"All right," Rod wound up by saying; "our plan is to hang around until the war council breaks up, and then try to find a chance to speak with the commander-in-chief. All we want to do is to show him who and what we are, and then ask about Andre. He may not have the time to bother with it himself, but I hope he will put us in charge of some subordinate officer who can tell us what we want to know, as well as take us to Andre, if so be the poor fellow still lives."
While waiting they strolled around the immediate vicinity, being considerably interested in all that was going on.
Josh in particular seemed disposed not to lose anything. He moved this way and that, now watching the labors of a string of men dragging at a rope by means of which they were helping the horses attached to a heavy gun pull the same up out of the river; and a little later even observing the field surgeon and his a.s.sistants binding up the grievous wounds of scores of poor fellows who had been more or less injured in the battle.
Rod was seated on a stump and thinking seriously of their own affairs when he suddenly became aware of the fact that his two chums were hurrying toward him. He could also see that they looked both excited and grave, as though something had happened to alarm them.
Of course the first thing that came into Rod"s mind was bad news; he feared that in some way they might have learned about the fate of Andre, and were now hurrying to tell him all their efforts had been in vain, for the husband of poor Jeanne could never sign his name to the paper they carried.
"Is he dead, then?" was the way he addressed them as they came panting up.
"Oh! it isn"t about Andre, Rod!" gasped Hanky Panky.
"What then?" questioned the other, at the same time giving a sigh of relief, for he had feared the worst.
"It"s something Josh here hit on, that"s given us both a bad shock; he"ll tell you, Rod," continued the other, who was trembling visibly.
"It"s just this way, you see," Josh spoke up. "There"s a German soldier hiding close by, a wild-looking chap in the bargain. Whee! but he"s got staring eyes, and he makes me think of a crazy man."
"Oh! he must be one of their wounded," said Rod; "when they pulled out in such a big hurry they couldn"t take all with them, and some had to be abandoned. This fellow in hiding that you"ve run across must be hurt in the legs, and couldn"t get away with the rest."
Josh shook his head with a vim.
"Excuse me, Rod, but I don"t think you"ve hit the real secret," he went on to say. "This man has stayed here _for a purpose_, and he"s about ready to lose his own life, I"d say, so as to carry it out. I really and truly believe he must have a screw loose in the upper story."
"Go on," said Rod, seeing that Josh evidently knew more than he had as yet explained.
"I just noticed him by the merest accident," explained the other. "He"s hiding in a hole in the ground. I happened to see him lift his head, and noticed that he wore the dark green uniform of a German soldier. Then I discovered something else, Rod, that gave me a cold feeling, and made the chills run down my back."
"Go on, and hurry, too!" advised Rod.
"It was a wire, Rod, a wire that seemed to come up out of the ground, and disappear by the side of a tree. It headed straight for the shelter that used to be the headquarters of the German staff, and where the French officers are gathering right now, waiting for the general to join them."
"A wire, did you say, Josh?" demanded Rod, starting up, and looking white.
"Yes, and ten chances to one there"s a mine, planted under headquarters, which he means to explode so as to blow up the French staff, general and all."
CHAPTER XXVII.
WONDERFUL NEWS.
"If what you suspect is true, Josh," said Rod hurriedly, "we must do something to baffle the terrible game he is bent on playing. Can you lead us to the place where the man is hiding, and is it possible to get close to him without his knowing about our being there?"
"Sure thing, Rod; why, I could have jumped down on his back if I"d wanted to; but I just moved away as slick as you please."
On second thoughts, however, Rod changed his plan. What he had contemplated trying seemed too risky; for if the man learned that his plot was discovered he might touch the key and explode the mine before the boys could master him, even though all the staff including the general himself had not gathered as yet under the Headquarters shelter.
"I"ll try and get in touch with the officers before the council is called," he told his comrades, and immediately started off.
It was an object with Rod to hasten his steps, and yet at the same time try not to arouse any suspicion. If he were detained on the way precious seconds would be lost, and after all he might fail to save the French officers from a dreadful fate at the hands of a crazy German soldier.
Arriving close to the shelter of which mention has been made, Rod boldly singled out a man who he fancied would be apt to listen to him.
