eared from view when the boys started
out. Rob was looking a bit serious, and the other noticed that he kept
turning his eyes off toward the right, for it was in that direction the
great host had gone.

"You don't expect they will turn back and give us trouble, do you, Rob?"
asked Merritt, noticing this frequent look.

"No; it isn't that," he was told, "but I'm wondering what a certain
movement that I happened to notice could mean."

"Tell us about it, won't you, Rob?" Tubby implored. "It can't be that we
have to take the same road that army marched away along, because we're
heading in just the other quarter."

Before Rob could commence with his explanation they heard the sound of
what appeared to be an automobile behind them. At the time they chanced
to be at the foot of a slight elevation, which rose for perhaps twenty
feet in a gradual ascent.

"Gingersnaps and popguns! Look what's bearing down on us, will you?"
gasped Tubby.

"It's an armored automobile, as sure as anything!" added Merritt, "just
like that car we saw in Antwerp, you know. Yes, I can see the muzzle of
the deadly Maxim gun that's back of that metal shield. Rob, it's heading
straight at us. What if they take us for Germans, and open fire?"

"Oh! for goodness' sake, let's wave a white flag to keep them from
mowing us down like wheat!" exclaimed Tubby, commencing to fumble in
his pocket.

"Hold up your hands to show that we have no arms!" ordered Rob,
abruptly. "They are Belgians, and perhaps the same daring fellows we saw
come into Antwerp with all sorts of spoils to show they had made a raid,
and shot down their regular allotment of the enemy. Yes, wave the white
bag, if you want, Tubby; we don't mean to take any chances."

"It's a hard thing to be shot down, and then have some one say they're
sorry, and that they didn't know the gun was loaded," remarked Merritt.

The armored car slowed down as it approached. Those vigilant Belgians
aboard were doubtless observing the three figures in khaki closely.
Already they must have discovered that they were Boy Scouts. Possibly
they more than half expected to find they were Belgian scouts, for such
boys were being used as dispatch bearers all over the war zone.

"We are friends!" called out Rob, "American boys, who belong to the
scouts over in our country, you understand? We have nothing to do
with the war. Do any of you speak English? I can talk in French a
little, if it's necessary."

[Illustra