the agitated white sheet in the wagon, the chasseurs approached in
haste.

"What have you got there? Our comrade, Ballandreau?"

"Yes." (I had seen the boy's name in his military book.)

"Is he dead?"

"No."

"Badly wounded?"

"Yes."

"_Parlez-vous anglais?_" they fairly bawled, all three at once.

"Yes."

"Then, for God's sake, tell that blockhead sitting on the stone and
whose horse has gone lame, to seize the bicycle of that peasant standing
there, and follow us."

I translated politely.

"Why?" queried the Englishman, drawing on his pipe.

"Why?" I demanded of the chasseurs.

"Why? Do you see that?" said one on a bicycle, wheeling around and
pointing down the road behind us. "Do you see that? That's the Uhlans.
The ones that got Ballandreau a half-hour ago, the ones that got my
horse and the ones that will get us all if we stop here much longer."

"The Uhlans!" I cried to Tommy, showing him the advancing forms of a
half-dozen cavalrymen, whose black leather helmets shone in the sun a
mile up the road.

"There are seven of them--on patrol--seven hundred following! Come, old
fellow, it's now or never!"

"And I--where shall I go?" I said, jumping into the cart, George
following.

"To the devil if you like, but quick!"

The warning came none too soon. We had been seen, and sharp, whizzing
noises in the grass, and over our beads told us that our German pursuers
had no intention of letting us get away.

"Down on your knees, man!" I yelled, pulling the old fellow with me as
we ducked to the level of the dashboard. And unfastening a breastpin, I
jabbed it mercilessly into the flanks of our nag, who bounded forward,
nearly, throwing us out.

Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!

It was as if a cloud of locusts were bumming about us.

Then when I lifted my eyes, on top of the steep incline we were
ascending, I could see several uniformed horsemen and back of them a
huge column of smoke.

"Heavens!" I gasped, "we're caught this time--but it's too late now to
turn about. We're prisoners for sure!"

Two cavalrymen then appeared and calmly started down the road in our
direction. A second later I recognized the British uniform and breathed
again.

"Go back!" I yelled. "Go back! The Germans are on our heels!"

Astonished at bearing their native tongue, the men approached.

"Thank heaven, here's someone to direct us," they said as they came
alongside and saluted.

I replied with a nod.

"We're