The Girl from Alsace Part 22

"So the frontier is to our left. Come."

She released his hand, leaped the ditch at the side of the road, and set off westward across a rough field. Stewart stumbled heavily after her; but presently his extreme exhaustion pa.s.sed, and was followed by a sort of nervous exhilaration which enabled him easily to keep up with her.

They climbed a wall, struggled through a strip of woodland--Stewart had never before realized how difficult it is to go through woods at night!--pa.s.sed close to a house where a barking dog sent panic terror through them, and came at last to a road running westward, toward Belgium and safety. Along this they hastened as rapidly as they could.

"We must be past the frontier," said Stewart, half an hour later. "We have come at least two miles."

"Let us be sure," gasped the girl. "Let us take no chance!" and she pressed on.

Stewart reflected uneasily that they had encountered no outposts, and surely there would be outposts at the frontier to maintain its neutrality and intercept stragglers; but perhaps that would be only on the main-traveled roads; or perhaps the outposts were not yet in place; or perhaps they might run into one at any moment. He looked forward apprehensively, but the road lay white and empty under the stars.

Suddenly the girl stumbled and nearly fell. His arm was about her in an instant. He could feel how her body drooped against him in utter weariness. She had reached the end of her strength.

"Come," he said; "we must rest," and he led her unresisting to the side of the road.

They sat down close together with their backs against the wall, and her head for an instant fell upon his shoulder. By a supreme effort, she roused herself.

"We cannot stay here!" she protested.

"No," Stewart agreed. "Do you think you can climb this wall? We may find cover on the other side."

"Of course I can," and she tried to rise, but Stewart had to a.s.sist her.

"I do not know what is the matter," she panted, as she clung to him. "I can scarcely stand!"

"It's the reaction," said Stewart. "It was bound to come, sooner or later. I had my attack back there on the road. Now I am going to lift you on top of the wall."

She threw one leg over it and sat astride.

"Oh, I have dropped the bundle," she said.

"Have you been carrying it all this time?" Stewart demanded.

"Why, of course. It weighs nothing."

Stewart, groping angrily along the base of the wall, found it, tucked it under his arm, scrambled over, and lifted her down.

"Now, forward!" he said.

At the second step, they were in a field of grain as high as their waists. They could feel it brus.h.i.+ng against them, twining about their ankles; they could glimpse its yellow expanse stretching away into the night.

"Splendid!" cried Stewart. "There could be no better cover!" and he led her forward into it. "Now," he added, at the end of five minutes, "stand where you are till I get things ready for you," and with his knife he cut down great handfuls of the grain and piled them upon the ground.

"There's your bed," he said, placing the bundle of clothing at one end of it; "and there's your pillow."

She sat down with a sigh of relief.

"Oh, how heavenly!"

"You can go to sleep without fear. No one can discover us here, unless they stumble right over us. Good-night, little comrade."

"But you?"

"Oh, I am going to sleep, too. I'll make myself a bed just over here."

"Good-night, my friend!" she said, softly, and Stewart, looking down at her, catching the starry sheen of her uplifted eyes, felt a wild desire to fling himself beside her, to take her in his arms----

Resolutely he turned away and piled his own bed at a little distance. It would have been safer, perhaps, had they slept side by side; but there was about her something delicate and virginal which kept him at a distance--and yet held him too, bound him powerfully, led him captive.

He was filled with the thought of her, as he lay gazing up into the spangled heavens--her beauty, her fire, her indomitable youth, her clear-eyed innocence which left him reverent and trembling. What was her story? Where were her people that they should permit her to take such desperate risks? Why had this great mission been confided to her--to a girl, young, inexperienced? And yet, the choice had evidently been a wise one. She had proved herself worthy of the trust. No one could have been quicker-witted, more ready of resource.

Well, the worst of it was over. They were safe out of Germany. It was only a question now of reaching a farmhouse, of hiring a wagon, of driving to the nearest station----

He stirred uneasily. That would mean good-by. But why should he go to Brussels? Why not turn south with her to France?

Sleep came to him as he was asking himself this question for the twentieth time.

It was full day when he awoke. He looked about for a full minute at the yellow grain, heavy-headed and ready for the harvest, before he remembered where he was. Then he rubbed his eyes and looked again--the wheat-field, certainly--that was all right; but what was that insistent murmur which filled his ears, which never ceased? He sat hastily erect and started to his feet--then as hastily dropped to his knees again and peered cautiously above the grain.

Along the road, as far in either direction as the eye could see, pa.s.sed a mighty mult.i.tude, marching steadily westward. Stewart's heart beat faster as he ran his eyes over that great host--thousands and tens of thousands, clad in greenish-gray, each with his rifle and blanket-roll, his full equipment complete to the smallest detail--the German army setting forth to war! Oh, wonderful, astounding, stupendous!--a myriad of men, moving as one man, obeying one man's bidding, marching out to kill and to be killed.

And marching willingly, even eagerly. The bright morning, the sense of high adventure, the exhilaration of marching elbow to elbow with a thousand comrades--yes, and love of country, the thought that they were fighting for their Fatherland--all these uplifted the heart and made the eye sparkle. Forgotten for the moment were poignant farewells, the tears of women and of children. The round of daily duties, the quiet of the fireside, the circle of familiar faces--all that had receded far into the past. A new life had begun, a larger and more glorious life. They felt that they were men going forward to men's work; they were drinking deep of a cup br.i.m.m.i.n.g with the joy of supreme experience!

There were jests and loud laughter; there were s.n.a.t.c.hes of song; and presently a thousand voices were shouting what sounded to Stewart like a mighty hymn--shouting it in slow and solemn unison, marked by the tramp, tramp of their feet. Not until he caught the refrain did he know what it was--"_Deutschland, Deutschland, uber alles!_"--the German battle-song, fit expression of the firm conviction that the Fatherland was first, was dearest, must be over all! And as he looked and listened, he felt his own heart thrill responsively, and a new definition of patriotism grouped itself in his mind.

Then suddenly he remembered his companion, and, parting the wheat, he crawled hastily through into the little amphitheater where he had made her bed. She was still asleep, her head pillowed on the bundle of clothing, one arm above her eyes, s.h.i.+elding them from the light. He sat softly down beside her, his heart very tender. She had been so near exhaustion; he must not awaken her----

A blare of bugles shrilled from the road, and from far off rose a roar of cheering, sweeping nearer and nearer.

The girl stirred, turned uneasily, opened her eyes, stared up at him for a moment, and then sat hastily erect.

"What is it?" she asked.

"The German army is advancing."

"Yes--but the cheering?"

"I don't know."

Side by side, they peered out above the grain. A heavy motor-car was advancing rapidly from the east along the road, the troops drawing aside to let it pa.s.s, and cheering--cheering, as though mad.

Inside the car were three men, but the one who acknowledged the salutes of the officers as he pa.s.sed was a tall, slender young fellow in a long, gray coat. His face was radiant, and he saluted and saluted, and once or twice rose to his feet and pointed westward.

"The Crown Prince!" said the girl, and watched in heavy silence until the motor pa.s.sed from sight and the host took up its steady march again.

"Ah, well, he at least has realized his ambition--to lead an army against France!"

"It seems to be a devoted army," Stewart remarked. "I never heard such cheering."

"It is a splendid army," and the girl swept her eyes back and forth over the marching host.

"France will have no easy task--but she is fighting for her life, and she will win!"