"Pardon, Monsieur," he said hastily, "but by accident myself and friends have just learned that there is a scheme afoot to blow up this shelter while you and your brave fellow officers are in conference. Even now a madman lies hidden close by, his finger on a battery, and ready to close the circuit in haste. I am come to give you warning. Please do not exhibit any alarm, but arrange it so that every one may spring away from this place when you give the word!"
The officer stared hard at him, as indeed he had good reason to. The information was certainly of a thrilling nature, and well calculated to arouse a chill in the region of his heart.
Again that frank and fearless face of Rod convinced his listener of the truth of his story, even though it seemed so remarkable and monstrous.
The officer turned to his four companions and said something to them in a low but positive tone. From their startled looks it was soon evident that they chose to take the warning most seriously.
All at once he uttered a loud cry. It was the signal agreed upon, for every man proceeded to leap away from the shelter and make haste to place as many yards as possible between Headquarters and his own person.
Rod had taken care to be on his way before this, since his object had already been accomplished.
If any of those French officers had felt disposed to doubt the truth of the astounding story that had been brought to them by the American boy they found immediate cause to change their minds. Hardly had the last of them succeeded in leaving the shelter than there came a heavy shock, and up into the air arose the fragments of the cover under which they had just been gathered.
Had they remained where they were ten seconds before not one of them would have likely escaped death or severe bodily injuries.
A loud shout from Josh just then called attention to a running figure.
The hidden conspirator, seeing that his mad scheme had proven a failure, must have crept forth from his hiding place, and was hoping to escape in the general confusion. But his uniform betrayed him, and presently guns began to sound, until finally they saw him curl up on the ground.
It was later on found that he had only been wounded, and he was brought in, foaming at the mouth. There could be no doubt regarding his condition, for even a tyro might see that he was crazy, perhaps from a wound received in the head in some earlier stage of the great battle.
It was not believed that German officers would connive at such a dastardly scheme as trying to blow up a shelter under which the French staff had gathered for consultation; and in the end it was put down as only the plot of one who was wholly irresponsible.
Of course the three American boys were thanked most heartily by the officers whose lives they had saved. It promised to turn out to be one of the best things that could have happened for them; and, as Josh remarked, their old luck seemed to be working at full speed.
They were soon summoned into the presence of the general, who, with his staff gathered about him, publicly thanked Rod and his chums for their recent act. He shook their hands with considerable feeling, as became an effusive Frenchman whose life was not only valuable to himself and his beloved country in time of need, but also to the wife and children who awaited news of his labors at home, and daily prayed for his safety.
While they stood there the madman was brought past, screaming and carrying on in a frightful manner. He must have been connected with the Engineer or Signal Corps of the enemy forces, to have the knowledge of explosives that he did, as well as the ability to lay his wires so as not to attract attention.
The boys could admire any deed of daring that was meant to further the cause of a soldier"s heart; but to plot to blow up a whole staff in such a treacherous way was something that could only originate in a disordered mind, and filled them with horror.
"Now tell me who you are, and what brings you here at such a time, when France is bleeding from ten thousand wounds, and Paris has only been saved as through a miracle?"
It was, of course, the general who asked this. He was looking into the expressive face of Rod while speaking, and perhaps unconsciously saying to himself that if his oldest boy ever grew up to be such a manly looking young fellow as this American cousin he would be contented; for that was usually the way Rod impressed those whom he met.
Rod was just about to answer and explain as briefly as possible, for he knew how valuable time must be with this brave officer, when something interrupted him.
A number of men were pa.s.sing and carrying a stretcher upon which lay one of their number. Rod guessed that this must be the hero of the battle when he saw every officer make a salute that could only stand for his appreciation toward valor beyond all parallel.
"That"s the man who threw the bomb that saved the ford!" said Josh to Hanky Panky, as the little procession drew near.
Evidently the wounded man had received attention at the hands of the field surgeon, and was now about to be placed in an ambulance and taken to Paris with an escort of honor to guard him. Nothing could be too good for him in the opinion of those who had observed his daring deed.
The general laid his hand on Rod"s arm.