To add to the confusion there was great excitement in the village. Men were running to and fro. Women were holding their children, and looking pale. Alfred stopped.
"What is the trouble, Monsieur?" he asked as a man slowly moved along, quite in contrast with the people who formed the excited crowd.
"Trouble? Don't you know the Germans are beyond, and that all the roads are patrolled. They will be here any moment now."
This was an ominous warning, and he was glad he had stopped to inquire, otherwise he might have been a prisoner by this time. Then he reflected that Colonel Neerden ought to know this at once, so he ran his machine forward and, mounting it, turned it toward the bridge.
"Stop, stop," cried a dozen voices. Some waved their hands to indicate that he should turn back, but for some reason or other Alfred determined to recross the bridge. Then he heard what appeared to be a rifle shot, and something struck the machine.
He was now determined not to stop, as the bridge was less than two hundred feet away. He had not looked back, but now that he saw the stone walls which formed the sides of the bridge he cast his eyes over his shoulder, and riding through the village were a dozen German cavalrymen, with their carbines at their shoulders, all aiming at him.
You may well imagine that it was a thrilling thing for him to know that he was being hunted down and shot at. The bridge was finally reached and to his great relief was built out at an angle to the road on which the pursuers were following him.
Long before he had reached the bridge the machine was at full speed and as he emerged from the other side a dozen or more shots rang out; but he did not stop, or slacken his pace. He knew the friendly troops were coming toward him, so he went forward with the Germans behind him.
The welcome sight of the dust in the road beyond was appreciated now. As he dashed forward he held up his hand, and shouted to the advancing patrol: "The Germans are coming." On and on he went, and as each body of troops passed he cried the same warning.
Beyond was the Colonel and his staff, and toward him Alfred rushed the machine. "I met the Germans at the village beyond the bridge. The forward part of the column saw me and are going forward," he explained.