"Yassah, yassah. I jes' hearn erbout it."
"Then which way shall we go?"
"Yo'al must go that-a-way," came the answer, and Uncle Billy pointed toward the southwest, in the direction of the faraway frontier of The Netherlands.
"But Holland is a long ways off, and the country between must be overrun with troops," protested the Frenchman.
"Mos' all de troops am at de front," explained the old negro. "Dat am de bes' way, sah."
"I believe we had better take Uncle Billy's word for it," declared Hal.
"I guess he is right," said the lieutenant. "Uncle Billy, we can never thank you enough."
"No," agreed Captain Derevaux. "We can never thank you enough."
"Come," said the lieutenant, "let us ride," and he turned his horse's head toward the southwest, and started off cautiously.
But Hal and Chester stopped for a further word with Uncle Billy.