active service-第19部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

He　jerked　the　grey　horse　broadside　to　the　approaching　　mystery；　and　grabbing　out　his　revolver　aimed　it　from　the　top　of　his　improvised　bulwark。　He　hailed　the　darkness。

〃Halt。　Who's　there？〃　He　had　expected　his　voice　to　sound　like　a　groan；　but　instead　it　happened　to　sound　clear；　stern；　commanding；　like　the　voice　of　a　young　sentry　at　an　encampment　of　volunteers。　He　did　not　seem　to　have　any　privilege　of　selection　as　to　the　words。　They　were　born　of　themselves。

He　waited　then；　blanched　and　hopeless；　for　death　to　wing　out　of　the　darkness　and　strike　him　down。　He　heard　a　voice。　The　voice　said：　〃　Do　you　speak　English？　〃　For　one　or　two　seconds　he　could　not　even　understand　English；　and　then　the　great　fact　swelled　up　and　within　him。　This　voice　with　all　its　new　quavers　was　still　undoubtedly　the　voice　of　Prof。　Harrison　B。Wainwright　　of　Washurst　College







CHAPTER　XII。

A　CHANGE　flashed　over　Coleman　as　if　it　had　come　from　an　electric　storage。　He　had　known　the　professor　long；　but　he　had　never　before　heard　a　quaver　in　his　voice；　and　it　was　this　little　quaver　that　seemed　to　impel　him　to　supreme　disregard　of　the　dangers　which　he　looked　upon　as　being　the　final　dangers。　His　own　voice　had　not　quavered。

When　he　spoke；　he　spoke　in　a　low　tone；　it　was　the　voice　of　the　master　of　the　situation。　He　could　hear　his　dupes　fluttering　there　in　the　darkness。　〃　Yes；〃　he　said；　〃　I　speak　English。　There　is　some　danger。　Stay　where　you　are　and　make　no　noise。〃　He　was　as　cool　as　an　iced　drink。　To　be　sure　the　circumstances　had　in　no　wise　changed　as　to　his　personal　danger；　but　beyond　the　important　fact　that　there　were　now　others　to　endure　it　with　him；　he　seemed　able　to　forget　it　in　a　strange；　unauthorized　sense　of　victory。　It　came　from　the　professor's　quavers。

Meanwhile　he　had　forgotten　the　dragoman；　but　he　recalled　him　in　time　to　bid　him　wait。　Then；　as　well　concealed　as　a　monk　hiding　in　his　cowl；　he　tip…toed　back　into　a　group　of　people　who　knew　him　intimately。

He　discerned　two　women　mounted　on　little　horses　and　about　them　were　dim　men。　He　could　hear　them　breathing　hard。　〃　It　is　all　right〃　he　began　smoothly。　〃You　only　need　to　be　very　careful…〃

Suddenly　out　of　the　blackness　projected　a　half　phosphorescent　face。　It　was　the　face　of　the　little　professor。　He　stammered。　〃　We…we…do　you　really　speak　English？　〃　Coleman　in　his　feeling　of　superb　triumph　could　almost　have　laughed。　His　nerves　were　as　steady　as　hemp；　but　he　was　in　haste　and　his　haste　allowed　him　to　administer　rebuke　to　his　old　professor。

〃　Didn't　you　hear　me　？　〃　he　hissed　through　his　tightening　lips。　〃　They　are　fighting　just　ahead　of　us　on　the　road　and　if　you　want　to　save　yourselves　don't　waste　time。〃

Another　face　loomed　faintly　like　a　mask　painted　in　dark　grey。　It　belonged　to　Coke；　and　it　was　a　mask　figured　in　profound　stupefaction。　The　lips　opened　and　tensely　breathed　out　the　name：　〃　Coleman。〃　Instantly　the　correspondent　felt　about　him　that　kind　of　a　tumult　which　tries　to　suppress　itself。　He　knew　that　it　was　the　most　theatric　moment　of　his　life。　He　glanced　quickly　toward　the　two　figures　on　horseback。　He　believed　that　one　was　making　foolish　gesticulation　while　the　other　sat　rigid　and　silent。　This　latter　one　he　knew　to　be　Marjory。　He　was　content　that　she　did　not　move。　Only　a　woman　who　was　glad　he　had　come　but　did　not　care　for　him　would　have　moved。　This　applied　directly　to　　what　he　thought　he　knew　of　Marjory's　nature。

