A CHANGE OF PLANS--CONCLUSION.
"That finishes it with me," remarked Thad, when the car came to a sudden
stop, on account of the treacherous motor breaking down again. "Get
ready to leave the old trap in the ditch, boys. We'll give some other
simpletons a chance to tinker with the machine. I'm done with it, once
and for all."
"Well, you gave us all plain warning in good time, Thad," spoke up
Giraffe, not in the least depressed with this change of plans, because
his impatient spirit could not brook these irritating delays.
Even Bumpus did not show any considerable amount of chagrin, and the
reason was quickly made manifest when he broke out with:
"I really believe we must be close on to that railroad town they called
Valkenswaard; because as sure as anything I heard the sound of a train
moving along just then. Yes, there it goes again, with the motor puffing
like hot cakes. Thad, tell me if I'm right about that."
"Just what you are, Bumpus," replied the patrol leader. "I heard it
myself, which was one reason I said what I did. We've been heading
nearly due east for some little time now, and were due to strike the
line of steel before long."
"The plan then is to step out lively, and get to this Dutch town,"
suggested Allan. "I suppose then we'll take the very first chance we can
strike to start for Rotterdam by way of--for goodness' sake, let me see
that chart of yours again, Thad; because these terrible Dutch names
twist my tongue so--here it is, Hertogenbosch, which seems to be about
the biggest railway center in all Holland."
"How far away is Rotterdam, Thad?" asked Bumpus.
"I couldn't tell you exactly, Bumpus," answered the scout leader; "but
on a guess I'd say not more than a hundred miles. The Netherlands isn't
a very big country, you remember, and yet one of the most wonderful
places in the world. We'll see some strange sights as we go along."
"I hope we make the trip by daylight, then," said Giraffe, who was more
or less fond of seeing new scenes.
They made sure to leave nothing behind that they cared to keep.
"Good-bye, little old trap," said Giraffe, making a mock bow toward the
abandoned car; "you played your part all right in the circus, and we'll
often think of you, with tears in our eyes. All the same we're glad to
be able to say our necks haven't been broken while we navigated the
roads of Germany, Belgium and Holland in your care."
Inside of half an hour they actually arrived at the town on the railway.
Here they managed to get something to eat while waiting for a train to
come along. It was by the greatest luck in the world that they found
themselves on the road shortly after noon, because the service between
Belgium and Holland was already sadly disorganized on account of what
was going on across the border.
When they arrived at the town of Hertogenbosch they found that they
would have to wait an hour before they could make a fresh start for
Rotterdam. Here Kaiser the tattooed man said good-bye to his young
friends, since he was headed for Amsterdam, and their routes ran in
different directions.
"I've got your home address, boys," he said after squeezing their hands
for the third and last time, "and I'm going to drop in and see you some
time or other, if I get out of this country alive. You've been good
friends to me, and I'll never forget it. I'm a firm admirer of Boy
Scouts from this time on, and will preach the gospel of humanity
wherever I go, just as you've paid it out to me. Good-bye, all!"
They were really sorry to part with Bob Kaiser, for if ever there lived
an entertaining and good-hearted eccentric fellow he "filled the bill,"
as Giraffe said.
During that long afternoon they continued to pass through a most
interesting country, with many glimpses of watery sections, where the
dikes kept the sea from flooding the rich land which the industrious
Dutch had wrested from the grip of Mother Ocean.
It seemed as though every rod of it must be under cultivation, and the
boys understood after that journey what was really meant by "intensive
farming." Flowers without number were included in the various crops, for
Holland is the home of the greatest nursery of bulbs in the whole world,
her rich soil being just suited to their growth.
Evening was drawing on apace when they neared the great city of
Rotterdam and sniffed the salty scent of the sea that lay beyond. It
acted like a tonic upon the four lads. Even Bumpus was noticed to take
numerous whiffs of the invigorating atmosphere, although he had been
very seasick on the voyage across the Atlantic.
They managed to get located at a small but neatly kept hotel, where they
could stay while looking about, and making inquiries concerning the
possibilities of getting to Antwerp by water.
Never in all their lives had they seen such wonderful cleanliness. The
women and children with their queer head-dresses, and snow-white
garments were a never ceasing source of wonder to the boys, especially
Bumpus, who often chuckled when he pointed out roly-poly boys who put
even his own generous proportions into the shade, so to speak.
