CHAPTER XI.

WARNED OFF.

"I've been thinking it all over," said Giraffe, "and I've got it arranged. You know our landlord isn't much on the American lingo, and I expect to have some little trouble making him understand; but I'm getting my hand in at this interpreter business, and I'll make it or bust the boiler trying."

"Don't forget," cautioned the patrol leader, "to give him to understand that we love the fresh air, and really prefer to sleep in the open, being scouts. Yes, and you can hint at the same time that it would be a serious thing for any rascals if they tried to steal our car."

"Do you suspect the landlord knows anything about the raid, if there is going to be one?" asked Giraffe.

"Perhaps he doesn't," Thad told him, "but there's no harm giving him that hint; he may manage to push it along and save us some excitement."

"Huh! that doesn't bother me any," remarked the other disdainfully; "you know I live on excitement. But I'll try and do all you say, Thad."

He was gone some time, almost twenty minutes, and when he once more appeared on the porch it was with his arms full of blankets. Bumpus was sound asleep in his chair and breathing as peacefully as though safe at home in his own bed.

"Gee! but I'm weak," said Giraffe, sinking down in a seat, the blankets being dropped to the floor. "Oh! it isn't because of the heft of those coverings, you know, but the way I had to work to get that old innkeeper to understand. When he did finally get it through his head he was as nice as pie about it--insisted on getting four clean blankets for us, and hoped we'd have a pleasant night."

"Then that part is settled," remarked Hugh. "He took the money, of course?"

"Sure thing, Thad. Did you ever hear of one of his kind shoving any cold cash aside when it was offered to him?"

"Did he act as if he felt disappointed at our wanting to stand guard over our old car?" asked Allan.

"Why, he tried to tell me that people were very honest around this place, and never even fasten their doors. Fact is, you can't find a lock in the inn, only a hook to keep the doors from flying open. But I must say I couldn't see any sign of his being upset by our action."

"Then I reckon he doesn't know the plan of those men, if they do really intend to try and run the car off," Thad concluded.

Giraffe yawned.

"I tell you, I'm as sleepy as they make 'em," he remarked. "Suppose we trek over to the barn and get busy. Me for the hay."

"There's Bumpus here to be looked after," suggested Allan.

"He looks so happy it's a pity to wake him up," said Thad; "but of course we couldn't think of leaving him here on the porch all night."

He shook Bumpus gently as he said this. The fat boy gave a grunt, but beyond this there was no sign of life about him.

"Wake up, Bumpus!" said Thad, giving him a little rougher treatment.

"Oh! leave me alone, can't you?" grumbled the other; "'tain't mornin' yet. When the coffee's ready I'll climb out, I tell you. Leave me be!"

Bumpus evidently imagined that he was in camp somewhere, with some of his chums bent on routing him out at an unearthly early hour. Thad this time gave him so sturdy a shake that Bumpus began to sit up and rub his eyes.

"Hey! what's all this, anyway? Where am I at? I was dreaming that----" he commenced, when the impatient Giraffe interrupted him.

"Never mind what you were dreaming, Bumpus; we're going out to the barn to sleep, and, unless you want to be left alone here on the inn porch the rest of the night, hump yourself and trot along with us. I've got a blanket here for you, see?"

Of course Bumpus stirred himself at that. He quickly realized he was indeed far away from the dearly beloved camp up on Silver Fox Island in Omega Lake, near his home town of Cranford.

Once out at the so-called barn they began their simple preparations for sleeping in the hay. The moon had arisen and flooded the world with light on that August night. Everything looked so peaceful and lovely that Thad found it hard to believe tens of thousands of human beings were engaged in a terrible and sanguinary battle only a comparatively few miles away from that spot.

Still, whenever he listened carefully, and the night wind happened to be just right, it was easy for him to hear that uneasy grumbling which he knew must come from the fighting line, where the Germans were battering the steel fortresses at Liége day and night.

With the supply of petrol down to the last dregs, and a section of the necessary working parts of the engine secreted, it would seem as though thieves might have some trouble in carrying the car off, even if they came to the barn. But Thad did not mean to take any chances.

When each of them had been apportioned his bed in the hay, within touch of one another, Thad gave a few last instructions.

It was understood that no one was to do anything to betray their presence until Thad uttered the signal. Even Bumpus had it sternly impressed on his mind that if he felt a hand shaking him he was to simply hold his breath and lie quiet, waiting for the next move.

Thad's little electric torch came in very handy in selecting their sleeping quarters, though he did not use it more than was necessary.

Finally all settled down to get what sleep they could. Bumpus had been forced to lie on his side so that he might not make any of those queer snorting sounds which so often amused his fellow-campers, and frequently excited their ire in the bargain.

