o it over here, I reckon."

The man who had owned the inn contented himself, however, by telling Rob
just how much he appreciated the gallant work of the American Boy Scout.
Rob would not soon forget that experience; and it must always bring a
warm feeling to his heart when thinking of how, with such a little
effort, he had made these two humble people supremely happy.

When he tried to make the man accept pay for their food, the other
utterly refused to listen to such a thing.

"It is the good wife and myself, young m'sieu, who are heavily in your
debt," he told Rob, with the simplicity of sincerity. "How, then, could
we ever forgive ourselves for taking money from one who has saved our
baby's life? It would cause the blush of shame to dye our cheeks. We
could never look our neighbors again in the face. It would not be
right."

Of course that ended it, although Rob would rather have settled for that
supper. Merritt tugged at his coat, understanding what it was all about.

"Don't insist, Rob," he told the other. "You mustn't try to take away
the satisfaction he feels in having done one little thing for you. Let
it go at that. He is not a poor man, I imagine, and has something laid
by. Now, hadn't we better be getting out of here?"

"Oh! by the way, where are our horses?" asked Tubby, suddenly.

That reminded them they had forgotten all about the animals. The horses
had been left tied to a rail at some little distance alongside the inn
when they went in to get supper. Rob had intended, in case they meant to
spend the night there, to have the three animals taken care of, and fed.

The hitching bar was entirely destitute of horses of any type when they
turned their eyes in that quarter.

"What if those awful Uhlans took our steeds away with them?" Tubby
suggested, with his usual blank look, and that woebegone shake of his
head.

"It seems unbelievable to me," Rob replied; "but I'll make some
inquiries. The inn-keeper may have had them taken to the stables back
yonder, though I remember noticing the animals at the time we were
peeping out of the window when the troopers were coming down the village
street. Wait for me, and I'll ask him."

"I surely hope you learn good news, Rob!" Tubby sighed, as he thought of
three long Belgian miles separating him from some sort of bed, where he
could secure the rest he needed so badly.

Presently Rob came back, and, when Tubby saw him shake his head in the
negative, he gave