Part 12 (1/2)

”Don't trust him too far, Rod, please; really, I hardly like the look of his eye”

”That's all right,” laughed Rod, unconcernedly, ”Oscar can't help his looks; but he knows enough to sit tight sometimes, and this is one of theh away from the seatedhiot hi the weapon still in his right hand so as to be in a position to use it on Oscar, he had a gli backward; and at the sa out in loud shouts Perhaps he was calling to his coht yet cut off the flight of the last boy, who evidently had on his person the paper they were after

So Rod passed down the road, with the late prisoner still whooping it up in the rear Taking a fleeting look behind hied to scraer point passed He ildly accentuating his extravagant gestures by renewed shouting; and Rod even ih those ere being su to the spot

Well, let theh, because the game had turned so nicely in their favor after all And then they were ahead one bulky revolver in the bargain

Rod was at first tehts concluded to retain it for the present That wily scheht have yet another ambuscade prepared for them a little further on, and such a tool was apt to coh noevents continued to face the boys, they knew that theynearer the scene of warfare, because the roaring of big guns became more and more insistent with every mile they covered

It would not surprise Rod in the least should they coht of so that it was his duty to be in the van at such a critical juncture, so as to occupy a position to decide on their course of action, he gave the signal so well known to the others, and which meant that they were to hold up

They were several miles away froer hung over their heads from that source Rod soon explained just why he had called the temporary halt; and then once ular order, with Hanky Panky bringing up the rear

Rod knew theynear the bank of the Marne, which river flowing froiven to understand that it was along the banks of this river that the vast Ger Paris had been frustrated, and their flanks were threatened by the Allied forces

Looking ahead when there ca, he believed he could see where the battle was progressing, though the distance was still too great tofired It was just then that in turning a bend of the road he suddenly cah at the sa akin to awe, and sent a shi+ver through his frame

Evidently a field hospital had been established in a spot where it was out of range of the Geruns beyond He saw nueons and attendants, boththe roads, and across the level fields were hurrying a its load of wounded picked up along the front

Rod threw up his hand It was the signal that he was about to stop, and wanted to let his chuht be prepared to follow suit

A few seconds later and they were at his side, gaping at the strange picture now spread before the to have his dearest wish realized, for they had undoubtedly now reached the battle line, and could see soes attempted on both sides

The Gerreat retreat, and were seeking to hold back the pursuit of the furious French, whose ardor was apt to carry theray

Hanky Panky was al his breath He did not possess the sa was apt to fill him with horror Still, he had a boy's ordinary share of curiosity, and h to run so as to see an injuredimmediately afterwards

”It's a French field hospital, isn't it, Rod?” asked Josh

”There's nothat waves near the one with the Red Cross,” replied the other, without the least hesitation

”Oh! what a pity we lost our field glasses,” continued Josh, disconsolately ”We could never have such a splendid chance again to watch the play of a real battle like that going on over there; and it's a bit too far for the naked eye to get the full benefit of it all I'd give everything I own for binoculars right now Rod, don't you think weline?”

Rod shook his head in the negative

”The chances are we'd be rounded up in a hurry, and forced to turn back,” he told the eager coet as close as we have right now It's a part of our luck, I guess But I was thinking that if we chose to go over to the field hospital perhaps after we'd made friends with soht be, we'd find a chance to borrow a pair of binoculars froood to asp, and was heard to say almost helplessly:

”Oh! my stars, do we have to run sht of blood gives me the creeps, and ht here, and stay if you want to, Hanky Panky,”