Boy Scouts on the Trail by John Henry Goldfrap
CHAPTER XVIII
IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY
The days that followed the return of Frank and Henri to Amiens were busybut uneventful ones. They had found a few staff officers at theabandoned headquarters, including Colonel Menier, to whom they had madetheir report and turned over the automobile. He had thanked themheartily, having heard already of their work. And when he was told ofthe destruction of the Zeppelins he had embraced them both.
"We had heard already of that," he said. "Only of the burning of theships, not of how it was done. You have done well for France, mesbraves! Wait! You shall not find France ungrateful. I go to Paris fromhere, to make reports. I shall make one concerning you, to those inauthority. And--who knows?"
He pinched their ears, that gesture loved of French soldiers since thedays of the great Napoleon, of whom his officers said that when hepinched their ears he conferred an honor they valued more highly thanthe cross of the Legion d'Honneur.
After the departure of the last officers of the staff, Amiens took on anew aspect. The thunder of guns, even the rolling of rifle fire, wasplainly to be heard now in the streets. In the distance--and not a greatdistance, either--the smoke of a dozen burning villages was to be seento the north and east. It was so that the Germans marked their advance,steady, relentless. Henri exclaimed in fury at the sight.
"These barbarians of Germans!" he cried. "Burn and kill--and notsoldiers alone!"
"It tears my heart-strings to see all this wanton destruction indulgedin by the foe," said Frank. "What then must be the feelings of theFrench as they watch their villages being so ruthlessly burned! But someday, somehow, Henri, our chance will come and the French will sweep backinto this territory, a victorious host. Not for long will it be in thepower of our foe!"
Every day Amiens expected the incursion of the Germans, but day followedday and still the enemy did not come. Frank and Henri stayed in theMartin house alone. The servants had gone; Madame Martin had respectedtheir fears of the Prussians, and had made other arrangements for them.So the two scouts camped out there, and Henri invited many of the otherscouts to share their quarters in relays. The house was open, too, toany refugees who cared to use it, but by this time the country to thenorth that was in danger of German raids had been swept clear, andAmiens was no longer a gathering place. It was in itself too muchexposed.
The smoke of burning villages rose now to the south, toward Paris. Theretreat was still on, it seemed. And while they waited patiently, sincethere was nothing else to do, for the coming of the Germans, there wasmuch work for the Boy Scouts to do. It was routine work now, verydifferent from the exciting labors that had fallen to the share ofFrank and Henri on the day of their trip to Le Cateau. When Henri becamerestless and impatient, as he sometimes did, Frank soothed him.
"We are still serving France," he said. "There are no more soldiers inAmiens. There are a few police, and those are old men, since the younggendarmes have gone to join their regiments. But Monsieur le Maire knowsthat he can call upon us."
The military authorities, before completing the evacuation of Amiens,had given strict orders that if the Germans came there was to be noresistance. And in order to enforce this rule, the mayor detailed thefew remaining police and the Boy Scouts to make a house-to-house canvas,warning the citizens, and collecting all firearms that might be found.The scouts worked in pairs on this duty, and Frank and Henri always wenttogether.
"In Belgium," one of them always explained, in making the demand thatthe arms be given up, "Louvain and other towns were destroyed, so thatnot one stone remained upon another. And always the Germans made theexcuse that shots had been fired on their men from the houses. Here inAmiens we must save our cathedral and the other famous buildings. Whenthe Germans come it will not be for long; soon they will be in retreatbefore the armies of France and England."
Many gave up their guns reluctantly. But nearly all did give them up,and whenever the scouts had reason to think that any were beingconcealed, they made a special report on the house, and policemenreturned to make a search.
And this wise planning had much to do with saving the town. The Germanscame at last. At first a single squadron of Uhlans, in command of ayoung lieutenant, rode in. Frank and Henri saw them passing their houseand they mounted bicycles at once, and followed them.
"They've nerve," admitted Henri, reluctantly. "See with what arrogancethey sit their horses! They might be riding into a German city insteadof one in which everyone who sees them hates them!"
"Yes, they've nerve," agreed Frank.
