THE HANGING BRIDGE.
"Do we have to get out at this terribly early hour?" asked Tubby, as he
dug his knuckles into his eyes, still heavy with sleep.
"Yes," said Rob. "I've taken a look at the stars, and it must be
half-past two, or near it. You know I've made it a practice to be able
to tell the hour of night in that way, and can hit it every time. Come,
get a move on you, Tubby, unless you'd prefer staying here in the hay
and waiting till we come back."
"Well, you don't shake me that way if I know it," muttered Tubby,
hastening to crawl out of his snug nest.
The night air was rather chilly, when once they found themselves
outside. All of them were glad to button up their coats.
Looking in the direction where the myriad of fires had been burning
earlier in the night and seeming like innumerable giant fireflies which
they were accustomed to seeing summer evenings at home, they found that
most of them had died out.
"I expected that would happen," said Rob, when Merritt called his
attention to the altered conditions in the camp of the Germans, "and
it's lucky I made my plans without depending on seeing those fires
again. I've got other landmarks to go by."
"I expected you'd have," said Merritt, filled with the utmost confidence
in the leader of the Eagle Patrol, which faith was founded on a long
list of past performances worth remembering.
As there was nothing to hinder them, they made an immediate start. Tubby
was observed to cast a last longing look back toward the humble village
inn. No doubt he was deploring the necessity that compelled them to
leave such hospitable quarters without waiting for breakfast-time to
come along.
It was not exactly dark, once their eyes became accustomed to
conditions. The stars shone brilliantly in the clear heavens overhead,
and in open country it is possible to steer one's way fairly well by
starlight.
For some time the boys went on. Tubby, of course, often stumbled, for it
would not have been Tubby otherwise; but, as he had not so far actually
spread himself face downward on the road, he thought he was doing very
well.
Merritt could see how Rob had laid out their course, by the assistance
of the friendly innkeeper, who had been told of their desire to reach
the little place called Sempst. He had really drawn Rob a rude but
correct chart of the roads covering the territory between, and informed
him as to what his best plan of campaign would be.
A number of times they had slight scares. Once a dog ran out from a yard
and commenced barking wildly at them, even threatening to nip Tubby in
the leg. It was only natural for the threatened one to shout angrily and
kick desperately at the offending canine. By great good luck he managed
to land the toe of his shoe against the vicious animal's nose, as a
loud howl announced.
"There, that serves you right, for bothering me, you silly thing!"
grumbled Tubby.
The others knew he must be very proud of that shot, and would often
refer to it when complaints were made afterward to the effect that he
was "slow." Any one who could manage to get his foot in contact with a
snapping dog must not be reckoned out of the running.
Just what they would do should they finally reach the small town where
Steven Meredith was supposed to be in charge of a large German
manufacturing plant, they had not as yet determined. It was Rob's plan
to secure possession of that field-glass case by hook or crook, for, if
it proved impossible to obtain by fair means, then he meant to try
strategy.
For this purpose he had even bought an empty case while in Antwerp which
had been carried through all their adventures. It was a new one, for, in
making up his plans, Rob may have had in mind the old Arabian story of
the magical lamp, and how the cunning schemer managed to get possession
of it by going around and offering housewives to exchange new lamps for
old ones.
He meant to exchange with Steven, and give him a brand new case for his
worn one, should the opportunity arise for such a transfer.
"And once we get our hands on that bit of paper," he had told the
others, "we'll shake the dust of this country off our shoes in the
biggest hurry ever."
It must have been fully an hour after they left the stable of the
village inn when Rob imparted some information to his chums that caused
Tubby, at least, more or less apprehension.
"It's about time we were coming to it now," Rob started to say.
"What, already?" remarked Tubby, evidently delighted, for, of course, he
foolishly thought it must be the little town they were heading for that
Rob meant.
The other quickly undeceived him.
"Oh! we're a long, long way off from Sempst yet, Tubby," he said. "I was
referring to a bridge the inn-keeper told me about, that's all."
"What's there about a bridge to worry us, I'd like to know?" muttered
the fat scout suspiciously, feeling terribly depressed, because he had
been so like a drowning man grasping at a straw.
"Unless it happens to be guarded by the Germans," suggested Merritt
softly, "and then we'd have a dickens of a time getting across."
"The trouble about this particular bridge isn't so much that it's apt to
be guarded," Rob went on to inform them, "but the inn-keeper was afraid
we'd find it gone!"
"Blown up, do you mean, Rob?" Tubby demanded.
"It's been reported that way," he was informed. "Fact is, there doesn't
seem to be much doubt about it. From all accounts, the Belgians
destroyed it, as they have done many other costly bridges, so as to
impede the advance of the German heavy guns. It takes lots of time and
trouble to rebuild a bridge and make it strong enough to let a monster
siege gun rumble over."
"But, Rob, shall we have to swim across, or is there a sort of ford
handy that we might use?" Merritt inquired.
