"Bicycles," he muttered.

"What?" demanded Hal.

"Bicycles. I wonder why they are here?"

"Probably dumped in here by a couple of men who have returned from a scouting expedition," said Hal.

"By George!" exclaimed Chester suddenly.

"What is it now?" demanded Hal.

Chester did not reply immediately. He appeared to be thinking deeply.

"Have you a knife?" he asked at length.

Hal produced one, and, taking it from his friend's hand, Chester stepped to the back of the tent. Quickly he opened the blade, and made a neat incision in the canvas, finally cutting out a little square.

Then he put his eye to the hole and peered out.

There was no one in sight. The guard could be heard pacing to and fro in front of the tent, but apparently there was no guard at the rear.

Chester left his peep-hole and returned to Hal's side.

"If we can get two of these bicycles out here," he whispered, "we may be able to get away by a quick dash. Are you willing to take a chance?"

"Sure," agreed Hal. "Anything is better than sitting here and waiting for I know not what. But do you think we can make it?"

"Well, we can at least try. There doesn't seem to be a guard in the rear. I am going to cut a big slit in the back. Then we'll slip the bicycles through it, mount and make a dash."

"Good!" said Hal.

Quietly Chester slit the canvas in the rear of the tent, making a hole large enough for a man to step through. Quietly the boys each selected a bicycle and pushed it cautiously through the opening.

Once on the outside they drew a breath of relief.

"We'll have to depend on our luck now," whispered Chester. "Come on!"

The lads leaped into the saddles, and a moment later were speeding through the heart of the German camp.

In the very boldness of their scheme lay a certain degree of safety, for the sentinels on guard certainly did not look for two youths of the allied armies to be riding through their midst.

They were not even challenged as they sped through the camp, turning this way and that, and they had pa.s.sed beyond the last row of tents before a hubbub from the rear told them that their flight had been discovered.

"We must be careful," cried Hal, as he rode his wheel close beside Chester. "There is still the outpost to pa.s.s."

But they did not diminish their speed. Rather, if anything, they pedaled faster; and then the outpost came into sight--a long line of men, almost in front of them. Some were pacing to and fro, while others sat upon the ground.

The riders were upon them before they knew it, and two flying bicycles sped between the German troopers. A cry of "halt!" went unheeded, and the Germans, quickly bringing their rifles to their shoulders, sent a volley after the lads.

But neither was. .h.i.t. In the darkness the Germans were unable to aim carefully. The boys heard the hum of bullets around them, but they did not falter. There was no second volley, for the lads had disappeared in the darkness, and the Germans were not minded to spend their ammunition foolishly.

The first streak of dawn appeared in the sky, and still the boys rode on swiftly. But at length Hal slowed down and Chester followed suit.

"I'm tired out," said Hal, as he jumped from his bicycle.

"And so am I," replied Chester, as he, too, jumped to the ground to stretch his legs.

Suddenly from the distance in which they had come came a faint "chug-chug."

Chester p.r.i.c.ked up his ears.

"What's that?" he demanded anxiously.

For a brief moment Hal paused to listen. The sound became louder. Hal sprang toward his bicycle.

"Come on!" he cried, and leaped into the saddle. "Motorcycles! We are pursued!"

Chester was hardly a second behind him, and the two lads were again riding madly along the road. Fortunately there were many curves in the highway, and this fact prevented their pursuers from sighting them from any great distance.

Hal suddenly brought his bicycle to an abrupt stop and jumped to the ground. Although not knowing what plan Hal had in his mind, Chester immediately did likewise.

The spot where they had alighted was in the midst of a clump of trees, and quickly the lads drew their bicycles in among them, hiding them from sight of the road. Then Hal turned, and, with Chester close behind him, dashed back in the direction from which they had come, taking care to keep well within the shelter of the trees.

And now Chester made out the object of his friend's wild dash. It was a farmhouse, setting well back from the road. Chester had not detected it as they sped by, but Hal's keen eyes had singled it out as a possible refuge.

"We'll have to take a chance of the occupants being friendly," Hal told his friend, as they ran toward the house. "If they will allow us to hide here until night, we may be able to get back to our lines safely."

The boys ran around the house, and Hal rapped sharply upon the rear door. A moment later and a kindly-faced woman appeared in the doorway.

She started back at the appearance of the two lads.

"Are the English coming?" she demanded, after a quick glance at the lads' uniforms, and then she clasped her hands and exclaimed: "At last! At last!"

"No, madam," Hal undeceived her, "the English are not coming--yet. We are trying to make our way back to our lines, but a German motorcycle squad is after us. We have come here to see if you will hide us until nightfall."

The woman was silent for one moment. Then she stepped aside and motioned them into the house.

"Come," she said quietly. "The Germans will not learn you are here through me."

The lads stepped inside the door, and not a moment too soon. For at that very instant a band of a dozen Germans flashed by on the road, their motorcycles kicking up a cloud of dust.

CHAPTER XII.

A TRAITOR APPEARS.

Hal turned to Chester.