The Boy Scouts Afoot in France

gment had fallen, either in the water or else ashore. They no longer had a way ope

able to find his tongue and lift his shrill voice to

e. It might injure the bridge in one section and render it unfit for safe passage; but some unsee

planted mine!" he called out in re

g incredulous; "but why should they want to do that, when on

stroy the bridge when the enemy came along, and after the battery got across the men in charge of the electr

oluntarily ducking his head upon his fat sho

there isn't any ford we'll have to duck and run along the water's edge to look f

e on in a hurry, because I can see mounted men coming away back there where the road rises

t soldier that he was, he immediately commenced to throw the ammunition into the stream. If France might not have the benefit of those she

mensions, far too wide to be crossed without a boat of some sort. It had the looks of a deep ri

amidst these; but if anything of a hunt was inaugurated by the German cavalrymen they must be routed out in short order. And perh

s act first and investigate afterward. Plainly, then, it was much to their ad

acteristic energy; "above, below, no matter where you can find on

. Never before in all their existence had a boat seemed such a desirable commodity as just then; new or old, big or small, round-bottom or flat, little

rivalry. That eagle eye of his was without its peer among the mem

me. It's close by, in the bargain. I only hope and pray it isn't a k

dy a little short of breath after all that rioto

ndoned caisson toward the water. He had to go a little distance each time, and this must have bothered him, for

rushes. Bumpus, trailing in the rear, listened with his heart almost in his throat, for he knew that the tall scout would immediately announce th

e's an oar and a push-pole all handy in the

ring down on the spot with a swoop and apt to arrive within shooting dist

ade a combined rush for the border of the river. Little did they care that their feet g

he oar and pole when he discovered Bumpus tottering along, bearing them under his arm, while with the oth

wide!" yelped the excited Giraffe, as he convoyed the fat

remony. The danger was too menacing to allow of anything b

ish the push-pole, although Allan had held out his hand for the same and gave every evidence

t has required to tell it. Whether the Uhlans were getting close or not could only be gues

a little by rolling more to the right, which, of course, Bumpus only too willingly did. He was ever an obliging boy and ready to accommodate his fr

the shore from which they had just started. Hence

is pole, while Thad kept pace by rapid urgings with the oar, which he was of course

d out; "but I seem to hear something like the pounding of ho

n had changed his mind evidently. He saw that he could never empty the ammunition cart of all

a sharp knife and then jabbed with the same pointed blade more or less painfully in order to cause them to dash off. And there was t

fuse the driver handled, and that he meant to lay a trap so as to blow up the caisso

ng ammunition depot. Allan felt a further touch of sincere admiration for the valiant French driver

ong as fast as they would have liked. It was a clumsy, flat-bottom contraption and never built for speed. Water was oozing in through a number of small cracks, and while this

hat they were scores in number, and that those in the lead promised to actually reach the shore of

ard riders were already reaching back for the guns they carried alongside their thighs. He knew from this that they would commence firing

be in his throat as he surveyed the galloping soldiers, and then, twisting hi

ttle jet not five feet on one side of

us, as sure as anything

ttle puff of smoke break out of the oncoming squad of Uhlans? Others would a

er how much he may have practiced. Still, if a number of the men started to give them a volley there must always be a chance of a bullet striking home. Besides,

mp overboard and dive. They might manage to make the bank, b

that gave them all a rude shock, followed by minor crashes, plainly the discharge of she

e river, in some way or other the inmates of the boat escaped injury. Allan believed they were partly protected by the

to look behind now, consumed by a terrible curiosity that seemed to gnaw into his very vitals. He stared at the oncoming riders and wondered whether the next volley they might fire would bring disast

gantic appearance to his wondering and horrified eyes. And then, even as he looked again, he heard a loud ro

enveloped in destruction, and those behind, panic-stricken, were driving their animals this way and that, wild to get off the road