Part 6 (1/2)

More than forty years had passed since another hostile aray city afterRod wondered whether history was going to be repeated now He felt sure that if once those Geruns busy, no fort was capable of standing up under their frightful pounding

So the afternoon began to wear away, and all this while thethe three bold riders closer and closer to where the greatest battle of the age was being fought to a finish

There was a sudden whoop from the rear, where Hanky Panky held his place When the others lance around, alside the road, with hiswildly overhead, while at the same time he shouted:

”Looks like old ti up there half a ain How about that saht to knohat they look like?”

CHAPTER VII

CLOSE TO THE FIRING LINE

”You're right about it, Hanky Panky!” announced Rod, after he had taken a good look aloft, and recognized so the Taube aeroplanes used ale of the war by the Ger information so's to help Von Kluck strike the Allies where they don't expect him, most likely!” the boy in the rear called out

”Mebbe not,” said Josh stoutly; ”for all we know old Von ers in the trap laid by wily General Joffre, and what he wants to do now is to find a way to draw out again”

Whether Josh really believed all he said or not was an open question, but at any rate it was in his heart to stand up staunchly for the French and English, whatever came to pass He had seen that vast Gerht ainst the whole Allied ar before Paris, and deterlance upward as they continued toThe aeroplane did not seem to be disturbed, as far as they could make out

If there were French birdmen in the vicinity they had other work cut out for the a hostile flier Possibly they were over the fighting ar out valuable statistics for the use of the French coht affect the ulti their being in the vicinity of the field of gigantic operations was by this ti more and more intense Besides, it was easy for theested as a threatening summer stores along the line of Von Kluck's advance

Once they had to stop and get on one side of the road in order to pere of a convoy of motor lorries loaded ounded men The boys noticed that some of these wore the khaki of British soldiers, which seemed to prove that a portion of General French's little ar a part of the thin line against the furious rushes of the disciplined German troops

The three boys took off their hats and waved them heartily as the procession of trucks passed by So that their spirit had not been in the least quenched by their hard luck in getting in the way of hostilewith a feverish desire to befrom that,” he told the others excitedly, as the last of the sad procession passed the possibly for soainst their co, ”we uns keep up that whoop, will you?

I'll bet you they're not ht along?”

Rod, however, realized that they reat deal of caution No matter which side they happened to co held up, and not pero any further

”Keep on the lookout for soood view of the neighborhood!” he told the former occasions when they had adopted a si operations

It was late in the day by now They had come at a tremendous pace over scores and scores ofabout two in the afternoon Josh had declared that his cyclo the day's run, which was a pretty good spin, all things considered

Thanks to the excellent French highways, and the fact that they hadup as one of which any fellow ht be proud

It would be utterly impossible to describe all they sahile on that wonderful day's run Each of the boys had secured a little French tri-color, and this flag they took pride in attaching to theirthe road In every town they passed through they were taken for some new type of native soldiers uns may have occasioned more or less surprise; but then doubtless they had otherthe rash invaders when the time came; small but powerful bombs would take up little space in a knapsack, every one knew

In the country sections where the neat Frenchamidst the crops, and few e were already called to the colors, and at thattheir lives down cheerfully in defence of their beloved land; for their old hatred of everything German had once more leaped to the surface as soon as as declared

Rod was trying to figure out what his course should be under the circumstances He kne difficult it must prove for them to reach a place where they could observe any of the desperate fighting The best they ht expect would be to see soied