"I wouldn't do the things they do any more than I have to," Tom said; "and I don't know exactly how they feel——"
"They don't feel at all," interrupted Archer.
"But if we act as if we didn't care and ain't afraid, we stand a chance."
"We've got to act as if we owned the earrth," Archer agreed.
"Except if we should meet an officer," Tom concluded.
In his crude way Tom had stumbled upon a great truth, which is the one chief consideration in the matter of successful disguise. You must feel your part if you would act it. As he had said, they did not know how German soldiers felt (no civilized mortal knows that!), but he knew that the Germans were plentiful hereabouts and no novelty, and that their only hope of simulating two of them lay in banishing all timidity and putting on a bold front.
"One thing, we've got to keep our mouths shut," he said. "Most people won't bother us but we've got to look out for officers. I'm going to tear my shirt and make a sling for my arm and you've got to limp—and keep your mind on it. When you're faking, you limp with your brain—remember."
The first test of their policy was successful beyond their fondest dreams, though their parts were not altogether agreeable to them. They marched down to the float, unfastened one of the boats with a good deal of accompanying noise and started out into the river, just as Kaiser Bill had started across Belgium. A woman with a baby in her arms appeared in the doorway and stared at them—then banged the door shut.
They were greatly elated at their success and considered the taking of the boat as a war measure, as probably the poor German woman did too.
Once upon the other side they walked boldly into the considerable town of Norne and over the first paved streets which they had seen in many a day. They did not get out of the way of people at all; they let the people scurry out of their way and were very bold and high and mighty and unmannerly, and truly German in all the nice little particulars which make the German such an unspeakable beast.