CHAPTER XIX.
THE ROAD OF VON KLUCK'S RETREAT.
After all the boys were not sorry for the experience. They had witnessedsome sights that they would never forget. Rod too could plume himself onhaving done the right thing when he used his weapon twice with tellingeffect.
After the fire in the rear of the house had been effectuallyextinguished the good woman appeared before them to announce that supperwas served; and she added her apologies because they might find some ofthe dishes not quite so warm as they liked, "For," as she naively putit, "we had too much heat in another quarter; and one never knows justhow to manage when those terrible Uhlans are around."
Certainly none of the three boys found anything to complain of. Theynever remembered sitting down to a finer meal, when their appetites wereon edge, as just then happened to be the case.
Hanky Panky ate until Josh solemnly warned him that he would surelyfounder unless he curbed that awful appetite of his. It might have beennoticed, however, that Josh was sitting there for some little time afterhis comrades had left the table, and still "sampling" the good thingsthat tempted him.
It was settled that since the three motorcycles were already in thehouse they might as well remain there. Rod managed to fix the smasheddoor so that it would close again, though a carpenter's skill would berequired to place it in its former excellent condition.
When they got through eating it was beginning to grow dusk. Joshremarked that he guessed he would saunter out to stretch his legs, andat the same time see the extent of damage inflicted by the briefoccupation of the village by the raiders.
"They say those Uhlans can make a howling wilderness of a Paradisequicker than any men on the face of the earth, once they set out to dothings," Josh explained as he picked up his hat, "and I'd like to findout if there's any truth in the yarn."
Rod told him to "mind his eye," and not wander away, since with thenight coming on there could be no telling what danger might not hoverover 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 hisgun."
"Oh, come! there's no necessity of Josh going out at all if he has toload himself down with deadly weapons like that," laughed Rod.
Josh had his little outing, and returned in good time. He acted asthough he did not regret his determination, and Hanky Panky, knowingfrom 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 toopen up and tell us about it," he went on to say. "Did the French chapswith the baggy red trousers and the big yell manage to bring down any ofthe German raiders when they used up so much powder and ball?"
"I believe they did, for one woman who could talk some English managedto tell me the zouaves took three prisoners back with them, and inaddition one fellow who would have to be buried, she said, because hewas dead."
Hanky Panky would have shivered at one time on hearing such gruesomenews, but after witnessing the terrible sights accompanying the battlealong the bank of the Marne he somehow seemed to think little of it.
"Was that _all_ you saw or heard, Josh?" he continued, bent onmaking the other confess to the limit.
Josh grinned, showing that he had purposely acted so as to excite thesuspicion of this curious comrade. Having attained his end, he consentedto explain further.
"Well, no, not quite all, Hanky," he remarked calmly; "I'm most sure Isaw a man skulking around who showed a whole lot of concern when Iapproached, and even hurried away. He wasn't an old man either, and letme tell you, Rod, he hid his face from me in the bargain. Now, what doyou 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 avoidmeeting one of them.
"I got the notion in my head," admitted Josh, "that it must be eitherhim or else some party hitched up with Jules. He acted in a way thatmade me sure of that."
"Huh!" Hanky Panky went on to say, with one of his odd chuckles, "I'monly surprised, Josh, you didn't step right up to the fellow and ask himif he answered to the name of Jules Baggott; also if he happened to knowa woman called Jeanne D'Aubrey. That'd be just like your way, Josh."
The other grinned affably as though he considered this one of thehighest compliments his chum could pay him.
"Oh, well, to tell you the truth, though I'm almost ashamed to admitit," he remarked, "I did want to chase after him and say that very samething; 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 itwas 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 thatinn over at Calais."
"If we do you can make up your mind he'll have all his trouble for hispains," 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 withoutour knowing it."
The boys sat around for some little time afterwards. Rod entered into aconversation with the woman of the house, for while he could tell hermany things concerning the state of affairs at the front, at the sametime there was always a possibility of his picking up a littleinformation that might come in handy later on.
In good time they were shown to a room, where they proceeded to makethemselves comfortable. Rod, with some cord which he produced, set aclever little trap. By this simple method of protection he fixed mattersso that should any one try to enter by way of the open windows theywould arouse the sleepers by pulling down three chairs which had beenpiled up, and made fast to the cord.
Whatever the plan of the plotter may have been, evidently entering theroom of the three American boys did not form a part of it, because thenight passed without any further alarm.
