The Lieutenant, who was one of the very young recruits now officering the German Army, feeling overpowered by the presence of Royalty, had given the order, and the men were unstrapping the cover when the Captain came up.
“What are you doing there?” he demanded. Then turning sharply to the young Lieutenant he said in the most brutal manner:
“Don’t you know that the orders are not to take these covers off, not until the very last minute, not until everything else has been tried and has failed to bring her down.”
“But His Royal Highness,” stammered the younger officer, “has ordered this cover off because it is not on straight.”
“But, Your Royal Highness,” expostulated the Captain, although in the most deferential manner, “don’t you think that this cover is on straight enough?”
“What! Do you mean to contradict me?” Lawrence almost screamed. “I say that the cover is not on straight, and I have ordered this fool to take it off and put it on straight, perfectly straight.”
“But that is impossible,” said the Captain, warily keeping out of reach of His Royal Highness’s fists. “The orders are that these covers are not to come off until the American flying machine makes its appearance, and if it does not appear, the covers are not to come off at all. These are the orders of the General Staff, and Your Royal Highness must realize that they have to be obeyed.”
“Well,” said Lawrence with the persistency of a drunken man, talking at the top of his voice, “if you do not put that cover on straight I will report you, and you will be court-martialled for insulting a Prince of the Blood.”
All the while he kept swaying as if he were about to fall.
Straightening himself up with much difficulty and assuming a drunken dignity he started to go away; but as if he were unable to free his intoxicated mind from the one idea that obsessed it, he turned and changed his tone to a persuasive one.