Part 13 (1/2)

The trip was a weary one all through the night, as they seemed to stop at every station, although it was the fast express. The intense excitement of the people all along the line; the pa.s.sing of trains; the crying out of the latest news; and the bustle of the new arrivals in the already crowded compartments, made sleep impossible. The sun had been up two hours before the station of St. Dizier was announced.

The boys were out and scampering along the platform ahead of most of the crowd. As they pa.s.sed out the end of the station they noticed a sign on a train: ”For Bar-le-Duc, 10 o'clock.”

”Let's see where that place is,” said Alfred.

The information was obtained. It was twenty kilometers northeast.

”That's the place we must go; it's twenty miles toward Verdun, and now is our time,” said Ralph.

”Let's have something to eat first,” said Alfred.

After the meal they booked for Bar-le-Duc, and this train started promptly. Only two coaches were reserved for civilians, the others being filled with soldiers. The town, which was reached shortly before noon, had the appearance of an armed camp. Here they received the startling news that the Germans were at St. Mihiel, thirty-five miles northeast of that place.

There was no sign of panic there, however. Verdun, Toul and Nancy were still intact, and there was no fear that either place would yield.

Before they had been in the city an hour they saw a dozen or more airplanes overhead, and it was not long thereafter until they learned that one of the most famous stations belonging to the flyers was located north of the place. A conveyance was readily obtained, as a line of busses paralleled the railway track, and in another hour they were on the plateau where the great hangars were located.

As they were crossing the field, and approaching the first tier of hangars the boys noticed the two men whose conversation had been overheard in the Continental hotel. ”They are the very men,” said Alfred; ”I wonder what they are here for?”

The men stopped and looked at the boys for an instant. Ralph approached them and said, with a smile: ”You beat us here after all.”

The men appeared to be puzzled at being thus addressed. Alfred saw that they did not understand Ralph's greeting, and said: ”We are under obligations to you for telling us how to get here, and I want to thank you.”

”I don't exactly understand,” said one of the men.

”We heard you talking about making this trip, and as we wanted to get to the front without knowing just how to do it, your conversation helped us out,” said Ralph.

”I'll bet you're American boys,” said one of them, laughing.

”Indeed, we are,” said Alfred.

”Belong to the service?” asked the other.

”Oh, yes,” answered Ralph,--”that is, we did belong to it.”

”Which branch?” asked the man.

”Messenger service in Belgium, aviation and trench service with the English, and Red Cross in the French army,” answered Alfred.

This response was answered by hearty laughter on the part of both men, and one of them responded: ”That is a pretty comprehensive service, I should say.”

”Where are you from?” asked the other.

”New York,” answered Ralph. ”Why, you look like Americans, too.”

”We're from the same place,” was the answer.

”And you look like newspaper men,” remarked Alfred.

”That's a good guess,” was the reply. ”But how did you know?” he asked.

”I saw you taking notes as we walked across the field,” answered Alfred.