The Boy Scouts In Russia

acted by pure instinct, and without the semblance of a plan in his mind. He had played football in school and on the team of his scout troop in America. And now he dived for the astonish

the moment at least, saf

tom, where he stood and the soldier lay. He imagined that at certain times this hollow might be filled with water, for t

ated Fred, looking at the soldier. "A f

like heavy snoring. He was very young, scarcely more than a boy himself. His uniform was entirely new, as was his equipment. He was very slight too, and his face was ty

e did that, Fred could follow him. So taking the rifle, he crawled along the gully the rain had washed out, moving very cautiously. As he neared the top, he lifted his head and saw, not more than fifty yards away, a grey stone house, simple and unassuming. A flag pole had been put

n't much chance that he could rescue Boris. There were too many Germans about. Even though there was no reason for the staff to anticipate an attack, he could guess t

way back, and found to his dismay that the man was beginning to recover his senses. As Fred came back he stretched, yawned, and sat up, w

e rules for anyone to touch my gun. If you let the corpora

. For a moment he hesitated, wondering what to do. He wanted to get back into the passageway, and he did not want the German to see him doing it. As he thought, he studied the entrance attentively. An

or the moment. He saw that the door was so contrived that anyone emerging from it would seem to anyone even a few feet away, to be simply coming out fr

before, and his tone was one of anger. He struggled to his feet, too, and st

war

voice from directly behind the sold

e?" he call

ere!" said th

from the very gr

er turned, like a dancing dervish, trying always to fac

the spirit of this place! I command you to go! Go up the gully. Stand with your back turned to this place and count one hundred. Then, and only then, you may return. Your gun will be here, and you m

red's lips had never moved. Fred, at home, had often amused the guests of his family and the gatherings of the scout patrol to which he belonged with this trick of v

in front of him! "Not a step further!

vier-" began the G

re that the German's curiosity did not get the better of his fright, which had certainly been real enough. But it was all right. The man counted right up to a hundred, and once or twice, to Fred's huge amuseme

"I did not know there was a spiri

d, throwing his voice out so it

moment closed the door behind him, and began

y not waiting until I knew more about the place. If that soldier hadn't been ready to see a ghost in anything he didn't have some reason to expect

was no sound at the thin wall, where he stopped, when he reached it, to listen for the sound of voices in the great hall. That encouraged him. He decided that if any soldiers had been left

iting to pounce on him. But he went on, because he decided that if anyone were waiting they must

pon them! My master has told me to treat you as if you stood in his place until he returns.

a moment. Then he rem

show me the room where the wireless i

nderstand such devil's work, bu

lau

will be pretty useful to us," he said. "Come on, if it'

left there alone while Vladimir went off to get the things that Ivan had given to him for safekeeping, and he studied the installation closely. It was different from any that he had

twenty miles with those bat

ned. For he removed a picture that hung on

hat those wires that you see run down to a place far below the cellar,

enly enlightened. "That's a fine idea! They can develop power without s

s key, after replacing the parts that had been

ld Vladimir, who watched him in fascinated wond

as a code book, as he saw at once, and on the inside of the cover was a list of wireless stations, with their calls. There was one at Virballen,

Vladimir. "He said to put it in a safe place, and to destroy i

e Germans got that book, it would be as va

o not understand, but I am old and stupid, a

t he must be able to read and speak her Russian tongue. He would have to send in Morse, instead of in the somewhat simpler C

sure that the Russians were still in possession of their station there, since he remembered that the Germans had had th

over miles of hostile country, came a welcome whisper in his ear-the w