Further along he also located a host of men in the French blue advancing at the double-quick over open ground. The sight was inspiring to the boys, for they could easily understand that owing to a shift in the battle the commander-in-chief must be transferring one of his army corps, with the idea of striking the invaders in the flank and hurling them back in confusion. When those Frenchmen do move it is with a rapidity that fairly dazzles their opponents; and their blows are delivered with all the enthusiasm that formerly used to delight the observing eye of the Great Napoleon himself.
“We must be getting near Headquarters by now, don’t you think, Thad?” shouted Giraffe presently; for the car was making so much noise, together with other things near and far, that of course it was difficult to talk.
“I expect so,” the other simply replied, not even turning his head while speaking, lest he lose his grip on the middle of the road; and considering the speed at which they were going just then such a thing might spell disaster.
Indeed, there were also other signs to indicate this fact. The region was very retired, but twice now they had seen a whizzing motorcycle passing along; and somehow they guessed that the man crouching in the saddle must be carrying important orders for some part of the line near by.
Another thing had caught that keen eye of Giraffe, which he hastened to make known to his comrades.
“Hey! notice the telephone wire alongside the road, will you?” he yelled; “it’s a military line to boot, I can tell that by the way it’s strung. The French Signal Corps has put it up on the run. Yes, and you see, General Joffre from his Headquarters can even give his orders to some of the nearest corps commanders, at the same time learning how the battle is going along their front! Wow! what wouldn’t I give to be able to break in and hear what was being said right now!”
“Don’t you dream of trying it, Giraffe!” shrilled Bumpus, galvanized into a sudden state of horror at the very idea; “why, they’d burn you alive if you dared interfere with such a thing as that.”
“Oh! don’t worry, old fellow,” Giraffe immediately assured him; “I haven’t quite lost my head yet. I’m not such a fool as I look!”
“Well, that’s a comfort,” Bumpus told him; and really the tall scout never wholly knew whether that was said in satire or not.
At any minute now Thad expected to be halted by a vidette post, for of course the immediate vicinity of Headquarters would be heavily guarded to secure the safety of the commanding genius to whom the French armies must look for guidance.