said the
Belgian soldier, with considerable feeling; after which he conversed
with his two comrades for a minute or so, no doubt explaining what had
awaited them close by; and that only for the timely warning of the
Americans they would have been launched into eternity.

Then the car was turned around, and away the three dashing Belgians
sped. The last the boys saw of them was when they waved their hands
back ere vanishing around a curve in the road.

"Well," said Tubby, "that was a splendid thing you did, Rob. And to
think you noticed the Germans laying that cute little ambush there! It
shows what training will do for a fellow, doesn't it?"

"It is only what every scout is supposed to do," replied Rob, thinking
to impress a lesson on Tubby's mind. "Observe every little thing that
happens, and draw your own conclusions from it. When I saw that gun
going up into the field, I wondered what they meant by that. Then I saw
they were laying a trap. I couldn't believe it was intended for us, and
so I was puzzled, because we didn't expect to use that road at all."

"And when the armored car came whizzing along you knew the Germans meant
to get the Belgians who had been doing so much damage day after day, as
we'd heard; that was it, eh, Rob?" and Merritt nodded his head sagely,
as though things were all as plain as anything to him now.

"Huh!" snorted Tubby, "after Columbus had cracked the end of the egg
and stood it up, didn't those Spanish courtiers all say that was as easy
as pie? Course we can see things after they've happened. But you and me,
Merritt, had better be digging the scales off our eyes, so we can
discover things for ourselves next time."

Merritt did not answer back. Truth to tell he realized that he merited a
rebuke for his lack of observation. It might pass with an ordinary boy,
but was inexcusable in a scout who had been trained to constantly use
his faculties for observation wherever he went.

"Our road will take us past that place where they are hiding, won't it,
Rob?" he presently said. "Suppose, now, they guessed that we must have
turned the armored car back, and lost them their victims, wouldn't they
be likely to take it out on us, thinking we might be Belgian Boy
Scouts?"

"I had that in my mind, Merritt," admitted Rob, "and for that reason I
reckon we ought to leave the road right here. We can make a wide detour,
and strike it further along, where the danger will be past."

All of them were of