"Guess he knew we had that gun we took from his man who played the partof Oscar William Tell," observed Hanky Panky in the morning, whenawakened by the rising sun they lay there and talked matters over.
"Well," remarked Josh with a yawn, "by this time Jules is beginning tounderstand that we don't mean to handle him with gloves if he runs afoulof us. While he may keep on trying as hard as ever to get that paper inhis hands, it'll be through some sneaky way, and not in a stand-upfight. Schemers like him seldom do feel like facing the men they aim tobeat. I'm keeping an eye out for Jules; and say, if ever I do get achance 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 alreadybegin to hear the guns take up the same steady rhythm that would growlouder and more insistent as the day grew older, until the fierce rushof battle again held sway, and a million of Frenchmen hurled themselvesagainst an equal number of Germans in the endeavor to push them backstill further in their retreat from before Paris.
The boys started out soon afterwards. Rod believed he knew about wherethe regiment could be found to which Jeanne's husband, Andre, belonged.If fortune favored them, and they discovered the French reservist stillin the land of the living, doubtless it could soon be arranged as theyplanned.
As on the previous afternoon, they soon found themselves on the roadalong which the retreating German army had passed. Everywhere they couldsee marks of this flight, for such it really was, despite the order withwhich the retrograde movement had been conducted. In places the roadsidewas glutted with cast-off articles, such as had better be disposed of ifhaste and mobility were to be considered.
As a rule these had been rendered useless before being abandoned, inorder to prevent them from becoming valuable to the enemy. It was asight worth seeing; and no wonder such of the country people whom theboys came upon, examining this "made in Germany" material, had broadsmiles on their faces, since it spoke eloquently of the near panic thatmust have existed in the army of Von Kluck, before they w
ould thusabandon so much of their resources.
A score of interesting things engaged their attention as they slowlymade their way along. Obstacles were frequently met with, but cleverlyavoided by these expert riders. Many times Rod called a temporary haltin order to speak with some peasant who chanced to look more thanordinarily intelligent, and, he imagined, able to give him information.
They also came upon various detachments of the French army. Some wereengaged in caring for wounded comrades who could not be taken to therear as yet on account of the glut of injured and the lack of vehiclesof transportation; though many such were to be seen on their way toParis with loads of groaning humanity.
Then fresh artillery was to be found going to the front, the horsessnorting as though they already scented the battle smoke, the mensitting there on gun carriage and caisson, grim and eager, though nonecould say if he might be so fortunate as to see the sun set when thatdreadful day reached its close.
Other big vans there were carrying fresh ammunition to the guns thatwere so noisily punctuating the morning atmosphere with their clamor.French powder and shot had never been sent forth on a mission more inkeeping with the hearts of the people. A million hands would willinglytoil day by day making fresh supplies, if only it could win for themanother such fight as this glorious victory over the German invaders onthe banks of the Marne.
There came a time, however, when Rod was brought to a sudden stopthrough other means than his own will. From either side of the roadarose men wearing the French uniform. Guns were brought to bear upon thethree riders, and a gruff voice ordered them to come to a halt andsurrender.
Laughing at what they deemed something akin to a joke, they hastened tocomply.
"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 ourride, 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 knewthat Rod did not in the least doubt the ability of those papers to carrythem through any little difficulty that might arise.
Accordingly he turned to the grizzled French sergeant who seemed to bein charge of the detail by which they had been taken prisoners, and toldhim to lead the way to his commanding officer.
Passing up the road they turned into what seemed to be a little-usedpath. Each of the boys trundled his machine along, preferring to do thisrather than risk handing them over to the soldiers.
Even Hanky Panky exhibited no sign of alarm. If in the beginning he feltany such weakness it had been immediately set at rest by those cheerywords which Rod spoke. Of course they could quickly satisfy the Frenchcommander of their standing; those magical documents would do the trickand gain them new friends as well.
Shortly afterwards they found themselves in what seemed to be atemporary camp. A regiment of troops had been stationed here for somestrategical purpose, which was never explained to the boys. Under ashelter tent several officers were conferring while they sipped theircoffee. The older man with the white imperial Rod knew to be a colonelfrom his uniform. All of them eyed the trio with frowns, and somehowHanky 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 incharge?"
"It is very simple," came the astounding answer in plain English; "intimes like this spies may be arrested, tried, and executed all inside ofan hour. And you three boys are accused of having been known to sendinformation to the enemy!"