CHAPTER XXIV.
THE ARMORED CAR.
"Honest, Rob, I never knew what I was missing when I said toasted frogs'legs would do for Frenchmen, but none for Merritt Crawford," and, whilemaking this abject confession, the speaker allowed a look of sublimecontent to possess his features, such as would remove any lingeringdoubt concerning his sincerity.
"How about you, Tubby?" asked the master of ceremonies.
Tubby had been savagely tearing at his first helping. His eyes wereglued on the various sticks under his charge, at the ends of which therear portions of as many frogs were dangling, and turning a deliciousbrown under the influence of the heat.
Then Tubby was seen to heave a sigh.
"To think that there are only _six_ more apiece!" he said in a mostsolemn tone. But the others laughed softly, because they knew any loudmerriment, under such peculiar conditions, was hardly safe.
"That settles one thing," remarked Rob. "There's going to be a markedreduction in the profits of this particular frog-raiser this season, ifTubby has to stay here long."
Tubby was already commencing on his second batch. He could not wastetime in talking when his appetite had been excited to a feverish pitchby the first bite of tender and succulent meat.
"Only thing I kick about," he presently mumbled, throwing away theslender bones which he had picked clean, "is that they go so quick. Why,you hardly get started before you're at the end."
"That's the way with nearly all good things," Merritt informed him."Just as soon as they become so numerous that you can have all you want,somehow it seems as if the craving leaves you."
"Yes, I guess that's about it," admitted Tubby, talking only because thenext batch of provender was not quite ready for disposal. "Anyhow, I'veseen my mother just dote on a horrible little cucumber that dad broughthome in January, paying about twenty cents for the same, and, when wehave bushels of splendid ones in our own garden, why, nobody cares toeat them."
The little feast continued until everybody had cleaned up their mess.Tubby was disconsolate because the supply was so limited and the demandso great.
"How foolish we were not to double our catch," he said several times,"for there wouldn't have been any trouble about doing the same. Onething I've settled in my mind, I want to tell you."
"Well, go on, then, and explain," urged Merritt.
"I'll have one next summer, see if I don't," asserted Tubby.
"What--a feast of frogs' legs?" chuckled the other scout.
"Me? Only one show at the same? Well, when I like a thing, I rave overit. I want it every day. I mean to have a frog hatchery, and a pondwhere I can raise 'em by the million!"
"Listen to him, will you, Rob?" exclaimed Merritt, pretending to behorrified. "If ever there was a case where eyes were bigger than astomach, it's right here. Millions of them, Tubby wants now; seven isonly a flea-bite to him."
"Oh! shucks! don't make me out a hog!" remonstrated Tubby. "I didn'tmean I expected to devour the whole lot. Why, can't you see there's goodmoney in raising frogs? I'm going to get the figures, and find out justwhat the ratio of increase might reach. And my folks have got a dandymarsh on the old farm back near Huntington that we own. Rob, I thank youfor opening my eyes to this grand opportunity. I expect it will be theturning point of my life yet."
They were used to hearing Tubby talk like this. He often became inspiredwith ambition, but, as time went on, the spirit died out, and somethingnew took its place.
"You're letting the little fire die out, I notice, Rob," Merrittobserved.
"Why, yes; we have no further use for it," he was told, "and there'salways a small chance that some soldier would be sent this way on anerrand, when he might get a whiff of the smoke, and take a notion toinvestigate. For one I'm not hankering to be sent a prisoner of war tosome detention camp on the Rhine."
"And I'd feel pretty bad if my mission over here turned out a fizzle,"said Merritt, "because my heart is set on getting that paper forGrandfather Crawford."
"I'm going to propose," Tubby projected, as though he could not tear histhoughts away from the one fascinating subject as long as the taste ofhis remarkable feast was still on his lips, "that we put in a couple ofhours' more work getting a supply of these bouncing big frogs. If theGermans stay right there the rest of the day we want to lay in someprovisions; and our choice is limited, you know, to this one thing."
"Of course we could do that," Rob informed him, "in case it wasabsolutely necessary; but I've got a hunch that there's going to be amovement of that army before sundown. If that happens, we can get awayfrom here, and find some one to cook us a meal."
"Then you must have noticed signs that told they were beginning to getready to go?" suggested Merritt.
"Which was just what I did," replied Rob. "I can hear certain soundsthat tell me they have received the order they were expecting, and arebreaking camp."
As all of them were anxious to learn whether this glorious possibilitycould be really true or not, they once more made their way back to thespot where their former vigil had taken place.
"Why, the whole army is in motion, seems like!" ejaculated Tubby.
"And a wonderful sight it is, at that," added Merritt. "They can saywhat they please about these German soldiers--and the Belgians feelthey've got a right to call them all sorts of hard names, as barbariansand the like; but there never was such remarkable discipline in thehistory of the world. The huge army is like one vast machine. Men countonly as necessary cogs. When one goes another takes its place, and theengine grinds on."
