CHAPTER XXIX. A CHANGE OF PLANS--CONCLUSION.
"That finishes it with me," remarked Thad, when the car came to a suddenstop, on account of the treacherous motor breaking down again. "Getready to leave the old trap in the ditch, boys. We'll give some othersimpletons a chance to tinker with the machine. I'm done with it, onceand for all."
"Well, you gave us all plain warning in good time, Thad," spoke upGiraffe, not in the least depressed with this change of plans, becausehis impatient spirit could not brook these irritating delays.
Even Bumpus did not show any considerable amount of chagrin, and thereason was quickly made manifest when he broke out with:
"I really believe we must be close on to that railroad town they calledValkenswaard; because as sure as anything I heard the sound of a trainmoving along just then. Yes, there it goes again, with the motor puffinglike hot cakes. Thad, tell me if I'm right about that."
"Just what you are, Bumpus," replied the patrol leader. "I heard itmyself, which was one reason I said what I did. We've been headingnearly due east for some little time now, and were due to strike theline of steel before long."
"The plan then is to step out lively, and get to this Dutch town,"suggested Allan. "I suppose then we'll take the very first chance we canstrike to start for Rotterdam by way of--for goodness' sake, let me seethat chart of yours again, Thad; because these terrible Dutch namestwist my tongue so--here it is, Hertogenbosch, which seems to be aboutthe biggest railway center in all Holland."
"How far away is Rotterdam, Thad?" asked Bumpus.
"I couldn't tell you exactly, Bumpus," answered the scout leader; "buton a guess I'd say not more than a hundred miles. The Netherlands isn'ta very big country, you remember, and yet one of the most wonderfulplaces in the world. We'll see some strange sights as we go along."
"I hope we make the trip by daylight, then," said Giraffe, who was moreor less fond of seeing new scenes.
They made sure to leave nothing behind that they cared to keep.
"Good-bye, little old trap," said Giraffe, making a mock bow toward theabandoned car; "you played your part all right in the circus, and we'lloften think of you, with tears in our eyes. All the same we're glad tobe able to say our necks haven't been broken while we navigated theroads of Germany, Belgium and Holland in your care."
Inside of half an hour they actually arrived at the town on the railway.Here they managed to get something to eat while waiting for a train tocome along. It was by the greatest luck in the world that they foundthemselves on the road shortly after noon, because the service betweenBelgium and Holland was already sadly disorganized on account of whatwas going on across the border.
When they arrived at the town of Hertogenbosch they found that theywould have to wait an hour before they could make a fresh start forRotterdam. Here Kaiser the tattooed man said good-bye to his youngfriends, since he was headed for Amsterdam, and their routes ran indifferent directions.
"I've got your home address, boys," he said after squeezing their handsfor the third and last time, "and I'm going to drop in and see you sometime or other, if I get out of this country alive. You've been goodfriends to me, and I'll never forget it. I'm a firm admirer of BoyScouts from this time on, and will preach the gospel of humanitywherever I go, just as you've paid it out to me. Good-bye, all!"
They were really sorry to part with Bob Kaiser, for if ever there livedan entertaining and good-hearted eccentric fellow he "filled the bill,"as Giraffe said.
During that long afternoon they continued to pass through a mostinteresting country, with many glimpses of watery sections, where thedikes kept the sea from flooding the rich land which the industriousDutch had wrested from the grip of Mother Ocean.
It seemed as though every rod of it must be under cultivation, and theboys understood after that journey what was really meant by "intensivefarming." Flowers without number were included in the various crops, forHolland is the home of the greatest nursery of bulbs in the whole world,her rich soil being just suited to their growth.
Evening was drawing on apace when they neared the great city ofRotterdam and sniffed the salty scent of the sea that lay beyond. Itacted like a tonic upon the four lads. Even Bumpus was noticed to takenumerous whiffs of the invigorating atmosphere, although he had beenvery seasick on the voyage across the Atlantic.
They managed to get located at a small but neatly kept hotel, where theycould stay while looking about, and making inquiries concerning thepossibilities of getting to Antwerp by water.
Never in all their lives had they seen such wonderful cleanliness. Thewomen and children with their queer head-dresses, and snow-whitegarments were a never ceasing source of wonder to the boys, especiallyBumpus, who often chuckled when he pointed out roly-poly boys who puteven his own generous proportions into the shade, so to speak.
