The Boy Scouts Afoot in France

onsiderable velocity in its backward rush. Thad knew that a coupling must hav

engers aboard the rear vans acted as though almost ready to hurl themselves out of the open vehicles of tr

t have immediately guessed the nature of the accident. Perhaps he ha

hile they continued to slip rather swiftly down the grade their progress

hurt us!" called Thad, as he held the struggling

reassuring, and they could comprehend the fact that he must be discounting the danger that menaced them. Then besides they also di

ent of the mixed train came to a stop at the bend. Already had the man in the motor been informed of the

laughed hysterically, and of course boldly disclaimed anything in the nature of fear. It is always so after the

s puffing with the excitement, and as red as he could well be. He looked over the edge of the van at the hard ground

ked Allan, as though by now they ought to be pretty well accu

t?" asked Giraffe, at which remark all the others imm

upling broke and let us slip backwards. It often happens around our part of the country, where the trains have to pull over hills. I've seen a coa

any boy in Cranford could boast, and looked mysterious. Even the way he

Allan Hollister, understanding that unless some one hurried the other al

tried to make impressive, "I believe it wasn't an accident at a

of old traps as these carriages and goods vans are, tell me?

g train, "but all the same I've got a hunch that there's something crooked about this thing. You ask who'd

an and Thad exchanged glances, though it was hard t

going to be mighty useful to the French, for it'll get a pack of British soldiers to the fighting line much sooner than if they had to walk all the way across country. So wouldn't it pay

"but I can't hardly believe any man would put so many inno

ns never hesitate at anything terrible if only they ca

were clustered, endeavoring to repair the damages so that the reunited train could proceed once more. When later on he came b

ter the hill had been successfully negotiated, and they were once more

word," the o

by accident. They're mighty sly, let me tell you. And I glimpsed him moving about among the people when repairs were being made. Yes, and he even seemed to be having a hand in the w

all his heart and soul. That in a measure accounted for his success in many games in which he took pa

n France by thousands, and taking all sorts of desperate chances in order to do something for their native land. Many of them lived amidst people who had known an

aged caring for the growing crops in the fields; but then in times of peace that is a common sight through most European countries, where they do much of the farm and garden work, while

just why it had been delayed so long of course the boys never knew. It was a martial spectacle indeed, and one they would often look back to with a t

detained on account of the other train that was lying across their track, they could watch all that went on. And when finally it moved off, amidst loud hu

ation once more see the waving hands, the anxious tear-wet faces of girls and women and children, not to mention the old men; and note how those aboa

liant souls devoted to the defense of their beloved country had vanis

haking his head sadly; "for we happen to know how men are mowed

r-hearted Bumpus, "since the time this world began. Men and animals keep on scrapping, and it'll be the same to the end of time

d also if everything went smoothly, in another half-hour or so the slow-movin

get transportation to Paris," Bumpus was t

nfident. "We'll find a way to get there, make your mind easy, Bumpus. We al

t the next station, where there was another big crowd awaiting it, perha

d say," observed Thad; "so if any of you feel li

. Giraffe and Bumpus continued to sit there and watch all that was goi

k out of the jostling throng might be when at home. It was a favorite game with the tall scout,

violent shock. It really affected him so that he seized

you please, there's our chums talking to beat the band with a man; and what do y