MORE NEWS FROM THE FRONT.
Three men who wore the uniforms of French soldiers, one of whom was
evidently a lieutenant, looked hastily up when Rod entered the vegetable
cellar, and addressed them in the words we have given. The ordinary
soldiers carried guns, and these weapons they half raised, as though
wishing to be ready for any emergency.
Of course, it was immediately manifest to the officer that these three
wideawake lads were not of the enemy. Like most other people he at first
suspected them to be English boys. That would mean they were allies of
the French; but nevertheless those splendid wheels were a great
temptation; and the Grand Army was in sore need of all such means of
rapid locomotion it could commandeer.
"You are English, then?" he asked, politely, returning Rod's salute.
"No, American, monsieur," replied the boy, promptly; "we were making a
trip down the Rhine on our motorcycles when the war broke out. We had
just managed to get across the line into poor Belgium when the Germans
came. You can well understand that we have seen much of what happened in
that unfortunate country, for we were compelled to go to Antwerp on
business."
"But--this is France," interrupted the lieutenant, as though puzzled;
"and here close to the firing line it is peculiar that we find three
American boys mounted on such wonderfully fine motorcycles."
Rod smiled blandly.
"You wonder how we managed to retain possession of them through it all,"
he went on to say; "but the secret lay in a certain magical paper which
we carry, and which you shall yourself be permitted to examine."
With that he once more carefully extracted the document given to them by
the brave king of the Belgians, and which had proved to be worth a
thousand times its weight in gold.
So the French lieutenant, by the light of the flickering lanterns, also
read the brief but forceful sentences penned by King Albert. He was of
course greatly impressed, as who would not have been, remembering what a
prominent figure the royal writer of the "pass" had already become in
the world war?
"It is plain to be seen, young monsieur," the officer hastened to say as
he very carefully folded the precious paper, and with a bow returned it
to the owner, "that you and your brave companions have found occasion to
lend a helping hand to the grand cause for which all loyal Frenchmen are
ready to shed their last drop of blood. But I notice that here the
writer speaks of _five_ young Americans, and I see but three."
"That is easily explained," replied Rod; "two of our chums were
compelled to return hastily to America, having received a cable message.
They sailed from Antwerp for London, and by now are far on the way
across the Atlantic."
"But what possessed you three adventurous boys to wish to come once more
to the scene of battle and carnage? It is hardly a fit place for lads of
your age, I should think?"
"But American boys are full of the spirit of adventure, monsieur," urged
Rod; "and the opportunity would surely never come to us again. Still, it
was not merely curiosity that caused us to decide to make this trip. We
have come on an errand of mercy; to assist one of your countrywomen who
was in great trouble."
He thereupon hastily sketched the situation in which Jeanne D'Aubrey was
placed, with a chance of securing a competence could her husband be
communicated with, and allowed to sign the important paper within the
specified time limit.
A Frenchman is always filled with a love for anything that borders on
the dramatic. He also has the greatest respect for such heroism as these
three boys were now exhibiting in undertaking the dangerous mission for
the sake of the poor woman at whose humble home they had been temporary
guests.
Impulsively he stretched out his hand to Rod, and then to each of the
other two boys.
"I am proud to meet you, young messieurs," he announced; "and while
these magnificent mounts would be put to a glorious use in the grand
army that needs many such so badly, I could not have the heart to
deprive you of your property. On account of what you have already done
for the cause, and stand ready to aid any further attempt if the
occasion arises, here then we hand you back your beloved motorcycles."
While Josh and Hanky Panky could not understand much that was spoken,
still it was possible for them to read the signs aright. Josh grinned as
though greatly tickled over their good luck; and Hanky on his part
doubtless felt like offering thanks because the searching party had
turned out to be friends instead of foes.
When further conversation took place between Rod and the lieutenant the
boy was given to understand that the French had learned of the presence
of a German spy in that neighborhood, and several patrols were searching
every farmhouse and cottage within a radius of three miles, as well as
the patches of woods that lay between.
After considerable more talking the lieutenant explained that as there
was more country which he and his detail had been directed to search, he
must linger no longer.
When the Frenchmen had departed the boys once more sought their room in
the new wing of the farmhouse. They had hardly reached their quarters
than a timid knock on the door was heard, and the good woman of the
house appeared, to ask with more or less trepidation if they had
suffered any loss from the visit of her countrymen, whose uniforms she
must have recognized.
Rod assured her that all was well with them, at which she seemed
particularly pleased, and vanished from the scene.
"Well, after all it turned out to be a false alarm," ventured Hanky
Panky, giving an exhibition of one of his fancy yawns; and really no boy
could excel him when it came to stretching his mouth wide open, so Josh
always declared.
"But it might have been serious, all right," asserted the latter. "Our
luck only caused them to be French instead of German. It was what you
might call a narrow squeak, Hanky Panky; and only for my waking up when
I did we'd have lost our property anyway."