"This is the land where you really belong, Bumpus," Giraffe told him;
"here you could pass unnoticed, if only you dressed like these other
boys do. Just imagine our Bumpus with a pair of those wide trousers on,
and wooden shoes to finish him off, would you? I've got half a mind to
buy an outfit for you, Bumpus, while we have the chance. You'd make a
great hit with the pretty girls of Cranford when you came out and set
the style for the rest of the fellows."
"Squander your money if you feel like it, Giraffe," Bumpus
good-naturedly told him; "but getting me to wear such a clown outfit
will be another thing. One boy c'n lead a horse to water, but the whole
Cranford Troop can't make him drink against his will, remember."
They had a peaceful night of it, although at first they feared the many
noises welling up from the water front where the shipping was so dense
would annoy them. It must have been they were all pretty tired, and that
of late they had failed to enjoy their customary sound sleep, for to
tell the truth none of them seemed to know a thing from the time they
retired until Thad, arousing, found it was already broad daylight.
Immediately after breakfast they started out. Bumpus was becoming
distressed once more on account of his not having heard from his mother
for such a long time. He was exceedingly fond of her, and felt sure she
must be enduring great mental agony on account of the uncertainty
concerning her boy, marooned up in the Rhine country by this sudden
breaking out of the great war.
At first they did not meet with any luck. Vessels were starting out that
day, a number of them, but for America and England. Those destined to
cross the Atlantic had every stateroom engaged, for thousands of
sight-seers had already taken the alarm, and were flocking to the Dutch
ports to get passage home.
It was about the middle of the morning when Thad struck a clue which
seemed to give more or less hope. Eagerly following the trail they
finally learned that a small steamer expected to leave Rotterdam for
Antwerp an hour after noon that same day. There might not be another for
forty-eight hours, and so it became necessary for the scouts to
immediately engage passage, and then hurry back to settle their score at
the hotel, as well as carry their personal belongings aboard.
Being something of hustlers they managed to accomplish all this in
record time, having learned that they could get dinner on board the
boat.
And once comfortably settled they could await the sailing of the boat
with a conviction that their troubles were in all probability over.
"Just to think," said Giraffe, after they had started down the river to
the sea, lying some twenty miles or so away, "if we could have continued
our voyage in that little boat of ours through the rest of Germany and
then into Holland we'd have brought up here, sooner or later."
"Why, is this really the mouth of the Rhine?" asked Bumpus, wonderingly;
"I had an idea Rotterdam was situated on the Meuse River."
"It's all a regular mix-up, however you try to see it," responded
Giraffe, who had been studying the chart, and wished to exploit his
knowledge; "there seem to be no end to the outlets of those two rivers
when they get to the delta region of the Netherlands, and you can call
them either the Rhine or the Meuse as you please. It's all salt water
down here, anyhow, and these are really arms of the North Sea reaching
far up into the Low Countries."
It was a very interesting trip down the river, at any rate. They had
glimpses of forts which Holland had erected in order to defend her
cities against any foreign foe; though the boys considered that her
greatest possible danger lay in the west, where Germany had an envious
eye on this valuable territory that seemed to properly be a part of her
expanding empire.
Finally about the middle of the afternoon they came in sight of the sea,
though its heaving had been manifest for some time previously. All of
the scouts viewed the apparently boundless expanse of salt water with
delight; Bumpus however was heard to express a fervent hope that he
would not have to pass through another attack of sea sickness. When
about an hour before the setting of the sun they saw heavy smoke along
the horizon, and presently could make out a long line of what appeared
to be misty-colored battleships headed _north_, it gave them a decided
thrill.
"They must be a part of the great British fleet, on the way to seek
battle with the Kaiser's warships!" was the consensus of opinion; and
having lately witnessed the ferocity that marks a battle the boys could
easily picture the stirring scene if ever a decisive conflict did take
place between the rival fleets of the North Sea.
With the good boat forging on toward the mouth of the Schelde River, up
which it would pass to the docks at Antwerp, it seemed as though the
troubles of Thad Brewster and his three fellow scouts might be over for
the present. They fully anticipated being in the Belgian city by
morning, and possibly taking passage for London before another night,
with Mrs. Hawtree in their care.
Here we may well leave them, confident that no matter what may arise to
throw obstacles in their way, these energetic and resourceful lads can
be depended on to overcome all trials, and reach the haven for which
they are heading. At some no far distant day we can hope to once more
follow their fortunes in new fields of scout endeavor; but until that
time comes we must ring down the curtain and say good-bye.
THE END
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