There　was　confusion　among　the　students；　but　Coleman　suppressed　it　as　in　such　situation　might　a　centurion。　〃　S…s…steady！　〃　　He　seized　the　arm　of　the　professor　and　drew　him　forcibly　close。　〃　The　condition　is　this；〃　he　whispered　rapidly。　〃We　are　in　a　fix　with　this　fight　on　up　the　road。　I　was　sent　after　you；　but　I　can't　get　you　into　the　Greek　lines　to…night。　Mrs。Wainwright　　and　Marjory　must　dismount　and　I　and　my　man　will　take　the　horses　on　and　hide　them。　All　the　rest　of　you　must　go　up　about　a　hundred　feet　into　the　woods　and　hide。　When　I　come　back；　I'll　hail　you　and　you　answer　low。〃　The　professor　was　like　pulp　in　his　grasp。　He　choked　out　the　word　〃Coleman〃　in　agony　and　wonder；　but　he　obeyed　with　a　palpable　gratitude。　Coleman　sprang　to　the　side　of　the　shadowy　figure　of　Marjory。　〃　Come；〃　he　said　authoritatively。　She　laid　in　his　palm　a　little　icy　cold　hand　and　dropped　from　her　horse。　He　had　an　impulse　to　cling　to　the　small　fingers；　but　he　loosened　them　immediately；　im…　parting　to　his　manner；　as　well　as　the　darkness　per…　mitted　him；　a　kind　of　casual　politeness　as　if　he　were　too　intent　upon　the　business　in　hand。　　　He　bunched　the　crowd　and　pushed　them　into　the　wood。　Then　he　and　the　dragoman　took　the　horses　a　hundred　yards　onward　and　tethered　them。　No　one　would　care　if　they　were　stolen；　the　great　point　was　to　get　them　where　their　noise　would　have　no　power　of　revealing　the　whole　party。　There　had　been　no　further　firing。

After　he　had　tied　the　little　grey　horse　to　a　tree　he　unroped　his　luggage　and　carried　the　most　of　it　back　to　the　point　where　the　others　had　left　the　road。　He　called　out　cautiously　and　received　a　sibilant　answer。　He　and　the　dragoman　bunted　among　the　trees　until　they　came　to　where　a　forlorn　company　was　seated　awaiting　them　lifting　their　faces　like　frogs　out　of　a　pond。　His　first　question　did　not　give　them　any　assurance。　He　said　at　once：　〃Are　any　of　you　armed？〃　Unanimously　they　lowly　breathed：　〃No。〃　He　searched　them　out　one　by　one　and　finally　sank　down　by　the　professor。　He　kept　sort　of　a　hypnotic　handcuff　upon　the　dragoman；　because　he　foresaw　that　this　man　was　really　going　to　be　the　key　to　the　best　means　of　escape。　To　a　large　neutral　party　wandering　between　hostile　lines　there　was　technically　no　danger；　but　actually　there　was　a　great　deal。　Both　armies　had　too　many　irregulars；　lawless　hillsmen　come　out　to　fight　in　their　own　way；　and　if　they　were　encountered　in　the　dead　of　night　on　such　hazardous　ground　the　Greek　hillsmen　with　their　white　cross　on　a　blue　field　would　be　precisely　as　dangerous　as　the　blood…hungry　Albanians。　Coleman　knew　that　the　rational　way　was　to　reach　the　Greek　lines；　and　he　had　no　intention　of　reaching　the　Greek　lines　without　a　tongue；　and　the　only　tongue　was　in　the　mouth　of　the　dragoman。　He　was　correct　in　thinking　that　the　professor's　deep　knowledge　of　the　ancient　language　would　give　him　small　clue　to　the　speech　of　the　modern　Greek。

