the boys as pitiful. They would in time
become so accustomed to them that such spectacles must be taken as a
part of the war game; still, all of them were sure that in this case
"familiarity would not breed contempt."

Then at times it happened that houses were scarce, and a stretch of the
road, from some reason or other, ahead appeared deserted. Often, in the
distance, they heard strange sounds like far-away thunder. It thrilled
them to imagine that possibly this was the roar of big guns; perhaps
they were even drawing near to an actual battlefield!

About this time the boys noticed that their guide was acting as though
excited.

"What's the matter, Anthony?" asked Rob, bent on knowing the worst.

In his broken English the Belgian guide tried to tell them his fears.

"Look you--over thisaways--you see men, horses--they run thisaway, they
run thataway--some shake hands at us--I do not know, but it may be they
will turn out to be Uhlan cavalrymen--bad men who ride far in advance of
the army, to screen movements of troops. If they are Uhlans, we may not
go ahead further!"

CHAPTER V.

UNDER THE BRIDGE.

Of course what Anthony told them caused the boys more or less concern.
They had no desire to fall into the hands of the Germans. While it could
not be said that they were against the invaders, the terrible stories
they had heard in Antwerp, even if only a small part were true, gave
them an unpleasant feeling toward the Kaiser's men.

That word Uhlan was dreaded by every Belgian or native of Northern
France. While it really stands for the cavalry arm of the German forces,
still, ever since the Franco-Prussian war of more than forty years ago,
it has possessed a terrible significance all its own. Humble peasants
shivered when they pronounced it, and no doubt many an unruly child was
threatened with the coming of the terrible Uhlans unless it mended its
ways.

"If that's the case, then," Merritt voiced the opinion of himself and
chums by saying hurriedly, "we want to get out of this. It's a case of
either run or hide with us."

"But where could we hide?" asked Tubby, looking all around him
helplessly. "Just now there isn't a single cottage in sight; and the
bare fields around don't offer much shelter, seems to me."

"There's a bridge just ahead of us," said Rob.

"And we might manage to get our mounts down underneath," added Merritt
instantly, grasping the idea that was in the patrol leader's mind. "Th