They had a bountiful breakfast, and then prepared to mount for another ride over the good roads lying north of the French capital.

As usual Hanky Panky began to speculate on what they were fated to see or experience during that day. Situated as they were, with warring armies near by, anything seemed possible. Indeed, Hanky could not venture to even give a guess as to what might come their way before the setting of another sun.

"I only hope we manage to get on the track of the regiment that Andre belongs to," he ventured to say as they made ready to depart; "and that we find him still in the land of the living. Once we get that paper signed and witnessed, Jeanne D'Aubrey's future is made secure, no matter what happens to her husband afterwards; though we do hope he'll live to go back home, whole or crippled, as the fortunes of war decide. All ready here, Rod, so give the word to get started!"

CHAPTER XI.

HELP FOR THE STRANDED ONE.

"I'm as thirsty as a fish out of water, Rod!" called out Josh some time after they had started moving along the road; "must have been that ham we had for breakfast which was some salty, if fine. And unless I miss my guess there's a roadside spring ahead of us there. You can see that foot traveler taking a drink right now."

Rod had of course already noticed this for himself. Possibly he would have given the stop signal, even had Josh not pleaded with him to do so.

They pulled up close by and dismounted. The man at the spring watched them with what seemed to be uncommon interest; but then that was not so strange, considering what splendid machines they were riding. A trio of such wheels must make almost any one take notice.

Josh surveyed the other curiously as they approached him. It seemed to the boy that he hardly looked like a native of the soil; for he wore clothes far better than the average French farmer could afford; and there was also something about his appearance that suggested his being a foreigner.

To the astonishment of the boys he immediately addressed them in English.

"Your motorcycles I see are American made," he remarked; "and from that fact I guess you must be like myself from the other side of the ocean.

It is strange that we should meet here in this war-stricken country."

"Then you are an American, too?" asked Josh, before Rod could say a word.

"I am a naturalized citizen of your great and glorious republic,"

explained the man. "I was born in Switzerland, but my people emigrated while I was a child. My name it is Oscar William Tell."

"Oh! you don't mean to tell me that you spring from the original William Tell, the famous archer who defied the tyrant Gessler, and shot the apple from the head of his own son?" cried Hanky Panky, in delight.

"So I have been told," replied the other, modestly. "But just now I am more concerned how I may get out of this country of the fighting armies than what my dead and gone ancestors may have been. I have been caught napping, as they say, and for days now have been trying to reach Paris, where I hope to secure some funds, and start back across the ocean to my far-away home."

The boys exchanged glances. Somehow, although the man had not as yet mentioned such a thing plainly, they could read between the lines, and understand that he was hinting about a.s.sistance.

"We could supply you with the little money you may need to pay for your food until you get into Paris," said Rod, promptly.

"That is indeed very kind of you," continued the other, eagerly, while his eyes fairly sparkled with satisfaction; "but my greatest need is to be helped on my way a few miles. My feet are so sore I can hardly walk; and I have been told that a short distance ahead there is a railway line over which I might get transportation to the French capital, which cannot be more than fifteen miles away at the most."

Josh lost no time in offering to take him along. He had often carried a pa.s.senger, and never had an accident thus far. Had it been Hanky Panky now, or the still more clumsy Rooster, the undertaking might have a.s.sumed a more serious aspect.

"Sure, you are welcome to a seat with me," he told the other, promptly, right from the depths of his generous heart; "that is, if you think you could hold on, and do the grand balance act."

The man who claimed to be an American took him at his word so eagerly that there was no chance for Josh to change his mind, even had he wanted to do so.

"I'll accept that offer, my young friend, and with thanks," he announced. "Yes, I have been on a motorcycle before now, so I trust you will not think I am endangering your safety. And it will be a great help to me if I can stay with you for a short time."

The boys each took turns in securing the needed drink, while Oscar curiously examined their machines. Josh, once more a little suspicious, kept an eye on the other while this was going on. It may have suddenly occurred to him that since the man admitted a knowledge of riding on one of the machines possibly he might be seized with a sudden mad impulse to jump into the saddle and try to get away with a mount.

