"You'll 'ave to excuse me, sir," said Mr.Shutliffe, "but Iam a trifle 'ard of 'earing."
The soldier addressed him in English.
"What is the name of this village?" he demanded.
Mr.Shuttiffe, having lived in the village upward of eighty years, recalled its name with difficulty.
"Have you seen any of our people?"
With another painful effort of memory Mr.Shutliffe shook his head.
"Go indoors!" commanded the soldier, "And put out all lights, and remain indoors.We have taken this village.We are Germans.You are a prisoner! Do you understand?""Yes, sir, thank'ee, sir, kindly," stammered Mr.Shutliffe.
"May I lock in the pigs first, sir?"
One of the soldiers coughed explosively, and ran away, and the two others trotted after him.When they looked back, Mr.
Shutliffe was still standing uncertainly in the dusk, mildly concerned as to whether he should lock up the pigs or obey the German gentleman.
The three soldiers halted behind the church wall.
"That was a fine start!" mocked Herbert."Of course, you had to pick out the Village Idiot.If they are all going to take it like that, we had better pack up and go home.""The village inn is still open," said Ford."We'll close It."They entered with fixed bayonets and dropped the butts of their rifles on the sanded floor.A man in gaiters choked over his ale and two fishermen removed their clay pipes and stared.The bar-maid alone arose to the occasion.
"Now, then," she exclaimed briskly, "What way is that to come tumbling into a respectable place? None of your tea-garden tricks in here, young fellow, my lad, or --"The tallest of the three intruders, in deep guttural accents, interrupted her sharply.
"We are Germans!" he declared."This village is captured.You are prisoners of war.Those lights you will out put, and yourselves lock in.If you into the street go, we will shoot!"He gave a command in a strange language; so strange, indeed, that the soldiers with him failed to entirely grasp his meaning, and one shouldered his rifle, while the other brought his politely to a salute.
"You ass!" muttered the tall German." Get out!"As they charged into the street, they heard behind them a wild feminine shriek, then a crash of pottery and glass, then silence, and an instant later the Ship Inn was buried in darkness.
"That will hold Stiffkey for a while!" said Ford."Now, back to the car."But between them and the car loomed suddenly a tall and impressive figure.His helmet and his measured tread upon the deserted cobble-stones proclaimed his calling.
"The constable!" whispered Herbert."He must see us, but he mustn't speak to us."For a moment the three men showed themselves in the middle of the street, and then, as though at sight of the policeman they had taken alarm, disappeared through an opening between two houses.Five minutes later a motor-car, with its canvas top concealing its occupants, rode slowly into Stiffkey's main street and halted before the constable.The driver of the car wore a leather skull-cap and goggles.From his neck to his heels he was covered by a raincoat.
"Mr.Policeman," he began; " when I turned in here three soldiers stepped in front of my car and pointed rifles at me.
Then they ran off toward the beach.What's the idea--manoeuvres? Because, they've no right to--""Yes, sir," the policeman assured him promptly; "I saw them.
It's manoeuvres, sir.Territorials."
"They didn't look like Territorials," objected the chauffeur.
"They looked like Germans."
Protected by the deepening dusk, the constable made no effort to conceal a grin.
"Just Territorials, sir," he protested soothingly;"skylarking maybe, but meaning no harm.Still, I'll have a look round, and warn 'em."A voice from beneath the canvas broke in angrily:
"I tell you, they were Germans.It's either a silly joke, or it's serious, and you ought to report it.It's your duty to warn the Coast Guard."The constable considered deeply.
"I wouldn't take it on myself to wake the Coast Guard," he protested; "not at this time of the night.But if any Germans' been annoying you, gentlemen, and you wish to lodge a complaint against them, you give me your cards--""Ye gods!" cried the man in the rear of the car."Go on!" he commanded.
As the car sped out of Stiffkey, Herbert exclaimed with disgust:
"What's the use!" he protested."You couldn't wake these people with dynamite! I vote we chuck it and go home.""They little know of England who only Stiffkey know," chanted the chauffeur reprovingly."Why, we haven't begun yet.Wait till we meet a live wire!"Two miles farther along the road to Cromer, young Bradshaw, the job-master's son at Blakeney, was leading his bicycle up the hill.Ahead of him something heavy flopped from the bank into the road--and in the light of his acetylene lamp he saw a soldier.The soldier dodged across the road and scrambled through the hedge on the bank opposite.He was followed by another soldier, and then by a third.The last man halted.