Part 10 (2/2)

The erly that there was no chance for Josh to change his mind, even had he wanted to do so

”I'll accept that offer,friend, and with thanks,” he announced ”Yes, I have been on a motorcycle before now, so I trust you will not think I areat help to me if I can stay with you for a short ti the needed drink, while Oscar curiously examined their machines Josh, once more a little suspicious, kept an eye on the other while this was going on It may have suddenly occurred to hi on one of the ht be seized with a sudden et aith aof the kind happened, however, and Josh was doubtless a little ashamed of his suspicions At any rate he went to soh to ain So far as he could see there was nothing strange about the plight of the said Oscar Hundreds of Ae lands when the war broke so suddenly; and when they finally reached home they would have all sorts of re their experiences and sufferings Not all of thereat luck, like the ned by the king of the heroic Belgians, and calling on all the Allies to favor the bearers as far as was possible

They covered several rew louder all the while, and Rod fully expected to cohfare they were following see toward the scene of the battle

There was no railway line in sight as yet, though they had covered much more than the distance mentioned by Oscar Tell But then he may have been misinformed as to distances, which was always possible

In this fashi+on they came to a little rise which Rod chose, as custo what sort of a surprise ht await the toward the crown of the hill that Josh suddenly found hisover He did not know of any obstacle which he could have run across, for the road sees; and even as he struggled desperately to keep the heavy round he felt a suspicion flash through his brain that in soht have been responsible for the unexpected catastrophe

Both of them fell off, but beyond the shock, and perhaps a few minor scratches, Josh was not hurt Indeed, boylike he immediately showed much more concern over a possible injury to his ht to himself

Rod heard the crash, as well as the excla from Hanky Panky, as put to so the unfortunates down

Rod i hisserious, I hope, Josh?” he inquired, Hanky Panky bustling around, while Oscar was hopping up and down, as though hethat was painful to a degree

Josh was frowning dreadfully Truth to tell his suspicions were growing stronger and stronger all the while; and he even believed the man to whom he had extended the courtesies of the road had purposely brought about the accident at such a particular moment when the fall would be apt to prove less serious than when they hizzing along at twenty miles an hour

”I don't know yet whether the machine is knocked out of commission or not,” muttered Josh, disconsolately, as he proceeded to hastily exa for us if that happened, just e're close to the battle line, and want to get around so lively Hang the luck, I say!”

He glared in the direction of the apparent cause of all the trouble; but as Oscar was now raising his trouser leg, as ifto examine into the state of his own injuries, of course the look asted so far as he was concerned

Rod frowned also Up to then he had not allowed himself to suspect that the so-called Switzer-American could be other than he so frankly claian to dawn upon Rod that there may have been a method in his madness What if it were all a part of a deep-laid scheme calculated to delay theht ry Now that it was too late he felt that they should have seen through the scheiven a lift on his way He had claimed boldly to have such sore feet that he could hardly bear to stand his weight upon thehtly as any one could

”But what object could he have in view?” Rod was asking hi to keep a cautious eye on Oscar, though he pretended to be tending over Josh, still exah Rod's ue with the ies to the task of getting a certain paper out of their possession--Jules Baggott

He had already shown hi, and the story told by Oscar may have all been ive the plotter another opportunity to rob thehts should have raced through Rod's mind just then; for they caused hi Josh chanced to be too busily engaged at the ti; as for Hanky Panky, really he was not to be depended on And that his sudden suspicions ell founded Rod presently had positive evidence

CHAPTER XII

TURNING THE TABLES

This hat happened!