The Boy Scouts on the Trail

a hoarse laugh surprised him and revived his sp

aid, deep down

ht Frank, experiencing quick relief,

d, in a guttural English. "K

ging Henri, and hoping that he would understand it a

rman, cautiously. "Only tell me

tol

oad to St. Quentin tu

, to your left," sai

home, kinder. You will get int

attering along the hard road, and, looking after him, could see th

said Frank, with

lone," sa

turally, but I bet he's looking for those other troops we saw. Dangerous work, too. But

ng through the fields? Don't you think that will b

will, though it w

pped all the time along this road, we'll

at they would have a chance of recovering them if they came back this way. They marked t

ferent before we see it again. If there is a battle the trees will go, and the fences, a

ank, what

n dropped, and left only its reflection. But in a moment others joined it, and the whole sky to the nort

d they're good to guard against aeroplanes and dirigibles, too. At night, you

r the engines f

ny aeroplane motors now, so that they don't

ne good thing about the searchlights

likely to run into stray parties. And I'd just about as soon meet Germans as allies. If they're retreating and ha

ing that they were much closer to the battle. The great waves of sound beat against their ears, making their heads swim at first, but gra

r a time. "Only once in a while, that is. Why i

the places where the enemy's troops are massed, and keeping up a steady fire of shells to drive them out. Maybe the searchlights help. The

e Boy Scouts, both had studied the stars, since a knowledge of the heavens is one of the most important things about scouting, and they found what they had learned v

gone all through here, over and over again. My fathe

to do is to follow the old German maxim, 'March on the cannon thunder!' Tha

from the seat of the heavy artillery firing when a cha

ere?" called a coc

cried Frank

e I 'as a look at yo

ease. We are carrying

nothin' but kiddies, you ain't! 'Ere! Corpor

shout, and a minute or so

s 'ow they wanted me to call the officer of th

me with me, my lads. Step smartly when you'r

seemed deserted, then came to a small

e corporal. "I'll br

to wait before a young

w how young they were. "What a

s, sir," said Frank. "We are c

ll see that they're forwarded, my l

Our orders are to carry them to headqu

"Corporal, give me two men to take these desp

lain that before that he had not taken them seriously, but had supposed

ts?" he s

"Detailed to special d

ot French, my lad, are you? How did you get here? Well,

nutes they were at headquarters. There a wea

said. "Give me y

his pocket, and laid them solemnly before the ma

ed. "Do you think we've nothing better to do

ches Colonel Menier at Amiens gave us to deliver. He said that only one

elephone. "Ask if despatches are expected from Amiens," he

ir," said Frank. "We saw Ge

One squadron of them was cut up when it at

There is a force of infantry-f

is feet, "You must be dreaming! Where did y

expl

to General Smith-Derrien. If that's true, it's highly important news.

d in which the German infantry had vanishe