UP FROM THE DEPTHS.
That must have been the thought flashing through the mind of each of the
other three scouts. Indeed, what else could they believe, after seeing
the woman carrying on in such a wild way?
Giraffe made a flying leap out of the car, nor were the others far
behind him. They all ran toward the cottage, and the kneeling woman,
deeply impressed with the seriousness of the incident. Their duty as
scouts loomed up before them. Unless it was already too late they must
find some way to save the poor woman's child from a watery grave.
Giraffe was trying to understand what she was crying as the others came
up, although from the frown on his face it was evident that he could not
be meeting with any great success.
"His name is Benjy, boys," the tall scout exclaimed, "and he's down
there in the well!"
"Oh! the poor little chap!" whimpered Bumpus, as he watched the others
throw themselves flat on their stomachs, and try to peer into the dark
recesses of the gaping stone-bordered hole in the ground.
"Listen!" said Thad, in a thrilling voice. "I can hear splashing down
there!"
"Sure thing!" added Giraffe, "which shows the child is alive still. That
settles it with me. I'm the one to go down!"
Thad had already discovered that there was a windlass above the well. A
stout rope was wound around the barrel of this, and the bucket could be
seen standing on the other side on a stone shelf intended for the
purpose.
He knew that whatever was done there should be no more delay than was
absolutely necessary. His first act therefore was to step around and
release the bucket, at the same time grasping hold of the handle of the
windlass.
"Put your feet on the bucket and hold on, Giraffe," he told the
adventurous one. "When you get down close to the water give one call. To
lower a little more give two; and when you're ready to come up make it
three. Understand that?"
"All right, Thad; lower away!"
Bumpus was also peering over the edge into those mysterious depths. The
woman was beside him, still wringing her hands in nervous anguish, and
repeating that word "Benjy" until it was so impressed on the memory of
Bumpus that he could never forget it.
Immediately Giraffe disappeared from view, and all they could hear
consisted of the creaking of the windlass, as Thad lowered away, and the
hysterical wailing of the woman belonging at the cottage.
A dozen and more times had the handle gone around and Thad began to
wonder how deep that well could be. Then suddenly he heard a cry. It
welled up from the depths and sounded very weird, but Thad knew this
must be the signal he had arranged with Giraffe, to indicate that the
latter was close to the water.
Immediately there came two more calls, which meant that Giraffe wished
to be lowered a little further; Thad accordingly allowed another turn of
the handle, so as to release several more feet of the rope. A single cry
announced that this was enough; and then a brief period of great
suspense followed.
They heard the dripping of water, accompanied by more or less splashing.
"Oh! I hope he hasn't fallen in himself!" Bumpus was heard to say, with
a long breath, as his overwrought feelings almost overpowered him.
Then came three calls. That was the signal for those above to draw up.
Allan was already at Thad's side, and ready to bend the power of his
young muscles to assist in the task, and together they made that
windlass creak at a lively rate as they worked.
Bumpus was on his knees now. He acted as though a new fear oppressed his
heart. What if the strain proved too great, and the rope parted--Giraffe
must be hurled back into the depths, and a tragedy would be presented to
them.
It was with the liveliest possible feeling of gratitude that Bumpus
finally saw the beloved face of his chum appear in view above the stone
coping of the well. He was also struck with the fact that Giraffe seemed
to be grinning instead of having a serious expression on his thin
countenance.
Allan put out a hand and assisted him to effect a landing on solid
ground. Meanwhile the woman had set up a renewal of her half shrieks
Bumpus could easily guess why this should be, for look as he might he
could see no sign of a child!
"Where's poor little Benjy, Giraffe?" the fat scout demanded, half
indignantly, for he could not understand what it all meant.
Then what did Giraffe do but thrust a hand into the bosom of his
splashed khaki coat and draw out the queerest _puppy_ Bumpus had ever
seen. He stared at the water-soaked little beast as though he thought he
might be looking at something unreal.
Allan burst out into a shout, while the woman with a shriek of delight
snatched little Benjy from the hands of the one who had saved him, and
kissed his doggy mouth again and again.
Giraffe stood there with that grin spreading across his face. He looked
down at his wet feet and leggings.
"Think of me taking all that trouble for a fike not much bigger'n a
postage stamp?" he presently exclaimed. "I guess the joke's on me this
time, boys, so laugh all you're a mind to. I'm wet up to my knees, all
right; but I got dear little Benjy, didn't I?"
Thad clapped him on the shoulder.
"After all there's not so much to laugh about, Giraffe," he said,
soberly. "We all thought Benjy was a child, and you risked your life to
save him. The motive is what counts every time; and I'm sure you did
what any scout would be proud to own to; but we're glad it wasn't a
child after all, for it would have been drowned."
"I guess you're about right there, Thad," the other admitted, "for you
see the puppy could swim, which is what a child couldn't do. Let's be
going on again, fellows."
