ck over his shoulder, for the three boys had started along
the road; "and my dearest wish is that I get on the ground before all
the scrapping is over."

A short time afterwards and they arrived at the place where the regiment
of khaki-clad Britisher regulars was in a temporary camp. They were
awaiting the summons to take their train when it was made up, and be
whirled off to the scene of carnage, where tens of thousands of men on
both sides were fated to be killed and wounded before three more suns
had set.

Rod expected to be held up, and therefore was not in the least surprised
when a patrol stepped into the road, motioning to the three lads to
halt. They were soon taken to the place where several officers sat
looking over a map of Paris and its environs, where they fully expected
to be in action before another twenty-four hours had passed.

The British officers eyed them with more or less wonder, and not a
little suspicion in the bargain, for they soon realized that the boys
were not English, as they had at first supposed; and ugly rumors
concerning clever German spies had already begun to pass current in the
ranks of the Allies.

When Rod gave a brief account of all their adventures, from the time
they heard the first news of how war had been declared against Russia
and France by Germany, all of them were deeply interested. And they
scanned the wonderful paper bearing the signature of King Albert with
eager eyes, for already had the monarch of the dauntless little Belgian
nation become an heroic figure over across the Channel, on account of
his defiance to the Kaiser's demand that he allow the German army to
march through neutral territory in order to swoop down on Paris.

After a very pleasant ten minutes with the British officers the boys
passed on toward Calais, followed by the best of wishes.

"No use talking," Josh was heard to say, "blood is thicker than water,
after all. I've got some English and Scotch and Irish blood in me, and
that's why my heart is with the cause of the Allies. I suppose if I'd
had German ancestors I'd be just as much for their cause; but all the
same I am not."

Shortly afterwards they arrived in Calais, and put up at an inn
recommended by one of the officers as being decent and reasonable.
Calais was already in the throes of the war, for the streets were
crowded with marching soldiers; and artillery trains could be seen
moving this way and that, as they were being loaded on fla