g so suddenly aroused
from a sound sleep would have sat up, trembling with alarm, and
demanding to know in quivering tones what had happened.

"Something's going on outside here that we ought to look into,"
whispered Josh.

By this time Hanky Panky had been awakened, and heard the last words.

"Gee whiz! then the Germans have come after all!" he was heard to
mutter, as he started to feel around for his shoes.

They hurried to the windows and looked out. Just how Josh had happened
to awaken he did not take the trouble to inform the others; but they
could see that something out of the common was occurring outside. A
couple of lights that might be lanterns seemed to be moving this way and
that, as though those who held the same were looking around the
outhouses belonging to the farm.

"Get dressed, and in a hurry, too," said Rob, after he had watched these
moving lights for a minute or so.

"Then you think they must be the Germans come after us, do you, Rob?"
asked Hanky Panky tremulously, as he started to dress as fast as he
could in the semidarkness.

"I don't know, but I mean to find out," he was told in low but incisive
tones.

They made all the haste possible. Rob was ready some little time ahead
of his comrades. This might be because he mastered his feelings better
than either of the others, or else on account of having his possessions
so carefully arranged before climbing into bed that he knew exactly
where to lay a hand on each and every article in the dark.

Finally Josh, and then Hanky Panky announced that he was all ready to
issue forth. Josh doubtless was figuring in his mind just how they might
get the precious motorcycles out of the potato cellar unobserved, and
ride wildly away before the searching Germans suspected their presence.
Hanky Panky on his part would have been almost willing to abandon the
wheels rather than risk chances of falling into the hands of the
invaders; for he had an idea they might be treated as spies, and dealt
with in a summary fashion. The thought of being stood up against a barn
and riddled with cruel bullets was uppermost in the boy's mind.

There was a door leading from the new wing of the farmhouse to the outer
air. Rod softly opened this now, and led the way forth, the others
trailing after him, confident that Rod would know what line of action
was best under the exciting conditions by which they were confronted.

The first natural thing for them to do was to peer c