Part 32 (1/2)

”True as Gospel,” said Wharton.

”Do you know where the road is?” asked John. ”Now that our horses are gone we've got to do some good walking.”

”Here it is,” said Carstairs. ”Seven miles farther on is the little hamlet of Courville, where we can buy horses.”

”Then walk, you terriers, walk!” said Wharton.

The three bending their heads walked side by side toward the hamlet of Courville, which they were destined never to reach.

CHAPTER XI

THE ARMORED CAR

The three talked, because they were in the dark, and because they felt great joy over their escape. The clouds, after a while, floated away, and the thunder ceased to mutter. It seemed that the elements played with them, but, for the present, were in their favor. The walking itself was pleasant, as they were anxious to exercise their muscles after the long hard waiting in the grove.

But as the clouds went away and the stars came out, leaving a sky of blue, sown with stars, John could not keep from looking upward often.

The aeroplanes and the daring men who flew them had made a tremendous impression upon him, and he constantly expected danger. But he saw none of those ominous black specks which could grow so fast into sinister shapes. He heard instead a faint rumbling ahead of them on the road to Courville, and he held up his hand as a warning.

”What is it?” asked Carstairs, as the three stopped.

”I don't know yet,” replied John, ”but the sound seems to be made by wheels.”

”Perhaps a belated peasant driving home,” said Wharton, as he listened.

”I don't think so. It appears to be a volume of sound, although it's as yet far away. I hear it better now. It's wheels and many of them.”

”French reinforcements.”

”Maybe, but more likely German. We've seen how ready the Germans are, and we know that they're spreading all over this region.”

”Then it's safer for us out of the road than in it.”

There was a hedge on either side of the road, but the three slipped easily through the one on the right, and stood in tall gra.s.s. The rumbling was steadily coming nearer, and John had no doubt it was made by Germans, perhaps some division seeking to get in the rear of the French forces with which he had fought.

There was a good moon and they saw well through the thin hedge. In ten minutes cyclers, riding six abreast, appeared on the crest of a low hill in the direction of Courville. The moonlight fell on their helmets and gray uniforms, showing, as John had expected, that they were Germans.

Again he was beholding an example of the wonderful training and discipline, which had been continued for decades and which had put military achievement above everything else. Day and night the German hosts were advancing on France.

The cyclers, carrying their rifles before them, advanced in hundreds and hundreds, the files of six keeping perfectly even. Again the sight was unreal, productive of awe. Armies had never before gone to battle like this. The files close together, like a long, grayish-green serpent, moved swiftly along the road.

But it was not the wheels that had made the rumble. They instead gave out a light undulating sound, something like that of skaters on ice, and the three waited to see what was behind, as the rumbling grew louder.

The cyclers pa.s.sed, then came the strong smell of gasoline, puffing sounds and the head of a great train of motor cars appeared. Most of the motors were filled with soldiers, others drew cannon and provision wagons. They were a full hour in pa.s.sing, and at the rear were more than a hundred armored cars, also crowded with troops, some of them carrying machine guns also.

”I wish we were in one of those armored cars,” said John, ”then we wouldn't miss our horses.”

”Well, why not get in one of them,” said Carstairs.

”While we're about it why not wish for everything else that we can think of?”