must be the little town they were heading for that
Rob meant.

The other quickly undeceived him.

"Oh! we're a long, long way off from Sempst yet, Tubby," he said. "I was
referring to a bridge the inn-keeper told me about, that's all."

"What's there about a bridge to worry us, I'd like to know?" muttered
the fat scout suspiciously, feeling terribly depressed, because he had
been so like a drowning man grasping at a straw.

"Unless it happens to be guarded by the Germans," suggested Merritt
softly, "and then we'd have a dickens of a time getting across."

"The trouble about this particular bridge isn't so much that it's apt to
be guarded," Rob went on to inform them, "but the inn-keeper was afraid
we'd find it gone!"

"Blown up, do you mean, Rob?" Tubby demanded.

"It's been reported that way," he was informed. "Fact is, there doesn't
seem to be much doubt about it. From all accounts, the Belgians
destroyed it, as they have done many other costly bridges, so as to
impede the advance of the German heavy guns. It takes lots of time and
trouble to rebuild a bridge and make it strong enough to let a monster
siege gun rumble over."

"But, Rob, shall we have to swim across, or is there a sort of ford
handy that we might use?" Merritt inquired.

"I certainly hope we don't have to swim, anyway," Tubby declared, "for,
if there's one thing I hate to do, it's to get soaking wet. It's so
uncomfortable afterward, and especially when you can't change your
clothes. But, of course, if it's got to be done, we'll all have to just
grin and bear it."

"It may not be necessary in this case," added Rob, no doubt purposely
delaying his information, because he liked to hear Tubby drumming up his
courage in this way.

"Then mebbe you've gone and got some wings hidden away, which we can use
to fly across?" suggested Tubby quickly, "or it might be an aeroplane is
kept handy so's to ferry folks over dry-shod."

"Neither of your guesses hits the mark, Tubby," he was informed. "The
inn-keeper said one man told him that, while the bridge was wrecked, a
few of the steel beams still hung in place, so that any one who was
fairly spry might manage to make his way over from one side to the
other. A number had done it, including the man who told him."

"If others can, we ought to be able to make it," Merritt said stoutly.

"Yes, I suppose that's so," admitted Tubby ruefully, "but then you
mustn't forget that they had daylight to help out.