some by horses, passing
back and forth, it can easily be understood that the best of roads must
be well nigh wrecked.

Hanky Panky had coughed a number of times, as though his throat was
beginning to clog up with all this dust, and he found himself in danger
of choking. When no attention was paid at first to these plain symptoms
he coughed louder than ever, and with such evident distress that Rod
guessed what he wanted.

"All right, Hanky," he shouted back, "wait till we come to a well, or a
spring of some sort, and we'll drop off to wash it down."

After that Hanky Panky quieted considerably, his main object having been
accomplished. As he rode along the boy kept watching ahead, hoping that
it would not be long before they sighted some oasis in the desert where
a sparkling rill ran, or the thrice welcome sweep of an old-fashioned
well told of water to be had for the trouble of raising the same.

"I see one, Rod!" he presently called at the top of his voice, which was
quite husky from the accumulation of dust; "there's a well in that place
we're coming to, and I hope you keep your word, because I'm nearly
perishing for a drink."

"Same here," said Josh, thinking to relieve the other's mind, because
that would make two in favor of a stop, and majority always ruled with
the Motorcycle Boys.

It happened just then that the road was next to deserted, though again
just the reverse might be the case. The well sweep could no longer be
seen, but Hanky Panky had marked the spot in his mind, and was not to be
cheated because a knoll hid the well from the road, so it was only
visible in that one quarter.

Rod drew up. A gate stood before him that was now in ruins, showing that
the invaders had been there. They pushed their heavy machines past, and
followed the lane leading over the knoll, to find a cottage in ruins,
having been burned to the very ground.

It was a sad sight, and filled the boys with distress; but by this time
they were naturally becoming a little hardened to such spectacles of
warfare, and could view them without the same sensation of anger and
disgust toward the aggressors that had filled their hearts at an earlier
date.

For some reason or other the Germans had chosen to apply the torch to
this isolated cottage. Perhaps some party had been keenly disappointed
at finding it totally deserted, with not even a stray chicken left to
satisfy their longing for a supper.

Rod gave one hasty glance around. T