Page 154 - A Hero of Liége

"Where is the dejeuner?" cried Hellwig. "Why have you come
empty-handed? What do you mean by keeping us waiting?"

"Pardon, monsieur," faltered Granger. "I must beg messieurs to excuse me."

"Excuses! What do you mean, old fool?"

Granger's hands trembled more violently than ever. In his thin quavering
voice he stammered:

"Pardon, monsieur; I am an old bird. Just before messieurs returned,
parbleu! there came two cavalrymen, Uhlans, it seems, with a hunger of

wolves. I explained as well as I could that the dejeuner was being prepared
for two noble officers, but--- "

"Well?" cried Hellwig, as the speaker paused.

"Pardon, monsieur; but they--they have eaten it all up."

"Sapperment! Where are those Uhlans?" roared Hellwig, half rising.

"They are here, monsieur. Hola!"

Kenneth and Pariset drew the curtain aside, and stepped into the room.

Each held a revolver behind his back.

"What kind of behaviour is this?" growled the major. "Salute, pigs!"

Instead of the expected salute, the Germans saw two steady right hands

pointing revolvers at their heads.

"Merely a little joke, major," said Kenneth quietly: "a little play-acting.

You and your friend shall be in the cast. You shall pretend to be prisoners."

The major swelled with astonishment and rage. Hellwig, who had fixed his
eyes on Kenneth, changed colour, and made a sudden grab for his revolver.