The Boy Scouts Afoot in France

changed glances. Here was an unexpected complication that

an uneven struggle. The Belgians might inflict more or less sanguinary losses on the Teuton host, but the machine-roller would eventually overwhelm them, and even Antwerp must fall into the hands of the invaders. And so the managers of the famous Spa had concluded that

aken, and here was Bumpus looking aghast at the idea of trying to follow his mother, when the whole of Northern France must be seething with war pre

iraffe presently broke

ading that way hot-footed. And she asks you to follow after her, does she, Bumpus? Whew! I can see a bunch of fellows I know breaking into

trust his voice to utter a single word just then, being so comple

se boys of the Silver Fox Patrol placed their dependence on Thad Brewster to g

ances in his mind and already reached a decision; "that is, if things favored us about getting away f

on in a dozen places on French soil," observed the cautious Allan. "I'm mentioning this fact, not because you'll fin

ur own, I take it, Allan?

starting that would carry us to Calais, Dunkirk or Boulogne? It strikes me that if we did manage to land at one of those se

imb aboard our rig and scurry back to the docks again,

ly taking place, for even at this early date every boat leaving for London was packed

d, they remembered seeing it passing down the Schelde as they neared the docks. There would not be another bound for a port in

heme of going by sea. That long delay was terrible to even think of, and Bumpus

ld have to take great risks, for it could be understood that there was no telling what delays they were likely to face. Still, they h

med man was being besieged by a score of wild-eyed persons all wanting to know how soon their train would start, and if there was any hope that it might rea

actually start for Paris within the hour, though the official who gave him this information merely shrugged

eir shoes before those terrible Germans overran the whole country. This, however, did not bother the boys, for they were accustomed to camping out and taking things as they found them. A li

find accommodations aboard. This came through the ever-growing desire to get away from the city which undoubtedly sooner or late

ns of the Belgian seaport behind them. "It isn't as much as two hours ago that we landed here expecting to pick up Bumpus' mother and then take passage across the E

ge to get by the scene of hostilities without being held up. Bumpus looked at his little nickel watch ever so often. No doub

and he several times uttered words of cheer that wer

d, somehow or other, to accomplish whatever we set out to do, you'll remember. No matter how difficult the task m

om he had such implicit faith, "when right now I've got the backing of the best pards that ever donned the khaki. Yes, I'm going to s

ment, mostly French people hastening back home. "And, say, a railway train isn't the only means of travel in these enlightened days; there are cars, and even

der from Antwerp, where canals seemed to predominate; and the boys were often reminded of the Dutch lands

hat region where trouble would possibly be lying in wait for them, if it came

rough the open window, just as if he more than half-expected to discover a horde of Uhlans, with

nnounced that he believed they must now be on the border between Belgium and France. Here,

see that the man was looking displeased, as he made gest

ticles, such as tobacco and spirits," Allan went on

awfully afraid this means we're going to find ourselves in the soup. I wish we c

od the value of a generous tip; so he managed to slip a coin in th

the guard would readily guess just what each and every passenger aboard the detained train

re eloquently than words, the other three boys stood near by, holding their luggage, and wondering what fortune had in store for them next. So many

ce looked grave, and poor Bumpus g

nformation that the Germans have overrun the country it must pass through, and ther