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saw for miles along the coast great beacon fires burning
fiercely。
Herbert came to an abrupt halt。
〃Since seeing those fires；〃 he explained； 〃I feel a strange
reluctance about showing myself in this uniform to a Coast
Guard。〃
〃Coast Guards don't shoot！〃 mocked Birrell。 〃They only look
at the clouds through a telescope。 Three Germans with rifles
ought to be able to frighten one Coast Guard with a
telescope。〃
The whitewashed cabin of the Coast Guard was perched on the
edge of the cliff。 Behind it the downs ran back to meet the
road。 The door of the cabin was open and from it a shaft of
light cut across a tiny garden and showed the white fence and
the walk of shells。 v
〃We must pass in single file in front of that light；〃
whispered Ford； 〃And then； after we are sure he has seen us；
we must run like the devil！〃
〃I'm on in that last scene；〃 growled Herbert。
〃Only；〃 repeated Ford with emphasis； 〃We must be sure he has
seen us。〃
Not twenty feet from them came a bursting roar； a flash； many
roars； many flashes； many bullets。
〃He's seen us！〃 yelled Birrell。
After the light from his open door had shown him one German
soldier fully armed； the Coast Guard had seen nothing
further。 But judging from 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 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 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 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 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。 Les