Part 25 (2/2)
Jimmy, Bob and Roger formed a little party among themselves. They had only a general notion of which direction to take, but again Fate seemed to help them, for they were not stopped all that night. They tramped on, taking the most unfrequented ways, stumbling on in the darkness and on the alert for a sight of German soldiers. But the attack of the Allied airs.h.i.+ps, and the consequent destruction of a great pile of German sh.e.l.ls, had caused such havoc back of the Hun lines that for several hours all was in confusion.
”It's getting daylight,” murmured Bob, as he and his two chums were limping down a road. Limping is the correct term, for their own good army shoes had been taken from them and replaced by German apologies, with paper soles, which now were all but gone.
”What shall we do?” asked Roger.
”Keep on until we see something to stop us,” advised Jimmy. ”We are going toward our own lines, I think, or where our lines used to be, though there may have been a lot of changes since we were caught.”
”Can't we stop and get a drink?” panted Bob. ”My tongue is like a piece of that leathery stuff the Germans gave us and called meat. I've got to drink!”
It was light enough now to disclose a small stream not far away.
Looking about to make sure no Germans were in the vicinity, Jimmy led the way toward it. A drink of water and the eating of some of their scanty stock of food would put new life in them.
They reached the water safely, near a small clump of trees. They drank, and though the fluid seemed half mud never was there a sweeter draught to parched throats and dry mouths. Then, as they were about to open their rude packets of food. Bob clutched Jimmy's arm.
”Look!” he exclaimed, pointing off to the left.
”A searching party!” gasped Jimmy. Then Roger saw at what his chums were gazing--a squad of German soldiers under the command of an officer, and they were marching straight toward the clump of trees where our heroes hoped to stay and eat!
”Quick!” cried Jimmy. ”Burrow down in the leaves and dirt! If they see us we'll be shot on sight as escaping prisoners! No chance for quarter! Burrow down!”
And amid the dirt and dead leaves of the little patch of woods the boys scratched shallow hiding places for themselves, stuffing their food inside their s.h.i.+rts.
They were only just in time, for no sooner were they as well covered as they could manage in the hurry than the Germans came tramping into the little grove.
However, they did not seem to be acting on any precise information, as presently, after a cursory search in the grove, they left, and the boys breathed easier again.
”Shall we chance it now?” whispered Bob to Jimmy, cautiously raising his head from the hole amid the leaves.
”Wait a bit,” advised his chum. And, in ten minutes more, when it seemed that the party of Huns must be far enough away, the lads emerged.
”Close call!” murmured Bob, brus.h.i.+ng off some of the dirt. ”But I guess we can eat now--such stuff as we have! Say, Roger, did you--”
He paused, to gaze in the direction where Roger was looking. And Jimmy, attracted by the att.i.tude, gazed also. And they saw a strange sight.
Marching away, for which the three Brothers felt great relief, was the searching part of Germans. But this was not at what Roger was looking.
It was the sight of a man, in a German uniform, seated on a fallen log at the edge of the clump of trees. The man was looking over some papers, and he must have been there when the searching party pa.s.sed.
Perhaps he had been with them.
”Look! Look!” murmured Roger. ”It's the captain again. Captain Frank d.i.c.kerson--the officer who saved our lives at the red mill; and he's in a German uniform!”
CHAPTER XXI
BACK WITH FRIENDS
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