"We owe you our best thanks for your wakefulness, Josh," Rod told him.
"Oh! that's all right," laughed the other; "thanks to a bad dream I
chanced to arouse myself, and caught the flicker of some sort of moving
light out there. So of course I just tumbled out and made for the
window. When I saw lanterns moving this way and that I began to think we
were going to be in the soup; so, knowing you ought to be put in touch
with the situation, I wakened you, Rod."
"By the way," Hanky Panky continued, "what was the lieutenant telling
you all the time he kept on talking, Rod?"
"That's so," echoed Josh immediately; "whatever it could have been it
seemed to give him a whole lot of pleasure to be able to inform you, for
he was smiling like everything, and I could see the pride sticking out
of his face."
"Oh! I was asking him for the latest news from the battle front,"
replied Rod, "and what he told me was great stuff, to be sure. It seems
that what we heard before was part of the truth."
"You mean how the German General Von Kluck, swinging down to attack
Paris from the northwest, didn't get within gunshot of the outer forts
before he found he had exposed his flank, and it was in danger of being
turned--was that it, Rod?" and Josh, who was intensely interested in all
military matters, eagerly waited to hear the answer to his leading
question.
"Just what happened," Rod explained. "You see, a new army was hastily
gotten together by General Gallieni, the Governor of Paris, consisting
for the most part of the regiments meant to defend the city. This,
assisted by the British forces, was threatening the exposed flank of Von
Kluck. If it struck hard it would throw his whole army into confusion,
and start a rout. So instead of attacking the forts as he had intended,
Von Kluck made a swift swing, and passed Paris on the north."
"And what did Joffre do then?" asked Josh.
"The whole French army had been held for just such an opening. It was
sent forward with impetuous speed to strike like an avalanche. The
lieutenant said that already the blow had started to fall, and that
there could be no doubt about the Germans being in retreat, heading
north again to positions they must have arranged for along the Aisne
River."
"Hurrah! that makes me sing for joy!" cried Josh, exultantly; "then
Paris isn't going to fall like a ripe plum into the hands of the
_invincible_ German army. They counted without their host that
time, I guess."
"Much of the praise for what has happened goes to Joffre because he kept
his army intact and refused to risk a general engagement until he
believed the time was ripe. When Von Kluck exposed his flank, and that
new army came out of Paris to threaten it, Joffre knew the fatal hour
was at hand. Then he struck home, and already they are pushing the
Germans back along the Marne with frightful slaughter."
Josh was so pleased with hearing this wonderful news that he went around
and insisted on shaking hands with each of his chums.
"Why, I'm nearly as tickled over it as if it was Washington that had
been spared from the hand of the despoiler," he went on to say,
hilariously; "those Germans are learning something, it seems to me. They
believed their army couldn't be beaten, but by now their commanders know
there are others just as brave as Germans--French, British, Belgians,
Russians, yes, and Americans too among the lot. I'll sure be able to
sleep better after hearing that glorious news, Rod."
Somehow they seemed to feel that their machines would not be disturbed
again during the balance of that particular night, so fraught with big
events for the people of imperiled France. All of them managed to get to
sleep again without much trouble, and really knew nothing more until the
sun shining in Rod's face awoke him.
They were soon dressed, and on entering the other part of the farmhouse
found that breakfast was already under way. Rod had to explain a lot of
things to the old Frenchman, who it seemed had not been awakened by what
had occurred in the night, but had heard something of the event from his
daughter.
It was worth while to see how both of them smiled when they heard about
the sudden change of plans of the German general, and that even then,
when the big guns were once more commencing to speak in the distance, it
marked the retreat of the rash invaders who had expected to take Paris
as easily as they had battered down the defences of Liege and Namur in
Belgium, with their wonderful forty-two centimetre cannon.
The incident of the night, while at the time it had been quite
thrilling, was already relegated to the past. Rod and his chums had
really been through so much that was exciting during the time they owned
those motorcycles, that events of this type were only so many
reminiscences, once they had passed.
They had a bountiful breakfast, and then prepared to mount for another
ride over the good roads lying north of the French capital.
As usual Hanky Panky began to speculate on what they were fated to see
or experience during that day. Situated as they were, with warring
armies near by, anything seemed possible. Indeed, Hanky could not
venture to even give a guess as to what might come their way before the
setting of another sun.
"I only hope we manage to get on the track of the regiment that Andre
belongs to," he ventured to say as they made ready to depart; "and that
we find him still in the land of the living. Once we get that paper
signed and witnessed, Jeanne D'Aubrey's future is made secure, no matter
what happens to her husband afterwards; though we do hope he'll live to
go back home, whole or crippled, as the fortunes of war decide. All
ready here, Rod, so give the word to get started!"