WHEN THE UHLANS CAME.
When Rob Blake made this startling explanation of the loud cries from
without, his two companions started up from the table in dismay. They
could easily understand that the coming of the German cavalrymen just
then threatened them with unpleasant consequences.
If they were mistaken for English boys they might expect not only rough
treatment, but possibly find themselves railroaded into Germany, with
one of those terrible dungeons in a Rhine fortress as their destination.
Perhaps even Tubby began to deplore the fact that he chanced to be
wearing a Boy Scout khaki suit, and a campaign hat besides; with the
leggings that scouts in the States have adopted instead of the woolen
stockings used by other branches of the organization abroad.
If pride must have a fall, Tubby began to experience the first twinges
of regret at that moment as he scrambled to his feet, and waited to hear
what Rob or Merritt would say.
"It may be only a false alarm," Merritt suggested. "These poor people
have been seeing imaginary regiments of Uhlans ever since war was
declared."
"But they're making oodles of noise, anyhow!" Tubby protested.
"We can soon find out if it's so," said Rob, hurrying over to one of the
windows, which were partly screened with flimsy curtains, through which
any person from the inside could look out, but which would prevent
scrutiny from the village street, except when the lamps were lighted
later.
They quickly saw that their worst fears were realized. Down the street
at least fifty horsemen were riding. The fact that they carried lances
and wore the customary spiked helmets of the German troopers told Rob as
well as words could have done that at last they were gazing on the
far-famed Uhlans.
They were not at all the fierce-appearing warriors the boys may have
pictured them, having the Russian Cossacks in mind at the time. Indeed,
a number seemed to be laughing heartily, doubtless on account of the
evident terror their presence had apparently inspired in the breasts of
the villagers. And some of them were rosy-cheeked young fellows, who,
shorn of their military accouterments, would have struck the scouts as
good-natured German youths.
Others, however, were more grim and haughty, as though they thought it
their duty to impress these stubborn Belgians with a due sense of their
importance as factors to be dealt with.
It was a thrilling sight to see those hard-riding soldiers of the Kaiser
coming along the village street, with people staring at them from open
doors and windows, yet none daring to utter a word of protest. Fear was
written largely on nearly every face, though doubtless there were also
those who viewed the coming of the hated Uhlans with illy suppressed
rage. Perhaps they had lost some dear one during the battles that had
already been fought around Liege and other places; or in the destruction
of Louvain.
"Rob, don't you see they're heading right this way?" whispered Tubby
suddenly, after they had watched the stirring picture for a minute or
so.
"Yes, that's a fact," replied Rob. "Let's hope they mean to only ride
through the village, and leave by the other side."
"Gee! I hope now they won't fall in love with our horses, and run them
off!" ventured Tubby, excited by his fears in that respect; for Tubby
did not like to walk any more than he could possibly help.
"Not much danger in that line," scoffed Merritt. "But look at that
officer in front of the column--he's pointing right this way, you
notice, Rob, and is saying something to another rider close behind him."
"Oh! can he have seen us?" wailed Tubby, no doubt having very positive
visions of prison life before him just then, with solitary confinement
on a diet of bread and water, which was the worst punishment he could
imagine.
"That's impossible," Rob instantly assured him. "The chances are he's
discovered this inn, and is telling the other officer they may be able
to secure something to eat, and a bottle of wine here. Their men can
pick up supper through the place, making the poor people furnish the
meal, or have their houses knocked about their ears."
"But if they come in here do we want to stay and be arrested for English
spies?" asked Merritt; whereat Tubby's lips could be seen to move,
although no words came forth, while he anxiously waited for Rob to
decide.
The other had already made up his mind.
"That would be foolish on our part," he told Merritt, "and unnecessary
in the bargain. They may only stop for five minutes to drink wine, and
then go on again, because they know they're in the enemy's country here.
We must find a place to hide till they leave. Come along with me,
fellows."
