from the town they were aiming to reach.

Before they entirely lost sight of the late encampment of the German
army, the boys discovered that a number of peasants from the surrounding
country had come on the scene, and appeared to be hunting for anything
of value which might have been purposely or by accident left behind.

"The poor things know they're going to have the hardest winter ever,"
said Tubby, with considerable feeling in his voice, "and they're trying
to find something to help out. Like as not some of them even came from
Louvain, where they lost everything they had in the wide world when the
place was burned to the ground. It's just awful, that's what it is.
America looks like the only place left where there's a chance of
keeping the peace."

As they went along Rob was keeping track of their course. He gave
Merritt his reasons for believing they would reach Sempst before sunset
after all, unless something entirely unexpected happened to delay them
again.

"Just now we're in great luck," he finished. "So far as we can see the
Germans have cleared out of this particular section completely. They may
be back again to-morrow; you never can tell what they'll do. But the
main line of railroad is where they are mostly moving, because in that
way they can get their supplies of men, guns, ammunition and food, and
also take back the wounded. Some of their dead are buried, but in the
main they prefer to cremate them, which is the modern way to prevent
disease following battles."

Merritt did not make any remark, for he was becoming more and more
anxious the closer they drew to the town where he expected to have that
question of the success or failure of his mission settled.

Rob knew how strained his nerves must be. He could feel for his chum,
and it was only natural for him to want to buoy up Merritt's sinking
hopes.

"Don't get downcast, old fellow," he told him. "You've stuck it out
through thick and thin so far. Whether you find this Steven Meredith in
Sempst or not, you're bound to meet up with him somewhere, sooner or
later, you know."

Merritt gritted his teeth, and the old look of resolution came across
his face, which the others knew full well.

"Thank you for saying that, Rob," he observed steadily. "You know that
once my mind is made up I'm a poor one to cry quits. I'll follow that
man to China, or the headwaters of the Amazon, if necessary, but I'll
never give up as long as I can put one foot in