had seen through his message and he surmised atonce that all this had been planned ahead with German thoroughness, incase of failure to entirely convince all the guests. Perhaps it was thewoman's first attempt at sowing discontent among the soldiers; perhapsthe first of any of such bold attempts.

  He saw that, with a good start in the powerful car which they had, theThompsons could get over the State line and thus avoid immediatedetention; possibly then go in hiding for a time and give the governmentauthorities no end of trouble later.

  Perhaps the authorities would not even wish to detain the woman, but atany rate the boy resolved to see to it that Captain Leighton could comeinto touch with the situation, first hand.

  To carry out this determination there was but one logical thing to doand to do quickly.

  Herbert stood in the archway as Rose and Laura faced him. His servicerevolver, all the while in its holster under his coat, now was in hishand.

  "The first person, except as ordered, who makes even an attempt to leaveor enter this room will be shot; man or woman! Flynn, slip out and tellthe servants this; then go watch for Captain Leighton, who will soon behere! The Thompson car, Bartlett; you go out and hold that! Newlin, youremain where you are; perhaps the captain may want to question you! Youother fellows, go out of each of those other doors and lock themoutside; then wait for the captain!"

  Mrs. Thompson sank into a chair, her eyes, in fear, glaring at Herbert.Laura, in tears, knelt by her. Two of the other girls sat weakly at thetable, one with her face in her hands; the other two, clasped in eachother's arms, stood in a far corner. But Rose Thompson fearlessly facedHerbert, her head thrown back, her arms stretched down, her fistsclenched, in precisely the most approved dramatic attitude for theoccasion. And the boy had one fleeting thought that he had never seen ahuman face more to be admired.

  "This is a nice return for our hospitality! I think I could kill you!"

  "Don't do it, please." He smiled. "I want to get a whack at your dearfriends over in Germany first."

  "Huh! They'll eat you up!" Rose retorted. "They'll----"

  "They are not our friends----" wailed Mrs. Thompson, who was evidentlynot equal to this phase of the situation.

  "Mother, hush! Don't be a coward! And don't lie! What if they are? Wehave a right to do as we please. Have what friends we wish. You coward,to threaten women!" she suddenly flashed out at Herbert. "But, pshaw!I'm not afraid of you. And I am going out that door! We all are! This isour house! Stand aside! Do you hear?"

  Herbert merely shook his head.

  "I'm going out, I tell you! You won't dare to shoot! Poof! I'm notafraid of you, I guess! You would not dare to threaten men this way! Butwomen--oh, you think you're very safe! Come, let me pass!"

  "Look here, Miss Thompson, if you think I like this business, you getanother think. But I know my duty just the same. And, honestly, youwon't look half as nice laid out in a coffin, not even with a millionflowers, as you do now. So don't tempt me to use this gun, for I will ifyou get gay!"

  "I dare you!" the girl shouted.

  "Well, if you really want to see how it feels to have a bullet goplowing through your anatomy, just make a dive for that doorway. Goahead and try it." With a hand that wavered not in the least he leveledthe pistol barrel straight at her. For one moment the girl stoodirresolute, bravely weighing the chances. Then a wail from her motherand a cry of alarm from one of the other girls who thought she was goingto start checked her. She stepped back and sank into a chair.

  There came the opening and slamming of the front door, heavy footfalls,and Captain Leighton, with a sergeant and two men, entered the room,saluting.

  In twenty minutes the captain had heard Herbert's story, listened toRose Thompson's impassioned admissions and Mrs. Thompson's weak effortat defense, and had disposed of the matter.

  "General Harding is away and I am ordered to take care of this case.Good work on your part, Whitcomb. We have suspected Mrs. Thompson, _nee_Heinig, of duplicity before. In the pay of German agents, no doubt.Well, Mrs. Thompson, we don't care to war on women. We can advise you,however, to cut out this sort of thing; or later, as certain as death,it will mean a long prison sentence. You will be closely watched fromthis on. You may go free now, but must break up and leave here at once.I have no doubt the State Department would recommend you for passportsthrough Holland, if you would like to return to Germany and we surelywould be glad to have you go. Now, men, all fall in and we shall returnto camp."

  As Herb passed out he summoned one more spark of courage to address RoseThompson, who was glaring at him.

  "You have your nerve, all right, but not just quite enough. If you hadslipped out I wouldn't have shot at you for ten billion dollars.Good-by, and give my love to Kaiser Bill; I may get the chance to shootat him some day and I'll do that!"

  * * * * *

  Camp life went along the same routine: drill and practise and study.Herbert and Roy heard nothing more about the dinner incident, exceptthat the captain once told Sergeant Jenkins who told Corporal Hern whotold Roy that Mrs. Thompson and her daughters had, indeed, sailed forthe other side, to what part and ultimate destination were not known.

  Just prior to drill one morning Captain Leighton sent for Herbert.

  "I want you to keep this under your hat," he said. "There is a call forexpert shots to form several snipers' platoons, or
perhaps companies, asyet uncertain as to numbers. Other camps are trying out men and we havepicked some few here. The general remembers you as having beenrecommended in this particular and I am to try you out. You are excusedfrom drill, so report at the range in half an hour."

  "How about Flynn? He can shoot," Herb said.

  "Can? Tell Lieutenant Mitchell to excuse Flynn from drill also. We'llfind out what you boys can do."

  The Brighton lads naturally thought this would be a simple test of theirown shooting before the captain only, but when they crossed the field tothe meadow that faced the wide targets and pits they saw a dozen menalready there and soon discerned several officers and the commanderhimself. As they stepped up to the group and saluted, General Hardinggreeted Herb and Roy almost jocosely.

  "Ha! Ready to bat some more balls over the net, eh, Whitcomb? I hear youmade some rapid returns and good placement shots down at Mrs. Thompson'snot long ago. Now we are going to find out if you can really shoot aswell as you play tennis."

  The boys observed that all the other marksmen were lying flat, some withhead, some with feet toward the target and they were seeking every meansto rest their rifles steadily, to set telescope sights just so, to gettheir elevations of rear sight perfectly and then to delay shootinguntil satisfied as to every condition.

  Herb was assigned a place and a target at two hundred yards; just behindhim stood a flagman. The boy requested the latter to signal to themarker not to touch the target until he had fired ten shots, and thiswas done.

  Tallied scores were being shown the officers, and they paid very littleattention to any one in particular. But Roy, standing back of Herb,said:

  "The general keeps looking this way; got his eye on you, me boy. Theregoes your fresh target up; now give it to her! With that size bull's-eyeit's a cinch."

  Herb brought his gun to his shoulder and, standing, fired five shots inrapid succession, hardly four seconds apart. Then, slipping in anotherclip, he repeated even a little more quickly. After a few moments a bigletter "P" was shoved up in front of the target, the marker, evidentlyhaving some difficulty in finding it, as perfect scores were indeed ararity, even on a twelve-inch bull's-eye.

  "Here comes the general and the whole bunch almost on a trot. The oldman saw you do that!" announced Roy, and in a moment the commander hadhis hand on Herb's shoulder, though he was talking fast to the otherofficers:

  "Saw it all. Done standing. Quick work, too; no dallying." Then to thelad: "Can you repeat that?"

  Herbert nodded. "That's not remarkable; so can Flynn here. With practice'most anybody ought to."

  "But they can't! Few can. Now, do you think you could impart theknowledge; teach something of the skill you have in shooting? Because ifyou can we shall make you both instructors. What do you think aboutit?"