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the red cross girl(红十字姑娘)-第22节

小说: the red cross girl(红十字姑娘) 字数: 每页4000字

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warned you;〃 he called; 〃And it's up to you to〃 

     His words were lost in the distance。 But behind him a man's voice rose 

with a roar like a rocket and was met with a savage; deep…throated cheer。 

     Outside   the   village   Ford   brought   the   car   to   a   halt   and   swung   in   his 

seat。 

     〃This thing is going to fail!〃 he cried petulantly。 〃They don't believe us。 

We've got to show ourselvesmany times in a dozen places。〃 

     〃The British mind moves slowly;〃 said Birrell; the Irishman。 〃Now; if 

this had happened in my native land〃 

     He   was   interrupted   by   the   screech   of   a   siren;   and   a   demon   car   that 

spurned      the   road;   that   splattered   them     with   pebbles;    tore   past   and 

disappeared in the darkness。 As it fled down the lane of their head…lights; 

they saw that men in khaki clung to its sides; were packed in its tonneau; 

were swaying from its running boards。 Before they could find their voices 

a   motor   cycle;   driven   as   though   the   angel   of   death   were   at   the   wheel; 

shaved their mud…guard and; in its turn; vanished into the night。 

     〃Things are looking up!〃 said Ford。 〃Where is our next stop? As I said 

before; what we want is a live one。〃 

     Herbert pressed his electric torch against his road map。 

     〃We are next billed to appear;〃 he said; 〃about a quarter of a mile from 

here; at the signal…tower of the Great Eastern Railroad; where we visit the 

night telegraph operator and give him the surprise party of his life。〃 

     The   three   men   had   mounted   the   steps   of   the   signal…tower   so   quietly 

that; when the operator heard them; they already surrounded him。 He saw 

three   German   soldiers   with   fierce   upturned   mustaches;   with   flat;   squat 

helmets;   with long   brown   rifles。 They  saw   an   an 鎚 ic;  pale…faced   youth 

without a coat or collar; for the night was warm; who sank back limply in 

his chair and gazed speechless with wide…bulging eyes。 

     In harsh; guttural tones Ford addressed him。 〃You are a prisoner;〃 he 

said。 〃We take over this office in the name of the German Emperor。 Get 

out!〃 

     As though instinctively seeking his only weapon of defence; the hand 



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of the boy operator moved across the table to the key of his instrument。 

Ford flung his rifle upon it。 

     〃No; you don't!〃 he growled。 〃Get out!〃 

     With eyes still bulging; the boy lifted himself into a sitting posture。 

     〃My paymy month's pay?〃 he stammered。 〃Can I take It?〃 

     The expression on the face of the conqueror relaxed。 

     〃Take it and get out;〃 Ford commanded。 

     With   eyes   still   fixed   in   fascinated   terror   upon   the   invader;   the   boy 

pulled   open   the   drawer   of   the   table   before   him   and   fumbled   with   the 

papers inside。 

     〃Quick!〃 cried Ford。 

     The boy was very quick。 His hand leaped from the drawer like a snake; 

and Ford found himself looking into a revolver of the largest calibre issued 

by a civilized people。 Birrell fell upon the boy's shoulders; Herbert twisted 

the gun from his fingers and hurled it through the window; and almost as 

quickly   hurled   himself   down   the   steps   of   the   tower。   Birrell   leaped   after 

him。     Ford   remained      only    long   enough     to   shout:   〃Don't    touch    that 

instrument! If you attempt to send a message through; we will shoot。 We 

go to cut the wires!〃 

     For a minute; the boy in the tower sat rigid; his ears strained; his heart 

beating in sharp; suffocating stabs。 Then; with his left arm raised to guard 

his   face;   he  sank    to  his  knees   and;   leaning    forward    across    the  table; 

inviting   as   he   believed   his   death;   he   opened   the   circuit   and   through   the 

night flashed out a warning to his people。 

     When they had taken their places in the car; Herbert touched Ford on 

the shoulder。 

     〃Your   last   remark;〃   he   said;   〃   was   that   what   we   wanted   was   a   live 

one。〃 

     〃Don't   mention   it!〃   said   Ford。   〃He   jammed   that   gun   half   down   my 

throat。 I can taste it still。 Where do we go from here?〃 

     〃According to the route we mapped out this afternoon;〃 said Herbert; 

