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the shrieks of terror and the sounds of falling bodies that followed his first
shot； he was convinced he was hemmed in by an army； and he proceeded
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to sell his life dearly。 Clip after clip of cartridges he emptied into the night；
now to the front； now to the rear； now out to sea； now at his own shadow
in the lamp…light。 To the people a quarter of a mile away at Morston it
sounded like a battle。
After running half a mile； Ford； bruised and breathless； fell at full
length on the grass beside the car。 Near it； tearing from his person the last
vestiges of a German uniform； he found Birrell。 He also was puffing
painfully。
〃What happened to Herbert？〃 panted Ford。
〃I don't know；〃 gasped Birrell； 〃When I saw him last he was diving
over the cliff into the sea。 How many times did you die？〃
〃About twenty！〃 groaned the American； 〃And； besides being dead； I
am severely wounded。 Every time he fired； I fell on my face； and each
time I hit a rock！〃
A scarecrow of a figure appeared suddenly in the rays of the head…
lights。 It was Herbert； scratched； bleeding； dripping with water； and clad
simply in a shirt and trousers。 He dragged out his kit bag and fell into his
golf clothes。
〃Anybody who wants a perfectly good German uniform；〃 he cried；
〃can have mine。 I left it in the first row of breakers。 It didn't fit me；
anyway。〃
The other two uniforms were hidden in the seat of the car。 The rifles
and helmets； to lend color to the invasion； were dropped in the open road；
and five minutes later three gentlemen in inconspicuous Harris tweeds；
and with golf clubs protruding from every part of their car； turned into the
shore road to Cromer。 What they saw brought swift terror to their guilty
souls and the car to an abrupt halt。 Before them was a regiment of regulars
advancing in column of fours； at the 〃 double。〃 An officer sprang to the
front of the car and seated himself beside Ford。
〃I'll have to commandeer this；〃 he said。 〃Run back to Cromer。 Don't
crush my men； but go like the devil！〃
〃We heard firing here；〃 explained the officer 〃 at the Coast Guard
station。 The Guard drove them back to the sea。 He counted over a dozen。
They made pretty poor practice； for he isn't wounded； but his gravel walk
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looks as though some one had drawn a harrow over it。 I wonder；〃
exclaimed the officer suddenly； 〃if you are the three gentlemen who first
gave the alarm to Colonel Raglan and then went on to warn the other coast
towns。 Because； if you are； he wants your names。〃
Ford considered rapidly。 If he gave false names and that fact were
discovered； they would be suspected and investigated； and the worst might
happen。 So he replied that his friends and himself probably were the men
to whom the officer referred。 He explained they had been returning from
Cromer； where they had gone to play golf； when they had been held up by
the Germans。
〃You were lucky to escape；〃 said the officer 〃And in keeping on to
give warning you were taking chances。 If I may say so； we think you
behaved extremely well。〃
Ford could not answer。 His guilty conscience shamed him into silence。
With his siren shrieking and his horn tooting； he was forcing the car
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。
〃W