CHAPTER XXVIII.
MR. STUBBS ONCE MORE.
A hearty hand slapped Hal on the back, and he looked up from a moody reverie into the face of Anthony Stubbs.
"Well, well, what's the matter now?" demanded the little war correspondent.
"Matter enough," replied Hal. "The Austrians have nabbed Chester."
"You don't say!" exclaimed Stubbs. "I thought you fellows had finished your fighting days."
"So we had," returned the lad; "but we took one little fling, and this is the result."
"And what are you going to do about it?"
"That's what I have been trying to figure out."
"Well, I guess they won't hurt Chester any," said Stubbs.
"That's where you are wrong," declared Hal, getting to his feet. "They'll just about stand him up and shoot him as a spy."
Stubbs became more serious at once; for before he had not realized that
Chester was in any immediate danger.
"As serious as all that?" he questioned. "Tell me about it. What have you fellows been up to?"
Rapidly Hal laid the facts before him.
"H-m-m," muttered Stubbs, when the lad concluded. "Chester certainly has got himself into a mess. And Anderson is with him, eh? Well, we will have to do something—and that at once."
"Yes; but what?" demanded Hal anxiously.
"Well, now, that's the question, but you'll have to give me time. I'll find a way. A newspaper man always finds a way."
Hal felt a little relieved. He couldn't see that there was the slightest chance to be of assistance to his chum, but the little war correspondent's words cheered him.
"Yep, you'll have to give me a little time," said Stubbs. "Now you wait here until I come back, and if I don't come back with a first class plan I hope to never write another story for the Gazette."
He walked rapidly away, leaving Hal alone with his thoughts. Fifteen minutes later the little man returned.
"All right," he said. "Let's go."
"Go?" exclaimed Hal. "Go where?"
"Why, go and get Chester and Anderson out of the hole. Are you ready?"
"Oh, I'm ready enough," replied Hal, as he fell in step and hurried along beside Stubbs, "but tell me—"
"Now hold on there," interrupted Stubbs. "I'll tell you, but I am a-going to do it in my own way. Don't hurry me."
Hal made no reply, and after a few moments the war correspondent continued:
"Yep, we'll get 'em all right—that is, if the Austrians don't beat us to it. Sure we'll get 'em."
He grew silent again, and although Hal could hardly restrain his impatience, he pressed his lips close together and said nothing. Stubbs gazed at him and smiled.
"You'll do," he said. "Now that you have managed to get a tight rein on your impatience I'll tell you. In the first place, we'll have to hurry; but first we'll turn in here a minute."
He turned abruptly to the right, and a moment later led the way into his own temporary quarters.
"My diggings, as the British say," he declared with a wave of his hands.
"I'll have you fixed up in a minute."
"Fixed up?" questioned Hal.
"Sure. You didn't expect to go back to the Austrian side looking like that, did you? They'd nab you in a minute."
He rummaged among some things in a corner, and directly produced an extra suit of clothes.
"Climb into these," he ordered.
Hal did as commanded and awaited further instructions.
Stubbs opened a little box, which gave forth a peculiar smell and had a queer blackish appearance. Stubbs dipped his fingers in the box, and then passed them over Hal's face.
"Lucky I had a little experience in the art of stagecraft," he remarked as he continued the operation.
He stepped back and surveyed Hal critically.
"There," he exclaimed. "Your own mother wouldn't know you. You look all of ten years older. Got your guns?"
Hal picked them up from where he had thrown them when he had changed clothes.
"All ready," he said quietly.
"Wait till I fix myself up a little," said Stubbs. "You must remember I was within the Austrian lines not so long ago myself. They may be looking for me, too."
He again delved into the little box, and Hal, as he watched, was surprised at the change in the appearance of the man. He, too, seemed to have aged greatly, and he bore slight resemblance to the old Stubbs.
"All ready to move now," he said at last.
He led the way from his quarters, and perhaps a hundred yards away, indicated a pair of horses.
"Ours—for the journey," he said.
A moment later both were in the saddle and were riding toward the front.
"Now," said Stubbs, "I'll resume my little talk."
"One minute," broke in Hal. "How do you figure we are going to be allowed the freedom of the Austrian camp? What'll they do with us when we get there?"