Thad, being a light sleeper, expected to be aroused should any one open the door. The sudden influx of moonlight was calculated to accomplish this, but he did not depend on that alone. Having found a small, empty tin can, he fixed it so there would be something doing in case the door moved, enough noise made to arouse him, whereupon he could touch each of the others.

Some time must have passed before Thad was awakened by this same small clatter. He felt Allan move on one side of him, showing that the second leader of the Silver Fox Patrol was on the alert.

"Give Giraffe a shake, Allan!" he whispered in the other's ear.

"It's all right, for he kicked me just then!" replied the other, in the same cautious tone.

It only remained to arouse Bumpus. Thad would have let the fat scout sleep right along, only he was afraid his heavy breathing might awaken suspicion, and lead to an investigation before they were ready to spring their surprise.

For once Bumpus proved to be on his guard when Thad bending over shook him, and at the same time whispered in his ear:

"Wake up, Bumpus, and keep as still as a mouse!"

They lay there, hardly daring to breathe, for all of them could tell that some one was opening the wide doors of the barn, since the moonlight began to flood the interior. It was quite thrilling for the boys to be lying there straining their eyes so as to see to advantage.

Dark figures flitted in through the opening. They could hear low-muttered words, and might have understood what the intruders were saying only that none of the scouts happened to be up in the Flemish language, which was like so much Greek to them.

But from the fact that the prowlers immediately gathered around the car and seemed to be once more examining the same, it was easy to understand their motives at any rate.

Thad waited to make sure that their night visit might not have been caused by some other motive than a desire to steal the property of himself and chums. When after considerable fussing around he saw that the men were actually starting to push the car outside, he knew it was folly to hold back any longer.

So Thad gave the signal. The other three had doubtless been waiting, like hounds held in the leash, for the call to arms. Instantly Allan and Giraffe sprang erect, while poor, clumsy Bumpus, trying to be exceptionally swift, got his feet entangled and actually rolled out into full view.

Thad instantly turned his torch upon the astounded schemers. The intensity of that white glow must have done much to demoralize them. If anything more were needed, it was supplied when the three figures extended their right hands and seemed to be covering the intruders with what looked like dangerous pistols.

"Get out of this, you rascals, or we'll open fire, and shoot you down like dogs!" Thad shouted, and the whole three of them waved their weapons in a most suggestive manner that could not well be mistaken.

It is of course doubtful whether those fellows understood a single word of that dreadful threat. They did know, however, that they were caught nicely in the act of stealing other people's property, and that safety could only be secured by a hasty departure.

It was surprising the way in which they vanished through the open doors. Even the big man mentioned by Giraffe as being equal to three of Bumpus seemed to slip away as if on wings of fear. So the four scouts were left to shake hands with each other over their great victory.

"It was almost too easy," said Giraffe, who seemed disappointed because he had not been able to get in a single blow.

Still Thad said they should be satisfied with having chased the thieves off, and in this fashion saved their property. He fastened the doors again, set his tin-can trap, and told the others he was going to finish his sleep out, as he did not fear any further annoyance.

In fact, the balance of that night passed without anything happening to arouse the four chums. Morning found them ready for breakfast, and congratulating each other on the success of their little game.

"We'd be out a car, such as it is, this morning," asserted Allan, "if we hadn't camped out here."

"Don't suppose we'll ever know just what they meant to do with her," suggested Bumpus; "and we don't care much, either. When a fellow's been robbed it doesn't matter to him what becomes of the stuff. But seems to me I smell cooking going on."

That was enough to excite Bumpus, and Giraffe as well. They were soon enjoying a hearty breakfast, and as the landlord asked no questions they did not think it worth while to tell him about the night alarm.

The next problem was to secure a supply of petrol. While there was no scarcity of the fluid as yet, still every one who owned any seemed to suspect that the time was near at hand when it would become very valuable, especially if German raiders overran this part of Belgium, and commandeered every gallon they could discover.

Upon asking the landlord he put them on the track, and in the end they were able to purchase just five gallons, at about three times the usual price. Still this would enable them to make a start, and there was always hope that they could pick up a further supply as they went along, even if it had to be in driblets, a gallon here and another there, to eke out.

Leaving the roadside inn, the boys were feeling in fairly high spirits, especially Giraffe, who declared that with such luck on their side they were bound to get to Antwerp some way or other, sooner or later.

"I tell you we're just bound to do it," he said, with spirit, as they moved along the road, "and if all other channels are blocked, what's to hinder us backing up again and crossing the border into Holland? We could make our way to Rotterdam, and there take a small boat through the inside passages to the Schelde River, so as to get to Antwerp all right. So keep that in your mind, Bumpus--when the Silver Fox boys settle on doing a thing it has to come, that's all!"