CHAPTER XXXIV.

SAFE AGAIN.

Dinner over and the old general having left the house, Lieutenant Strauss said to the boys:

"There is still some amusement in Berlin, in spite of the war. Would you care to accompany me to the play to-night?"

Both lads, knowing that this would be as good an opportunity as they could expect for making their escape, pleaded that they were too tired.

"Some other evening, if that will do as well," said Chester.

"Oh, all right, whatever you say," replied the lieutenant. "I hope there are no hard feelings--that you will overlook my father's show of temper?"

"Of course," said Hal. "Anyone would have done the same under the circumstances."

After a few further words the lieutenant departed, and the lads, bidding his mother good night, and announcing their intention of retiring early, made their way to their room.

There their air of leisure gave way to haste.

"We'll have to hurry," said Hal. "The general will fail to find his maps at headquarters, and will be back here in two shakes of a lamb's tail."

Quickly the lads threw on the young lieutenant's uniforms, and Chester placed the maps in his pocket.

"We will have to go without revolvers," said Chester, "for we certainly can't afford to wait until the general and lieutenant come home."

"I should say not," Hal agreed. "The sooner we get out of here now the better, providing we can get out."

Quickly, but silently, the boys made their way from the room and descended the stairs. Stepping lightly upon a chair, Hal secured the two swords, suspended in their scabbards with a pair of army belts, and, leaping lightly down, passed one to Chester.

Quickly the lads strapped the swords around them and quietly they opened the front door and closed it softly behind them. Then, with a swaggering air, they descended the front steps, to bump squarely into one of the guards.

The guard drew back respectfully and saluted.

"I beg your pardon, sir," he said, addressing Chester. "I saw you go out once before, but I didn't see you return."

"You must be more careful," said Chester, imitating the lieutenant's voice. "My friend and I came in a few moments ago and I didn't see you anywhere."

"But I was right here, sir, or at least, only a few steps away," protested the soldier.

"Well, I'll pass over it this time," said Chester, "but don't let it happen again. The prisoners might escape."

"Thank you, sir," replied the soldier, saluting again. "But the prisoners will not escape while I am on guard. Never fear, sir."

The lads bade the soldier good night and walked slowly away. Once around the first corner, however, they increased their pace, and soon had put considerable distance between them and the Strauss home, where, even now, the old general, having failed to find his maps at headquarters, was again raging about, swearing that his documents had been stolen.

Walking into a quiet little shop, Chester purchased two revolvers. Also, while there, he withdrew the map from his pocket and studied it carefully.

"I want to impress this firmly on my mind," he said to Hal, "for we may not have a chance to look at it again for some time."

Hal also bent over and studied the map carefully. A few moments later they left the store, each feeling more secure because of the ugly-looking Colt each carried in his pocket.

As the boys walked along one of the dark streets, they became aware of the soft pat-pat of steps behind them, coming swiftly. They turned to face whatever danger threatened, and then Hal suddenly broke into a laugh.

"Marquis!" he cried aloud.

Sure enough, it was their four-footed friend. He came running up to the boys, wagging his tail happily at being with them once again, but with reproach in his eyes at having been left behind.

"Good old Marquis," said Chester, patting his head. "You didn't want to be left behind among all these Germans, did you?"

Marquis wagged his tail fiercely.

"What are we going to do with him?" asked Hal. "Won't he be in the way?"

"No, I don't think so," replied Chester. "Not if the plan I have in mind works."

"What is your plan?"

"You'll know soon enough," said Chester calmly. "Come on."

For two hours the lads walked along, gradually drawing out of the city at the eastern extremity. They passed many German officers as they walked along, but were not molested nor even challenged.

Finally, beyond the city, Chester increased his pace and the two boys and the dog hurried on. At length they came to a large building.

"I thought I was right," said Chester to himself. "But I was beginning to doubt it."

"What is it?" demanded Hal. "What is that building?"

"That," said Chester calmly, "is an aëroplane station. We shall now go in and get one."

"Oh, we will, eh? And I suppose they give one to every strange officer who happens along?"

"No, they don't," said Chester. "But, among other things in General Strauss's desk, I found several orders upon this place, each one calling upon the commandant to furnish bearer with one plane."

"Why didn't you tell me before?" demanded Hal.

"I wanted to save it as a surprise," said Chester.

As they approached nearer, it became apparent that the structure was a long, low shed. A hundred yards away, they were challenged by a sentry.

"I have an order for the commandant," called Chester.

"Approach," said the sentry.

A moment later, the commandant, being summoned by the sentry, arrived.

"What can I do for you, gentlemen?" he asked.

Without a word, Chester pulled one of the orders he had appropriated from General Strauss's desk from his pocket and passed it to the commandant. The latter glanced at it quickly, and then bowed.

"You shall have the machine in five minutes," he said, and left them.

True to his word, five minutes later a large-winged biplane stood before them.

"You will have to run this thing," Chester whispered to Hal.

"Well, it won't be the first time," Hal whispered back.

Hal took the aviator's seat and Chester also took his place. Then the latter whistled to Marquis, who came bounding up and sprang in and sat down calmly between Chester's feet.

"Surely you are not going to take that dog," protested the commandant.

"Yes," said Chester. "He is one of the dispatch dogs taken from the French. We are going to make use of him with a false dispatch."

"I see," exclaimed the commandant. "A good idea."

"Isn't it?" said Chester.

"All ready?" demanded the commandant of Hal.

"All ready," was the lad's reply.

"Let her go, then," the commandant ordered the two men who had appeared to give the aëroplane a start.

A moment later and the machine was speeding along the ground.

"Good luck," called the commandant.

Chester waved his hand in reply.

Now Hal touched the elevating lever, and the aëroplane left the ground, and, soaring high in the air, sped on its way.

"Which way, Chester?" Hal called back over his shoulder.

"Due east," replied Chester, "but first rise as high as you can."

Hal obeyed this command, and soon the two boys and a dog were thousands of feet above the earth.

"What's your altitude?" called Chester.

Hal told him.

"Good!" said Chester. "Keep her there, and now head due east."

Quickly Hal brought the big aircraft about, and pointed her nose in a direction that eventually, barring accidents and the misfortunes of war, would land them in the heart of Poland, where the mighty armies of Russia were rushing upon the German legions.

"I know we shall get through safely," called Chester, as they sped along. "Some way I feel it."

"And so do I," Hal called back.

They were right, and before another night had fallen these two young American boys placed in the hands of the Grand Duke Nicholas, commander-in-chief of the mighty hordes of the Czar, the paper which had so strangely fallen into their hands--the paper which, later on, brought about more than one serious check to German arms.

But here ends the story of the Boy Allies along the Marne. Their further adventures will be told in a succeeding volume, entitled, "The Boy Allies With the Cossacks; or a Wild Dash Over the Carpathian Mountains."

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE:

Minor changes have been made to correct typesetters' errors; otherwise every effort has been made to remain true to the author's words and intent.