There could be no question of the fact. The little squadron of troopers,almost swallowed up already in the crowd of curious ones who followedthe slow movement of the horses, rode on, seemingly deaf to the muttersof execration that rose, especially from the women. Not a man turned hisface from the front even to scowl at the townspeople. They rode on, eyesunswerving. Outside the Hotel de Ville they stopped. A bugler blew afanfare, and Monsieur le Maire, in his robes of office, appeared on thesteps. A great cheer from the people greeted him. He bowed gravely tothe Uhlan lieutenant, who saluted stiffly.
"I demand the surrender of the town of Amiens, in the name of hisMajesty the Kaiser and of the German Empire," said the lieutenant, inexcellent French. "You, Monsieur le Maire, will consider yourself myprisoner. You will be held responsible for the conduct of theinhabitants. Any attack on German troops will be sternly punished. Ifthe inhabitants of Amiens behave in a peaceable and orderly fashion theywill not be harmed. Payment will be made for any private propertyrequired by our forces. A brigade of infantry will march in thisafternoon. Quarters must be found for the troops, numbering nearly eightthousand men. You will be informed later of the requisition the townwill be required to fill, in money and in supplies. For the present youare required to clear this square, where my men will remain."
The mayor bowed.
"My orders are to make no resistance," he said. "I bow to theinevitable, regretting that we are not permitted to defend ourselves tothe death. Amiens will keep its faith. No attack will be made, sincethat would mean treachery. I will order the gendarmes and the Boy Scoutsto clear the square."
Frank and Henri were of great assistance in doing this work, Franktaking the lead, since no patrol leader happened to be in evidence.They and the police soon drove the people back, and the Uhlansdismounted. There, in the public square, used as a market place, theyproceeded to cook a meal, making a fire in the street. From the sides ofthe square the people watched them sullenly. But there was nodemonstration, since both the police and the scouts had explained thatanything of the sort was likely to mean the execution of the mayor, whowas within the power of the enemy.
As soon as the public curiosity to see the hated invaders had beensomewhat satisfied, the people were urged to go to their homes, and bymid afternoon the streets were deserted. Then began the entrance of thereal force of occupation. At the head rode a general of brigade, asombre, stern-eyed man, accompanied by his staff. And behind him marchedthousands of green-gray German infantry keeping step with a marvelousprecision. These men had been fighting hard, but they looked fresh andtrim. And as they marched they sang, raising their deep voices in asplendid, thrilling chorus.
_Fly, Eagle, Fly_, they sang as they marched into town. And then theygave way to the magnificent hymn of Martin Luther, the battle song ofthe Protestant nations in the Thirty Years' War, the battle song ofPrussia ever since that time, _A Mighty Fortress Is Our God!_
Henri watched them as they marched by, tears in his eyes. Finally hecould suppress the thought no longer, and he turned to Frank with:
"They have said that Germany has fine soldiers, but they are not likeour men! There's all the difference in the world between them--and thatdifference will bring victory to our banners. Our men fight for right;these men fight because they think it their duty."
"Even though they are the foe, I hope there will be no shooting at themhere. If there is, they will show no mercy, I am sure of that," saidFrank.
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"No, I think not if there is no resistance offered. I wonder if any willbe quartered at your house, Henri?"
"I hope not," said Henri, flushing.
A change, as it turned out, was made in that plan. The general incommand of the brigade, who proclaimed himself within an hour of hisarrival as military governor of Amiens, decided to keep his men undercanvas. Tents sprang up like mushrooms in the parks and open spaces.Amiens was required to furnish great quantities of foodstuffs--bread,flour, wine, meat. But the troops were not quartered in the houses. Andby nightfall the town seemed to have settled down peacefully to the newconditions. German aeroplanes were flying constantly overhead; officerscame in, and more troops.
"Amiens is again the headquarters of an army corps," said Frank. He wassuffering almost as keenly as Henri, but he did not mean to let his chumbrood upon the disaster that had overtaken his home. And, after all, itmight have been worse. He thought of Louvain and other Belgian cities.
That night Amiens was a German city. Trains passed through continuallynow, bearing troops; some, returning, carried wounded, whose groansresounded in the silence. And in the distance to the south, towardParis, the roar of guns seemed louder again.