THE ROAD OF VON KLUCK'S RETREAT.
After all the boys were not sorry for the experience. They had witnessed
some sights that they would never forget. Rod too could plume himself on
having done the right thing when he used his weapon twice with telling
effect.
After the fire in the rear of the house had been effectually
extinguished the good woman appeared before them to announce that supper
was served; and she added her apologies because they might find some of
the dishes not quite so warm as they liked, "For," as she naively put
it, "we had too much heat in another quarter; and one never knows just
how to manage when those terrible Uhlans are around."
Certainly none of the three boys found anything to complain of. They
never remembered sitting down to a finer meal, when their appetites were
on edge, as just then happened to be the case.
Hanky Panky ate until Josh solemnly warned him that he would surely
founder unless he curbed that awful appetite of his. It might have been
noticed, however, that Josh was sitting there for some little time after
his comrades had left the table, and still "sampling" the good things
that tempted him.
It was settled that since the three motorcycles were already in the
house they might as well remain there. Rod managed to fix the smashed
door so that it would close again, though a carpenter's skill would be
required to place it in its former excellent condition.
When they got through eating it was beginning to grow dusk. Josh
remarked that he guessed he would saunter out to stretch his legs, and
at the same time see the extent of damage inflicted by the brief
occupation of the village by the raiders.
"They say those Uhlans can make a howling wilderness of a Paradise
quicker than any men on the face of the earth, once they set out to do
things," Josh explained as he picked up his hat, "and I'd like to find
out if there's any truth in the yarn."
Rod told him to "mind his eye," and not wander away, since with the
night coming on there could be no telling what danger might not hover
over his head.
"For all we know some of those Germans may still be hanging about,"
added Hanky Panky, "and I'd really feel better if Rod loaned you his
gun."
"Oh, come! there's no necessity of Josh going out at all if he has to
load himself down with deadly weapons like that," laughed Rod.
Josh had his little outing, and returned in good time. He acted as
though he did not regret his determination, and Hanky Panky, knowing
from the signs that the other must have seen something worth while,
immediately set to work "pumping" him, being filled with curiosity.
"You ran across something while you were out, Josh, and I'd thank you to
open up and tell us about it," he went on to say. "Did the French chaps
with the baggy red trousers and the big yell manage to bring down any of
the German raiders when they used up so much powder and ball?"
"I believe they did, for one woman who could talk some English managed
to tell me the zouaves took three prisoners back with them, and in
addition one fellow who would have to be buried, she said, because he
was dead."
Hanky Panky would have shivered at one time on hearing such gruesome
news, but after witnessing the terrible sights accompanying the battle
along the bank of the Marne he somehow seemed to think little of it.
"Was that _all_ you saw or heard, Josh?" he continued, bent on
making the other confess to the limit.
Josh grinned, showing that he had purposely acted so as to excite the
suspicion of this curious comrade. Having attained his end, he consented
to explain further.
"Well, no, not quite all, Hanky," he remarked calmly; "I'm most sure I
saw a man skulking around who showed a whole lot of concern when I
approached, and even hurried away. He wasn't an old man either, and let
me tell you, Rod, he hid his face from me in the bargain. Now, what do
you think of that?"
"Was it Jules, do you reckon?" asked Hanky Panky, as quick as a flash;
for somehow he could not imagine any other person wishing to avoid
meeting one of them.
"I got the notion in my head," admitted Josh, "that it must be either
him or else some party hitched up with Jules. He acted in a way that
made me sure of that."
"Huh!" Hanky Panky went on to say, with one of his odd chuckles, "I'm
only surprised, Josh, you didn't step right up to the fellow and ask him
if he answered to the name of Jules Baggott; also if he happened to know
a woman called Jeanne D'Aubrey. That'd be just like your way, Josh."
The other grinned affably as though he considered this one of the
highest compliments his chum could pay him.
"Oh, well, to tell you the truth, though I'm almost ashamed to admit
it," he remarked, "I did want to chase after him and say that very same
thing; but, hang the luck, he was too slippery for me. Besides, you see,
it was getting dark; anyhow he managed to leave me in the lurch. But it
was one of that bunch, believe me."
"Still after that paper, it seems, Rod," said Hanky Panky with a frown;
"mebbe we'll have a visitor again to-night, just like happened in that
inn over at Calais."
"If we do you can make up your mind he'll have all his trouble for his
pains," the other told him; "besides, we'll take precautions this time,
and no sneak-thief can get into the room when I'm on my guard without
our knowing it."
The boys sat around for some little time afterwards. Rod entered into a
conversation with the woman of the house, for while he could tell her
many things concerning the state of affairs at the front, at the same
time there was always a possibility of his picking up a little
information that might come in handy later on.
In good time they were shown to a room, where they proceeded to make
themselves comfortable. Rod, with some cord which he produced, set a
clever little trap. By this simple method of protection he fixed matters
so that should any one try to enter by way of the open windows they
would arouse the sleepers by pulling down three chairs which had been
piled up, and made fast to the cord.
