Part 17 (2/2)
”Can't you take a hand, Blazes?”
”Yes,” a.s.sented Jimmy. ”But it's funny he didn't wake up when Bob spoke, even if he didn't understand. I'll go ahead. But let's get in out of the wet.”
They entered the room. The white-haired occupant of it did not stir from his position of bowed-down grief.
”He sleeps very soundly,” remarked Jimmy in a low voice.
Stepping forward he touched the old man on the shoulder, and then Jimmy knew what had happened.
”He's dead!” he whispered.
”Dead?” echoed the others.
”Come on--let's go into the other room,” suggested Jimmy.
There was another room opening out from the kitchen. Into this the Khaki Boys filed silently.
”Do you suppose the Germans killed him?” asked Roger.
”Very likely. Or he may have died from old age, fright or shock. We'll leave him where he is.”
”And stay here?” asked Bob.
”Sure! Why not? We're out of the rain. The poor dead man can not harm us, and we have seen enough of death, in worse forms than this, to be afraid now.”
”Oh, it isn't that I'm afraid!” exclaimed Bob. ”But if the Germans did that to--him--they may come back and--”
”I fancy not,” said Jimmy. ”I believe they think they have cleaned out this place. It's the safest spot for us with the old man as a silent sentry. Come, fellows, well spend the night here with the dead to guard us.”
It was said reverently--piously--and there was a strange feeling in the hearts of all the boys as they closed the door on the silent, pathetic figure and stood together in the other room, while the rain beat down on the roof, and dashed against the windows.
And so they began their bivouac of the with death as a sentry on guard.
CHAPTER XV
IN THE BATTLE AGAIN
”Well, we've got to be thankful that we had a place to stay all night where we were out of the wet,” remarked Jimmy, as he and his chums awoke the next morning in the lonely cottage of the dead Frenchman.
”Yes, and we're going to have a good day to travel, too,” said Bob.
”There's the sun up good and proper, as Tommy Atkins would say.”
”No telling how long it'll stay up,” came from Roger. ”Yesterday started in fine, but look what happened before night.”
”Look what happened!” echoed Jimmy. ”I don't believe since we joined the service any more things have happened in any one day. We ought to be thankful we're alive.”
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