Читать книгу The Day, or The Passing of a Throne - Fred M. White - Страница 15

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Whilst natters were thus progressing in London, Paul Rosslyn had been by no means idle. He was sorry enough that he could not communicate with Hallett, but for the moment that was impossible. Hallett might believe that something disastrous had happened to his junior that could not be helped. And it seemed to Rosslyn that he was going to strike a shrewd blow for the old flag and that his place was exactly where it was.

There was no difficulty in the way now, either. Leroux's frank statement had dissipated the last lingering doubt at the back of Rosslyn's mind; it was good to know that Leroux's motives were patriot and honourable, and above all it was good to know that Vera had not intentionally deceived him. All the misery of anxious doubt had vanished in thin air, and Rosslyn was not slow to see the glorious chance that lay before him. Instead of being the victim of a vile conspiracy he had been favoured beyond his dreams.

Thus the last difficulty had disappeared, and in future it all looked like plain sailing. No suspicion would be aroused by the appearance of Rosslyn's marvellous aeroplane, indeed it could be despatched on its way under the eyes of the troops at Wilhelmshaven, and apparently with the sanction of the Commanders there. Afterwards there would probably be risks, but Rosslyn was cheerfully ready to sacrifice his life for his country and held it cheap at the price. He was ready to start now.

Leroux's plan was simple enough. The aeroplane would fly in the direction of Berlin soon after dark on the following day and once over the City, the Manifesto of the Democratic Federation would be scattered along the streets in thousands.

"So that is all settled," Leroux said. "We start at six o'clock to-morrow evening. We fly over Berlin, and whether we come back or not is in the lap of the gods. Perhaps we do not come back at all. It may not be necessary. I think you told me that your machine could land on a piece of ground no bigger than a tennis lawn. Well, I know a house on the outskirts of Potsdam belonging to one of our most ardent supporters. There is a certain white post and a flagstaff which he has had erected at my suggestion. All being well we might spend tomorrow night at my friend's."

"My machine will do all I claim for it," Rosslyn said. "I can fold the wings and drop anywhere as safely as a bird drops in the branch of a tree and quite as noiselessly too. We could hover over Berlin a couple of hundred feet from the ground, and not a soul would guess what was there in the darkness. I could remain in the air for a couple of days if necessary."

Leroux nodded approvingly. It seemed to him that there was no more to be done. Then at a sign from him, Von Korner removed a brick from inside the chimney and produced a large sheet of paper.

"This is our manifesto," he said. "They have all been printed and ready for some time, which is rather fortunate since the Government has seized every private printing press in the kingdom. They are so desperately afraid that the people should discover the truth. Never has a country been so shamefully treated. But it cannot last much longer. You can boast of your victories, but the hordes of fugitives pouring from the east into Berlin and the shortage of food tell another story. However, I had better read the manifesto."

GERMANIA, THOU ART BETRAYED.

TO THE FRIENDS OF THE

GERMAN REPUBLIC. GREETING.

Listen to the truth from the mouth of the Socialistic Brotherhood. You are being fed with lies. The British Fleet is Mistress of the Seas. Every civilised country outside the iron ring that binds you is grateful to Great Britain, who keeps open the Ocean Paths of Commerce and the food routes of the world. There is no distress anywhere except in Germany. Scandinavia, Holland, France, Spain, Italy, and the East are hardly cognisant that war has been declared. From India, from China, Australia and New Zealand, and the South American States commerce flows in the same uninterrupted way. There is no strife, no misery or suffering anywhere save in our own unhappy country. Your Government has lied to you, the War Council are feeding you with vain delusions. Even now the hosts of Russia are threatening your Capital, even now your columns are being hurled back with terrific slaughter from the frontiers of France. Everywhere is chaos. There is no life in your army, no zeal and nothing but sullen discontent. Your commerce overseas has been destroyed, most of your shipping is in the hands of the enemy. Your boasted Zeppelins are a failure, your battleships are skulking in harbour and some of them actually sold to neutral powers. You are not a country fighting for a great cause, but only to gratify the ambitions of a madman whose delusion is that he is a Napoleon or a Caesar, but who is in reality no more than a cold-blooded Nero. You are no longer fighting for honour or glory or for the love of the flag, you are no more than a beleaguered fortress beseiged on all sides, a fortress which must fall before long.

