“But we won’t have time for that,” Phil objected. “We ought to be getting away from here as quickly as possible. It’ll be daylight before very long.”
“We’ll settle that question in a jiffy,” said Evans, lifting a wristwatch of one of the drunken soldiers toward the candle light nearest him. Two of half a dozen candles, which had lighted the latter portion of the thirst orgies, were still burning when the escaping Yanks entered the place.
“It’s only two-fifteen,” Evans continued. “We’ve got time enough at least to make sure that these besotted fools have done a good job of this thing. I insist that we make of this affair the best argument for prohibition in the world. You know prohibition is about the biggest war issue at home today. Why, do you know, when they get wind of this story at home, there’ll be a constant demand for us as Chautauqua speakers until the demon Rum has been put where we’re going to put the kaiser.”
CHAPTER XXVII
FOOD FOR PROHIBITION
Such an argument as this could hardly be controverted and Evans had his way. This mischievous Marine of vengeful imagination opened another cask of wine, which stood ready to be tapped, and “treated” those who had less than their capacity to the “amount they had cheated themselves out of.”
The boches who had “stood” guard outside were all carried or conducted in and given the “third degree test.” At this Evans proved himself a master. If there was any “wake” in them, he discovered it. He behaved like a sailor on a lark in a nest of cornered and cowed pirates, and most of the other fellows caught the spirit and took a hand in the sport. By the time the job was finished most of the cask just tapped had been poured down the throats of six or eight rousable “soaks” and they rolled over actually “running over at the brim.”
“Now come on, fellows,” said Evans enthusiastically. “We’ve done our deed well. We’re off now for home, after a little more fighting, and the Chautauqua platform. But I want the testimony of every one of you that not one of us drunk a drop. Am I right?”
“Right,” was the chorused response.
There was no need of further delay. The boys had taken possession of twenty Mauser rifles, a dozen pistols, and a good supply of cartridges for all these weapons. If they had felt it would be of any advantage to them to do so, they would have stripped the drunken guards of their uniforms and passed them around among themselves. But these, it was decided, were hardly likely to be of service to them, inasmuch as they could not pass for Prussian soldiers unless they separated from the other Americans and French who were unable to obtain uniforms. Phil was the first one to advance this idea, at the same time doffing the suit that he had stripped from the guard with whom he fought a deadly combat and expressing the opinion that the entire body of escaping prisoners ought to “stick together for common protection.”
“We have guns and pistols now for more than thirty of us, and a good supply of ammunition,” he said. “It wouldn’t be fair for those of us who are armed to leave those who are unarmed.”