Part 11 (1/2)

Oscar had for the tirunts had temporarily stopped, which would apparently indicate that after all his injuries were not so serious as he hadhis garments of some of the dust which they had accumulated at the time he and Josh rolled over in the road To the surprise of Rod he even took out his handkerchief, and used this to wipe the sleeves of his coat

Just then Rod, out of the tail of his eye, noticed the fellow give a quick glance toward Josh and Hanky Panky, both of ere bending over the for to ascertain if it had really been ed

Instinctively Rodof interest in the near distance He even shaded his eyes with one hand, though at the sae to see Oscar

It paid hi his coat as a dandy detesting all ht, the said Oscar also flirted that white handkerchief in a strange manner

Then it suddenly dawned upon Rod that the felloas actually nal to an unknown party further off He used his eyes to advantage, for he i wave from a patch of trees possibly three hundred yards away, and along the side of the rise!

This coly Oscar, then, was a fraud of the first water His storyto end

Perhaps even his name had been assumed for a purpose, which was to entrap the three American boys

Rod had to think very fast just then A plan of caed on the spur of the moment, fitted to cover the case Of course he could not uess as to what it all er in the air for himself and chums

Could the pretended Swiss-A them prisoner for some mysterious reason or other? Rod felt sure this could not be, for he had failed to detect a sign of the Teutonic guttural in the voice of the other In fact, Rod was inclined to suspect hi he had all the shrugs and grimaces which so often mark the natives of France, especially when excited, andexplanations

The three co the constant peril of capture that menaced them, should they chance to run upon a squad of Gerht of folly for them to carry firearms; for if found to be aruerrillas, since they belonged to neither army as enlisted men

Of course the three of them would easily be able to overcome Oscar, who did not appear to be very brawny in build But if he had accoht not prove sufficient to stave off the danger

Rod conceived a better scheme than to sie for the good behavior of his associates? The idea seized hold of the boy, and in that instant he determined to put it into immediate practice

Oscar would be surprised to find that his cunning plot had been seen through In fact there would be others in the saine the astonishment of Josh and Hanky Panky, possibly utterly unsuspicious regarding the true course of events

It happened that Rod had in his pocket a little tool shaped not unlike one of those er presses the trigger He believed this would answer his purpose ad on the spur of the moment he ient with that handkerchief of his, switching it to and fro, as though determined that not a speck of dust should rearh Oscar must be an exquisite of the first water when on his native heath; though Rod was more firmly convinced than ever that this was Gay Paree rather than Cincinnati, Ohio, which he had so boldly clai toward the other in an apparently idle fashi+on, suddenly caainst the nape of Oscar's neck, causing a shudder to pass through the other's whole system

”Don't try to make a move or you are a dead er if you so much as turn your head this way!”

”Gee! whilikins!” exclai about; while Hanky Panky, taken completely by surprise, could only stand there and stare as though he iined Rod had suddenly taken leave of his senses, for up to that htest suspicion toward theon his way

Oscar apparently understood; at any rate he reh carved out of stone His face hite, and his eyes rolled wildly in their sockets, but he knew better than to risk having his poor brains blown out by an incautious a you send a e to some one with that handkerchief of yours Don't waste your breath to deny it You have been trying to lead us into a trap, perhaps for the sake of helping your friend, Jules Well, we are on to your game, and mean to block it Josh!+”

”On deck, Rod!” exclai his face; for it amused him to see how after all Rod had taken matters into his own hands, and turned the tables on the scoundrel

”You're getting to be a clever hand at playing the frisking act, Josh,”

continued the leader of the trio; ”suppose you look this chap over, and remove any deadly weapons you may find I'll keep hi of you to be careful, young M'sieu!” gasped Oscar, betraying his French origin in that unguardedresistance; and it ret”

Josh lost no ti work As Rod had said, of late the other had been having considerable experience at this sort of business, and boasted of being quite an expert

”Whee! here's a nasty looking gun, Rod!” he speedily announced