During the remainder of the afternoon Tish sat by herself, knitting and thinking. It was undoubtedly then that she formed the plan which in its execution has brought us so much hateful publicity, yet without which the town of V—— might still be in German hands.
II
We knew, of course, that Tish’s fine brain was working on the problem of rescuing Charlie Sands; and Mr. Burton was on the whole rather keen about it.
“I’ve got to get a German officer some way,” he said. “She’s probably planning now to see Von Hindenburg about Sands. She generally aims high, I’ve discovered. And in that case I rather fancy myself taking the old chap back to Hilda as a souvenir.” He then reflected and scowled. “But she’d be flirting with him in ten minutes, damn her!” he added.
Tish refused both sympathy and conversation during the afternoon.
On Aggie’s offering her both she merely said: “Go away and leave me alone, for Heaven’s sake. He is perfectly safe. I only hope he took his toothbrush, that’s all.”
It is a proof of Tish’s gift of concentration that she thought out her plan so thoroughly under the circumstances, for the valley was shelled all that afternoon. We found an abandoned battery position and the three of us took refuge in it, leaving Tish outside knitting calmly. It was a poor place, but by taking in our folding table and chairs we made it fairly comfortable, and Mr. Burton taught us a most interesting game of cards, in which one formed pairs and various combinations, and counted with coffee beans. If one had four of any one kind one took all the beans.
It was dusk when Tish appeared in the doorway, and we noticed that she wore a look of grim determination.
“I have been to the top of the hill,” she said, “and I believe that I know now the terrain thoroughly. In case my first plan fails we may be compelled to desperate measures—but I find my present situation intolerable. Never before has a member of my family been taken by an enemy. We die, but we do not surrender.”
“You can speak for your own family, then,” Aggie said. “I’ve got a family, too, but it’s got sense enough to surrender when necessary. And if you think Libby Prison was any treat to my grandfather——”