He himself was looking at the floor, for there was sufficient light to enable him to see. Jack"s eyes followed those of his chum, and he could not keep from uttering a low exclamation of admiration as he comprehended the system Tom was following.
When the vandals had attempted several times to wreck the chateau in a general spirit of destructiveness, the dust had settled heavily over everything. They had noticed it down below, and on the stairs as well, as they came along. It was up here, too, on the floor of the main hall, as well as those in various pa.s.sages leading into unknown depths of the great building.
Tom was selecting that pa.s.sage which he could see from the mult.i.tude of footprints had been most generally used. It was indeed a clever idea of the air service boy"s, and one that promised to be crowned with success.
"We"ll go this way, and try it out," he told Jack, commencing to move along as he spoke.
Jack, for a wonder, was silent. Truth to tell, he found himself lost in admiration of the cleverness shown by his chum, and of the plan which he felt certain would never have occurred to him.
When the light became dim Tom was provided with a supply of matches, which fact further surprised and humiliated Jack, because on investigating his own pockets he could produce only two matches.
They went down several steps, only to mount again to the same level a few minutes later. Jack could easily believe they must have reached the extremity of that extensive right wing. He caught the sound of heavy voices in discussion, coming from exactly below; which told him the dining-hall must be in that quarter.
So far they had fortunately met no one. Jack wondered what would happen if they should come upon a sentry standing guard, perhaps over the apartment where the general slept when he could tear himself away from his pleasures and his work. But his confidence in Tom had mounted to such heights by now that he expected his pilot would be equal to even that occasion.
Then Tom stopped short.
He seemed to be examining something at his feet, for he had struck one more of his matches. Jack, seeing him look at a closed door, fancied that their search was in a fair way of coming to a successful end.
No sooner had the match expired than Tom gently tried the door. He did not seem very much surprised to find it locked. Bending down he next proceeded to examine the lock, for it seemed to be provided with one, though many of the other doors were not, such things not being in general use in the centuries back, when this ancient pile of stone was built.
He turned to his companion and whispered encouragingly.
"She must be in that room, for many feet have pa.s.sed in and out. Among the footprints close by here are several small, childish ones. We are surely on the right track, Jack."
"H"m! but the door seems to be fast. And I suppose the key is in von Berthold"s pocket right now. How in the wide world are we going to get in there to save Helene?"
"We"ll settle that," snapped Tom. "There"s always a way to do a thing.
On either side there"s a door. Let"s see if one of those happens to be unfastened."
The very first trial brought success, and Jack began to feel a glow of coming good fortune. If they were not interrupted in their work he believed that nothing could long withstand such a determined spirit as Tom always injected into anything he undertook. It accounted for his successes in school sports, and he carried the same characteristic with him into army service.
They pa.s.sed into the dark recesses of the room that seemed to adjoin the one of the locked door. Jack could see a window ahead, for a certain amount of light filtered through the small dusty diamond-shaped panes of gla.s.s. He even noted a tree without, its branches moving in the breeze that crossed this ridge elevation, though they had not felt it down in the valley.
Tom closed the door after them. Then again he struck a match, eager to survey their surroundings before attacking the problem that now presented itself.
Some old-time furniture could be seen, but in a dilapidated condition, as though vandal hands had used an ax on the rare wood, regardless of its value. Dust lay everywhere, dust that may have come from the frequent explosion of grenades used in the process of demolition.
The match went out, leaving Jack still staring about him. It seemed like a strange dream to him, anything but a reality. But there was Tom shuffling across to the window. Jack began to get a grip on the probable scheme that had appealed to his chum, and also a grip on himself, for he suddenly realized that he had not been doing his part.
Why, of course, the only possible way of reaching that other room would be through means of a connecting link; and this could be furnished through the windows.
Tom was already leaning out, and investigating affairs. It was a precarious moment and the decision to be arrived at was important. But having come this far, and taken such desperate chances, they must keep going until success had crowned their efforts, or it was proved that absolutely nothing could be accomplished.
Tom turned and beckoned to his comrade.
"It can be done, don"t you think, Jack? But we must be very careful,"
came in softest tones. "There"s a narrow projecting ledge that will serve us for a footing; but we must make sure of every step, because a tumble would break our necks."
Jack peered out and looked carefully about.
"Yes," he finally announced, "this is our only chance. But as Jeanne and Helene are my especial care I"m going first, Tom. I"ve already imposed on you and not done my full share since entering the chateau."
With these words Jack crawled out of the window.
CHAPTER XXIII
THE ONLY WAY
AS Tom leaned out of the window he could just manage to see the figure of his chum flattened against the stone wall of the chateau. Jack was clinging close, like a human fly might have done, clutching some object which allowed him to move his feet along the slender ledge.
"Come on; it"s all right!" floated back in a whisper.
Tom was not waiting to be a.s.sured on that point. Already he had pushed his body halfway over the window-sill, and his groping feet sought the friendly ledge. Then he, too, started to shuffle along, finding some means for holding himself there.
Of course it was not pleasant to contemplate a fall. The air service boys knew there was a considerable depth lying below, and it might be that hard stones lay there.
They refused, however, to allow themselves to think of such a possibility. Besides, it was only a matter of a dozen feet or so, when the adjoining window would be within their reach.
Why, there was Jack crawling over the sill even as Tom was fairly on the way, proving that the feat was an easy one after all.
Tom, following in Jack"s footsteps, had one thrill when his foot slipped and for a brief s.p.a.ce of time he actually feared he was about to take the downward plunge. Fortunately he had a desperate hold with the hand just thrust forward, and this kept him in place until he could search out another hand-grip.
It caused him to pant with the extra exertion, and he was breathing like a spent runner when he too crept into the room. Here Jack"s voice was at his ear whispering:
"Some one asleep here, for I can hear soft breathing over yonder, where I think there"s a cot." He proceeded to draw Tom after him, though both were down on their knees at the time, with groping hands extended in front of them.
Now Jack knew he was alongside the cot, for the sleeper had stirred restlessly. Then the regular breathing was resumed, though Jack believed he had heard something akin to a sigh well forth.
He put out his hands and gently felt to make sure that it was a child, for any mistake at this stage would prove most serious.
"Helene!"
Jack uttered the name softly, but the breathing still continued. Again did he speak, this time raising his voice slightly. He knew that he must have succeeded in awakening the little sleeper; doubtless she was lying there wondering whether it might be all a dream. Perhaps she even thought it was her mother calling her from her slumber.
Tom now ventured to approach a little nearer, ready to act on the spur of the moment should the child be frightened and start to scream.
"Helene, we are friends of your sister Jeanne," Jack said. "She is in good hands, and on her way to Paris. We have come to try to take you to her. Do not be frightened, Helene. We are two American boys, and if you will only trust us we promise to carry you away from here. Have courage and tell me that you are not afraid to go with us to Jeanne."
The sympathetic Jack found a little hand, for the child suddenly sat upright. This he continued to pat gently even as he and Tom continued to rea.s.sure her. Perhaps his manner of doing this influenced Helene even more than their words, which of course she could hardly understand as yet, after being so suddenly awakened.
"Oh, I am so glad you have come from Jeanne," she finally managed to say, though her childish voice vibrated from the effect of her recent alarm.
"And will you gladly go away with us, Helene?" asked Jack. "You are not happy here with your uncle, are you?"