the red cross girl(红十字姑娘)-第21部分
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through lanes of armed men。 They packed each side of the road。 They
were banked behind the hedges。 Their camp…fires blazed from every hill…
top。
〃Your regiment seems to have turned out to a man！〃 exclaimed Ford
admiringly。
〃MY regiment！〃 snorted the officer。 〃You've passed through five
regiments already； and there are as many more in the dark places。 They're
everywhere！〃 he cried jubilantly。
〃And I thought they were only where you see the camp…fires；〃
exclaimed Ford。
〃That's what the Germans think；〃 said the officer。 〃It's working like a
clock；〃 he cried happily。 〃There hasn't been a hitch。 As soon as they got
your warning to Colonel Raglan； they came down to the coast like a wave；
on foot； by trains； by motors； and at nine o'clock the Government took
over all the railroads。 The county regiments； regulars； yeomanry；
territorials； have been spread along this shore for thirty miles。 Down in
London the Guards started to Dover and Brighton two hours ago。 The
Automobile Club in the first hour collected two hundred cars and turned
them over to the Guards in Bird Cage Walk。 Cody and Grahame…White
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and eight of his air men left Hendon an hour ago to reconnoitre the south
coast。 Admiral Beatty has started with the Channel Squadron to head off
the German convoy in the North Sea； and the torpedo destroyers have
been sent to lie outside of Heligoland。 We'll get that back by daylight。 And
on land every one of the three services is under arms。 On this coast alone
before sunrise we'll have one hundred thousand men； and from Colchester
the brigade division of artillery； from Ipswich the R。 H。 A。's with siege…
guns； field…guns； quick… firing…guns； all kinds of guns spread out over
every foot of ground from here to Hunstanton。 They thought they'd give us
a surprise party。 They will never give us another surprise party！〃
On the top of the hill at Overstrand； the headwaiter of the East Cliff
Hotel and the bearded German stood in the garden back of the house with
the forbidding walls。 From the road in front came unceasingly the tramp
and shuffle of thousands of marching feet； the rumble of heavy cannon；
the clanking of their chains； the voices of men trained to command raised
in sharp； confident orders。 The sky was illuminated by countless fires。
Every window of every cottage and hotel blazed with lights。 The night had
been turned into day。 The eyes of the two Germans were like the eyes of
those who had passed through an earthquake； of those who looked upon
the burning of San Francisco； upon the destruction of Messina。
〃We were betrayed； general；〃 whispered the head…waiter。
〃We were betrayed； baron；〃 replied the bearded one。
〃But you were in time to warn the flotilla。〃
With a sigh； the older man nodded。
〃The last message I received over the wireless；〃 he said； 〃before I
destroyed it； read； 'Your message understood。 We are returning。 Our
movements will be explained as manoeuvres。 And；〃 added the general；
〃The English； having driven us back； will be willing to officially accept
that explanation。 As manoeuvres； this night will go down into history。
Return to the hotel；〃 he commanded； 〃And in two months you can rejoin
your regiment。〃
On the morning after the invasion the New York Republic published a
map of Great Britain that covered three columns and a wood…cut of Ford
that was spread over five。 Beneath it was printed： 〃Lester Ford； our
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London correspondent； captured by the Germans； he escapes and is the
first to warn the English people。〃
On the same morning； In an editorial in The Times of London；
appeared this paragraph：
〃The Germans were first seen by the Hon。 Arthur Herbert； the eldest
son of Lord Cinaris； Mr。 Patrick Headford Birrell both of Balliol College；
Oxford； and Mr。 Lester Ford； the correspondent of the New York Republic。
These gentlemen escaped from the landing party that tried to make them
prisoners； and at great risk proceeded in their motor…car over roads
infested by the Germans to all the coast towns of Norfolk； warning the
authorities。 Should the war office fail to recognize their services； the
people of Great Britain will prove that they are not ungrateful。〃
A week later three young men sat at dinner on the terrace of the Savoy。
〃Shall we； or shall we not；〃 asked Herbert； 〃tell my uncle that we three；
and we three alone； were the invaders？〃
〃That's hardly correct；〃 said Ford； 〃as we now know there were two
hundred thousand invaders。 We were the only three who got ashore。〃
〃I vote we don't tell him；〃 said Birrell。 〃Let him think with everybody
else that the Germans blundered； that an advance party landed too soon
and gave the show away。 If we talk；〃 he argued； 〃We'll get credit for a
successful hoax。 If we keep quiet； everybody will continue to think we
saved England。 I'm content to let it go at that。〃
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CHAPTER 4。 BLOOD WILL
TELL
David Greene was an employee of the Burdett Automatic Punch
Company。 The manufacturing plant of the company was at Bridgeport； but
in the New York offices there were working samples of all the punches；
from the little nickel…plated hand punch with which conductors squeezed
holes in railroad tickets； to the big punch that could bite into an iron plate
as easily as into a piece of pie。 David's duty was to explain these different
punches； and accordingly when Burdett Senior or one of the sons turned a
customer over to David he spoke of him as a salesman。 But David called
himself a 〃demonstrator。〃 For a short time he even succeeded in
persuading the other salesmen to speak of themselves as demonstrators；
but the shipping clerks and bookkeepers laughed them out of it。 They
could not laugh David out of it。 This was so； partly because he had no
sense of humor； and partly because he had a great…great…grandfather。
Among the salesmen on lower Broadway； to possess a great…great…
grandfather is unusual； even a great…grandfather is a rarity； and either is
considered superfluous。 But to David the possession of a great…great…
grandfather was a precious and open delight。 He had possessed him only
for a short time。 Undoubtedly he always had existed； but it was not until
David's sister Anne married a doctor in Bordentown； New Jersey； and
became socially ambitious； that David emerged as a Son of Washington。
It was sister Anne； anxious to 〃get in〃 as a 〃Daughter〃 and wear a
distaff pin in her shirtwaist； who discovered the revolutionary ancestor。
She unearthed him； or rather ran him to earth； in the graveyard of the
Presbyterian church at Bordentown。 He was no less a person than General
Hiram Greene； and he had fought with Washington at Trenton and at
Princeton。 Of this there was no doubt。 That； later； on moving to New York；
his descendants became peace…loving salesmen did not affect his record。
To enter a society founded on heredity； the important thing is first to catch
your ancestor； and having made sure of him； David entered the Society of
the Sons of Washington with flying colors。 He was not unlike the man
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who had been speaking prose for forty years without knowing it。 He was
not unlike the other man who woke to find himself famous。 He had gone
to bed a timid； near…sighted； underpaid salesman without a relative in the
world； except a married sister in Bordentown； and he awoke to find he was
a direct descendant of 〃Neck or Nothing〃 Greene； a revolutionary hero； a
friend of Washington； a man whose portrait hung in the State House at
Trenton。 David's life had lacked color。 The day he carried his certificate of
membership to the big jewelry store uptown and purchased two rosettes；
one for each of his two coats； was the proudest of his life。
The other men in the Broadway office took a different view。 As
Wyckoff； one of Burdett's flying squadron of travelling salesmen； said；
〃All grandfathers look alike to me； whether they're great； or great…great…
great。 Each one is as dead as the other。 I'd rather have a live cousin who
could loan me a five； or slip me a drink。 What did your great…great dad
ever do for you？〃
〃Well； for one thing；〃 said David stiffly； 〃he fought in the War of the
Revolution。 He saved us from the shackles of monarchical England； he
made
