Part 7 (1/2)
”Oh! I wouldn't say that!” declared Hanky Panky; ”there are other ways of doing it, you can wager That hill yonder isn't the only pebble on the beach What'll we do now, Rod?”
”Get out of this, and in a hurry, too,” snapped the other instantly
”We certainly can't keep on going forward, for a fact,” adlooobble us up like fun, and it'd be good-bye to our bully wheels”
”Course they'd take us for Britishers, from our khaki uniforot their hands on us they'd snatch all our papers away in a hurry I'ave us, to show the boys over in old Garland e get back home; because they'll never believe half we expect to tell 'em if we don't have _some_ evidence to prove it”
”Huh! That isn't the worst by a long shot,” continued Josh ”Don't you see our having those papers on our precious persons wouldin the interest of Belgium and France?
You just better believe we don't want to be nabbed by the Kaiser's ood for us, and I reckon we do”
”The worst is yet to come!” exclaimed Rod just then; ”look off there to the left and tellacross those fields toward the road back of us”
Hardly had he said this than loud outcries arose froi so as to cut off our retreat, you see!” cried Hanky Panky, in a near panic
”I don't expect they've even noticed us as yet,” Rod went on to say; ”but all the saht like rats in a trap”
”Looks like we ely; ”what can we do about it, Rod?”
It was second nature for the other fellows to depend on their leader whenever a knotty proble And seldo on the present occasion
”Get turned around in a hurry!” he called out; ”we've one chance in three to slip past before they get near the road Are you both ga once, is o where you lead, Rod,” was the simple but eloquent tribute which Hanky Panky paid the other; and Rod ratified to knoas able to inspire the hearts of his chuet busy!” was all he told them
The rattle of the machines' exhausts instantly announced the start Rod led the ith the others close behind him He did not dread the soldiers ere upon the hilltop, even though everyeyes; for the distance was too great for the ene up on the double-quick to reach the road over which the three boys had so lately passed that aroused Rod's greatest fears He knew that with the speed of which the e to sweep past before the troops reached the road; but should the Gerht be disastrous indeed
Hoping for the best, and ready to accept the desperate chances, they dashed along, every fellow bending low in his saddle from some instinct of self-preservation It was a serious tier zone Now they approached the place where there would be thesoldiers, who of course ere now had seen theht in a trap
Rod had changed his mind He suddenly re off fro Of course it was a blind uess where it went to; but if they took it they e to slip out of the dilemma into which the fortunes of war had thrown them
”Be ready to follohen I turn into a side road!” he called to the others
Undoubtedly they heard hi shout It would have availed little, however, because just at thatback in the direction of the hill, andup little clouds of dust as they fell on the road
Rod turned in the saddle to see if there was any sign of his chu been struck So far all see after hihtest dae
The forks of the road were now close at hand Rod was never hted in his life than to realize this, for once they turned into this lesser thoroughfare he believed they would be protected by friendly trees froave hi He understood that it must be the explosion of a shrapnel shell, not unnertroops; but in calculating the distance he had failed to take into consideration the speed which the escaping boys were iven an opportunity to try a second shot he ment, and the next shell would burst directly over their heads