"This is the land where you really belong, Bumpus," Giraffe told him;"here you could pass unnoticed, if only you dressed like these otherboys do. Just imagine our Bumpus with a pair of those wide trousers on,and wooden shoes to finish him off, would you? I've got half a mind tobuy an outfit for you, Bumpus, while we have the chance. You'd make agreat hit with the pretty girls of Cranford when you came out and setthe style for the rest of the fellows."
"Squander your money if you feel like it, Giraffe," Bumpusgood-naturedly told him; "but getting me to wear such a clown outfitwill be another thing. One boy c'n lead a horse to water, but the wholeCranford Troop can't make him drink against his will, remember."
They had a peaceful night of it, although at first they feared the manynoises welling up from the water front where the shipping was so densewould annoy them. It must have been they were all pretty tired, and thatof late they had failed to enjoy their customary sound sleep, for totell the truth none of them seemed to know a thing from the time theyretired until Thad, arousing, found it was already broad daylight.
Immediately after breakfast they started out. Bumpus was becomingdistressed once more on account of his not having heard from his motherfor such a long time. He was exceedingly fond of her, and felt sure shemust be enduring great mental agony on account of the uncertaintyconcerning her boy, marooned up in the Rhine country by this suddenbreaking out of the great war.
At first they did not meet with any luck. Vessels were starting out thatday, a number of them, but for America and England. Those destined tocross the Atlantic had every stateroom engaged, for thousands ofsight-seers had already taken the alarm, and were flocking to the Dutchports to get passage home.
It was about the middle of the morning when Thad struck a clue whichseemed to give more or less hope. Eagerly following the trail theyfinally learned that a small steamer expected to leave Rotterdam forAntwerp an hour after noon that same day. There might not be another forforty-eight hours, and so it became necessary for the scouts toimmediately engage passage, and then hurry back to settle their score atthe hotel, as well as carry their personal belongings aboard.
Being something of hustlers they managed to accomplish all this inrecord time, having learned that they could get dinner on board theboat.
And once comfortably settled they could await the sailing of the boatwith a conviction that their troubles were in all probability over.
"Just to think," said Giraffe, after they had started down the river tothe sea, lying some twenty miles or so away, "if we could have continuedour voyage in that little boat of ours through the rest of Germany andthen into Holland we'd have brought up here, sooner or later."
"Why, is this really the mouth of the Rhine?" asked Bumpus, wonderingly;"I had an idea Rotterdam was situated on the Meuse River."
"It's all a regular mix-up, however you try to see it," respondedGiraffe, who had been studying the chart, and wished to exploit hisknowledge; "there seem to be no end to the outlets of those two riverswhen they get to the delta region of the Netherlands, and you can callthem either the Rhine or the Meuse as you please. It's all salt waterdown here,
anyhow, and these are really arms of the North Sea reachingfar up into the Low Countries."
It was a very interesting trip down the river, at any rate. They hadglimpses of forts which Holland had erected in order to defend hercities against any foreign foe; though the boys considered that hergreatest possible danger lay in the west, where Germany had an enviouseye on this valuable territory that seemed to properly be a part of herexpanding empire.
Finally about the middle of the afternoon they came in sight of the sea,though its heaving had been manifest for some time previously. All ofthe scouts viewed the apparently boundless expanse of salt water withdelight; Bumpus however was heard to express a fervent hope that hewould not have to pass through another attack of sea sickness. Whenabout an hour before the setting of the sun they saw heavy smoke alongthe horizon, and presently could make out a long line of what appearedto be misty-colored battleships headed _north_, it gave them a decidedthrill.
"They must be a part of the great British fleet, on the way to seekbattle with the Kaiser's warships!" was the consensus of opinion; andhaving lately witnessed the ferocity that marks a battle the boys couldeasily picture the stirring scene if ever a decisive conflict did takeplace between the rival fleets of the North Sea.
With the good boat forging on toward the mouth of the Schelde River, upwhich it would pass to the docks at Antwerp, it seemed as though thetroubles of Thad Brewster and his three fellow scouts might be over forthe present. They fully anticipated being in the Belgian city bymorning, and possibly taking passage for London before another night,with Mrs. Hawtree in their care.
Here we may well leave them, confident that no matter what may arise tothrow obstacles in their way, these energetic and resourceful lads canbe depended on to overcome all trials, and reach the haven for whichthey are heading. At some no far distant day we can hope to once morefollow their fortunes in new fields of scout endeavor; but until thattime comes we must ring down the curtain and say good-bye.
THE END
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