CHAPTER XXVI
THE BADGE OF COURAGE AND HONOR
Bumpus failed to make any reply to this taunt on the part of Giraffe. He did sit up very straight, however, and cast an anxious look toward the little group of soldiers, one of whom had stepped upon the road and half raised his gun in a suggestive way.
“Get out!” snapped the determined looking man who seemed to be in command of the squad, and wore chevrons on his sleeve to indicate that he was a non-commissioned officer.
Of course he said this in French, but Thad knew what the words stood for. Even without that knowledge the commanding gesture with which they were accompanied must have told what was wanted.
“But we are Americans, and this is our car. We expect to go to Paris, M’sieu. We carry a permit also.”
“Get out; your car is needed by the French Government. We are taking every one we can find. No words now, or you may be sorry for it!”
Thad did not seem to be shocked when he heard the other say this so brutally. He knew that the man had been sent out to round up all the means of transportation possible, and that his orders were to let none escape, whether the cars of the very rich, or the vans of business men.
Indeed, what surprised Thad most of all was to hear himself addressed in such excellent English. Apparently, this man then had not spent his whole life within the borders of his native country, but must have lived abroad.
“Please do not be in so great a hurry, M’sieu,” he went on to say pleasantly, as he put his hand to his pocket in search of the paper given to him by the obliging colonel. “Listen, we have been serving France with the Red Cross. See, even now one of my comrades still wears the band about his arm. Then, too, we had the happiness of assisting to carry dispatches to the front. For doing this we received a paper to show to any one like yourself who might wish to detain us, or take our car away. Kindly glance your eye over this, and then decide, M’sieu.”
With that he flashed the magical document in front of the bluff sergeant, who had no other recourse but to read what was there written. It was wonderful what a change came over the man as soon as he saw the name at the bottom. He looked up into the face of Thad wonderingly.