As　he　settled　himself　by　the　professor　the　band　of　students；　eight　in　number　pushed　their　faces　close。

He　did　not　see　any　reason　for　speaking。　There　were　thirty　seconds　of　deep　silence　in　which　he　felt　that　all　were　bending　to　hearken　to　his　words　of　counsel　The　professor　huskily　broke　the　stillness。　Well　*　　*　*　what　are　we　to　do　now？　〃

Coleman　was　decisive；　indeed　absolute。　〃We'll　stay　here　until　daylight　unless　you　care　to　get　shot。〃

〃　All　right；〃　answered　the　professor。　He　turned　and　made　a　useless　remark　to　his　flock。　〃　Stay　here。〃

Coleman　asked　civilly；　〃　Have　you　had　anything　to　eat？　Have　you　got　anything　to　wrap　around　you　？　〃

〃　We　have　absolutely　nothing；〃　answered　the　professor。　〃　Our　servants　ran　away　and　*　*　and　then　we　left　everything　behind　us　*　*　and　I've　never　been　in　such　a　position　in　my　life。〃

Coleman　moved　softly　in　the　darkness　and　unbuckled　some　of　his　traps。　On　his　knee　he　broke　the　hard　cakes　of　bread　and　with　his　fingers　he　broke　the　little　tablets　of　chocolate。　These　he　distributed　to　his　people。　And　at　this　time　he　felt　fully　the　appreciation　of　the　conduct　of　the　eight　American　college　students　They　had　not　yet　said　a　word…with　the　exception　of　the　bewildered　exclamation　from　Coke。　They　all　knew　him　well。　In　any　circumstance　of　life　which　as　far　as　he　truly　believed；　they　had　yet　encountered；　they　would　have　been　privileged　to　accost　him　in　every　form　of　their　remarkable　vocabulary。　They　were　as　new　to　this　game　as；　would　have　been　eight　newly…caught　Apache　Indians　if　such　were　set　to　run　the　elevators　in　the　Tract　Society　Building。　He　could　see　their　eyes　gazing　at　him　anxiously　and　he　could　hear　their　deep…　drawn　breaths。　But　they　said　no　word。　He　knew　that　they　were　looking　upon　him　as　their　leader；　almost　as　their　saviour；　and　he　knew　also　that　they　were　going　to　follow　him　without　a　murmur　in　the　conviction　that　he　knew　ten…fold　more　than　they　knew。　It　occurred　to　him　that　his　position　was　ludicrously　false；　but；　anyhow；　he　was　glad。　Surely　it　would　be　a　very　easy　thing　to　lead　them　to　safety　in　the　morning　and　he　foresaw　the　credit　which　would　come　to　him。　He　concluded　that　it　was　beneath　his　dignity　as　preserver　to　vouchsafe　them　many　words。　His　business　was　to　be　the　cold；　masterful；　enigmatic　man。　It　might　be　said　that　these　reflections　were　only　half…thoughts　in　his　mind。　Meanwhile　a　section　of　his　intellect　was　flying　hither　and　thither；　speculating　upon　the　Circassian　cavalry　and　the　Albanian　guerillas　and　even　the　Greek　outposts。

He　unbuckled　his　blanket　roll　and　taking　one　blanket　placed　it　about　the　shoulders　of　the　shadow　which　was　Mrs。Wainwright。　The　shadow　protested　incoherently；。　hut　he　muttered　〃Oh　that's　all　right。〃　Then　he　took　his　other　blanket　and　went　to　the　shadow　which　was　Marjory。　It　was　something　like　putting　a　wrap　about　the　shoulders　of　a　statue。　He　was　base　enough　to　linger　in　the　hopes　that　he　could　detect　some　slight　trembling　but　as　far　as　lie　knew