"And why not? A shot? Yes—in the back. But first this path into Paris—a place full of riches. Alphonse may be crazy, but he is a cunning fellow, and—yes, he has been thinking of Paris often. Listen!" he said aloud a few moments later; "this scheme of yours, Alphonse—splendid! magnificent! Riches beyond thought, and all obtained in five minutes and quite openly, without fear of arrest. But supposing the Army Commander places a guard on all public buildings, and private also?"
"Ha!" Alphonse's face grew black—grew terrible, while his strong teeth grated together. "Ha!" he grunted.
"But," went on Heinrich, "get back to our army now with this valuable information and I can obtain a special pass which will send us ahead with our advanced troops. You would not mind, Alphonse? For, as you say, there are riches there to make both you and me rich beyond belief, tell me—eh? We go back to our people now, and your chances of getting that wealth will be improved. It is a magnificent suggestion."
It was. It captured the fancy of the madman beside him on the instant, and set him rubbing his two big bony, attenuated hands together, while the man sat up on his heels, and, still staring into that dark corner, chuckled hoarsely, his rusty voice awaking the echoes of the deserted tower.
See them then two days later creeping away from the place disguised as peasants; watch them a day later dressed as poilus—the one driving a cart in which Alphonse lay at full length, for no helmet, no blue uniform, could disguise the bony Alphonse. See them far up towards the Marne, and watch them as they take shelter in a hovel, already badly battered by German guns, within easy reach of the river, within almost calling distance of the Kaiser's troops on the far bank.
Let us look about the spot where those two ruffians had taken shelter. Situated in "No-Man's-Land", under the German guns and under those of the Allies, it offered no great security from shell-fire, though it afforded as it were a jumping-off post from which anybody secreted there might reach the Germans in one direction and the watching Allies in the other. Yet, what a coincidence that Bill and Jim and the inimitable Larry, with the formidable Nobby, too, close at hand, should have almost at the same moment discovered a little dwelling, likewise battered, within a hundred and fifty yards of that spot—Bill and his friends, whose fortunes and misfortunes now claim our attention.