The Boy Allies with Marshal Foch; or, The Closing Days of the Great World War

by Clair W. Hayes

  *CHAPTER XXVII*

  *STUBBS REDEEMS HIMSELF*

  Now, it is a fact that for some hours after the armistice betweenGermany and the allies was signed the matter was kept secret, for somereason or other. To this fact was due, in a large measure, AnthonyStubbs' ability to redeem himself for the false information he had senthis paper some days before.

  Much disgusted with himself over the false "scoop," Stubbs had leftVersailles, more to escape the jibes of his fellow war correspondentsthan for any other reason.

  The afternoon of November 11 found him again in Soissons, where he hadparted from Hal and Chester several days before. The little man wasvery morose, and not without reason. So far he had received no replyfrom his cablegram to The Gazette, announcing that the previousinformation was untrue; but he was expecting an answer momentarily.

  And at last it came. It read like this.

  "Your error made us ridiculous. Sending man to relieve you. Inmeantime, depend upon you to keep us posted."

  "Oh, I'll keep them posted, all right," said Stubbs, "but it won't do meany good now."

  It was late in the afternoon when Stubbs ran into Hal and Chester, whohad recently left Marshal Foch after reporting to the latter on theirreturn from Hirson, where the armistice had been signed.

  "Why, hello, Mr. Stubbs," said Chester. "What are you doing here? Ithought you were in Versailles."

  "I was," said Stubbs, "but I didn't stay very long."

  "What's the reason for your return here?" demanded Hal. "I thought youwanted to be where you could save time when you got word of the signingof the armistice."

  "I did," said Stubbs, "and that's the trouble. I got word two days agothat the armistice had been signed."

  "But it hadn't," said Chester.

  "Oh, I know that now," said Stubbs sorrowfully, "but it would have savedme a lot of worry had I known it then."

  "You don't mean to tell me that you filed that dispatch to your paper,Mr. Stubbs," said Hal.

  "I did," replied Stubbs briefly.

  "Great Scott! Then it's a wonder you haven't been fired by this time."

  "I have," said Stubbs, briefly again.

  "What?" exclaimed Chester. "Fired from The Gazette, Mr. Stubbs?"

  "Exactly; and I don't blame The Gazette, either."

  "But how on earth did you come to file such a report?"

  "Because I had it from a source that should have been authentic."

  "From whom, may I ask?"

  "Admiral W----"

  "But the admiral should have known better," said Hal.

  "Maybe he should have," said Stubbs; "trouble is he didn't."

  "Now that's too bad, Stubbs," declared Chester sympathetically. "I'mcertainly sorry."

  "So am I," declared Stubbs grimly. "But that's the trouble with thenewspaper game. You never get any credit for what you do, but you arealways due for a wigging any time something goes wrong."

  "And I suppose The Gazette put out an extra," remarked Hal.

  "I'm dead sure of it," replied Stubbs grimly. "Here, look at this cableI just received."

  Hal read the cablegram and then passed it to Chester.

  "Pretty tough, Mr. Stubbs," said Chester, after scanning it hastily."Now, isn't there anything you can do to redeem yourself?"

  "Nothing that I can think of," was the reply, "unless I could befortunate enough to get first word of the real signing of thearmistice."

  Hal and Chester both expressed their surprise.

  "Great Scott, Mr. Stubbs!" said Chester, "didn't you know the armisticehad been signed?"

  "No, I didn't know it," declared Stubbs, "have you heard anything aboutit?"

  "Have we?" exclaimed Hal. "Why, man, we were there when it was signed."

  "Now listen here, Hal," said Stubbs, "I've been in hot water once. Idon't want to get back there again."

  "But I'm telling you facts, Mr. Stubbs," declared Hal. "The armisticehas been signed. Chester and I were there when General Herwigs and fourother German delegates affixed their signatures."

  "Are you telling me the truth?" demanded Stubbs excitedly.

  "The absolute truth, Mr. Stubbs," said Chester.

  Stubbs looked at them closely.

  "By Jove! I believe you are," he ejaculated at last. "And has thisfact become generally known?"

  "I don't see why it hasn't," replied Hal. "The armistice becomeseffective at 11 o'clock to-morrow."

  "Funny some of the other correspondents haven't heard of it," mumbledStubbs to himself. "Some of them returned to Soissons with me."

