Part 22 (1/2)

”What are they waiting for, do you think, Rod?” asked Josh, between the roars of the opposing guns

”The French leader hates to sacrifice so many of his brave men while that battery is in a position to sweep the ford,” replied the other, without hesitation, showing that he had grasped the situation even in that brief tiet rid of the sah he had to place his lips close to Rod's ear, and fairly bellow his words in order todin close by

”Perhaps he keeps hoping that souns will be able to locate the Ger the bushes there, and disable it,” said Rod

Hanky Panky pulled at his sleeve When Rod turned his head he found the other pointing excitedly upwards, and upon casting his own eyes in that quarter Rod instantly knehat his chuh!” he exclaimed

”Mebbe they mean to try and drop boested Josh, whose attention had also been drawn to the new feature in the lively dranify that the idea struck him as worth while

Even had he attempted to speak just then his effort would have been prettyterrible A thousand French soldiers were cheering, even while being held in check by their officers; they made Rod think of hounds restrained by the leash, and loudly bewailing their inability to juine hat frantic zeal those men would leap ahead and into the waters of the Marne when the tiher soared the twin aeroplanes, cli birdht feel reasonably safe frouns manned by the Ger the bo a lucky shot

”It's going to couess!” ventured Josh, when a brief lull in all the firing allowed hiet in a feords

”Yep,” added Hanky Panky, as getting a stiff neck with looking up so long; ”right now you can see that they're sailing around like they ood place to hover But they'd better take care, because that shrapnel is bursting just below theht hit home”

A loud whoop froo a bomb, as sure as you live!” he shouted; ”look and see where it hits!”

Quickly following came a report, and the boys could see the earth fly in showers

”Not by a jugful!” whooped Hanky Panky, also carried aith the excitement of the moment; ”they'll have to aim better than that if they expect to knock the German battery out of business”

The second aired to do a little better than the first the result was also disappointing

Evidently they were at too great a height to be able to strike a se in the hich had been sprung so suddenly on France, her aviators had not as yet beco; later on when they had been given much practice, the result was bound to be quite different

When the birdmen had exhausted all their boerous battery they were compelled to desist and circle around

Evidently it was the intention of the air scouts while aloft to learn all they could connected with the disposition of the German forces This information would prove valuable to the French commander, whether able to win the coveted ford or not

”Will they give up trying to cross over now?” asked Hanky Panky, after it was seen that the efforts of the circling birdmen, much more than half a mile aloft, had not met with any sort of success

”That isn't the usual French way of fighting, if all I've heard and seen of theame!” Josh exclaimed

Rod, too, seeetting ready to make a mad effort to rush the ford,” he went on to say; ”you notice that their guns are silent just now; but that's done so they can burst out with a more terrible bombardment than ever, under cover of which the attack will be started”

”But why all this row over just one contemptible little ford?” asked Hanky Panky innocently

Josh snorted at hearing this