to resist; and so Rob
really felt sorry that he could give him no joyful news.

"I would like to be able to tell in the worst way, Tubby," he told him,
"but you see we're making this turn only on hearsay. None of us knows a
single thing about it. There must be some sort of a place ahead of us,
because several times I've heard dogs barking, and I even thought I
could hear people calling."

"It's all right, Tubby," chimed in Merritt, "because there's a light,
yes,--two, three of the same kind. We'll soon be there, and I hope we'll
find some sort of a bunk, even if we have to drop in the hay."

"That's what I say," the fat scout declared energetically, bracing up,
now that it seemed the haven might be in sight. "I could sleep standing
up, I believe, if only you braced me on the sides."

"I believe you," remarked Merritt; and Tubby hardly knew whether he
ought to demand an explanation of that insinuation or not; he finally
concluded to change the subject.

They soon found they had arrived at another of those frequent little
Belgian hamlets where, in the past, thrift had held sway, but which were
rapidly becoming demoralized under the pressure of the war fever. Most
of the men were serving the colors, of course, those remaining being the
very aged or crippled, the women, and always the flocks of children.

"Seems to me they're carrying on kind of queer here, as if something
might be going on," Merritt hazarded while they were approaching the
border of the place.

"Gingersnaps and popguns!" exclaimed Tubby, "I hope there isn't a bunch
of those terrible Uhlans in town, smashing things, and threatening to
burn every house unless the wine and the ransom money are brought out!"

"Let's go slow till we can make sure about that," suggested Rob.

Their recent unpleasant experience was so fresh in their minds that they
did not care to have it duplicated. The next time they might not be so
fortunate about escaping from a burning inn, or avoiding capture at the
hands of raiding Uhlans.

"I don't seem to glimpse any cavalrymen around, do you, Rob?" Merritt
questioned, as they hovered on the outskirts of the place, ready to melt
away in the darkness should any peril arise.

"No, and it's safe for us to push on," the patrol leader announced.

"But there are a raft of people around," ventured the cautious Tubby,
who had been closely observing each and every soul, as though he
suspected that crafty Uhlans might be hidden under