XII

The Attack on the Munition-shops And Its Sequel

To Max Durend the successful raid on the coal-yards was only the prelude
to the main performance. His mind was bent wholly towards one great
object, and that was to prevent, by every means in his power, the
exploitation of his father's great works by the enemies of his country.
The coal-yard incident, as he termed it, was satisfactory so far as it
went, but gave his mind no real relief such as had resulted from the
recovery of part of the firm's monetary resources and the destruction of
the power-house. The next affair, which, as has been hinted, was already
well in hand, was more important and was an attempt to damage, if not
destroy, some of the great machines installed for the production of
rifles and machine-guns.

The largest workshop in the yard was devoted to this and a few other of
the more delicate kinds of work, and it seemed to Max that the greatest
amount of injury might be inflicted upon the Germans by an attempt on
this shop. The works were still at a standstill, though it was fairly
evident that they would not be so for much longer. The attempt ought,
therefore, to be made within the few following days.

The plan was simplicity itself. It merely provided for Max and Dale to
enter the workshop during the night and to work as much mischief among
the machines as they could, consistently with the need for silence and
the avoidance or silencing of the watchmen. For some days they had kept
the place under close observation, and noted the hours and habits of the
watchmen and the sentinels at either end of the building until they knew
them as well as the men themselves.

Dubec they would not bring with them. He was eager to come, but the work
required alertness and lightness of hand and foot rather than strength,
and for this he would have been of no use. Besides, the two lads, keen
as they were on their self-imposed tasks, were not unmindful of the fact
that he had a wife and children to mourn him should the venture come to
grief.

All, however, seemed to go well. Max and Dale succeeded in effecting an
entrance into the ground floor of the workshop after they had seen the
watchman, by the glint of his lamp, make his midnight round. The two
soldiers--one at each end of the building--saw nothing and heard
nothing, of that they were assured. Without delay, therefore, for in a
little over an hour the watchman would be back from his rounds upon the
upper