The Boy Scouts Afoot in France

aiding the enemy in the guise of a spy. Such a serious accusation is enough to frighten even the most valiant hea

who wore the marks of a colonel, which he probably had won over in Algi

mistake about this. We are all American boys, as we can prove without an

o bother with explanations, when at any moment his regiment might be engaged in a life and death struggle with the

as though resisting the evident blandishment of that frank, eager, boyish look; but it was no use. Perhaps memories rushed into his min

to explain, as you call it, young m'sieu

seize the boys should occasion arise. The commanding officer looked at Thad, and he was still frowning as though not sure that he should go to all this bother for just

my comrade is accused, M

t he certainly saw yonder boy in close conversation with a notorious spy of the German Government, and who has since been apprehended. This, he says, was just two days before war was decla

eckoned, he felt sure of being able to clear Giraffe, if

he has mistaken some other party for my chum here. In the first place, we were away up on the Rhine when war was declared. We had left the mother of this ot

perplexing difficulties their passage through that section of Belgium had been attended, and how in the end they had been compelled to tu

f Antwerp in the company of the doctors and nurses connected with the sanitarium and sta

ans were undoubtedly coming closer and closer all the time, yet he stood there and let the boy proceed to the very end, where he told of the chase along the road, the destruction of the bridg

because he himself is by nature adventurous. When Thad, in addition, showed him various letters they had received, which all went to prove his declaration t

th him in low tones for a brief time. Then h

a remarkable degree whom he saw talking with the seized German spy. Let us then forget it. What can I do to show you how French sold

eager thump with his elbow,

, Thad, and we haven't had hardly a b

at least allow us to see something of the battle from some friendly hilltop. And, believe me, that all the while we watch from a distance we s

he doughty colonel. He gave Thad's han

sacred treaties and swept across a neutral country thinking to catch us asleep. Ah! and you will never forget what glorious deeds the defenders of Paris expect to accomplish this day, and the next, and the next, until

, thanks to the clever way in which Thad had managed, as well as his insinuating manner of speech, they had come out of the trouble

nder fire. Soldiers can show a contempt for danger on occasion; and the fact that an occasional shell threw up the earth

y questions were asked and answered during the progress of the meal, Thad taking pleasure in telling more concerning the

me that section of the front might witness a terribly fierce charge on the part of the

etachments of French recruits hastening toward the front, fresh batteries on their way, together with innumerable motor lorries, tractors drawing loads, ambulances, and other

put new spirit in Bumpus for one, since he did not utter the slightest comp

t be obtained of the lower country where those new trenches had been thrown up so hurriedly. What he wanted to be able to say was that he

unt to a great deal, for which, incidentally, Bumpus was grateful, because he did hate the worst kind to climb hills; but it seemed to offer them what Thad called a "coign of v

h. Here and there, to be sure, lay fields of drifting smoke, showing where a battery was at work. Smaller patches of the same might indicat

mpus hastened to remark, fearful lest his silence might be mis

med settled that they would remain the

ise with accelerated speed. Often at the crown the deeply interested drivers would pause, not to rest

ont. Perhaps for aught they knew much of the success or failure of the French in holding the oncoming Teuton hosts in check

bery some time back, they must get on the best they could without. Giraffe would suffer less than any of the best because of his

crown of that low hill when a sudden increase in the near-by thu

thirst, for the day was pretty warm; and so many vehicles passing along the road caused consider

were already straining their eyes to discover what this uproar meant; but afte

ing over the crowd. Well, instead of water, that's made up of a never-ending stream of men, all in the Kaiser's gray uniforms. Whee! they're beginning to sho

doubtless, their hearts pounded like mad against their ribs. Indeed, it would have to be

t restrain himself, and this way of telling his mates what

such mass formations in these days of machine guns and shrapnel and big shells. But that's the way they've been taught, to go forward shoulder to shoulder; and Germans couldn't fight like our men do, each on his own initiative. Oh! just see them coming on still, will you? I believe there