"I thought I was thirsty," said Bumpus, "but I guess I can wait till we
come to a well that isn't used for a swimming tank by dogs."
The woman seeing them moving off tried to thank them for having saved
her little pet. Of course not being able to talk French the boys could
not understand just what she said, though they caught the meaning, and
nodded their heads accordingly.
Once they were going they found occasion to laugh again and again as
different remarks were made concerning features connected with the
adventure. Giraffe laughed louder than any one else. He said he no
longer felt sleepy, and that he believed it would be better for him to
sit with his feet in the sun so as to dry off.
Half an hour afterwards it was found that they were once more
approaching what seemed to be a bridge. Remembering the tragic
occurrences that had taken place at that other crossing of the river the
boys naturally felt more or less anxiety as to what they might run
across here.
"It's guarded, as sure as anything," said Giraffe, who had stretched his
long neck in order to give those keen eyes of his a better chance to
see. "Yes, and by Belgian soldiers in the bargain, sure pop. I can tell
by their uniforms."
"I hope they won't think of stopping us from crossing," said Bumpus.
As they drew nearer to the bridge they saw several men in blue uniforms,
and wearing high-peaked hats, holding their guns in a significant manner
as though giving plain warning that access to the bridge was forbidden.
Thad felt from this that they were doomed to meet with a disappointment.
He stopped the car close to the guard. To the surprise of the boys one
of the soldiers, evidently guessing their nationality from the little
flags which they still wore fastened to their coats, addressed them in
very good English.
"It is not possible for you to cross the bridge!" was what he said.
"We are hoping to reach Antwerp, where this boy has a sick mother who
needs him," Thad explained, laying a hand on Bumpus's shoulder as he
spoke.
The soldier shook his head in the negative.
"No car can cross the bridge after this; it would not be safe, and would
spoil all our plans for a trap," he went on to say.
"But couldn't you make an exception in our case?" asked Bumpus, trying
to throw all the pathos possible into his voice.
Again the soldier shook his head.
"It is impossible," he said, in a manner that would admit of no further
argument. "You must turn and follow the river road to the west. There is
another small bridge six miles that way, not strong enough for guns to
be moved over, but you might get across. I hope you reach Antwerp
safely."
"We happened to see the fight at the other bridge, and watched when it
was in the end blown up," Giraffe ventured to say, at which the other's
face lighted up and just as Giraffe knew would be the case he cried out:
"Tell us what happened there, for we have been wondering what all the
sounds of fighting in that direction meant. But we have had no word up
to now."
Accordingly Thad, assisted by the others at intervals, related some of
the stirring sights they had seen while on the watch-hill a mile or more
distant from the battlefield at the bridge. The three Belgians listened
eagerly, and while two of the guard might not fully understand what was
said, they caught enough to feel that their comrades had won new honor
by their gallant defense of the bridge, and its ultimate destruction
when defense was no longer possible.
"Thank you very much for giving us such splendid news," said the soldier
who spoke English, as he thrust out a hand to Thad; "and in return I may
let you into a secret that will explain why you cannot cross here. This
bridge had been weakened so that it is apt to fall when any weight is
put on it. Even your car might be sufficient to bring about the
catastrophe. We are hoping it will go down with the first detachment of
raiding Uhlans that comes this way. Our duty is to fire on them and get
them to charge. If twenty go down with the bridge so much the better."
Of course Thad realized that all thought of crossing there must be
abandoned. He saw that a road ran along the river, and by taking this
they would after a bit come to the small bridge which was recommended
for their notice.
So the boys started, making up their minds that, as Giraffe said, "You
never know what's best for you; and after all our going this way may
turn out to be just splendid."
"If it'd only throw us in the way of getting a new supply of petrol I'd
ask nothing better," remarked Allan.
"It's getting pretty near high noon too, don't forget," said Bumpus,
significantly; "and human beings have to be fed as well as cranky old
engines. I ought to have asked that accommodating fellow whether there
was any village on the bank of the river down this way. Seems to me
there must be. Anyhow we could try every house we struck, and see if
some lady wouldn't get us up a dinner for ready cash."
"One thing I think we might do," suggested Thad; "that's lay in
something at the very next chance. I mean food to cook, together with
several pans, and a pot to boil coffee in. Then we'd feel independent of
any inn; and if overtaken by night could get on fairly well."
Bumpus expressed delight at the idea.
"I think it's a great scheme, Thad!" he declared, with beaming face;
"and really I'm surprised that none of us have thought of that dodge
before. We've got plenty of room aboard the old machine to stow things;
and for my part it's going to bring up heaps of happy memories of
by-gone days and nights, when we've sat around a jolly camp fire with
our mates."
"Then that settles it," decided the scout leader.
"And, Thad," called out Giraffe, after one of his observations, "unless
all signs are wrong we're going to have a chance to get some dinner, and
p'r'aps lay in all those stores, because there's a village ahead of us."
"That eagle eye of yours is correct as usual, Giraffe," said Allan,
after taking a look for himself.