Thomaston High School - Sea Breeze Yearbook (Thomaston, ME)

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SEA BREEZE 14 belch. I Uv lou are my friend, M'sieurg therefore I desire to buy you e ' drink, Come, let us go to a place where we can drink it in quiet- ne,,q H un Jith thumping heert Jerry arose and followed the mon to a smell room at the back of the cafe. His mind was full of ques- tions. Suppose this wusn't an agent of the underground but of the Gcstspo? 1 VVEntoring the room and sitting down to the smell table it contained, they silently awaited the wine. After the waiter hed loft they both took out their identification papers and laid them on the table. The man spoke first. nGood. Your name is Rawlins. I see. Hine's Lenoir. Pierre Lenoir of the French Underground. we have been waiting your arrival Have fitt then gave then forw you the papers from your intelligence headquartors?u Jerry studied the men for n moment more. Yes, he certainly d the description perfectly of the agent he was to contact, answered. p nYes, I have them here.N Reaching down Jerry unzipped the sides of his heavy boots and the two envelopes that fell out to Pierre. Pierre studied nodded, und then stuffed them inside his Tunic. Then leoning drd he begun te tulk. 'A nHow much time have you loft, M'sieur?H Jerry made some rapid celculetions and answered, WAbeut twenty- eight heurs.H have HHm, that doesn't give us much tiwe.n Nnhst do you mesn?n UI mean that we heven't yet obtained the information which we been aftor.n An icy hand clutched at Jerry's hodrt. NYeu heven't get the information? But--N UYes, I know. we sent word that we would hdve it und we did have it only the Gestupe caught our men before he could get the pa- pers to us. All we knew is thot unless British Intelligence gets this infornstion within another fo rty-two hturs the British Isles is doomed to invasion. New you hhve twenty-eight hours. It will take you around three hours, burring accidents to get to the place where you ure to moot the bolt. Thst loaves about twenty-four hours from naw. In this time we must get this information. Ge beck to your lodgings end don't come out for any reason until I come to you.H Bei I-- HPleuso, you must obey me M'sieur. Should you be caught, well, the result would be disastrous for us and the millions of the Brit- ish Enpise. Do you undorst1nd?U Jerry slowly nodded his hend. uGood! New M'sieurx I would advise you to leqve.n Jerry had just stopped into the mein rorm when the crash of breaking glass rose above the other noises of the cafe. All conver- sation abruptly ceased. Jerry stopped. A young waiter had stumbled, broken the wine bottle which he had been carrying, and spilled the wine ever the sp tless Tunic of the Nazi officer, Jerry had noticed on first entering the cafe. Jerry felt Pierre come and stand bo- side him Q

