ond them. Won't
they think it strange for us to be going full speed toward the Russian
lines this way?"

"No. I think that's easily accounted for, Fred. There is a crossroad
less than half a mile beyond that culvert. They will suppose that we
mean to take the turn. Ivan would have thought of that, I'm sure, if
there had been any danger that they would not expect us to be traveling
on this road."

"I guess you're right, Boris. It sounds reasonable. And anyway, if there
is a chance, we've got to take it. I'm certainly not going to hesitate
just for that after we've come as far as this. We'll soon know because,
as you say, once we're past that culvert, we'll be safe. That's the
crucial spot."

The grade grew sharper as they descended, and the pace of the car
increased. Now, at the bottom, stretching across the white road, they
could see a heavy shadow and above on what was unquestionably the
railway, half a dozen lights.

"They've got more than a sentry there. It seems to be a regular post,"
said Fred, a little nervous, as they approached. "I'd like to slow down
here--we're taking this hill pretty fast."

"Yes," agreed Boris, who was driving. "But it's not just the time to
slow down, is it?"

"Hardly. We've got to shoot under there so fast that they won't have a
chance to find out too much about us. The headlight will help us, too.
It ought to dazzle them so that they won't be able to see into the car
at all. As soon as we're close to them, I'm going to sound the bugle
pretty steadily."

They rushed on toward the culvert faster and faster. The powerful
headlight illuminated the scene before them, and they could see a dozen
or more dark figures. And as they came closer, they saw that several men
were looking at them, trying to shade their eyes with their hands.

Fred sounded the bugle steadily now, and saw that this seemed to relieve
the watchers. For the first time he took his eyes from the culvert
itself and looked around. The road here descended much more steeply than
the railway, and that, Fred judged, was the reason for the culvert. For
the first time he realized that the culvert was not quite at the bottom
of the hill; that beyond it the road still bore downward quite sharply
for a space, until it turned. It was plain to him that there were more
dangers ahead than those represented by the soldiers on the culvert.

The pace of the rushing car was faster now than would have been
altogether comfortable had th