The Boy Allies at Liege Part 7

"Well, I guess we are safe for a little while, at any rate,"

remarked Hal.

"It looks like it," replied the lieutenant; "but, as I said before, you never can tell."

They rode cautiously along in silence for a long time; in fact, until the first streak of dawn appeared in the east. Then, suddenly, the sound of chug-chugging came from behind.

Chester turned his head and jumped to his feet with a cry:

"We are pursued! Speed up, Hal! Speed up!"

It was true. Far back could be seen a pursuing automobile, and, even from that distance, it was apparent it was gaining.

Hal "speeded up" and in a short time the pursuing car was out of sight.

Nevertheless, the speed was not diminished.

"I guess they have learned that we can travel some, anyhow," remarked Hal happily.

And just at that moment there was a loud explosion--the car rocked crazily, and Hal brought it to a stop.

"Tire blown out," exclaimed the French captain, in despair. "Now we are up against it. What shall we do?"

"Fix it," retained Chester briefly.

He got out, and the rest, including the wounded chauffeur, followed suit.

At that moment Chester bethought himself of the pursuing machine, and said:

"We haven't time. Our pursuers will be upon us."

"You are right," said the captain, "but I have an idea."

The place in which they had stopped was shaded upon both sides by great trees. As far as could be seen the woods continued. A hundred yards back over the road they had traversed was a sharp curve, hiding any approaching vehicle from sight. Ahead, the road stretched out in a straight line for a considerable distance.

"I figure this way," said the captain hurriedly, "the machine as it is is doing us no good, is it?"

"It certainly is not," replied the lieutenant.

"And, if we wait here long enough to fix it it won't do us any good either, will it?"

"Certainly not."

"Then my idea is this: Head the machine straight down the road, lash the wheel fast and start her off. If I am not mistaken, it will run along the road at least to the next curve. Even from here you can see the steep embankment at the curve. When the machine hits that curve it will go over.

"Now, if that embankment is as steep as it looks, the car, when it hits the bottom, will be out of sight. In the meantime, we hide here until our pursuers pa.s.s. The chances are they will continue past the curve, never seeing the wreckage at the bottom of the embankment, believing we are still ahead of them. Then we can continue our journey afoot. What do you think of that idea?"

"I think it is first-rate," declared Hal, and the others agreed with him.

"But won't they discover, when they reach the next town, that we haven't pa.s.sed through?" asked Chester.

"They probably will," was the reply; "but we will cross that bridge when we come to it. Besides, there is little doubt in my mind that the authorities in the next town know of our coming. We couldn't be so fortunate a second time."

Accordingly the plan suggested was carried out. Hal elected to get in the car and start it, and, as it took a flying leap forward, he hurled himself from the machine to the soft gra.s.s beside the road. He was considerably shaken up, but not badly hurt.

Then the five stood and watched the car in its mad flight down the road.

"I hope that the fact of a tire being bursted won't stop it's sticking to the road," said Chester.

Fortunately the car continued its journey in as straight a line as the best chauffeur in the world could have driven, and the five companions strained their eyes as it neared the distant curve.

"It's almost there!" cried Hal. "I hope it makes a good jump; and I hope that embankment is steep."

"And I hope that she makes her leap before our pursuers heave in sight, which is more to the point," declared Chester.

Again they strained their eyes, watching the flight of the mad car. And then the car reached the embankment.

"There she goes!" cried Chester, and the big machine, as though making a desperate leap, hurled itself into s.p.a.ce, where it soared for a moment like a huge bird, and then disappeared from sight.

"Well, it's gone," said the lieutenant sorrowfully; "and now it's up to us to hoof it, to the next town, at least."

The five moved into the woods and just as they gained the first dense covering there was a sound from the road over which they had come.

Dropping to the ground, they peered between the trees. Presently a second huge car, in which could be caught a glimpse of uniforms, rounded the curve, flashed by, and disappeared down the road.

"Let's go farther into the woods," urged Chester. "We might be seen here."

Going deeper and deeper in among the trees the five continued their journey; and, when they felt sure they had penetrated far enough to avoid any chance of detection, they turned their faces northward and set out at a brisk pace.

CHAPTER V.

CAPTURED.

All morning the journey through the woods continued. At intervals the big trees became more spa.r.s.e, and the party took all precautions against being seen, as they flitted through the open places.

About noon, Lieutenant Anderson made a foraging expedition, and returned with a basket of food, which he had purchased from a nearby farmhouse.

Hungrily the five disposed of it, quenching their thirst from a sparkling brook of cool water. Then they resumed their march.

Night was falling when the travelers at length emerged from the woods.

Half a mile ahead could be seen the lights of a town.

Lieutenant Anderson called a consultation.

"If I mistake not," he said, "those lights indicate the town of Stettin. We shall have to be very careful. They are bound to be on the lookout for us."

"Has anyone a plan?" he asked, after some further talk.