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sm BREEZE 15 Too stunned to move Jerry lay where he had fallen on the sandy bottom of the ravine. Dimly he heard the sentry cry out and then with terrifying elearness heard him approaching the ravine. Near- er-nearer-nearer-every footstep seemed to shake the ground like an earthquake--to drum out his death chant!! His body was bathed in cold sweat--his heart thundered like a trip-hammer--but he dared not move. Nearer, suddenly the head and shoulders of the sentry were silhouetted against the graying sky. For a moment the sentry poised there, then vanished, only to reappear. A beam of light splashed over the bottom and side of the ravine only a few yards from Jerry's feet. Gradually it crept up toward him. Only a mo- ment more and it would reveal his sprawling body. Facing the in- evitable, Jerry tensed his muscles and clutched a rock determined to ge out fighting if given the opportunity. The beam moved. nNown Jerry thought, with a grim smile on his lips, where it comeslu Crac-k-k-ll A shot suddenly rang out down the road. The beam waved crac-k-k-tt A second shot, the sentry vanished! Dazedly, not quite believing that he was safe, Jerry arose and felt his bones. Hone were broken, but all were.plenty sore! Painfully Jerry began to slowly creep down the ravine. Without any further mishaps Jerry arrived at Cherbourg and entered the city at dawn along with the French country folk head- ing for the market. Wending his way through the streets he sought the boarding house where he planned to stay while in Cherbourg. Obtaining a room, and because nothing more could be done until evening, Jerry disrobcd and flung himself upon the bed to obtain some much needed rest. Awakening at dusk he went'to the cafe where ho was to meet an agent of the underground. Jerry pushed open the doors of the cafe and went to a small table in the corner from which he surveyed the rest of the room. The air was filled with the blue smoke of cigarettes and the odor of cheap beer. Officers and Frenchmen were scattered around the room talking and laughing. One German officer in particular caught Jerry's attention. He was a brute of a man with a heavy set figure. A fat unemetional face with blond hair and pale eyes which coldly observed the scene before him. NQue est-a que vous desircz, H'sieur?N A waiter was at Jcrry's elbow. Jerry looked up. HOh, some wine. Paris Brand.n ' HParis Brand? Oui, H'sicur.U A man two tables away slowly arose and came over to Jerry's table. Looking down on Jerry he addressed him. nF1ne weather is it not, M'sieur.H Jerry stiffened. The underground sign. Looking upward he sized up the man. He was dressed in a soiled ragged uniform which was open at the throat. Shaggy and unkempt black hair tumbled down over the forhead almost to the heavy arching brows. Black glitter- ing eyes looked out on unshaven cheeks. A cigarette dangled out of one corner of the twisted mouth that leered at him in a manner that spoke of intoxication. Jerry decided to gamble. nlt is fine weather if you like it, M'sieur.U The man's leer widened. Never taking his eyes away from Jcrry's face he sat down across from him to the accompaniment of a hearty

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SEA BREEZE 15 The officer slowly arose and confronted the oringing youth. The room was silent except for the labored breathing of the tense mon. The officer spoke. MSO, perhaps you do that on purpose. Ne?n NNo, no, M'siour. It was an accident. I swear it was an accidcnt.H nAn accident. Always it is an accident.n My men are murdered and mis-directed, our supply trains are wrecked or blown up, and our communication lines are cut, and always it is-an accident. How long do you French swine think you can get away with it? Ars you such stupid dundorheads that you do not realize that we can and will retaliate with force? Do you understand, No?n He struck the youth a cruel blow that knocked him down. Jerry, his face white with anger, started to move forward to intervene, when he felt Piorre's hand on his arm and his voice in his ear. nNo, ne, M'siour Rawlins. Do you want to ruin our plans?N nBut that boy--N NM'sicur, come to your senses. You can not save him and also the millions of the British Is1es.' Jerry grimly realized that Pierre was right. The officer yanked the youth to his feet. HNow, let us hear you say, Heil Hitlerln He released the waiter and stepped back. The youth squared his shoulders and with a determined glint in his oyo looked straight at the Nazi officer. His words ran clear and cold in the silent room. HCurse Hitler! Long live De Gaulloln For a moment the Nazi gapod at the courageous youth and then with a bellow of rage struck him a blow that broke his jaw, Every Frenchman rose te his feet and started to move forward as ono man, but the Germans held them beck with drawn guns. Then the crazed officer, ignoring the youths mourns and shrieks of agony, brutally struck and kicked him again and again until at last where there had once been a human being, there was only a mass of quiver- ing broken bones and bleeding flesh. Then breathing heavily, the officer turned to the rest of the men in the cafe. nLot this little incident serve as a lessen to the rest of you not to forgot that we are thc masters and are to be obeyed.n : Throwing a contemptuous glance at the body, he gave a hard laugh and strode out followed by the remaining Nazis. h The youth died as they leaned ever him, and as he stood there ever the broken body, Jerry felt a hatred swelling up in him. A - cold blind hatred. Hatred of the Nazi and hatred of thc entire German race! As he turned to go, Jerry hoard someone in the crowd around the body say, N30 this is the work of our conqucrors.n Then someone answered him saying, UNO, No, my friend. Not thc work of the conquerors but of the victors. France and hor people may have been defeated but conquered--novorln