eader, though Elmer Overton, the
Southern boy, often proved himself a good second.

Then there were Henry Jucklin, known to all his mates as "Hanky Panky"
because of his skill as a magician; Josh Whitcomb, with a bit of the
Yankee in his composition; and Christopher Boggs, otherwise "Rooster."

They had covered many thousands of miles with those wonderful steel
steeds, and met with some surprising adventures up to the time when an
opportunity arose allowing them to go abroad. A wealthy old gentleman of
their town, who knew their calibre well, had given them an important
errand to carry out, and stood responsible for their expenses to the
other side of the Atlantic.

Coming leisurely down the Rhine country they had been suddenly caught by
the war tide; and as it was in Antwerp that Rod expected to meet the
party he sought they had to strike out boldly for that far-distant city.

Strange happenings had marked their course through the war-stricken
country of Belgium. Indeed, several times it looked very much as though
they would never attain their goal, but might be sent back as prisoners
of war to Germany.

Of course, their sympathies were mainly with the Allies, and
particularly after they had seen with their own eyes how the poor
Belgians, fighting heroically to defend their native land, were being
cowed by the seemingly limitless legions of the Kaiser.

But in the end they reached Antwerp, and had about decided to make a run
down the coast to Boulogne, where they might take a steamer home, when
that fatal cable message upset their plans.

Elmer and Rooster would not hear of the others accompanying them home.
Josh, too, was really wild to see more of the great war. So finally Rod,
finding that Hanky Panky seemed of the same mind, consented to stay over
for a week or two longer.

Now that their two chums had left them the boys wandered about the city
on the Scheldt and tried to amuse themselves as best they could. But
they soon found that ordinary sights no longer availed to satisfy them.

"You see, the war fills the air wherever you go," explained Josh, to
account for this seeming lack of interest. "What does anybody want to go
snooping into things that had to do with battles of centuries ago, when
the biggest war the world ever knew is raging right now through Northern
France and Belgium?"

"Yes, with Great Britain dragged in, and perhaps Italy and other
countries to follow, not even excepting our own land,"