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Macalister's face was set and savage, and there was a cold, hard look in his eye, a stern ferocity on his mud and bloodstained face that convinced the German the end of the five minutes would also surely see his end. "One minute to go," said the timekeeper. A sigh of indrawn breaths ran round the circle, and then tense silence.
But now, above the thunder of the artillery and of the bursting shells, they could hear the sound of rising rifle-fire. The officer must have glimpsed the hope in Macalister's face, and, with an oath, he brought the pistol up level again. "Do not cheat yourself," he said. "You cannot escape. If a charge comes I shall shoot you first."
MacAlister's back was turned and do what they liked with the letters; but such a thing has never happened before. Now, whoever committed the robbery has seen that Neil was in the post-office that evening, turning over the letters; and he saw that Neil got a money order to send away.
He gave an order in German, and a couple of men stepped forward and placed their bayonets with the points touching Macalister's chest. "If you do not answer next time I speak," he said smoothly, "I will give one word that will pin you to the trench wall and leave you there. Do you understand!" he snapped suddenly and savagely. "You English dog." "I understand," said Macalister.
"But it was just somethin' I thought I might tell ye." The pistol muzzle dropped another inch or two, with Macalister's eye watching its every quiver. His words brought to the officer's mind something that in his rage he had quite overlooked.
Margot was no great performer, but what she could play she played by heart, and Nature had provided her with a sweet, thrush-like voice, with that true musical thrill which no teaching can impart. At the first few bars of a Chopin nocturne Mr Macalister's newspaper wavered, and fell to his knee.
But the officer refused to walk, and would have thrown himself down if Macalister's grasp had not prevented it. "Ye would, would ye?" growled the Scot, and seized his captive by the shoulders and shook him till his teeth rattled. "Now," he said angrily, "ye'll come wi' me or " he broke off to fling a gigantic arm about the officer's neck "or I'll pull the heid aff ye."
First, in the Tower, there's Jane Macalister's room, and Boris sleeps near her, and then there's Kitty she has a room to herself it's rather small, but she's immensely proud of it, and there's Nell and " Susy suddenly clapped her hands to her ears. "For goodness sake stop," she exclaimed. "What do I care for your Macalisters, and Boris's, and Kittys?
The broad, beaming smile, the sly little nod behind Mr Macalister's back, proclaiming triumph and delighted gratitude these sent Margot up to her room heartened and revived in spirits, for there is nothing on earth so invigorating as to feel that we have helped a fellow-creature. The sunshine came back to her own heart, even as it was slowly breaking its way through the clouds overhead.
The officer's hand still clung to the pistol he had held, but Macalister's grasp swooped and clutched and wrenched the weapon away. "Get up, my man," he said grimly. "Get up, or I'll blow a hole in ye as ye lie." He added emphasis with the point of the pistol in the other's ribs, and the officer staggered to his feet. "Now," said Macalister, "you'll quick mairch that way."
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