“Isn’t it frightful, though?” exclaimed Bumpus, whose face had as usual lost all its customary color.
“Let’s get ashore,” suggested Thad, for there might always be a chance that one of the fugitive riders would appear on the bank, determined to get even with the boys in the boat, under the impression that they had served as stalking horses to lure himself and his mates into a trap.
Giraffe started to make use of his pole again, and as Thad also manipulated the oar they quickly made land. Allan was the first to jump ashore. He immediately began to draw the bow of the flat-bottom boat up on the little shelving beach they fortunately found waiting for them. Then the others tumbled out, Bumpus and his bag being the last to debark.
About this time the firing ceased as abruptly as it had commenced. Evidently the one in charge of the field battery considered that it was useless to expend any more valuable ammunition on such a scattered detachment on the enemy, especially since the demoralized remnant of the large Uhlan force was fleeing madly and no longer to be feared.
The driver of the destroyed caisson had by this time managed to crawl out of the water. He shook himself much after the manner of a big dog after a swim, and then came toward the boys, who happened to be near the road leading away from the former bridge.
They met him in a spirit of genuine boyish enthusiasm, each fellow insisting on shaking hands with the Frenchman, which act caused him to smile with pleasure. Then the little party started along the road, hoping to come in contact with the battery before fresh orders caused it to change positions again.
In this they were successful, and before long they found themselves surrounded by men in the French blue, who acted in a most friendly fashion. The one in command exchanged a few sentences with the driver. Thad, listening, had reason to believe that he was commending the discretion of the man in destroying his charge rather than take chances of having it fall into the hands of the enemy.
Then came their turn. In a few short sentences Thad managed to explain who they were and how they happened to be there. It was fortunate that the French captain of the guns could speak English.
“We would be under great obligations to you, M’sieu the Captain, if we were allowed to ride on one of the caissons further, in case you may be going on,” Thad wound up with.
He must have made a very pronounced impression on the soldier, for it was really an unusual request, and one that under normal conditions could not very well be granted. But after a brief period of consideration the officer nodded his head in the affirmative, much to the secret delight of Bumpus in particular.