“Oh, we won’t see them right away,” returned Ned. “It’ll be more training camp for ours for 66 a while. But we’ll see real fighting soon enough. Don’t worry.”
“It can’t come any too soon for me, Buddy!” exclaimed a tall, Southern lad, with whom the Motor Boys had become chummy at Camp Dixton. “Lead me to it!”
But there was much to be done before this would occur. After the boys had disembarked they were inspected, roll was called, and then they were told to march to a designated depot, there to eat and be fitted out for a march to the French village where they were to be billeted until sent to a training camp.
Professor Snodgrass could not, of course, stay with the army boys, but he announced that he would follow them as closely as possible, and keep in communication with them. As soon as might be he would arrange to begin the search for the two missing girls.
Not all that Ned, Bob and Jerry had read of the gigantic work undertaken to fit out and maintain the American armies in France prepared them for what they saw. The port where the transport docked had been transformed. Great storehouses and warehouses were erected. Whole railway systems had been built, with the American locomotives replacing the diminutive French ones. And the French population and army representatives were as much surprised at the initiative and wonderful 67 progress of the American forces as were the new recruits themselves.
“Say, we’re going into this war with both feet!” exclaimed Jerry admiringly.
“That’s the only way to do it,” said Ned. “The harder we go at it the sooner it will be over.”
They had their “chow,” and even Bob admitted that it was “mighty good,” and, as you know, he was a connoisseur.
Then, with their comrades, the three Motor Boys marched to the place where they were to spend the night before going to the training camp. This was a small French village, and its quaint beauty, unspoiled by the Germans, was very attractive to the sea-weary soldiers.
Ned, Bob and Jerry were billeted with five others at a French farmhouse, where they were given beds in the attic. The “beds” were only piles of clean straw, but the lads were delighted with them after their close bunks on the ship.