CHAPTER XXI.
THE HANGING BRIDGE.
"Do we have to get out at this terribly early hour?" asked Tubby, as hedug his knuckles into his eyes, still heavy with sleep.
"Yes," said Rob. "I've taken a look at the stars, and it must behalf-past two, or near it. You know I've made it a practice to be ableto 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 hayand 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 themselvesoutside. All of them were glad to button up their coats.
Looking in the direction where the myriad of fires had been burningearlier in the night and seeming like innumerable giant fireflies whichthey were accustomed to seeing summer evenings at home, they found thatmost of them had died out.
"I expected that would happen," said Rob, when Merritt called hisattention to the altered conditions in the camp of the Germans, "andit's lucky I made my plans without depending on seeing those firesagain. I've got other landmarks to go by."
"I expected you'd have," said Merritt, filled with the utmost confidencein the leader of the Eagle Patrol, which faith was founded on a longlist of past performances worth remembering.
As there was nothing to hinder them, they made an immediate start. Tubbywas observed to cast a last longing look back toward the humble villageinn. No doubt he was deploring the necessity that compelled them toleave such hospitable quarters without waiting for breakfast-time tocome along.
It was not exactly dark, once their eyes became accustomed toconditions. The stars shone brilliantly in the clear heavens overhead,and in open country it is possible to steer one's way fairly well bystarlight.
For some time the boys went on. Tubby, of course, often stumbled, for itwould not have been Tubby otherwise; but, as he had not so far actuallyspread himself face downward on the road, he thought he was doing verywell.
Merritt could see how Rob had laid out their course, by the assistanceof the friendly innkeeper, who had been told of their desire to reachthe little place called Sempst. He had really drawn Rob a rude butcorrect chart of the roads covering the territory between, and informedhim 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 yardand commenced barking wildly at them, even threatening to nip Tubby inthe leg. It was only natural for the threatened one to shout angrily andkick desperately at the offending canine. By great good luck he managedto land the toe of his shoe against the vicious animal's nose, as aloud 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 oftenrefer to it when complaints were made afterward to the effect that hewas "slow." Any one who could manage to get his foot in contact with asnapping dog must not be reckoned out of the running.
Just what they would do should they finally reach the small town whereSteven Meredith was supposed to be in charge of a large Germanmanufacturing plant, they had not as yet determined. It was Rob's planto secure possession of that field-glass case by hook or crook, for, ifit proved impossible to obtain by fair means, then he meant to trystrategy.
For this purpose he had even bought an empty case while in Antwerp whichhad been carried through all their adventures. It was a new one, for, inmaking up his plans, Rob may have had in mind the old Arabian story ofthe magical lamp, and how the cunning schemer managed to get possessionof it by going around and offering housewives to exchange new lamps forold ones.
He meant to exchange with Steven, and give him a brand new case for hisworn one, should the opportunity arise for such a transfer.
"And once we get our hands on that bit of paper," he had told theothers, "we'll shake the dust of this country off our shoes in thebiggest hurry ever."
It must have been fully an hour after they left the stable of thevillage inn when Rob imparted some information to his chums that causedTubby, 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, hefoolishly thought it must be the little town they were heading for thatRob meant.
The other quickly undeceived him.
"Oh! we're a long, long way off from Sempst yet, Tubby," he said. "I wasreferring 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?" mutteredthe fat scout suspiciously, feeling terribly depressed, because he hadbeen so like a drowning man grasping at a straw.
"Unless it happens to be guarded by the Germans," suggested Merrittsoftly, "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 tobe guarded," Rob went on to inform them, "but the inn-keeper was afraidwe'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'tseem to be much doubt about it. From all accounts, the Belgiansdestroyed it, as they have done many other costly bridges, so as toimpede the advance of the German heavy guns. It takes lots of time andtrouble to rebuild a bridge and make it strong enough to let a monstersiege gun rumble over."
