CHAPTER XXIX.

A CHANGE OF PLANS--CONCLUSION.

"That finishes it with me," remarked Thad, when the car came to a sudden stop, on account of the treacherous motor breaking down again. "Get ready to leave the old trap in the ditch, boys. We'll give some other simpletons a chance to tinker with the machine. I'm done with it, once and for all."

"Well, you gave us all plain warning in good time, Thad," spoke up Giraffe, not in the least depressed with this change of plans, because his impatient spirit could not brook these irritating delays.

Even Bumpus did not show any considerable amount of chagrin, and the reason was quickly made manifest when he broke out with:

"I really believe we must be close on to that railroad town they called Valkenswaard; because as sure as anything I heard the sound of a train moving along just then. Yes, there it goes again, with the motor puffing like hot cakes. Thad, tell me if I'm right about that."

"Just what you are, Bumpus," replied the patrol leader. "I heard it myself, which was one reason I said what I did. We've been heading nearly due east for some little time now, and were due to strike the line 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 can strike to start for Rotterdam by way of--for goodness' sake, let me see that chart of yours again, Thad; because these terrible Dutch names twist my tongue so--here it is, Hertogenbosch, which seems to be about the 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; "but on a guess I'd say not more than a hundred miles. The Netherlands isn't a very big country, you remember, and yet one of the most wonderful places 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 more or 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 the abandoned car; "you played your part all right in the circus, and we'll often think of you, with tears in our eyes. All the same we're glad to be able to say our necks haven't been broken while we navigated the roads 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 to come along. It was by the greatest luck in the world that they found themselves on the road shortly after noon, because the service between Belgium and Holland was already sadly disorganized on account of what was going on across the border.

When they arrived at the town of Hertogenbosch they found that they would have to wait an hour before they could make a fresh start for Rotterdam. Here Kaiser the tattooed man said good-bye to his young friends, since he was headed for Amsterdam, and their routes ran in different directions.

"I've got your home address, boys," he said after squeezing their hands for the third and last time, "and I'm going to drop in and see you some time or other, if I get out of this country alive. You've been good friends to me, and I'll never forget it. I'm a firm admirer of Boy Scouts from this time on, and will preach the gospel of humanity wherever 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 lived an entertaining and good-hearted eccentric fellow he "filled the bill," as Giraffe said.

During that long afternoon they continued to pass through a most interesting country, with many glimpses of watery sections, where the dikes kept the sea from flooding the rich land which the industrious Dutch had wrested from the grip of Mother Ocean.

It seemed as though every rod of it must be under cultivation, and the boys understood after that journey what was really meant by "intensive farming." Flowers without number were included in the various crops, for Holland 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 of Rotterdam and sniffed the salty scent of the sea that lay beyond. It acted like a tonic upon the four lads. Even Bumpus was noticed to take numerous whiffs of the invigorating atmosphere, although he had been very seasick on the voyage across the Atlantic.

They managed to get located at a small but neatly kept hotel, where they could stay while looking about, and making inquiries concerning the possibilities of getting to Antwerp by water.

Never in all their lives had they seen such wonderful cleanliness. The women and children with their queer head-dresses, and snow-white garments were a never ceasing source of wonder to the boys, especially Bumpus, who often chuckled when he pointed out roly-poly boys who put even 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 other boys 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 to buy an outfit for you, Bumpus, while we have the chance. You'd make a great hit with the pretty girls of Cranford when you came out and set the style for the rest of the fellows."

"Squander your money if you feel like it, Giraffe," Bumpus good-naturedly told him; "but getting me to wear such a clown outfit will be another thing. One boy c'n lead a horse to water, but the whole Cranford Troop can't make him drink against his will, remember."

They had a peaceful night of it, although at first they feared the many noises welling up from the water front where the shipping was so dense would annoy them. It must have been they were all pretty tired, and that of late they had failed to enjoy their customary sound sleep, for to tell the truth none of them seemed to know a thing from the time they retired until Thad, arousing, found it was already broad daylight.

Immediately after breakfast they started out. Bumpus was becoming distressed once more on account of his not having heard from his mother for such a long time. He was exceedingly fond of her, and felt sure she must be enduring great mental agony on account of the uncertainty concerning her boy, marooned up in the Rhine country by this sudden breaking out of the great war.

At first they did not meet with any luck. Vessels were starting out that day, a number of them, but for America and England. Those destined to cross the Atlantic had every stateroom engaged, for thousands of sight-seers had already taken the alarm, and were flocking to the Dutch ports to get passage home.

It was about the middle of the morning when Thad struck a clue which seemed to give more or less hope. Eagerly following the trail they finally learned that a small steamer expected to leave Rotterdam for Antwerp an hour after noon that same day. There might not be another for forty-eight hours, and so it became necessary for the scouts to immediately engage passage, and then hurry back to settle their score at the hotel, as well as carry their personal belongings aboard.

Being something of hustlers they managed to accomplish all this in record time, having learned that they could get dinner on board the boat.

And once comfortably settled they could await the sailing of the boat with a conviction that their troubles were in all probability over.

"Just to think," said Giraffe, after they had started down the river to the sea, lying some twenty miles or so away, "if we could have continued our voyage in that little boat of ours through the rest of Germany and then 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," responded Giraffe, who had been studying the chart, and wished to exploit his knowledge; "there seem to be no end to the outlets of those two rivers when they get to the delta region of the Netherlands, and you can call them either the Rhine or the Meuse as you please. It's all salt water down here, anyhow, and these are really arms of the North Sea reaching far up into the Low Countries."

It was a very interesting trip down the river, at any rate. They had glimpses of forts which Holland had erected in order to defend her cities against any foreign foe; though the boys considered that her greatest possible danger lay in the west, where Germany had an envious eye on this valuable territory that seemed to properly be a part of her expanding 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 of the scouts viewed the apparently boundless expanse of salt water with delight; Bumpus however was heard to express a fervent hope that he would not have to pass through another attack of sea sickness. When about an hour before the setting of the sun they saw heavy smoke along the horizon, and presently could make out a long line of what appeared to be misty-colored battleships headed _north_, it gave them a decided thrill.

"They must be a part of the great British fleet, on the way to seek battle with the Kaiser's warships!" was the consensus of opinion; and having lately witnessed the ferocity that marks a battle the boys could easily picture the stirring scene if ever a decisive conflict did take place between the rival fleets of the North Sea.

With the good boat forging on toward the mouth of the Schelde River, up which it would pass to the docks at Antwerp, it seemed as though the troubles of Thad Brewster and his three fellow scouts might be over for the present. They fully anticipated being in the Belgian city by morning, 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 to throw obstacles in their way, these energetic and resourceful lads can be depended on to overcome all trials, and reach the haven for which they are heading. At some no far distant day we can hope to once more follow their fortunes in new fields of scout endeavor; but until that time comes we must ring down the curtain and say good-bye.

THE END

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