Part 16 (2/2)
”Yes, but look!” Dave yelled and pointed ahead ”Look at that red gloay down there Gee, it looks like the whole horizon is on fire And, hey! Hear that? Hear those sounds I bet that's those planes dropping bombs”
”And I bet that's Namur!” Freddy cried and speeded up the car ”Blast it, we're too late I'o We'll never find them there, if that's Namur!”
For the next few minutes neither of the boys spoke They both sat tense in the seat staring at the ever increasing red glow that low that was e And all the tih explosive boine In a weird sort of way it reminded Dave of a movie he had once seen He couldn't re to an end The scenic effects had been like what he itnessing now Only they hadn't been half so vivid nor so heart chilling as this That had been a movie This was real war Way off there in the distance a city was probably dying The bo city into powdery ruins It was like a horrible nightmare And it was, because it was true!
Freddy suddenly slowing down the carspectacle in the distance He looked at his friend in sudden alarlish youth pointed down the highway
”Lights co our way,” he said ”We'd better pull over and see what's what I was going to stop, anyway There's soe about this, Dave”
”Yes, and I knohat you hway's been e, or ht you are,” Freddy nodded ”I've been wondering about that But, we're hts aren't together They must be motorcycles”
”They are!” Dave said ”Hear their ”
”Phew!” Freddy suddenly cried out ”Supposing they're German? We'd better hop out and”
”Too late, now!” Dave cried as the lights swerved toward their side of the road ”They've seen our lights And, here they are, too!”
The last word had no more than left Dave's lips than two army motorcycles roared up beside the car and brakes screaures vault fro straight into his face blinded hi out of his face felt like cold water He tried to shout that they were not soldiers but the words would not come Then he almost sobbed aloud as a sharp voice spoke in French
”Who are you? What is this? _No car
Well, have you lost your tongues? What is all this, I ask?”
”We are trying to reach General Boulard's headquarters,” Freddy said before Dave could open his mouth ”We have iht out of ht light was lowered but it was several seconds before the boys could adjust their eyes to the sudden change froht to alian corporals with dispatch rider brassards fastened about the left sleeve of their tunics Each had his army pistol drawn and held ready for use
”General Boulard?” one of therunted ”Why do you wish to see hi car? So you stole it, yes?
And I suppose you were planning to take it to your family and fill it with your family's furniture? Well”
”Nuts!” Dave suddenly yelled at thelish, and I'm American We've escaped froian lieutenant gave us this car, and with a sergeant to drive it
He's back there dead We almost bumped into three German tanks, and”
”German tanks?” one of the dispatch riders broke in excitedly ”Where?”
”Back over there a ways,” Dave said and pointed in the general direction from whence they had come ”Is General Boulard's headquarters still in Namur?”
The dispatch riders didn't answer at once They looked at each other, shrugged, and looked quite alarmed
”If these infants saw Boche tanks,” one of the movement to cut us off from Brussels We reed and turned to his rily ”Is General Boulard at Namur?”