CHAPTER XX THE MUNITION TRAIN’S APPROACH
“Do ye not hear it comin’, Rab?” Donald asked in the other’s ear.“Something must be done, or it will be too late!”
“We will find the wire, Donald,” the scout master assured him.
“Oh! ay, but will it be in time?” begged the other.
Rob understood what doubts and fears were racking that faithful heart.He also had a plan whereby Donald might make assurance doubly certain.The time had apparently arrived when a division of their forces wouldappear to be the best policy.
“Listen, Donald,” said Rob, still in that low whisper that even theother fellows could not catch, though they tried very hard to do so,“you must climb the bank, and, perhaps, find one of the guards. Failingthat, you can run back along the track so as to warn your father of thedanger. You know how to do that, and here is my little torch you mightuse, also some matches, my red bandanna to put over the light as adanger signal, and a part of a newspaper. Do you get my meaning clearly,Donald?”
“Oh! ay,” said the eager boy, as he clutched all that Rob was thrustinginto his hand. “Shall I go the noo, Rab?”
“Yes, be off with you,” came the command. “Be careful how you stand upwhen you reach the top of the embankment. The enemy are hiding downhere, and would outline you against the sky. Crawl all you can, Donald.Good-bye, and good luck go with you. Meanwhile, depend on us to findthat wire!”
A fervent clasp of the hand. Donald crept hastily away, heading so as toreach the bank at the terminus of the trestle; for, of course, he couldnot hope to climb the latter itself.
Andy was able to partly guess what mission Rob had given into thekeeping of the young Canadian. Possibly Andy would have liked being sentforth on such an exciting errand himself, but then he recognized thefact that Donald really had a superior claim to such a task. He was athome on his native heath, and could better make the Canadian guardsunderstand, if he had the good luck to come upon any of those in whosecare the bridge had been placed by the authorities. Then, again, it washis father whose life was in danger. Another thing satisfied Andy thatRob knew what was best in selecting Donald for action—being brought upin a railroading family he was apt to be much better acquainted with theways by which signals are given calculated to stop trains. Yes, Donaldwas the proper one to be chosen, Andy concluded, and, as usual, Rob hadwisely placed “a round peg in a round hole.”
After their force had been diminished, the rest of the party continuedtheir hunt for the hidden wire. Rob knew just about how it would bestaked down as close to the earth as possible, by means of metalstaples, or wickets like those used in the game of croquet, only muchmore diminutive. This would be done in order to prevent any passer-byfrom catching his foot in the wire, and thus bringing about anastonishing discovery that would break up all the plans of the plotters.
So Rob was feeling very carefully. He did not mean to miss anythingwhile engaging in the search. He was also positive that they ought torun across the wire at any second.
But once more the breeze brought the sound of the approaching train moreplainly to their ears. It was coming fast, they understood. Inimagination Tubby could see the glare of the headlight in the west,though a second look convinced him he was probably mistaken, and that itwas only one of the largest planets about setting below the horizon.After that he breathed freely again.
If Donald were only successful in meeting one of the guards, and couldexplain matters in a great hurry, a man might be sent down the track towave a red lantern and thus stop the oncoming train. Failing in that,Donald must do the best he could with what Rob had provided for thepurpose.
But even though this were done, the costly and invaluable bridge wouldnot be saved unless that necessary wire were quickly discovered. Robhimself was beginning to feel a little worried over the matter. Hethought they should have come upon it before then, unless hiscalculations were all awry. At the same time this did not mean he wasready to quit and call the game off, for that was hardly his way ofdoing things. They took more desperate chances with every foot that theydrew nearer the threatened trestle, for it was impossible to say how farsome of the timbers might be hurled when the explosion came, if iteventually did. That would depend altogether on the amount andconcentrated energy of the explosive used; those men undoubtedly meantto do the most damage they could while about it.
Rob, in the start, could easily have covered three times as much groundas he did, and also discovered what he was looking for, had he dared usethat wonderful little torch of his, which he had given to Donald. Butthis would have been utterly out of the question. It must have excitedthe suspicions of the concealed invaders, and caused them to hasten theculmination of their plans; or even, failing that, the attention of thearmed guards above must have been attracted to the spot; and they wereunder orders to send a volley _first_ at any moving object, andinvestigate afterward.
Foot by foot they continued to thoroughly comb every bit of territoryover which they crept. If Rob failed to happen on the wire possiblyAndy, or Zeb, or even Tubby might be the lucky one. They knew enough tounderstand that such a discovery was to be instantly communicated to theleader, so that he might start trying to sever communications.
