CHAPTER XIX.

THE ROAD OF VON KLUCK'S RETREAT.

After all the boys were not sorry for the experience. They had witnessed some sights that they would never forget. Rod too could plume himself on having done the right thing when he used his weapon twice with telling effect.

After the fire in the rear of the house had been effectually extinguished the good woman appeared before them to announce that supper was served; and she added her apologies because they might find some of the dishes not quite so warm as they liked, "For," as she naïvely put it, "we had too much heat in another quarter; and one never knows just how to manage when those terrible Uhlans are around."

Certainly none of the three boys found anything to complain of. They never remembered sitting down to a finer meal, when their appetites were on edge, as just then happened to be the case.

Hanky Panky ate until Josh solemnly warned him that he would surely founder unless he curbed that awful appetite of his. It might have been noticed, however, that Josh was sitting there for some little time after his comrades had left the table, and still "sampling" the good things that tempted him.

It was settled that since the three motorcycles were already in the house they might as well remain there. Rod managed to fix the smashed door so that it would close again, though a carpenter's skill would be required to place it in its former excellent condition.

When they got through eating it was beginning to grow dusk. Josh remarked that he guessed he would saunter out to stretch his legs, and at the same time see the extent of damage inflicted by the brief occupation of the village by the raiders.

"They say those Uhlans can make a howling wilderness of a Paradise quicker than any men on the face of the earth, once they set out to do things," Josh explained as he picked up his hat, "and I'd like to find out if there's any truth in the yarn."

Rod told him to "mind his eye," and not wander away, since with the night coming on there could be no telling what danger might not hover over 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 his gun."

"Oh, come! there's no necessity of Josh going out at all if he has to load himself down with deadly weapons like that," laughed Rod.

Josh had his little outing, and returned in good time. He acted as though he did not regret his determination, and Hanky Panky, knowing from 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 to open up and tell us about it," he went on to say. "Did the French chaps with the baggy red trousers and the big yell manage to bring down any of the German raiders when they used up so much powder and ball?"

"I believe they did, for one woman who could talk some English managed to tell me the zouaves took three prisoners back with them, and in addition one fellow who would have to be buried, she said, because he was dead."

Hanky Panky would have shivered at one time on hearing such gruesome news, but after witnessing the terrible sights accompanying the battle along the bank of the Marne he somehow seemed to think little of it.

"Was that _all_ you saw or heard, Josh?" he continued, bent on making the other confess to the limit.

Josh grinned, showing that he had purposely acted so as to excite the suspicion of this curious comrade. Having attained his end, he consented to explain further.

"Well, no, not quite all, Hanky," he remarked calmly; "I'm most sure I saw a man skulking around who showed a whole lot of concern when I approached, and even hurried away. He wasn't an old man either, and let me tell you, Rod, he hid his face from me in the bargain. Now, what do you 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 avoid meeting one of them.

"I got the notion in my head," admitted Josh, "that it must be either him or else some party hitched up with Jules. He acted in a way that made me sure of that."

"Huh!" Hanky Panky went on to say, with one of his odd chuckles, "I'm only surprised, Josh, you didn't step right up to the fellow and ask him if he answered to the name of Jules Baggott; also if he happened to know a woman called Jeanne D'Aubrey. That'd be just like your way, Josh."

The other grinned affably as though he considered this one of the highest compliments his chum could pay him.

"Oh, well, to tell you the truth, though I'm almost ashamed to admit it," he remarked, "I did want to chase after him and say that very same thing; 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 it was 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 that inn over at Calais."

"If we do you can make up your mind he'll have all his trouble for his pains," 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 without our knowing it."

The boys sat around for some little time afterwards. Rod entered into a conversation with the woman of the house, for while he could tell her many things concerning the state of affairs at the front, at the same time there was always a possibility of his picking up a little information that might come in handy later on.

In good time they were shown to a room, where they proceeded to make themselves comfortable. Rod, with some cord which he produced, set a clever little trap. By this simple method of protection he fixed matters so that should any one try to enter by way of the open windows they would arouse the sleepers by pulling down three chairs which had been piled up, and made fast to the cord.

Whatever the plan of the plotter may have been, evidently entering the room of the three American boys did not form a part of it, because the night passed without any further alarm.

