A CHANGE OF PLANS.
Rod's hesitation was of brief duration. He saw that both his comrades
were fairly wild to go. Josh in particular seemed to look upon this
chance to see some more of the fighting taking place between the hostile
armies as arranged especially to suit his fancy.
"All right, then," said Rod finally, "let's see what's to be done. If
she can put certain facts in our possession, so that we'd stand a chance
of finding Andre in the army of General Joffre, we might undertake the
task. It'd be hard to refuse, with that little darling of a girl in such
great need."
"Bully for you, Rod!" exclaimed Josh; "I knew you'd come to time right
handsomely. We'll likely see something of the fierce battles that are
raging every day in northern France as the Germans drive the Allies back
mile after mile, aiming to take Paris, and end the war with a rush!"
Apparently Josh had been dreaming of something along these lines, and
the opportunity to gratify his ambition took him by storm.
Rod again turned to the French woman and started to converse with her
once more. How her face did light up when she learned that these brave
American boys had decided to lend her their aid, and try to find her
absent soldier husband among the legions of patriots defending the
beloved Paris.
Hanky Panky and Josh could understand very little of what was said, but
by watching the expressive face and motions of Jeanne they were able to
translate much of her explanations.
"She has told me where her humble home is," explained Rod finally, "and
this very night we will visit her to hear further particulars, and
receive the document which was enclosed in the letter from the French
law firm in Paris."
"And then?" asked Josh breathlessly.
"Perhaps to-morrow we can start away from here and head south, to cross
the border line, and enter France," he was told.
"But not to go as far as Boulogne, eh, Rod?" questioned Hanky Panky.
"No, for that would take us out of our way," the other continued. "After
we get to Calais we will have to strike direct for Paris; that is unless
we learn that one of the numerous German armies has cut across the road,
blocking our way. In that event we will have to shape our plans over
again. But there's no use crossing a bridge until you come to it, so
don't let's worry."
He once more spoke to the little woman, whose face was now beaming with
gratitude. She seized the boy's hand and actually kissed it before Rod
had a chance to snatch it away. The act made him flush with confusion,
especially since Josh was chuckling in his clumsy way. But one thing was
sure, Jeanne considered their crossing her path at the time she needed a
friend more than ever before in all her life as a most fortunate thing.
So the boys walked away.
"Just to think what a wonderful change has come about inside of half an
hour," remarked the delighted Josh. "We had it all arranged for a little
spin down the coast, and then embarking at Boulogne for America. Now
we're planning to strike out to that region where a million German
soldiers are striking hard blows at the lines of the Allies, and meaning
to capture Paris. Why, I'm tickled half to death at the idea of seeing
some more thrilling pictures of the Great World War."
Josh and Hanky Panky could talk of little else during the balance of
that day. Rod seemed very quiet, and it was evident that he foresaw they
would have dangerous work laid out for them, which might try their
boldness as few things had ever done before.
"Listen," he told the others at one time, when they were discussing the
possibilities of the future; "perhaps neither of you happened to notice
a man with a French look who stood by a stoop further along the narrow
street, and kept watching us all the time I was talking to the woman.
Since then it's struck me that perhaps he may have been the other cousin
she spoke of, Jules Baggott, and that he was guessing how the wind lay
when he saw me read the paper, and watched her kiss my hand."
"Whoop!" ejaculated the impulsive Josh immediately, "that would mean
trouble with a big T, wouldn't it, Rod?"
"If he concluded that we were going to find her husband, providing Andre
hadn't already been killed in the fighting," Rod went on to explain, "I
should imagine this Jules would go to some trouble to stop us, and get
the paper away. You can see what it would mean to him if we failed to
make connections."
Many times during the balance of that afternoon Josh and Hanky Panky
referred to the business which they were about to undertake. In fact it
seemed as though both boys enjoyed the idea of again drawing near the
fighting line, and witnessing some of the amazing events taking place
there in this modern war. History was being made every day, and the
thought of being actual witnesses of these grand undertakings thrilled
them as nothing else could have done.
Frequently either one or the other imagined they were being followed;
and a dozen times some innocent citizen was suspected of being the
skulking Jules. If the French cousin of Andre actually had them shadowed
it was done so skilfully that none of the boys were any the wiser.
After supper that night they sallied forth. Rod took extra precautions
to dodge the main exit of the hotel at which they were quartered; if a
spy waited there to keep tabs on their movements he meant the fellow
should have his trouble for nothing.
They found the home of the French woman. It was, of course, an humble
abode, but as neat as a pin. Rod again entered into a fervent
conversation, and from time to time stopped to explain to his chums what
the burden of the talk might be.
In the end Jeanne entrusted him with the precious paper, which, once
signed by her husband, with the names of competent witnesses also
inscribed according to law, would mean a competency for herself and
child the balance of their lives, whether Andre ever came home from the
war or not.
