The Swoop | Page 6

orders to reply to no questions,
with the result that little time was lost in idle chatter, and in a couple of
days it was seen that the army of the Fatherland was bound, barring
accidents, to win comfortably.
The progress of the other forces was slower. The Chinese especially
had undergone great privations, having lost their way near
Llanfairpwlgwnngogogoch, and having been unable to understand the
voluble directions given to them by the various shepherds they
encountered. It was not for nearly a week that they contrived to reach
Chester, where, catching a cheap excursion, they arrived in the
metropolis, hungry and footsore, four days after the last of their rivals
had taken up their station.

The German advance halted on the wooded heights of Tottenham. Here
a camp was pitched and trenches dug.
The march had shown how terrible invasion must of necessity be. With
no wish to be ruthless, the troops of Prince Otto had done grievous
damage. Cricket-pitches had been trampled down, and in many cases
even golf-greens dented by the iron heel of the invader, who rarely, if
ever, replaced the divot. Everywhere they had left ruin and misery in
their train.
With the other armies it was the same story. Through
carefully-preserved woods they had marched, frightening the birds and
driving keepers into fits of nervous prostration. Fishing, owing to their
tramping carelessly through the streams, was at a standstill. Croquet
had been given up in despair.
Near Epping the Russians shot a fox....
* * * * *
The situation which faced Prince Otto was a delicate one. All his early
training and education had implanted in him the fixed idea that, if he
ever invaded England, he would do it either alone or with the
sympathetic co-operation of allies. He had never faced the problem of
what he should do if there were rivals in the field. Competition is
wholesome, but only within bounds. He could not very well ask the
other nations to withdraw. Nor did he feel inclined to withdraw
himself.
"It all comes of this dashed Swoop of the Vulture business," he
grumbled, as he paced before his tent, ever and anon pausing to sweep
the city below him with his glasses. "I should like to find the fellow
who started the idea! Making me look a fool! Still, it's just as bad for
the others, thank goodness! Well, Poppenheim?"
Captain von Poppenheim approached and saluted.
"Please, sir, the men say, 'May they bombard London?'"

"Bombard London!"
"Yes, sir; it's always done."
Prince Otto pulled thoughtfully at his moustache.
"Bombard London! It seems--and yet--ah, well, they have few
pleasures."
He stood awhile in meditation. So did Captain von Poppenheim. He
kicked a pebble. So did Captain von Poppenheim--only a smaller
pebble. Discipline is very strict in the German army.
"Poppenheim."
"Sir?"
"Any signs of our--er--competitors?"
"Yes, sir; the Russians are coming up on the left flank, sir. They'll be
here in a few hours. Raisuli has been arrested at Purley for stealing
chickens. The army of Bollygolla is about ten miles out. No news of
the field yet, sir."
The Prince brooded. Then he spoke, unbosoming himself more freely
than was his wont in conversation with his staff.
"Between you and me, Pop," he cried impulsively, "I'm dashed sorry
we ever started this dashed silly invading business. We thought
ourselves dashed smart, working in the dark, and giving no sign till the
great pounce, and all that sort of dashed nonsense. Seems to me we've
simply dashed well landed ourselves in the dashed soup."
Captain von Poppenheim saluted in sympathetic silence. He and the
prince had been old chums at college. A life-long friendship existed
between them. He would have liked to have expressed adhesion
verbally to his superior officer's remarks. The words "I don't think"
trembled on his tongue. But the iron discipline of the German Army
gagged him. He saluted again and clicked his heels.

The Prince recovered himself with a strong effort.
"You say the Russians will be here shortly?" he said.
"In a few hours, sir."
"And the men really wish to bombard London?"
"It would be a treat to them, sir."
"Well, well, I suppose if we don't do it, somebody else will. And we
got here first."
"Yes, sir."
"Then--"
An orderly hurried up and saluted.
"Telegram, sir."
Absently the Prince opened it. Then his eyes lit up.
"Gotterdammerung!" he said. "I never thought of that. 'Smash up
London and provide work for unemployed mending it.--GRAYSON,'"
he read. "Poppenheim."
"Sir?"
"Let the bombardment commence."
"Yes, sir."
"And let it continue till the Russians arrive. Then it must stop, or there
will be complications."
Captain von Poppenheim saluted, and withdrew.

Chapter 6
THE BOMBARDMENT OF LONDON
Thus was London bombarded. Fortunately it was August, and there was
nobody