"Guess he knew we had that gun we took from his man who played the part of Oscar William Tell," observed Hanky Panky in the morning, when awakened by the rising sun they lay there and talked matters over.

"Well," remarked Josh with a yawn, "by this time Jules is beginning to understand that we don't mean to handle him with gloves if he runs afoul of us. While he may keep on trying as hard as ever to get that paper in his hands, it'll be through some sneaky way, and not in a stand-up fight. Schemers like him seldom do feel like facing the men they aim to beat. I'm keeping an eye out for Jules; and say, if ever I do get a chance 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 already begin to hear the guns take up the same steady rhythm that would grow louder and more insistent as the day grew older, until the fierce rush of battle again held sway, and a million of Frenchmen hurled themselves against an equal number of Germans in the endeavor to push them back still further in their retreat from before Paris.

The boys started out soon afterwards. Rod believed he knew about where the regiment could be found to which Jeanne's husband, Andre, belonged. If fortune favored them, and they discovered the French reservist still in the land of the living, doubtless it could soon be arranged as they planned.

As on the previous afternoon, they soon found themselves on the road along which the retreating German army had passed. Everywhere they could see marks of this flight, for such it really was, despite the order with which the retrograde movement had been conducted. In places the roadside was glutted with cast-off articles, such as had better be disposed of if haste and mobility were to be considered.

As a rule these had been rendered useless before being abandoned, in order to prevent them from becoming valuable to the enemy. It was a sight worth seeing; and no wonder such of the country people whom the boys came upon, examining this "made in Germany" material, had broad smiles on their faces, since it spoke eloquently of the near panic that must have existed in the army of Von Kluck, before they would thus abandon so much of their resources.

A score of interesting things engaged their attention as they slowly made their way along. Obstacles were frequently met with, but cleverly avoided by these expert riders. Many times Rod called a temporary halt in order to speak with some peasant who chanced to look more than ordinarily intelligent, and, he imagined, able to give him information.

They also came upon various detachments of the French army. Some were engaged in caring for wounded comrades who could not be taken to the rear as yet on account of the glut of injured and the lack of vehicles of transportation; though many such were to be seen on their way to Paris with loads of groaning humanity.

Then fresh artillery was to be found going to the front, the horses snorting as though they already scented the battle smoke, the men sitting there on gun carriage and caisson, grim and eager, though none could say if he might be so fortunate as to see the sun set when that dreadful day reached its close.

Other big vans there were carrying fresh ammunition to the guns that were so noisily punctuating the morning atmosphere with their clamor. French powder and shot had never been sent forth on a mission more in keeping with the hearts of the people. A million hands would willingly toil day by day making fresh supplies, if only it could win for them another such fight as this glorious victory over the German invaders on the banks of the Marne.

There came a time, however, when Rod was brought to a sudden stop through other means than his own will. From either side of the road arose men wearing the French uniform. Guns were brought to bear upon the three riders, and a gruff voice ordered them to come to a halt and surrender.

Laughing at what they deemed something akin to a joke, they hastened to comply.

"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 our ride, 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 knew that Rod did not in the least doubt the ability of those papers to carry them through any little difficulty that might arise.

Accordingly he turned to the grizzled French sergeant who seemed to be in charge of the detail by which they had been taken prisoners, and told him to lead the way to his commanding officer.

Passing up the road they turned into what seemed to be a little-used path. Each of the boys trundled his machine along, preferring to do this rather than risk handing them over to the soldiers.

Even Hanky Panky exhibited no sign of alarm. If in the beginning he felt any such weakness it had been immediately set at rest by those cheery words which Rod spoke. Of course they could quickly satisfy the French commander of their standing; those magical documents would do the trick and gain them new friends as well.

Shortly afterwards they found themselves in what seemed to be a temporary camp. A regiment of troops had been stationed here for some strategical purpose, which was never explained to the boys. Under a shelter tent several officers were conferring while they sipped their coffee. The older man with the white imperial Rod knew to be a colonel from his uniform. All of them eyed the trio with frowns, and somehow Hanky 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 in charge?"

"It is very simple," came the astounding answer in plain English; "in times like this spies may be arrested, tried, and executed all inside of an hour. And you three boys are accused of having been known to send information to the enemy!"