Faked Passports Read Online Free PDF Page B

hand against little old ‘Itler. Besides, if we’re caught, what about you?”
    â€œOh, I’ll be shot; because I’m not a member of one of the fighting Services but a secret agent.”
    â€œAren’t you a bit scared? I mean—our chances don’t seem up to much, do they?”
    â€œFrankly, no. We’re faced with two major liabilities which are going to make it extremely difficult for us to get clean away. Firstly, my wound, which prevents our travelling swiftly. I’m afraid it’s very inflamed and there’s no doubt that I ought really to lie up for at least two or three days without moving at all. Then there’s the fact that you can’t speak German.”
    â€œOur clothes are a bit of a give-away, too.”
    â€œYes. At a push I could pass in a crowd, since this is a German officer’s greatcoat that I’m wearing; but your leather kit won’t be easy to laugh off, as they’re certain to be looking for two English airmen. Fortunately, though, they didn’t see us at allclearly so they can’t issue our descriptions and, of course, they haven’t got the faintest idea of the identity of the people in the plane that they shot down.”
    â€œPerhaps tomorrow we may run across some farm-labourer whose things I could buy or, if necessary, take off him by force,” Charlton suggested.
    â€œYes; or we may be able to beg, borrow or steal a change of clothing.”
    â€œThe devil of it is that first thing in the morning those damned soldiers and the police will be beating these woods with bloodhounds.”
    Gregory shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. They’ll beat the woods all right, but not with bloodhounds. For a bloodhound to be any help you’ve got to give it some article of clothing that’s been worn by the person you’re hunting, so that it can get the scent, and they’ve got nothing of that kind in their possession. Anyhow, time enough to face tomorrow’s troubles when tomorrow comes. Let’s try to get some sleep.”
    They stretched out in the ditch side by side, pillowing their heads on their handkerchiefs spread out over scraped-up piles of leaves. The silence of the wood was broken only by the occasional scurrying of small animals in the undergrowth as they went about their nightly business. Once Gregory spotted a pair of tiny bright eyes gleaming at him out of the blackness but at his first movement the little animal scampered away in quick alarm. The cold was intense and they would have suffered from it severely if both of them had not been very warmly clad. As it was, it kept them from sleep for some time although they buried their hands in their arm-pits and their faces deep in the turned-up collars of their coats; but at last they dropped off from sheer exhaustion.
    When they awoke the pale light of the chill November dawn was just filtering through the naked branches of the trees. Cold, cramped and stiff, they sat up to peer about them. From the gully in which they lay they could not see more than a dozen yards in any direction or any sign of a break in the wood.
    Charlton shivered and said miserably: “Oh God! Then it
wasn’t
a nightmare! We really
were
shot down and are on the run.”
    Gregory gave an “Ouch!” of pain as he moved. His wound had set stiff during the night and as he lifted his left arm a violent pain ran through his shoulder.
    â€œYou’ve said it!” he replied through gritted teeth. “It’s no dream you’re having, but a lovely, real-life adventure.”
    â€œAdventure be damned! What wouldn’t I give for a cup of tea, breakfast and a hot bath!”
    â€œWhy not wish for caviare, a suite at the Ritz and Cleopatra smiling at you from a large double-bed, while you’re about it?” said Gregory. “You’re just as likely to get one as the other.”
    Standing up, Freddie Charlton stretched