Now it happened that Rob had never forgotten one of the things all
scouts are enjoined to impress upon their minds; which is to observe the
most minute detail wherever they happen to be. In the woods this faculty
for observation had often served the patrol leader a good turn, and the
same thing happened now.
While sitting there and enjoying the warm supper which the keeper of the
village inn had spread before them, Rob had taken note of his
surroundings. Thus he knew just where the stairs leading to the upper
_etage_ or floor of the inn was located; and also that it could not be
easily seen from the door leading to the street.
He led Tubby and Merritt over to the stairs.
"We'll slip up here," he told them, for a quick glance around had
assured Rob that no one was watching them.
Most of those who had been around the tavern hurried outside at the
first sign of alarm, and were now gaping at the coming troop. The
proprietor, guessing that his establishment would be the first object of
attention on the part of the invading enemy, was wildly striving to
conceal certain valuables he possessed under a board in the floor,
where, perhaps, he also kept his choicest wines.
Once the scouts had climbed aloft they managed to gain a sort of garret
where broken furniture and hair-covered trunks seemed to be stored.
"This will answer us as well as any other place," Rob told them, as he
closed the door, and managed to push a heavy trunk against it.
"And there are two little peephole windows, too, for all the world like
eye-glasses, but big enough for us to see through," Tubby remarked,
groping his way among the collection of riffraff with which the garret
was encumbered, until he found himself able to kneel and look through
the dusty glass of a window.
"They're spreading all over the place," he immediately announced, "and
making the village people get supper ready for them. Chances are, too,
they won't whack up a red cent for all they eat and drink. Whee! so this
is war, is it? Well, all I can say is it's a mighty mean game."
"Some of them have come into the inn," ventured Merritt. "I can hear
heavy voices below us, German voices, too. You know sound travels up
walls like everything. And there's a heap of bustle going on below, as
if the landlord, his wife and everybody else might be on the jump to
wait on the Uhlan guests."
"Can you blame them?" said Tubby, "when like as not if they said no
they'd find a torch put to their house? Rob, you don't think they'll
come up here, do you?"
"Oh! hardly, unless they take to ransacking the house for valuables, or
more wine. They must know time is too valuable for that, because there
are Belgian forces all around this place who might drop in on them. No,
they'll get a hurried bite and then be off again."
For some little time they continued to listen to the confused sounds
that came to their ears. Considerable shouting from the street testified
to the fact that some of the soldiers might be acting, as Tubby
expressed it, "rough-house"; and although the light outside was
commencing to grow rather dim, looking through the window they saw
several instances where a soldier struck some half grown boy who may
have acted in a sullen fashion, or declined to do what he was told.
All at once there was a shot!
This was followed by a great outcry, in which loud German voices could
be heard giving orders. A scrambling downstairs announced that the
officers who had been eating at the inn were hurriedly rejoining their
command.
"Are the Belgian troops coming, Rob?" asked Tubby, finding it impossible
to see what was going on, because he had been unable to open his window,
as the others had done.
"No, it must have been some desperate villager sniping from a house,"
replied Rob; and a minute later he continued hastily: "Yes, they're
carrying a Uhlan to his horse, and threatening the people with guns and
lances."
"Oh! I hope now they don't start in to shooting the poor things down!"
cried the sympathetic Tubby, wringing his hands, though hardly conscious
of what he was doing.
"They've rushed into the house next to this," Merritt now exclaimed,
"and seem to be searching it, which tells me the party who fired, man or
boy, must have been concealed there!"
"Gee! that's getting pretty near home!" muttered Tubby.
"Rob, did you see that puff of smoke coming out of the house then?"
Merritt presently demanded, almost bursting with the excitement.
"Yes, I'm sorry to say I do see it," replied the leader of the Eagle
Patrol, as he continued to look downward. "They've set fire to the
building; and what bothers me most of all is the wind coming straight
this way. I'm afraid it means the inn will take fire too, and like as
not be burned to the ground!"