rain continued, and as the hours passed
their hope revived and their courage strengthened.

"Therre's one thing I'm glad of," said Archer, "and that's that I
thought about putting that Gerrman soldierr's paperrs in the glove. I've
got a hunch I'd like to know what that letterr says."

"I'm glad you did," said Tom. "I got to admit _I_ didn't think of it."

By evening Tom's knee was much better though still sore, and his head
pained not at all. They had but one thought now--to swim to shore and
get into the mountains where they believed they could continue their
course southward. Swimming to the nearest point on the east, or Baden
bank, would, they could see by the glass, bring them into a fairly
thickly populated district and how to get past this and into the
protecting highlands troubled them. They had thus far avoided
civilization and towns, where they knew the ever-watchful eye of
Prussian authority was to be feared. They knew well enough that their
wet garments constituted no disguise; but they could, at least, get to
shore and see how the land lay.

They were greatly elated at their success so far, and at their
providential reunion. Whatever difficulties they had encountered they
had surmounted, and whatever difficulties lay ahead they would meet and
overcome, they felt sure.

As the day wore away, the rain ceased, but the sky remained dull and
murky. Their plan was to wait for the darkness and they were talking
over their good luck and what they thought the rosy outlook when Tom,
looking toward the Alsatian shore with the glass, saw a small boat which
was scarcely distinguishable in the hazy twilight.

"I don't believe it's coming this way," he said confidently, handing the
glass to Archer. But at the same time he was conscious of a sinking
sensation.

"Yes, it is," said Archer; "it's coming right for us."

"Maybe they're just rowing across," said Tom.

Archer watched the boat intently. "It's coming herre all right," he
said; "we'rre pinched. Let's get inside, anyway."

Tom smiled with a kind of sickly resignation. "Let's see," he said;
"yes, you're right, they've got uniforms, too. It's all up. We might
have had sense enough to know. I bet they traced us all the way through
Alsace. There's no use trying to beat that crowd," he added in cynical
despair.

Hope dashed when it is just reviving brings the most hopeless of all
despair, and with Tom, whose nerves had been so shaken, their imminent
capture