Whatever the plan of the plotter may have been, evidently entering the
room of the three American boys did not form a part of it, because the
night passed without any further alarm.
"Guess he knew we had that gun we took from his man who played the part
of Oscar William Tell," observed Hanky Panky in the morning, when
awakened by the rising sun they lay there and talked matters over.
"Well," remarked Josh with a yawn, "by this time Jules is beginning to
understand that we don't mean to handle him with gloves if he runs afoul
of us. While he may keep on trying as hard as ever to get that paper in
his hands, it'll be through some sneaky way, and not in a stand-up
fight. Schemers like him seldom do feel like facing the men they aim to
beat. I'm keeping an eye out for Jules; and say, if ever I do get a
chance to give him my compliments you listen to what he says about it;
that's all."
The morning opened peacefully, though in the distance they could already
begin to hear the guns take up the same steady rhythm that would grow
louder and more insistent as the day grew older, until the fierce rush
of battle again held sway, and a million of Frenchmen hurled themselves
against an equal number of Germans in the endeavor to push them back
still further in their retreat from before Paris.
The boys started out soon afterwards. Rod believed he knew about where
the regiment could be found to which Jeanne's husband, Andre, belonged.
If fortune favored them, and they discovered the French reservist still
in the land of the living, doubtless it could soon be arranged as they
planned.
As on the previous afternoon, they soon found themselves on the road
along which the retreating German army had passed. Everywhere they could
see marks of this flight, for such it really was, despite the order with
which the retrograde movement had been conducted. In places the roadside
was glutted with cast-off articles, such as had better be disposed of if
haste and mobility were to be considered.
As a rule these had been rendered useless before being abandoned, in
order to prevent them from becoming valuable to the enemy. It was a
sight worth seeing; and no wonder such of the country people whom the
boys came upon, examining this "made in Germany" material, had broad
smiles on their faces, since it spoke eloquently of the near panic that
must have existed in the army of Von Kluck, before they would thus
abandon so much of their resources.
A score of interesting things engaged their attention as they slowly
made their way along. Obstacles were frequently met with, but cleverly
avoided by these expert riders. Many times Rod called a temporary halt
in order to speak with some peasant who chanced to look more than
ordinarily intelligent, and, he imagined, able to give him information.
They also came upon various detachments of the French army. Some were
engaged in caring for wounded comrades who could not be taken to the
rear as yet on account of the glut of injured and the lack of vehicles
of transportation; though many such were to be seen on their way to
Paris with loads of groaning humanity.
Then fresh artillery was to be found going to the front, the horses
snorting as though they already scented the battle smoke, the men
sitting there on gun carriage and caisson, grim and eager, though none
could say if he might be so fortunate as to see the sun set when that
dreadful day reached its close.
Other big vans there were carrying fresh ammunition to the guns that
were so noisily punctuating the morning atmosphere with their clamor.
French powder and shot had never been sent forth on a mission more in
keeping with the hearts of the people. A million hands would willingly
toil day by day making fresh supplies, if only it could win for them
another such fight as this glorious victory over the German invaders on
the banks of the Marne.
There came a time, however, when Rod was brought to a sudden stop
through other means than his own will. From either side of the road
arose men wearing the French uniform. Guns were brought to bear upon the
three riders, and a gruff voice ordered them to come to a halt and
surrender.
Laughing at what they deemed something akin to a joke, they hastened to
comply.
"We might as well go to their headquarters, as they are ordering us to,"
suggested Rod pleasantly; "it will serve to break the monotony of our
ride, and who knows what information we may be able to pick up there."
He touched his breast pocket as he said this, and the other boys knew
that Rod did not in the least doubt the ability of those papers to carry
them through any little difficulty that might arise.
Accordingly he turned to the grizzled French sergeant who seemed to be
in charge of the detail by which they had been taken prisoners, and told
him to lead the way to his commanding officer.
Passing up the road they turned into what seemed to be a little-used
path. Each of the boys trundled his machine along, preferring to do this
rather than risk handing them over to the soldiers.
Even Hanky Panky exhibited no sign of alarm. If in the beginning he felt
any such weakness it had been immediately set at rest by those cheery
words which Rod spoke. Of course they could quickly satisfy the French
commander of their standing; those magical documents would do the trick
and gain them new friends as well.
Shortly afterwards they found themselves in what seemed to be a
temporary camp. A regiment of troops had been stationed here for some
strategical purpose, which was never explained to the boys. Under a
shelter tent several officers were conferring while they sipped their
coffee. The older man with the white imperial Rod knew to be a colonel
from his uniform. All of them eyed the trio with frowns, and somehow
Hanky Panky began to feel a little chill.
Rod immediately courteously saluted the colonel and started to speak.
"Pardon me, Colonel, but may I ask why we have been waylaid and taken in
charge?"
"It is very simple," came the astounding answer in plain English; "in
times like this spies may be arrested, tried, and executed all inside of
an hour. And you three boys are accused of having been known to send
information to the enemy!"