The Boy Scouts Afoot in France

nly hear the deep grumble of big guns, while the very earth under them tremble

toward Paris just as the spokes of a giant wheel draw closer as they approach the hub. If General Joffre, the veteran French leader, could manage throu

unds. For aught some of these people knew tens of thousands of Germans might be covering the roads in that section of the country where their beloved

mounting to seats in the wagon. "It'll help us on our way some miles, and when the horse lays do

mpus groaned, "if only it promises to help things alo

it must be taken for granted that the moving army would have skirmishers and cavalry forces guarding its flanks

far in the distance. The battle that this marked was being fought many miles away; but even at

under the lash that the peasant boy in the wooden sabots administered almost

o get out and run ahe

lf for an emergency. And from the way this crowbait keeps stumbling along

here would be plenty of time for walking when they were forced to that extre

ted from their accoutrements and disclosed the fact that they must be marching soldiers. When he called the attention of the othe

of greenish-gray uniform, the same as we saw on the Germans up in Belgium when we were trying

ant boy stared at the vision, and looked as though almost heart-broken; for he had doubtless heard terrible stories connec

sting to luck to see them through. At the worst, if they did come in contact with any troop of raid

men they had glimpsed could not belong to the corps that was engaged so fiercely in battle with the Allies defending the approaches to Paris. They must be another section entir

n hour afterward Gi

n uniforms. But say, these troops are in the French blue. Bully for them, they are meaning to make it hot for the Kaiser when he tries to sneak into Paris by the back door. It's t

ith four boys caught between the lines? If that happens, wouldn't we be apt to find ourselves in a pickle enough? I

Germans must have swarmed across the road a few miles over there where we came f

peasant boy had used his whip up in urging the beast on, and,

n the wagon and most of their luggage, which latter happened to be exceedingl

uld meet an emergency without a grumble. Even Bumpus refrained from complaining. He knew Thad could be depended on to do the very best for them

be detained a long time on the road. Once they found themselves afoot again the four boys start

han be overwhelmed by the Germans. In case the former came about they had arranged their plan of action, meaning to as

pear to indicate that the range of the battle must be spreading; also, that it w

en, very much like a war-h

hat the breeze sets from that direction, which is why we hear the guns so plainly. Whee! but there must

is ever accused either Thad or Allan of being the possessor of a blood-thirsty spirit. They just realized that history was being made close to them, and that scenes were being enacted every hour

go on or stand still; and no matter which they decided to do, the end would likely be the same. If they were caught between the li

uliarly sharp crash not more than half a mile away fr

s right smart, as our Southern chum, Bob White Quail, would say if he was along now. And, w

an exploding shell might accomplish, even when it came from only an ordinary fie

presence of men in the French blue. A second crash did not make Bumpus feel any

re trying to drop one of those horrible s

an advanced French field battery secreted in the region, where it commanded the road over which the Germans were thronging, and this had commenced action. Those several German shells had been

fired by the dozen, and the crash of burstin

t the shells exploded. One tore a great hole in the roadway not a hundred y

be a rod of territory that those searching shells might not fall upon. One place was just as safe as another, since it was all a matter of luck. So Th

-the French battery, I mean. Got too hot for 'em where they were, and they're on the jump for safer quarters. Thad, if we get half a c