torcycles cast aside when
of no further service to the retreating Germans; cooking outfits that
had been wonderful contrivances before being utterly smashed on their
late owners finding they could not be taken along; and other things too
numerous to mention.

Rod himself was of the opinion that the enterprising peasants might
manage to partly indemnify themselves for their losses by taking
possession of some of the various things abandoned, and renewing their
usefulness.

It was now getting well on toward noon. Hanky Panky had even been heard
to call out that he felt hungry, though Rod could see little hope of
appeasing their appetites in that country, so thoroughly cleaned out by
the enemy.

Suddenly there came an outburst of heavy firing close at hand. It was so
furious that the three boys involuntarily stopped short, and huddled
together to compare notes, so that they might decide upon the safest
course for them to pursue.

Smoke began to climb upwards above the trees not more than a mile away,
where Rod had reason to believe the Marne River ran.

"That's where the fight is going on, Rod, you can see!" shouted Josh,
eagerly, pointing as he spoke; "look at the French batteries wheeling
into position, would you? They mean to give the Germans a lot of
pounding, looks like. I wonder what it all means; can you give a guess,
Rod?"

Rod could, and lost no time in advancing his opinion.

"From what I heard when I talked with that last bunch of natives," he
called out, for the racket was growing more deafening with every
minute's passage, "there's a ford to the river right about that place.
Now like as not the Germans have determined to dispute the passage of
the crossing, and left a big force there to hold Joffre's men in check.
The battle for that ford is now starting up, and it will be a pretty
stiff fight unless all signs fail."

CHAPTER XXIII.

THE THUNDER OF OPPOSING BATTERIES.

Standing there they used their eyes to the best advantage, though none
of them felt fully satisfied with their position. Josh looked enviously
at a spot only a short distance away. It was something of a small
elevation, and he felt positive that if only they could manage to reach
it their chances of seeing all that went on would be immeasurably
enhanced.

"Yes," Rod was saying, loud enough for the others to hear him, "I'm
afraid, too, his regiment is going to be in the thick of that desperate
battle for the possession of