"True," said Stubbs. He reached in his pocket and produced two papers, one of which he passed to Hal. "This may help a little," he explained.
Hal looked at the paper. He found it was made out in the name of John Lawrence and that it purported to be an identification of John Lawrence as an accredited correspondent of the New York Gazette.
"I've got two or three more back there," said Stubbs, waving an arm in the general direction of his quarters. "They have often come in handy."
"I see," said Hal. "Then these papers are what you are figuring on to gain us the freedom of the Austrian lines."
"Freedom to a certain extent, yes," replied Stubbs. "Now for the other part of my plan. To be perfectly frank, you know just as much about it as I do. I have no plan beside getting in the Austrian lines. Events must shape themselves after that."
"But do you suppose these papers will satisfy the Austrian commander?"
"They will after I have talked to him for five minutes."
"I hope so," said Hal.
They had now passed the Italian outposts, unmolested, and rode across the open toward the Austrian lines. Some time later they were halted by an Austrian sentinel.
"Take us to the general," commanded Stubbs.
The sentinel eyed the little man aggressively, but, evidently being impressed with his manner, called a superior. To him Stubbs gave the same command, and he gave it in such a way that the officer, after a slight hesitation, turned on his heel and motioned Hal and Stubbs to follow him.
Five minutes later they stood again in the presence of General Brentz. Stubbs produced his paper and Hal did likewise. The general scanned them closely.
"How do I know you are what you represent yourselves to be?" he demanded gruffly.
"For one reason, general," said Stubbs, "because we wouldn't be here otherwise. Of course we don't expect the freedom of your lines, but we would like to know a little about the Austrian troops—whether they can fight, how they stand up under fire—what kind of men they are. The people of America want to know, and that's what we are here for."
The general hesitated.
"I've had some trouble with spies here lately," he said at length, "and I have become wary." He scrutinized them closely. "But you look honest. I'll take a chance on you. Besides, it would be well for the people of America to know something of the Austrians besides what they read from an enemy source."
"Thank you, general," said Stubbs, "and you will provide us with papers so that we will not be molested?"
"Yes, I'll do that."
The general scribbled a few lines on two sheets of paper, which he passed to Stubbs. The latter gave one to Hal, and turned to go, Hal following him. At the entrance Stubbs turned quickly.
"Oh, by the way, general, about these spies—are they Italians?"
"No, they are British," was the reply.
"And there is no doubt they are spies?"
"None; they aided a prisoner to escape and were only captured after great trouble. There were two more whom we did not get."
"Oh! In that case, I suppose you will have to shoot them," Stubbs stated as a matter of fact.
"Exactly. They will be executed at sunrise to-morrow."
"In the meantime they are likely to escape again," said Stubbs.
"Not much," declared the general. He walked to the window, and pointed to a large tent a short distance away.
"See that tent?" he questioned.
Hal and Stubbs indicated that they did.
"They are confined in there," said the general, "and they are heavily guarded. I have stationed a guard of five armed men, with instructions never to leave them alone. I shall take no chances; and in the morning they shall be shot. This is no place for spies."
"I can see that, general," replied Stubbs. "Well, we are obliged to you for your courtesy, and we shall make it clear to the American people that the Austrians are not as black as they have been painted."
The general bowed courteously, and Hal and Stubbs left his quarters.
"You see," said Stubbs when they were outside, "it wasn't such a hard matter after all."
"And to think," said Hal, "that, in view of his recent experiences, he was so unwary as to betray where Chester and Colonel Anderson are confined."
"Which was lucky for us," declared Stubbs. "It will save us a lot of worry and search."
"Now what?" demanded Hal.
"Well," was the reply, "I should say that there is nothing that can be done before dark. However, we might as well take a look at the prison tent from the outside. It is always well to know the lay of the land."
Accordingly they turned their footsteps in that direction, and walked by the tent slowly. And from the inside they heard the sound of Chester's laugh, as he talked to Colonel Anderson.
"He's not worrying any, that boy," said Stubbs with a smile. "We'll get them out safely."
All the afternoon the two prowled about the camp; and at last darkness fell. It was time to get busy, for whatever was done must be accomplished before the break of day, when a firing squad would snuff out the lives of the two prisoners.
"Well, here we go," said Stubbs.
He led the way slowly toward the prison tent.