eelings. "I think I see some land. Can we be coming to the border
I wonder? I hope we are and that we can soon be starting home!"

"Train's slackening speed," announced Harry. "They're stopping!"

It was even as the boy had said. With many a bump and groan of grinding
brakes the train crawled to a standstill beside a hut built upon a rise
of ground. Here was stationed a force of soldiers detailed to the work of
searching and examining all who attempted to pass from Belgium to
Holland. Those who were not certified as refugees or in other ways vested
with proper authority to pass were promptly rejected and turned back.

A guard came running along the foot board opening doors. He shouted
instructions to the inmates of the carriages, who promptly began
scrambling out of the uncomfortable cars. All baggage was placed along
the track to facilitate examination. The train itself was searched.

Gesticulating and conversing rapidly two soldiers approached the little
group of Boy Scouts. Apparently an argument of some sort was in progress,
but the boys could not determine the nature of it.

One of the men pointed to the uniforms and to the medals upon the sleeves
of the boys' jackets. Gradually his companion seemed to be convinced by
the flow of words. At length he nodded his head, as if surrendering his
last doubts. The two men fell to examining the luggage.

"Go as far as you like, Old Scout!" scorned Jimmie, as he observed the
rough manner in which his belongings were being tossed about. "I'll bet
I'd punch your dome a little, though, if you could talk English!"

"Ah, ha!" cried one of the soldiers, tapping his comrade on the shoulder,
as if his argument had been conclusively supported. "Anglaise!"

A torrent of words from the other seemed to meet a receptive ear. The
first speaker nodded energetically. His satisfaction was all too evident.
From his appearance he was expecting nothing short of a medal.

"Judging from their motions," Jimmie remarked, "these two fellows are
about to fight a duel. I'll bet on the shorter one!"

"Not much!" declared Harry. "They're merely telling one another what a
nice day it was yesterday and how fine the weather'll be when it clears
up. They are using the sign language, that's all!"

"Don't you kid yourself!" protested Jimmie, uneasily. "I smell Old Man
Trouble coming around the corner right now!"

"Go on, Jimmie!" scorned Jack. "You're dreaming again!"

"I know I am!" replied the yo