Part 9 (1/2)
”What are they saying, Rod?” asked Hanky Panky
”Asking each other who can be the owners of these wonderfula step forward, as thoughto enter the potato cave
”Messieurs,” he said, ”pardonto us; and we are friends of France, we beg you to believe”
CHAPTER X
MORE NEWS FROM THE FRONT
Three men ore the uniforms of French soldiers, one of as evidently a lieutenant, looked hastily up when Rod entered the vegetable cellar, and addressed theuns, and these weapons they half raised, as though wishi+ng to be ready for any eency
Of course, it was immediately manifest to the officer that these three ake lads were not of the enemy Like lish boys That would mean they were allies of the French; but nevertheless those splendid wheels were a great temptation; and the Grand Army was in sore need of all such means of rapid locolish, then?” he asked, politely, returning Rod's salute
”No, A a trip down the Rhine on our et across the line into poor Belgium when the Germans came You can well understand that we have seen much of what happened in that unfortunate country, for ere coo to Antwerp on business”
”But--this is France,” interrupted the lieutenant, as though puzzled; ”and here close to the firing line it is peculiar that we find three American boys mounted on such wonderfully fine motorcycles”
Rod sed to retain possession of theh it all,”
he went on to say; ”but the secret lay in a certain ical paper which we carry, and which you shall yourself be permitted to examine”
With that he once iven to theians, and which had proved to be worth a thousand tiold
So the French lieutenant, by the light of the flickering lanterns, also read the brief but forceful sentences penned by King Albert He was of course greatly i what a proure the royal writer of the ”pass” had already beco monsieur,” the officer hastened to say as he very carefully folded the precious paper, and with a bow returned it to the owner, ”that you and your brave corand cause for which all loyal Frenchmen are ready to shed their last drop of blood But I notice that here the writer speaks of _five_ young Americans, and I see but three”
”That is easily explained,” replied Rod; ”two of our chu received a cable e
They sailed from Antwerp for London, and by now are far on the way across the Atlantic”
”But what possessed you three adventurous boys to wish to coe? It is hardly a fit place for lads of your age, I should think?”
”But American boys are full of the spirit of adventure, ed Rod; ”and the opportunity would surely never coain Still, it was not merely curiosity that caused us to decide to make this trip We have come on an errand of reat trouble”
He thereupon hastily sketched the situation in which Jeanne D'Aubrey was placed, with a chance of securing a competence could her husband be con the important paper within the specified time limit
A French that borders on the drareatest respect for such herois the dangerous mission for the sake of the poor wouests
Impulsively he stretched out his hand to Rod, and then to each of the other two boys
”I a nificent rand army that needs many such so badly, I could not have the heart to deprive you of your property On account of what you have already done for the cause, and stand ready to aid any further attempt if the occasion arises, here then we hand you back your beloved motorcycles”