ot
discovered and confiscated while passing through.

Accordingly their first labor was to proceed to the tank, present the
order given by the surgeon, who actually ruled the field hospital, and
the man in charge readily allowed them to refill their reservoirs with
the precious liquid.

It was with a thankful heart that Hanky Panky finally turned his back on
the field hospital. He had passed through so many painful experiences
since striking that place he felt as though his nerves had been badly
rattled.

After the late battle a strange calm seemed to have settled down again.
Doubtless both sides were replenishing their stock of ammunition and
getting in readiness for the next upheaval; for the French would never
cease to attack as long as they knew they had the enemy "on the run,"
and that it was French soil those detestable German boots were still
pressing.

Rod had figured things out as best he could. The wearied army surgeons
had also been able to give him a few pointers that might prove of value.

As they progressed they could no longer say that they had the road to
themselves. A score of different sights were before their eyes much of
the time, consisting for the most part of vehicles bearing the wounded
heroes far to the rear; other empty ones hurrying forward to secure
their loads; detachments of sullen prisoners being taken under guard to
a detention camp; squads of French soldiers bent upon some duty; here a
belated regiment hastening forward, eager to be in at the next furious
engagement; peasants standing in the doorways of their cottages watching
all that went on, and laughing with the passersby, because victory was
in the air for France, and it mattered little that they had lost all
their live stock when the German hosts trooped by, if only the "day"
they had long prayed for had indeed arrived.

So the Motorcycle Boys had to pick their way along now; it could no
longer be said of them that they fairly "flew" over the road. Besides
the numerous obstructions in the shape of vehicles coming and going,
there were many ragged holes to be encountered, where mighty shells had
fallen and exploded, forming craters that had to be carefully negotiated
lest the riders meet with a serious catastrophe.

Besides this, all along the way they discovered such cast-off material
as the retreating German army had discarded in order to hasten their
march--broken caissons and guns that had been rendered temporarily
usel