tion: "If you keep on the road ... you will fall into an
ambush."--_Page 277._]

The three Belgian soldiers laughed at that. Plainly they had been at a
loss to place these three lads.

"I happen to be able to talk English very good," one of them called out,
as the car stopped, "and we are glad to meet you. Americans are good
friends of ours."

"Listen," said Rob impressively, "if you keep on the road you expect to
take, so as to follow the German army corps, you will fall into an
ambush inside of three minutes."

CHAPTER XXV.

TURNING THE TABLES.

When Rob made this astonishing statement his two chums suddenly realized
that this must be the matter he had been on the point of explaining to
them when the armored car from Antwerp came tearing along the road in
their rear like a modern war chariot.

The leader of the three Belgian soldiers, and who seemed to be a
captain, looked incredulous. He repeated what Rob had said to his
backers, in Flemish; and they, too, observed the scout with wondering
eyes.

"This is a strange thing you are telling me, boy," remarked the captain.
"How is it you know there is an ambuscade laid to catch us napping?"

"I will gladly explain," the Eagle Patrol leader hastened to say. "You
see, we want to get to Sempst, and, as we helped the Red Cross on the
battlefield yesterday, we were detained. Then we found that there was a
German army camped right in our way. It moved off toward the front only
an hour ago, and we have been hiding most of the day. But, while we were
watching the troops depart, I was surprised to see a single gun taken
into a patch of scrub on a little elevation that commands the road. It
is pointed this way, and you can never notice it there unless you have
been posted. Now I can guess what they are hiding for; they expect that
you may be along, and mean to rid the German army of your stinging them
so often!"

Tubby's mouth was wide open. He stared at Rob as though he hardly knew
whether he were awake or asleep. Even Merritt seemed thrilled by what he
had heard.

As for the Belgian captain, it was an incredulous look that gripped his
features.

"I do not know what to believe, boy," he said, looking earnestly at Rob.

"The best way is to prove it," that worthy told him immediately.

"It would at least be convincing," the pilot of the armored car
declared.

"Suppose, then," continued the scout, "you leave your car here at the
foot of this little rise.