Nothing of the kind happened, however, and Josh was doubtless a little ashamed of his suspicions. At any rate he went to some pains to let the other get seated behind him, as though to make amends for his secret thoughts.

Rod led the way again. So far as he could see there was nothing strange about the plight of the said Oscar. Hundreds of American tourists must have been caught stranded in strange lands when the war broke so suddenly; and when they finally reached home they would have all sorts of remarkable stories to tell concerning their experiences and sufferings. Not all of them could have the great luck, like the motorcycle boys, to carry magical doc.u.ments signed by the king of the heroic Belgians, and calling on all the Allies to favor the bearers as far as was possible.

They covered several miles of the road. The thunder of the guns grew louder all the while, and Rod fully expected to come upon marching regiments at any time, although the thoroughfare they were following seemed to be singularly free from troops heading toward the scene of the battle.

There was no railway line in sight as yet, though they had covered much more than the distance mentioned by Oscar Tell. But then he may have been misinformed as to distances, which was always possible.

In this fashion they came to a little rise which Rod chose, as customary, to ride up slowly and carefully, not knowing what sort of a surprise might await them at the top.

It was while they were proceeding toward the crown of the hill that Josh suddenly found his machine toppling over. He did not know of any obstacle which he could have run across, for the road seemed absolutely free from stones and such things; and even as he struggled desperately to keep the heavy machine from smashing to the ground he felt a suspicion flash through his brain that in some manner his pa.s.senger might have been responsible for the unexpected catastrophe.

Both of them fell off, but beyond the shock, and perhaps a few minor scratches, Josh was not hurt. Indeed, boylike he immediately showed much more concern over a possible injury to his motorcycle than he gave any thought to himself.

Rod heard the crash, as well as the exclamation of dismay springing from Hanky Panky, who was put to some quick work in order to pull up in time to avoid running the unfortunates down.

Rod immediately reached the ground, and laying his machine down hurried back.

"Nothing serious, I hope, Josh?" he inquired, Hanky Panky bustling around, while Oscar was hopping up and down, as though he might have received a bruise on his leg that was painful to a degree.

Josh was frowning dreadfully. Truth to tell his suspicions were growing stronger and stronger all the while; and he even believed the man to whom he had extended the courtesies of the road had purposely brought about the accident at such a particular moment when the fall would be apt to prove less serious than when they were whizzing along at twenty miles an hour.

"I don't know yet whether the machine is knocked out of commission or not," muttered Josh, disconsolately, as he proceeded to hastily examine into matters; "but it would be exasperating for us if that happened, just when we're close to the battle line, and want to get around so lively. Hang the luck, I say!"

He glared in the direction of the apparent cause of all the trouble; but as Oscar was now raising his trouser leg, as if meaning to examine into the state of his own injuries, of course the look was wasted so far as he was concerned.

Rod frowned also. Up to then he had not allowed himself to suspect that the so-called Switzer-American could be other than he so frankly claimed; but somehow it began to dawn upon Rod that there may have been a method in his madness. What if it were all a part of a deep-laid scheme calculated to delay them, for some dark purpose or other?

The thought made him angry. Now that it was too late he felt that they should have seen through the scheme of the other, when he asked to be given a lift on his way. He had claimed boldly to have such sore feet that he could hardly bear to stand his weight upon them; yet here he was now dancing around as lightly as any one could.

"But what object could he have in view?" Rod was asking himself, even while continuing to keep a cautious eye on Oscar, though he pretended to be tending over Josh, still examining his wheel.

Like a flash it shot through Rod's mind that this same Oscar might be in league with the man who was devoting all his talents and energies to the task of getting a certain paper out of their possession--Jules Baggott.

He had already shown himself to be possessed of considerable skill at planning, and the story told by Oscar may have all been made up out of whole cloth, just to cause them delay, and give the plotter another opportunity to rob them.

It was well that these thoughts should have raced through Rod's mind just then; for they caused him to take exact note of what the stranger was doing. Josh chanced to be too busily engaged at the time to observe anything; as for Hanky Panky, really he was not to be depended on. And that his sudden suspicions were well founded Rod presently had positive evidence.

CHAPTER XII.

TURNING THE TABLES.

This was what happened!