"But, Rob, shall we have to swim across, or is there a sort of fordhandy 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 souncomfortable afterward, and especially when you can't change yourclothes. But, of course, if it's got to be done, we'll all have to justgrin and bear it."
"It may not be necessary in this case," added Rob, no doubt purposelydelaying his information, because he liked to hear Tubby drumming up hiscourage in this way.
"Then mebbe you've gone and got some wings hidden away, which we can useto fly across?" suggested Tubby quickly, "or it might be an aeroplane iskept handy so's to ferry folks over dry-shod."
"Neither of your guesses hits the mark, Tubby," he was informed. "Theinn-keeper said one man told him that, while the bridge was wrecked, afew of the steel beams still hung in place, so that any one who wasfairly spry might manage to make his way over from one side to theother. 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 youmustn't forget that they had daylight to help out. That makes a heap ofdifference. 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 Iexpect there'll be some light for us when we reach the bridge."
"We can wait till she comes along, then," Tubby continued, as thougheven that assurance gave him more or less satisfaction.
From the formation of the country Rob judged they must soon arrive atthe place of the bridge. He had already made the discovery that therewas a stream on one side of them, which the road would have to crossbefore long.
"I think I see where it lies," Merritt announced a few minutes afterthey had stopped talking.
"Yes," admitted the leader, when he had followed the course of Merritt'soutstretched finger as well as was possible in the semi-darkness, "thatmust be the anchorage of the bridge. We'll soon know what we're goingto be up against."
"Well, all I hope is we don't have to swim, that's what!" Tubbymuttered.
Rob, as they continued to advance, kept a careful lookout. He wonderedwhether any sort of patrol could have been stationed at the ruinedbridge by one or the other of the hostile armies. It might makeconsiderable difference with them in their intended crossing; and wouldturn out very awkward if, when they were in the middle of the span,
theydiscovered they were being made targets by some reckless marksmen on thefurther shore.
Presently they drew up alongside the spot. As Rob had hinted the nightwas really at an end, and in the east the first peep of coming dawncould be seen in the brightening sky.
"It's a wreck, all right!" said Merritt, as they stood there, strainingtheir eyes to try and follow the outlines of the torn steel girders thatseemed to have been twisted into all manner of queer shapes by the forceof the explosion.
"Gingersnaps and popguns!" ejaculated Tubby helplessly, "and do youreally expect to crawl over that swinging thing? I've read about someawful hanging bridges in the mountains of South America and Africa, butI 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 meto creep out there on that dizzy girder."
"We'll wait a bit till the light gets stronger," Rob counseled, knowingfull well that when it came to it Tubby would summon the necessaryresolution to cross over, especially if his comrades showed the way.
A quarter of an hour elapsed. By that time they could see across fairlywell.
"First of all," Rob summed up, "there doesn't seem to be anybody overthere 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, allof us have done stunts worse than that. You know we have, Tubby, many atime."
"Well," Tubby answered him weakly, "just as you say, boys. I'm in yourhands. 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'mnot a cracking good hand at swimming."
Of course they promised, and cheered him up by every means possible; butit was with many doubts that in the end Tubby consented to start forthon the trip.
Rob led the way, and after him came the fat chum, with Merritt bringingup the rear. There was a method in this arrangement, for, while thepilot could test each girder, so as to pronounce it secure, the rearguard was able to keep an eye on luckless Tubby, and even give him anoccasional word of advice.
Now that the morning had arrived they could see better with each passingminute; and Rob soon declared there was no necessity for any furtherdelay.
It was always a principle with him to grapple with a difficulty, andcarry out his plans, without letting anything like dismay seize hold ofhis heart.
Accordingly Rob now made a start.
"Why, this is dead easy," was the way he sung out, after he had passedalong the swaying girder for a little distance. "All you have to makesure of is that your grip is sound. Then keep hunching along, foot byfoot. And don't look down any more than you can help, because it mightmake you dizzy."
Tubby shut his teeth hard, and began to follow after the pilot. He madegood 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 hisslender hold shaken violently.
Something had certainly happened to unfortunate Tubby!