"I certainly hope we don't have to swim, anyway," Tubby declared, "for,
if there's one thing I hate to do, it's to get soaking wet. It's so
uncomfortable afterward, and especially when you can't change your
clothes. But, of course, if it's got to be done, we'll all have to just
grin and bear it."
"It may not be necessary in this case," added Rob, no doubt purposely
delaying his information, because he liked to hear Tubby drumming up his
courage in this way.
"Then mebbe you've gone and got some wings hidden away, which we can use
to fly across?" suggested Tubby quickly, "or it might be an aeroplane is
kept handy so's to ferry folks over dry-shod."
"Neither of your guesses hits the mark, Tubby," he was informed. "The
inn-keeper said one man told him that, while the bridge was wrecked, a
few of the steel beams still hung in place, so that any one who was
fairly spry might manage to make his way over from one side to the
other. A number had done it, including the man who told him."
"If others can, we ought to be able to make it," Merritt said stoutly.
"Yes, I suppose that's so," admitted Tubby ruefully, "but then you
mustn't forget that they had daylight to help out. That makes a heap of
difference. I never did have the eyes of a cat so's to see in the dark."
"It's getting on toward the first peep of dawn," Rob told him; "and I
expect there'll be some light for us when we reach the bridge."
"We can wait till she comes along, then," Tubby continued, as though
even that assurance gave him more or less satisfaction.
From the formation of the country Rob judged they must soon arrive at
the place of the bridge. He had already made the discovery that there
was a stream on one side of them, which the road would have to cross
before long.
"I think I see where it lies," Merritt announced a few minutes after
they had stopped talking.
"Yes," admitted the leader, when he had followed the course of Merritt's
outstretched finger as well as was possible in the semi-darkness, "that
must be the anchorage of the bridge. We'll soon know what we're going
to be up against."
"Well, all I hope is we don't have to swim, that's what!" Tubby
muttered.
Rob, as they continued to advance, kept a careful lookout. He wondered
whether any sort of patrol could have been stationed at the ruined
bridge by one or the other of the hostile armies. It might make
considerable difference with them in their intended crossing; and would
turn out very awkward if, when they were in the middle of the span, they
discovered they were being made targets by some reckless marksmen on the
further shore.
Presently they drew up alongside the spot. As Rob had hinted the night
was really at an end, and in the east the first peep of coming dawn
could be seen in the brightening sky.
"It's a wreck, all right!" said Merritt, as they stood there, straining
their eyes to try and follow the outlines of the torn steel girders that
seemed to have been twisted into all manner of queer shapes by the force
of the explosion.
"Gingersnaps and popguns!" ejaculated Tubby helplessly, "and do you
really expect to crawl over that swinging thing? I've read about some
awful hanging bridges in the mountains of South America and Africa, but
I bet you they couldn't hold a candle alongside this mussed-up affair.
Whee! you'd have to blindfold me, I'm afraid, boys, if you expected me
to creep out there on that dizzy girder."
"We'll wait a bit till the light gets stronger," Rob counseled, knowing
full well that when it came to it Tubby would summon the necessary
resolution to cross over, especially if his comrades showed the way.
A quarter of an hour elapsed. By that time they could see across fairly
well.
"First of all," Rob summed up, "there doesn't seem to be anybody over
there to bother us, that I can notice."
"And the way across isn't so bad, that I can see," announced Merritt,
principally to help buoy up the sinking heart of poor Tubby. "Why, all
of us have done stunts worse than that. You know we have, Tubby, many a
time."
"Well," Tubby answered him weakly, "just as you say, boys. I'm in your
hands. I promise to do the best I can to get over; but, if I _should_
slip, please get me out of the river as soon as you can. You know I'm
not a cracking good hand at swimming."
Of course they promised, and cheered him up by every means possible; but
it was with many doubts that in the end Tubby consented to start forth
on the trip.
Rob led the way, and after him came the fat chum, with Merritt bringing
up the rear. There was a method in this arrangement, for, while the
pilot could test each girder, so as to pronounce it secure, the rear
guard was able to keep an eye on luckless Tubby, and even give him an
occasional word of advice.
Now that the morning had arrived they could see better with each passing
minute; and Rob soon declared there was no necessity for any further
delay.
It was always a principle with him to grapple with a difficulty, and
carry out his plans, without letting anything like dismay seize hold of
his heart.
Accordingly Rob now made a start.
"Why, this is dead easy," was the way he sung out, after he had passed
along the swaying girder for a little distance. "All you have to make
sure of is that your grip is sound. Then keep hunching along, foot by
foot. And don't look down any more than you can help, because it might
make you dizzy."
Tubby shut his teeth hard, and began to follow after the pilot. He made
good progress until he had about reached the middle of the rocking span.
Then Rob was really alarmed to hear a sudden loud cry, and feel his
slender hold shaken violently.
Something had certainly happened to unfortunate Tubby!