My signals to Blackie were very simple: Whenever I whistled a tune that sounded like ragtime he was to lay off; when I whistled a tune that sounded melancholy he was to work for all he was worth.
“Do you understand thoroughly, old man?” I asked before he left to crawl over the first fence.
“Sure, you don’t think I’m deaf, do you?” he answered in his incomparable English cockney, as he shook my hand and started for the fence.
Blackie got over the first wire fence with remarkable agility, but he was hardly over when he remarked he had forgotten his little coal shovel which was the only tool we had. Finally we found this for him and as soon as I returned to my post Mandel gave me the signal that all was clear, so I began whistling the army funeral march, and I heard Blackie plugging away. In a few minutes when the boys signaled that the guard was again approaching, I began to whistle “In the Good Old Summer Time,” but to my amazement I heard Blackie still working away. Then, to get something real raggy I whistled “Alexander’s Rag Time Band,” but still Blackie worked on. The guard was fast approaching. Something had to be done for if he kept on working he would sure be caught, so, stepping right out in front of the Guard, who, of course, could not speak English, I began to sing a very sad and mournful tune, with my own lyrics.
“Blackie,” I sang, “this guard is right behind me and for the Love of Mike, lay off.”
Blackie stopped; I kept on singing, and the old guard walked right on by. When he was on the other side of the building I rushed up to Blackie.
“Blackie, you damn fool,” I softly exclaimed, “can’t you tell ragtime from a classic?”
“Ragtime,” he said in barely audible cockney English, “Why ragtime’s the name of a song, and by the way, old fellow, if you don’t like the way I’m digging this tunnel, come and try a hand at it yourself. It’s beastly, you know.”
“Go ahead,” I argued, “but from now on I’ll whistle only when he is coming. Get me?”
The next time the guard came around the corner of the building I began to whistle. To my surprise Blackie kept on working. I began to whistle louder than ever, but he kept right on, so, as the Guard approached me, I stopped whistling and instantly Blackie quit working. As the guard passed on I again went over to Blackie and said,