Rob managed to cast frequent glances up toward the spot where he knewthe solid ground was banked by a concrete wall, and the heavy beams ofthe trestle began. He wondered whether Donald would be as careful as hehad cautioned him about showing himself, or if the boy, in his eagernessto save his father, would betray his presence by standing upright whenon the embankment. So Rob was kept in a nervous state. Once he felt surehe heard a small stone rolling down the bank, possibly dislodged by thefoot of the climber. He hoped that its descent had not been noticed bythose men waiting in the clump of bushes toward the south; or that avigilant member of the bridge guard would not come hurrying to the spot,ready to blaze away down the slope.
Andy had advanced a little after Donald’s departure. He was now almostalongside his chum and leader, ready to receive any necessarycommunication that Rob would think fit to pass along. Apparently theother saw no necessity for any exchange of opinions. He said not a wordas he went on, foot by foot, feeling the dead grass, and the weeds thatgrew in profusion along the lower level close to the river’s verge,always hoping that the next movement would bring success.
It was Andy clutching his coat that caused Rob to look sideways, for thechum chanced to be on his left. This caused him to see what evidentlyAndy had reference to. Another rocket was swiftly climbing upward intothe heavens; he could follow its yellow flight by the line of fire thattrailed behind.
Even as he looked it described a beautiful turn and started earthwardagain, only to suddenly burst and discharge a swarm of writhing serpentsthat went wriggling this way and that until they disappeared from view.
Plainly, then, a second confederate of the plotters, on duty at anotherstation still closer to the bridge, was endeavoring to let them know thedoomed munition train was passing there, and was on its way eastward.The change from stars to serpents was significant in the eyes of Rob.But after all what did it matter, when they already knew that much? Thesound of the heavy train reached them continuously, now rising higher,and anon falling to a lower pitch, but constantly in evidence.
The lay of the land compelled a closer approach to the embankment asthey advanced, though Rob would much rather have kept a fair distanceaway, taking as little chance of danger as he consistently could. He didnot yet give up hope of succeeding in his mission. At any second theywere likely to discover what they sought.
Rob had it all planned out, how to cut the wire and balk the game thosesneaking plotters had arranged. Perhaps he even gripped his wire-cuttersin his hand, or at least knew where he could clutch them instantly whenneeded.
It was at this interesting time Rob felt certain he saw a dim objectroll over the top of the embankment, much as a dog might do on occasion.Unless one were intently observing the part
icular spot where this tookplace the scout master did not believe Donald’s action would be noticed.
The Canadian lad had gained the goal of his hopes, and if the spiritmoved him he was in a position to hurry along the up-track, so as tomeet the train. Rob wished he would do this. He was sorry now he had notembodied this in his orders to Donald, instead of leaving it to hisdiscretion. If he started to look for one of the bridge guards he wasapt to waste valuable time. He also ran a great risk of being fired uponbefore being able to explain who he was, and tell about the amazingthing that had brought him there in the darkness of night.
Still, Rob rather fancied that this would be Donald’s plan. The greataffection he bore for his father would overcome all his scruples whilehe climbed the bank. Rob had actually left it all to his discretion, andlove would bias him along the line of least resistance. Yes, Robbelieved more and more now that this was what Donald would conclude tobe his duty. It gave the scout leader considerable satisfaction to thinkso.
After the danger was past, with the munition train halted before itreached the beginning of the trestle and the mine prevented from beingdischarged by the wire being cut in two—that would be time enough toexplain things to the guard, running toward the stalled engine to findout what had happened to cause the sudden stop.
If all worked well, victory would be in their grasp pretty soon now;but, oh, Tubby found himself oppressed with a dreadful fear that theremight come a hitch in the beautiful program, which would mean adisastrous end to all their hopes.
Was there a wire at all, he asked himself? Could it be possible forthose clever German sympathizers to make use of some cunning method fordischarging the mine by means of wireless? All sorts of wonderful thingswere cropping up every day Over There where nations were engaged in thedeath grapple. Who could say what might not be accomplished? Tubbyremembered reading how a Yankee had proved that he could control atorpedo spinning through the water by electrical appliances similar towireless, so that he could send it to the right or to the left as hewilled and cause it to hunt after an object a mile or more distant, justas a magnet is attracted toward the North Star by some mysterious unseenpower. Tubby was in a condition to believe anything, no matter howamazing.
Then the fat scout noted that once more Rob—yes, and Andy, too—hadstopped short. They appeared to be examining something on the ground,and Tubby’s heart commenced to thump like mad as he speculated upon whatthis meant. Was it the wire they had been so industriously hunting allthis while? Oh, he would willingly give all he possessed in the way ofboyish treasures, could he only be assured of this and know that Rob hadsevered the same.
Tubby heaved a sigh of genuine relief. He had heard a low chirp,peculiar in itself and yet not at all calculated to arouse anysuspicion. It was the most welcome sound that could have reached thehearing of the anxious, nerve-racked Tubby. By it he became aware thatsuccess had indeed rewarded their patient efforts. The copper wire waslocated at last!
The Boy Scouts at the Canadian Border Page 20
