t cars to be
taken to the front.

The boys expected to pass the night there, getting such sleep as was
possible, considering the confusion that prevailed. In the morning, if
all were well, they could make an early start in the direction of Paris,
expecting to find splendid roads all of the way, and with nothing to
delay them, unless it were the fact that moving armies clogged the
thoroughfares so that a passage was impossible.

After they had had their supper they wandered forth to look around a
little, because on account of meaning to get away so early they knew
there would be no opportunity to do this in the morning.

All of them felt rather tired, however, and it was not long before Hanky
Panky voiced the general sentiment when he suggested that sleep would
fill the bill better than anything else he knew of.

They had a room with two beds, and as Josh was a restless sleeper he was
given the single cot. It may have been about one or two in the morning
when Rod awoke, oppressed with the conviction that there was something
moving in the room, which suggestion sent a thrill through his whole
being, and aroused him thoroughly.

[Footnote 1: See "The Big Five Motorcycle Boys Under Fire."]

CHAPTER VI.

THE FRETFUL ROAR OF BATTLE.

Rod held his breath and listened. Though his nerves were quivering with
excitement he could hold himself in check wonderfully well. Josh was
breathing heavily, while Hanky Panky lay quite still; somehow Rod half
suspected that the other might also have been aroused, and was, like
himself, listening with bated breath to find out what had caused that
slight noise close by.

A thrill passed through Rod when something touched him. Then he suddenly
realised that it was his bed-fellow, Hanky Panky, wishing to be
reassured; and accordingly Rod gave him a slight nudge with his elbow.

Something moved again, and, on straining his vision, for the room was
fairly dark, Rod managed to discover what seemed to be the bent-over
figure of a man. He guessed instinctively that it was no common thief
who had managed to enter their chamber in this Calais inn at the dead of
night, meaning to steal money, or any other valuable he could get his
hands on.

Jules must have managed to follow after them, and was also in the French
city by the sea, which later on the Kaiser became so wild to possess in
order to harass the coast of England twenty miles away that he ordered
mad charges on the part of his