Evidently this portion of the French countryside had been used by the American soldiers for learning to construct these entrenchments. Nona knew that this was one of the tasks they had been working upon as a part of their intensive military training in these past few weeks in France. For modern wire entanglements of the same character had never been used before in any war.
Leaning over, intensely interested, Nona began studying the intricate twisting and weaving in and out of the heavy wires.
The next instant, however, she jumped up both surprised and frightened, for not many feet away a man was keeling on the ground making a more careful study of the entanglements than her own had been and he was not in the uniform of a soldier.
CHAPTER IX
A Dispute
“I AM not a German spy,” the young man announced, half resentfully and half in a tone of amusement, as he rose up from the ground and faced Nona Davis.
“Yes, of course you thought I was one for the moment. Everybody is obsessed with this same idea out here and are all on the lookout, but I happen to be an American newspaper writer. If you would like to see my credentials I carry them about with me, because I grant you my behavior may now and then appear suspicious.”
Rather to Nona’s chagrin her unknown companion was openly laughing over her confusion at his immediate interpretation of her first impression.
He was a tall, slender fellow, not a bit good looking, with a thin face, a large nose and humorous eyes. Yet he had a fine mouth with strong white teeth, which Nona immediately noticed as he laughed at her.
“You see, I have been in Europe, in one country and another, almost ever since this war began and I have seen a lot of this barbed wire work, so I was interested to find out how well our American boys were learning the business. They have done a good job. I beg your pardon, but do you think it particularly safe for you to be walking alone in this neighborhood at this hour? If you don’t mind I’ll walk along back to the hospital with you.”
With apparent gravity Nona stood listening to her latest acquaintance. Now that she saw him more distinctly, he was so absolutely of the type one would expect him to be that it was scarcely necessary that he should present his literary credentials.