Read Online At the Narrow Passage by Richard Meredith - Free Book Online

that we'd better make the most of it.

It was still totally dark in the river and I'm sure that the Germans on

the bank couldn't see us, but they could hear us, and they could fire

in our direction. I just hoped that their hearing wasn't good enough to

pinpoint us all, and I thought that echoes from the buildings along the

river would aid us. My main fear was that one of our own men would be

foolish enough to fire back, revealing our positions with the flashing

of his weapon. I should have known better. All these men were experienced

mercenaries -- not heroes.

The river curved slightly, carrying us away from the spot where the

machine gun was set up, though it continued to fire into the water around

us until we finally got out of its range. The rifles, however, moved along

as easily as we did and continued to pelt the river around us. More than

once I heard the whistle of a bullet that missed my head only by inches.

"Ach!" came a sudden expletive from directly behind me. "Bloody hell!"

It was Sir Gerald's voice.

"What is it?" I asked, hoarsely whispering.

"I'm hit," Sir Gerald said weakly.

"Where? How badly?"

"Right thigh," he gasped. "Don't know how bad. Really doesn't hurt

much yet."

"Give it time," I said. "Is the bone broken?"

"Don't know."

"Kearns," I whispered, "see about it."

I heard movement behind me, Kearns slipping into position to investigate

the general's wound with the tips of his fingers. Now I had to paddle

the boat alone.

"Not too bad," Kearns' voice said a few moments later. "It's going to

hurt him, but I don't think it got the bone."

"Can he walk on it?" I asked.

"If he has to."

"My God, man," Sir Gerald gasped, "I don't even know . . ."

"If you have to, you'll walk on it, sir," Kearns said slowly,

bitterly. "Or I'll blow your bloody head off."

"What are you saying?" Sir Gerald asked in a pained voice.

"I'm saying you're not going to slow us down when we hit the ground,"

Kearns said as if speaking to a child. "Mathers?"

"Yes?"

Kearns was silent.

"Oh!" I said, realizing what he meant. "I'm sorry, Sir Gerald, but you'll

have to walk on that leg or surrender yourself to the Imperials."

That was enough for Sir Gerald; he said nothing more.

"Kearns, help me. I can't handle this boat alone."

But already I heard the splash of Kearns' paddle in the water.

By now the city was thinning, gaps appearing between the lower, smaller

buildings and the light of the burning portions of the city was beginning

to play on the water. In a few more moments the riflemen on the shore

would be able to see us.

"Right," I whispered to Kears. "Head for the right bank."

We began to cut toward the center of the river, out to where we stood a

better chance of being seen, but I figured that it was a chance we had

to take.

The men in the boats following us must have been able to see us well enough

to realize what I had in mind, for they began cutting out toward the middle

of the river and then toward the right bank.

My boat had passed the midpoint of the river and was nearing the darkness

of the right bank, Tracy's boat was now no more than a yard or two behind

mine, and the final boat was very close to his, though I could barely

see it. The Imperials on the left bank had momentarily lost us in the

confusion, and we dipped our paddles silently, carefully, to try to

avoid detection.

Then a brilliant explosion from the burning portion of the city lighted

the river, revealing us.

"Balls!" Kearns muttered.

A voice screamed something in German from the bank.

Rifles and submachine guns began chattering, lacing the river with shot,

here and there a tracer showing the paths of their bullets -- many of

them were very close to their targets.

"Let 'em have it!" I yelled back, grabbing up my rifle and hoping that

inertia would carry the boat the rest of the way to the bank.

Kearns' tommy gun began to fire only seconds after my rifle. To my surprise

Sir Gerald, who had been silent,