"Comrades, even your enemies are sorry for you. As Germany you have no enemies. To crush you out of existence is not the aim of the Allies—that would be sheer folly on their part, a check on civilization and a disgrace. What they fight for is the death and destruction of Caesarism. They fight to destroy your navy and your military aspirations, and above all they fight to destroy Wilhelm and the parasites at Potsdam who have threatened the peace of Europe for twenty years. They fight to establish here not a military occupation, but to save a great people from themselves. They fight for the German Republic. And it is for you to breathe life into the senseless clay.

"It is for you to do it. You say that it shall be done. Long life and prosperity to the German Republic."

There was a great deal more of it couched in the same strain with many figures and facts to impress the incredulous. Leroux smiled proudly as he held up the sheet.

"There," he cried. "What do you think of that? And they can do it in Berlin if they will. There are few troops there and those are discontented. Let us drink to the great adventure."

The chill darkness had fallen before the plane rose swift and clean as a bird with an upward swing that turned Leroux sick and dizzy for a moment. It seemed impossible that so small a thing could carry her passengers, but as she rose a longer wing seem to be unfolded much as a bird stretches her pinions to the uttermost. She swept along in the darkness with no more noise than that of the hum of an insect. They rose presently to the height of three thousand feet, then turned in the direction of Berlin. There were lights twinkling below with occasionally a brighter speck here and there, and as Leroux's keen eyes noted these he chuckled.

"All is working well," he said. "Those green lights are signals, sentinels to guide us on our way. So far as I can see, there is not a hitch anywhere. Presently when we get near Berlin we will see four green lights forming a square. It will be there that we shall drop if everything goes well with us."

Then on again in absolute silence for an hour or more over towns great and small, over rivers and dells till presently the long lines of flame and the clusters of lamps here and there bespoke the near presence of the great town. At a suggestion from Leroux, Rosslyn planed down till they hovered over the city not more than three hundred feet above the highest buildings. So far as they could see the streets were packed with people wandering about restlessly and anxiously. But all the cafes and public buildings were deserted, there was not a light from a theatre or place of amusement to be seen. It was a city with the spirit of disaster brooding over it.

"You see how it is," Leroux murmured. "Berlin is in a state of siege, and the people know it. Can you hear a laugh, can you hear one cheerful voice? The places of amusement are closed, the cafes are empty. There is nothing but light, nothing more to indicate that here is one of the greatest cities of the world. There is no life in the people, they are full of anxious dread. And where are the soldiers? There are a few round the palace, and practically none in the streets. And yet the streets are packed with people. Come, let us get on with our propaganda. A little higher, please. And then you circle over the city like some great eagle. Now."

The plane whirled round in gigantic circles, swift as the flight of a swallow. Leroux proceeded to throw his handfuls of manifestos far and wide. They fell amongst the massed people below like fitful snow, they dropped apparently out of nowhere on the heads of the sullen crowd. At first they elicited nothing more than a little idle curiosity not altogether free from panic. Then gradually as the packed masses regained their nerve, Leroux could see hundreds of people reading the sheets with living interest. The populace was scrambling for them now, and those fortunate enough to obtain one were crowded round eagerly and bade to read it aloud.

The silence had given way to a dense clamour of tongues, on every hand the contents of the manifesto were read aloud, and Leroux smiled grimly as he heard those winged words come back echoing to his ears.

"What did I tell you?" he said. "Ah, there are few indeed who understand my countrymen better than I do. You say to yourself, 'Well why don't they put an end to it?' You say that they are an enlightened and educated people who elect their own members of Parliament, where they are allowed to say what they like. Ah, my friend, that is all they are allowed to do. Practically every adult German is a soldier, and the habits of discipline and obedience are like rings of iron riveted about the soul. But there are limits to the credulity of the most abject slave who was ever tied to the chariots heels of a tyrant. We have sown the seeds to-night, and it will not be long to the harvest. Now, confess, is not this a better way than the horrors of war?"