  "Well, you'd better get busy, Mr. Stubbs," said Hal, "or they will beatyou to it."

  "Then upon your advice," said Stubbs, "I'll get busy. Come with me,boys, and tell me what you can on the way. Hurry now."

  Stubbs set out at a rapid pace for the nearest cable office, Hal andChester at his heels.

  Now, as it chanced, there was but one place in Soissons where, due towar conditions, a cable dispatch could be filed. The wire from thereled direct to Versailles, where messages were relayed. It was the onlypossible means of communication with the outside world outside ofmilitary lines.

  At the door of the cable office, Stubbs encountered Jennings,correspondent of The New York World, who had returned to Soissons at thesame time Stubbs had.

  "Hello, Stubbs," he grinned. "Armistice signed again? I see you'reheaded for the cable office."

  "Never mind, Jennings," said Stubbs. "You think the laugh's on yourside now. Maybe it won't be later."

  "Perhaps not," Jennings admitted, "but if I were you, I'd be almightycareful of the next dispatch I sent The Gazette. Chances are yourpeople will not relish being fooled a second time."

  Now Stubbs was well aware of the fact that it would be possible for onlyone message to be sent out of Soissons at a time. So he said:

  "Jennings, you have been pretty decent to me, so if you'll come alongI'll do you a favor."

  Jennings looked at Stubbs peculiarly.

  "Something up?" he demanded.

  "Considerable," returned Stubbs.

  "Then I'll go along," said Jennings. "I haven't anything else to do."

  He accompanied Stubbs and the two lads into the cable office.

  "Now, Jennings," said Stubbs, "I'm not going to tell you what's up untilI have filed my dispatch. But you'll have the next chance at the wire."

  "Fair enough," said Jennings smiling. "I guess your stuff is not soawfully hot."

  "Maybe not," said Stubbs. "Wait."

  Briefly he scribbled on a cable blank, and passed the message to theoperator. What he wrote was this:

  "Armistice signed this P.M. at Hirson by General Foch, General Herwigs,representing Chancellor Ebert, and four other delegates. Informationabsolutely authentic. Trust me this time."

  "Now," he said, turning to Jennings, "I'll tell you my news."

  "Let's have it," said Jennings, somewhat indifferently.

  "The armistice has been signed."

  Jennings started, then recovered himself.

  "That's what you said before," he declared with a grin. "Guess I'dbetter wait and get my information first-handed."

  "That's what I've done this trip," replied Stubbs calmly.

  "What do you mean?"

  "Why," said Stubbs, "my friends here, Majors Paine and Crawford, were atHirson when the armistice was signed this afternoon."

  Jennings wheeled on the two lads, his face flushed with excitement.

  "Is that true?" he demanded.

  "Absolutely," said Hal.

  Without further words, Jennings rushed toward the operator. But Stubbswas ahead of him.

  "Hold on, now," said the little man. "I'm first at this wire, and Ihaven't finished my message yet."

  "Hurry then," said Jennings, "and give me a chance."

  "You stick close," said Stubbs, "and you shall have the second chance atthe wire. But I haven't half finished yet.
"

  "Great Scott, man! You've sent your flash, haven't you?"

  "Yes; but I want to add a few details."

  "Well, let me get in a few words ahead and I'll gladly relinquish thewire again."

  "Not much," said Stubbs. "I have the wire now and I intend to keep itfor the next hour if I have to file the first chapter of Genesis."

  "Stubbs," pleaded Jennings, "don't be a hog. I've got to get word toThe World. You know that."

  "Then you should have got your own information," declared Stubbs.

  Meantime, the little war correspondent had been scribbling busily, fromtime to time passing sheets of paper to the operator, who sat with hishand on the key.

  Suddenly there was the sound of confusion without. A moment later halfa dozen men rushed into the room. Stubbs smiled, as he recognized otherwar correspondents.

  "I'm a little ahead of you, fellows," he said good-naturedly. "Now, Iintend to keep this wire for the next hour. Then I shall release it toJennings here. He'll probably do his best for you."

  The other correspondents smiled sickly smiles. They were beaten and theyknew it. True to his words, Stubbs ceased writing an hour later andJennings captured the wire. Stubbs turned to Hal and Chester.

  "Come," he said, "let's be moving. I think I have redeemed myself."

  And he had, as later events were to prove; for The New York Gazette wasthe first paper in America to announce the fact that the armistice hadbeen signed.