Rod was very cautious in making his way back to the hotel. He avoided
all dark streets, and warned his chums to keep a bright lookout for
skulking figures. Nothing out of the way happened, however, and they
reached their hotel in safety. For once Josh evinced little desire to
stop and watch some of the stirring scenes which were to be met with in
all the principal thoroughfares of Antwerp during those days and nights
when the shadow of the German mailed fist hung over the heads of the
dauntless Belgian nation.
Down at the hotel Rod found the gentleman waiting for him with whom Amos
Tucker, far away in America, had business connections of vast importance
which he had entrusted to Rod to carry through.
This was finally accomplished, and after Rod made sure that everything
had been completed in a satisfactory fashion, he entrusted the papers to
the mail to be carried duly to Mr. Tucker, guarded by registry and every
possible means against loss in transit.
"There; I feel as if I had a big load off my shoulders," said the boy as
he once more joined his two chums, who had spent the hour talking over
the immediate future, and what amazing things it might have in store for
them.
All of them were tired, for they had been up early that August day, and
every hour had been crammed with excitement. Accordingly it was decided
that they had better retire without further delay, and get what sleep
they could.
"There's no telling what sort of a bed we may have to-morrow night," Rod
warned the others; "so make the most of it while you have a soft
mattress under you. The ground is pretty hard, sometimes, you know,
because often we've tried it, and may have to again."
Both the others only laughed, as though they were so well pleased with
the opportunity crossing their path so unexpectedly that they could not
find any fault, no matter how things turned.
When another day dawned they busied themselves in getting breakfast,
settling their account, and then securing their motorcycles, which had
been well taken care of during their stay in Antwerp. Such valuable
wheels might have been commandeered by the authorities for use in the
army, only that Rod chanced to carry a few lines actually signed by King
Albert and which had been placed in his hands by the dauntless Belgian
monarch himself, which warned all concerned that nothing belonging to
the American boys was to be touched, as they had shown their friendship
for Belgium in numerous ways.
Rod was careful enough to make sure that all of them carried a plentiful
supply of the necessary petrol, for he realized how difficult it would
likely be to secure any of this liquid fuel, since every gallon was
being seized for the use of the multitude of lorries and cars employed
for transportation purposes by the armies in the field.
It was about nine in the morning when they were ready to start. The
early September day was a fair one, though promising more or less heat
before noon came and went. Rod led the way, and they soon left the big
bustling city on the Scheldt behind them. A splendid road invited an
increase of speed, and presently they were booming along right merrily.
How delightfully cheery did the rapid clatter of the exhausts sound to
their ears, after having been deprived of this familiar company for days
at a stretch, since abandoning their machines at the home of a woman
market gardener, who had later on brought them to the city, concealed
under a load of produce.
They kept as close together as safety allowed, with Rod as usual in the
lead. Well did the other two know they could always depend on him to
steer them aright. Rod carried a little map of the country with him.
Besides, he had studied it so thoroughly that in most cases he could
tell the lay of the land without consulting the chart.
"This is the life!" called Hanky Panky, who brought up the rear,
squatted in his saddle something after the manner of a huge toad; for
Hanky had a peculiar "style" of his own, entirely original, which he
claimed to have as many good points as a horse jockey's method of riding
on the neck of his mount.
"Pity our two poor chums who had to set out for home so early!" added
Josh, who was in a sense fairly hugging himself on account of the
wonderful possibilities for excitement looming up above the horizon just
then.
"Well, their machines went with them," said Rod over his shoulder, "and
they say 'where ignorance is bliss 'tis a folly to be wise.' Right now
they may be over in England, pitying us for being left behind in the
land of the Great War."
"This is a hunky-dory road, all right!" ventured Hanky Panky shortly
afterward. "Why, we seem to be gliding along as smoothly as if on a
parlor floor. We could go twice as fast, if we wanted to."
"No need of that," said Rod, hearing the remark, which was, however,
intended only for Josh; "we'll pass through Ostend and Dunkirk, reaching
Calais in short order. Then, like as not, we'll have to spend the rest
of the day there, and to-night in the bargain."
"Shucks! what's the use of all that, Rod?" demanded Josh, for he was
fairly wild to get near the firing line again, and witness more of those
wonderful sights that had thrilled him to the bone a short time back.
"We'll have to give an account of ourselves, most likely, and get
written permission to go into France," he was told.
"Say, fellows," called out Hanky Panky just then, "there's a car
whirling along right now in a cloud of dust, with two men aboard.
Wouldn't it be a joke on us if that was the Jules Baggott the woman
spoke of, and that he was chasing after us, bent on making us give up
the paper she entrusted to Rod here?"