Presently they came to the dogs’ hospital and whizzed by it at full speed, but not too fast for Billy to see standing at the gate the cook, or for him to get the cook’s expression of surprise and wonder when he saw Billy in the General’s car. Billy also saw the Red Cross dog close at the cook’s heels.
“I am glad they saw me for now the dog will know what has become of me,” thought Billy.
Presently the big car slowed down and went bumping and sliding over a terrible piece of road that was being repaired.
“Now would be my chance to jump out while they are going slower if I only were not tied. And I can’t chew the rope loose right under these men’s noses, either. Perhaps when they stop for supper I may get a chance.”
Just then there was a terrible explosion as one of the tires blew out, and at the same time the car slipped on the soft, shifting gravel with which they were repairing the roadway and slid down into the ditch.
“Now we are ditched and in for a long delay!” exclaimed the General. “I simply must get to camp with these plans within the next three hours. Stop the first car that passes here and I will make whoever is in it take me to camp while you officers stay here and help the chauffeur repair the damages and get the car out of the ditch. That should not be a hard job but only a tedious one for the men working on the highway can help you out of the ditch and the chauffeur can mend the tire for I expect the explosion was due to a bursted tube.”
It was one thing to say get the men on the road to help but where were those men? Nowhere in sight, but several miles down the road working on another bad stretch.
“I hear a car coming!” exclaimed the General. “Make ready to stop it, Lieutenant Strong!”
In less time that it takes to tell it, the car had come, stopped and taken the General aboard. As the General waved good-by to them, he called back, “I wish you luck, gentlemen! I will keep your supper hot for you!” to which Billy replied with a loud baa. This made the staff officers laugh, for his voice sounded exactly like a cross old man saying “Bah!” in derision to the General’s joking remark.
As soon as the General was out of sight, the officers fell to and tried to lift and push the car up into the road. But they might as well have tried to move a huge rock for it did not so much as budge an inch. It was embedded too deep in the sand and loose gravel.