Rex was for pressing on, but De Richleau was against it.
“The wireless is certain to have been busy,” he said, “and the frontier strongly guarded. To attempt to rush a second post in broad daylight would be madness — we should be shot to pieces.”
At Simon’s suggestion they adhered to his original plan and took a by-road to the west at the entrance of the township. It was little better than a cart-track, but it proved to be the same road that he had seen with Richard on the map, and a mile and a half farther on they found the cross-roads which had been decided on as the rendezvous. A solitary farmstead standing a little way back from the road occupied one corner. A few yards from the gate leading into the yard, Rex pulled up.
“What’s the drill now?” he asked.
“Better wake Richard,” said Simon. “Now we haven’t got his ’plane to go over in we’ll need all the ideas we can get.”
De Richleau shook the sleeper. Richard muttered angrily at first and refused to waken, but the Duke was persistent. At last he opened his eyes and groaned.
“Oh, God! my head!”
“Wake up, Richard — wake up!” said De Richleau loudly.
With heavy eyes Richard looked about him. “What’s happened?” he asked stupidly.
“I guess I nearly broke your poor old head,” Rex admitted.
“Gosh — it feels like it — still, you found the car — you’d better clear out.” Richard made an effort to get up.
“We’re here,” said Simon. “Mogeliev — Rumanian frontier.”
“What? What’s that?” — Richard was awake now.
“The frontier,” Simon repeated. “Want your ideas about getting across.”
“Where’s Marie Lou?” gasped Richard, looking round wildly.
“She went by train, you know. You told me you’d made special arrangements for her.”
“You fool — you stupid fool,” cried Richard, angrily. “I never said anything of the kind. She was coming with me by ’plane.”
XXVII -“There’s Many a Slip...”
For a moment there was an appalling silence; then Richard said quickly: “I’m going back.”
“Ner,” Simon shook his head. “You’re not up to it — I’ll go. Richard, I can’t tell you how sorry I am, but I could have sworn that you said you were sending her by train, so that she shouldn’t be mixed up in this business.”
“I never said anything about trains, but it’s not your fault, Simon. I ought to have made myself clear. Anyhow, I’m going back.”
“It’s this child who’s going back,” said Rex, “neither of you boys is fit to travel.”
De Richleau had remained silent; he opened the door of the car and stepped out into the roadway. Then he smiled at the others, not unkindly.
“Now, my friends, if you have all done, I suggest that we should treat this misfortune like sensible people. It would be madness for any of us to dash back to Kiev in this quixotic manner. An hour either way can make no difference now, and we are all badly in need or rest. Let us breakfast first, and think about saving Marie Lou afterwards.”
Without waiting for a reply he walked over to the farm gate and held it open.
“That certainly is sense.” Rex put the car in gear, and ran her through into the yard.
“Hullo! what’s that?” exclaimed Simon, as he got out stiffly. “Sounds like a ’plane.”
“It is.” De Richleau was gazing up into the sky. “Quick, Rex, run the car under that shed — it may be the frontier people looking for us.”
A moment later they saw her — a big grey air-liner, coming up from the direction of Mogeliev. With a dull booming of her powerful engines she sailed steadily over their heads, following the line of the frontier, the early morning sunlight glinting on her metalwork.
At the far end of the yard a tall, blond peasant had been harnessing a horse into one of the long, boat-shaped carts so common in the Ukraine. He left his work and walked slowly over to them; after De Richleau had spoken a few words to him he turned and led the way towards the house. The aeroplane had disappeared towards the west.
As the small procession trooped into the clean, bright kitchen a portly, apple-cheeked woman looked up with some apprehension, but the farmer quieted her fears, and soon she was busy preparing a hearty breakfast for her unexpected guests.
The Duke went out again with the man into the yard, and when he returned he pointed through the kitchen window, which looked out on the back. The farmhouse stood upon a slight rise, an orchard lay to the right, but before them spread a gently sloping meadow — beyond it fields, and in the valley, not more than a mile away, the edge of a dark forest.
“You see those tree-tops, my friends? Their roots are in Rumanian soil. At last it seems that we have reached our journey’s end.”
Simon let a little sigh escape him. It had been a terrible wrench to leave Valeria Petrovna, but over the border lay freedom — London... Paris... Deauville ... Monte Carlo. The old world capitalist cities, with their life and laughter — their restaurants, the Opera, the print shops, and the excitement of big business deals; everything that he had always loved.
Rex laughed. “My, won’t we throw some party — when we get over there!”
Only Richard turned away disconsolate — not even for a single moment could he cease wondering what had happened to little Marie Lou.
Over breakfast they discussed the situation. De Richleau argued that there was no undue reason for alarm. When Richard failed to put in an appearance she had in all probability gone back to the hotel.
“But just think of her,” Richard explained, “waiting for hours wondering what on earth had happened to us — thinking perhaps that the escape had failed and that we’d all been arrested!”
“Sure,” Rex agreed, “or, like as not, that we were a rotten bunch of pikers, who’d taken her help and quit while the goin’ was good.”
“Ner, she wouldn’t think that,” said Simon. “All I hope is that she hasn’t worried herself into doing something silly — anyhow, I’m going back to get her.”
“No!” Richard looked up quickly. “I am.”
“Well, in any case,” remarked the Duke, “it would be madness for more than one of us to run his head into the noose.”
Simon nodded. “That true — and this is my muddle, so I’m going.”
“My dear fellow,” De Richleau protested, “for you it is impossible. You forget your leg — you could never drive the car that distance.”
“Sure — that lets Simon out,” Rex declared, “and since I’m the fittest of you all I guess it’s my party.”
“No,” said the Duke, “it is highly probable that there is another electric fence on the actual frontier, like that which we found at Romanovsk — whoever goes, you must stay to help the others over.”
Richard looked round with tired eyes. “Please don’t let’s argue any more. The escape will have been discovered by this time, and all three of you are wanted by the police. I’m not — I’m in Russia with a proper passport — and what’s more, she’s my wife.”
His argument was incontrovertible, and ended the discussion. Breakfast was finished in thoughtful silence, then they strolled out into the meadow at the back of the farm to gaze upon the promised land.
The rhythmic throbbing of the big ’plane could be heard again, so they took cover in the orchard. This time it was beating back towards the east.