As usual Hanky Panky began to speculate on what they were fated to see or experience during that day. Situated as they were, with warring armies near by, anything seemed possible. Indeed, Hanky could not venture to even give a guess as to what might come their way before the setting of another sun.
“I only hope we manage to get on the track of the regiment that Andre belongs to,” he ventured to say as they made ready to depart; “and that we find him still in the land of the living. Once we get that paper signed and witnessed, Jeanne D’Aubrey’s future is made secure, no matter what happens to her husband afterwards; though we do hope he’ll live to go back home, whole or crippled, as the fortunes of war decide. All ready here, Rod, so give the word to get started!”
CHAPTER XI.
HELP FOR THE STRANDED ONE.
“I’m as thirsty as a fish out of water, Rod!” called out Josh some time after they had started moving along the road; “must have been that ham we had for breakfast which was some salty, if fine. And unless I miss my guess there’s a roadside spring ahead of us there. You can see that foot traveler taking a drink right now.”
Rod had of course already noticed this for himself. Possibly he would have given the stop signal, even had Josh not pleaded with him to do so.
They pulled up close by and dismounted. The man at the spring watched them with what seemed to be uncommon interest; but then that was not so strange, considering what splendid machines they were riding. A trio of such wheels must make almost any one take notice.
Josh surveyed the other curiously as they approached him. It seemed to the boy that he hardly looked like a native of the soil; for he wore clothes far better than the average French farmer could afford; and there was also something about his appearance that suggested his being a foreigner.
To the astonishment of the boys he immediately addressed them in English.
“Your motorcycles I see are American made,” he remarked; “and from that fact I guess you must be like myself from the other side of the ocean. It is strange that we should meet here in this war-stricken country.”