〃We are now scheduled to give exhibitions at the coast towns of Salthouse 

and Weybourne; but〃 

     〃Not   with   me!〃   exclaimed   Birrell   fiercely。   〃Those   towns   have   been 



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tipped off by now by Blakeney and Cley; and the Boy Scouts would club 

us to death。 I vote we take the back roads to Morston; and drop in on a 

lonely Coast Guard。 If a Coast Guard sees us; the authorities will have to 

believe him; and they'll call out the navy。〃 

     Herbert consulted his map。 

     〃There   is   a   Coast   Guard;〃   he   said;   〃stationed   just   the   other   side   of 

Morston。 And;〃 he added fervently; 〃let us hope he's lonely。〃 

     They lost their way in the back roads; and when they again reached the 

coast an hour had passed。 It was now quite dark。 There were no stars; nor 

moon;  but   after   they  had left the   car   in   a side   lane and   had stepped   out 

upon     the  cliff;  they   saw   for  miles   along   the   coast  great   beacon    fires 

burning fiercely。 

     Herbert came to an abrupt halt。 

     〃Since   seeing   those   fires;〃   he   explained;   〃I   feel   a   strange   reluctance 

about showing myself in this uniform to a Coast Guard。〃 

     〃Coast   Guards   don't   shoot!〃   mocked   Birrell。   〃They   only   look   at   the 

clouds through a telescope。 Three Germans with rifles ought to be able to 

frighten one Coast Guard with a telescope。〃 

     The whitewashed cabin of the Coast Guard was perched on the edge of 

the cliff。 Behind it the downs ran back to meet the road。 The door of the 

cabin was open and from it a shaft of light cut across a tiny garden and 

showed the white fence and the walk of shells。 v 

     〃We   must   pass   in   single   file   in   front   of   that   light;〃   whispered   Ford; 

〃And then; after we are sure he has seen us; we must run like the devil!〃 

     〃I'm on in that last scene;〃 growled Herbert。 

     〃Only;〃 repeated   Ford with   emphasis; 〃We   must be   sure he has seen 

us。〃 

     Not twenty feet from them came a bursting roar; a flash; many roars; 

many flashes; many bullets。 

     〃He's seen us!〃 yelled Birrell。 

     After the light from his open door had shown him one German soldier 

fully armed; the Coast Guard had seen nothing further。 But judging from 

the shrieks of terror and the sounds of falling bodies that followed his first 

shot; he was convinced he was hemmed in by an army; and he proceeded 



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to sell his life dearly。 Clip after clip of cartridges he emptied into the night; 

now to the front; now to the rear; now out to sea; now at his own shadow 

in   the   lamp…light。  To   the   people   a   quarter   of   a   mile   away   at   Morston   it 

sounded like a battle。 

     After   running   half   a   mile;   Ford;   bruised   and   breathless;   fell   at   full 

length on the grass beside the car。 Near it; tearing from his person the last 

vestiges   of   a   German   uniform;   he   found   Birrell。   He   also   was   puffing 

painfully。 

     〃What happened to Herbert?〃 panted Ford。 

     〃I   don't   know;〃   gasped   Birrell;   〃When   I   saw  him  last   he   was   diving 

over the cliff into the sea。 How many times did you die?〃 

     〃About   twenty!〃   groaned   the American;   〃And;   besides   being   dead;   I 

am  severely   wounded。   Every   time   he   fired;   I   fell   on   my   face;   and   each 

time I hit a rock!〃 

     A  scarecrow   of   a   figure   appeared   suddenly   in   the   rays   of   the   head… 

lights。 It was Herbert; scratched; bleeding; dripping with water; and clad 

simply in a shirt and trousers。 He dragged out his kit bag and fell into his 

golf clothes。 

     〃Anybody   who   wants   a   perfectly   good   German   uniform;〃   he   cried; 

〃can   have   mine。   I   left   it   in   the   first   row   of   breakers。   It   didn't   fit   me; 

anyway。〃 

     The other two uniforms were hidden in the seat of the car。 The rifles 

and helmets; to lend color to the invasion; were dropped in the open road; 

and   five   minutes   later   three   gentlemen   in   inconspicuous   Harris   tweeds; 

and with golf clubs protruding from every part of their car; turned into the 

shore road to Cromer。 What they saw brought s

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