They crouched there and watched every operation from a safe distance. Itseemed as though there was a never-ending procession of gray-coatedfigures, most of them with the spiked helmets on their heads, marchingaway in columns toward the southwest. Then came batteries ofquick-firing guns, and heavier field pieces. The clattering ofaccouterments, the neighing of horses, and the hoarse singing of variousregiments--all these things came floating on the breeze to the ears ofthe three lads, as they lay there in the afternoon sunshine and watched.
"They seem particularly fond of certain tunes," remarked Tubby, "and Iknow one is the German national air, 'The Watch on the Rhine,' becausewe've sung it many a time in the school at Hampton. What's that otherthey roar out, Rob?"
"I think it's a popular patriotic German air, called _Deutschland ueberAlles_, which means, of course, 'Germany Over All'," Rob obliginglyreplied.
"Oh! well, every country's sons believe they ought to have the firstplace in the sun; and I reckon we Americans have done a heap ofboasting that way," Merritt remarked, which seemed to be about whatTubby thought, too.
So they lay there until the camp was entirely deserted. Never wouldthose three scouts forget the spectacle to which they had been treatedthat day.
It was now along toward the middle of the afternoon. Far off in thedistance somewhere, an action was certainly going on, for the grumble ofheavy cannonading came almost constantly to their ears.
"Chances are," said Rob, as they prepared to vacate their refuge andonce more push onward, "there's a fierce battle in progress, and thiscorps has received orders to get on the firing line. That would accountfor the way the troops were singing. Their business is to fight, andmost of them are only happy when they can smell burnt powder, hear thecrash of bursting shrapnel, and the heavy boom of big shells."
"We've seen one battle," observed Tubby with a shudder, "and for myselfI'm not hankering after a second experience."
"I suppose in time we'd get used to such terrible things," Rob pursuedin a reflective way, "for even the fellow who nearly swoons away in hisfirst fight, they say, becomes a regular fire-eater after a while; but,so far as I'm concerned, I'll be a happy boy when I see good oldpeaceful Long Island again, with its sandy beaches, and the familiarthings we love."
"We all will, Rob," remarked Tubby fervently, a yearning expressioncoming over his rosy face, as in imagination he again saw the homefolks, and sat down to a table that fairly groaned with the good thin
gshe doted on.
"Yes, after I've carried out my mission I'll be just as glad to startback as either of you fellows," Merritt assured them.
The last of the Germans had disappeared from view when the boys startedout. Rob was looking a bit serious, and the other noticed that he keptturning his eyes off toward the right, for it was in that direction thegreat host had gone.
"You don't expect they will turn back and give us trouble, do you, Rob?"asked Merritt, noticing this frequent look.
"No; it isn't that," he was told, "but I'm wondering what a certainmovement that I happened to notice could mean."
"Tell us about it, won't you, Rob?" Tubby implored. "It can't be that wehave to take the same road that army marched away along, because we'reheading in just the other quarter."
Before Rob could commence with his explanation they heard the sound ofwhat appeared to be an automobile behind them. At the time they chancedto be at the foot of a slight elevation, which rose for perhaps twentyfeet in a gradual ascent.
"Gingersnaps and popguns! Look what's bearing down on us, will you?"gasped Tubby.
"It's an armored automobile, as sure as anything!" added Merritt, "justlike that car we saw in Antwerp, you know. Yes, I can see the muzzle ofthe deadly Maxim gun that's back of that metal shield. Rob, it's headingstraight at us. What if they take us for Germans, and open fire?"
"Oh! for goodness' sake, let's wave a white flag to keep them frommowing us down like wheat!" exclaimed Tubby, commencing to fumble inhis pocket.
"Hold up your hands to show that we have no arms!" ordered Rob,abruptly. "They are Belgians, and perhaps the same daring fellows we sawcome into Antwerp with all sorts of spoils to show they had made a raid,and shot down their regular allotment of the enemy. Yes, wave the whitebag, if you want, Tubby; we don't mean to take any chances."
"It's a hard thing to be shot down, and then have some one say they'resorry, and that they didn't know the gun was loaded," remarked Merritt.
The armored car slowed down as it approached. Those vigilant Belgiansaboard were doubtless observing the three figures in khaki closely.Already they must have discovered that they were Boy Scouts. Possiblythey more than half expected to find they were Belgian scouts, for suchboys were being used as dispatch bearers all over the war zone.
"We are friends!" called out Rob, "American boys, who belong to thescouts over in our country, you understand? We have nothing to dowith the war. Do any of you speak English? I can talk in French alittle, if it's necessary."
"If you keep on the road ... you will fall into anambush."--_Page 277._]
The three Belgian soldiers laughed at that. Plainly they had been at aloss to place these three lads.
"I happen to be able to talk English very good," one of them called out,as the car stopped, "and we are glad to meet you. Americans are goodfriends of ours."
"Listen," said Rob impressively, "if you keep on the road you expect totake, so as to follow the German army corps, you will fall into anambush inside of three minutes."