Boy Scouts on Belgian Battlefields

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  THE BOY SCOUTS ON BELGIAN BATTLEFIELDS

  BY LIEUT. HOWARD PAYSON

  AUTHOR OF "THE MOTOR CYCLE SERIES," "THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE EAGLE PATROL," "THE BOY SCOUTS ON THE RANGE," "THE BOY SCOUTS AND THE ARMY AIRSHIP," "THE BOY SCOUTS' MOUNTAIN CAMP," "THE BOY SCOUTS FOR UNCLE SAM," "THE BOY SCOUTS AT THE PANAMA CANAL," "THE BOY SCOUTS UNDER FIRE IN MEXICO," ETC.

  _ILLUSTRATED BY CHARLES L. WRENN_

  NEW YORK HURST & COMPANY PUBLISHERS

  Copyright, 1915, BY HURST & COMPANY

  The long roll of rifle firing in volleys, and the faintcheers of charging men.--_Page 178._]

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER PAGE

  I. ANTWERP, ON THE SCHELDT 5

  II. THE AERIAL MAP-MAKER 19

  III. LEAVING FOR THE FRONT 31

  IV. THE DAY OF THE BOY SCOUT 45

  V. UNDER THE BRIDGE 58

  VI. GETTING NEAR THE WAR ZONE 68

  VII. THE DESERTION OF ANTHONY 80

  VIII. WHEN THE UHLANS CAME 92

  IX. WITH FIRE AND SMOKE 102

  X. THE DUTY OF A SCOUT 112

  XI. MYSTERIOUS SIGNALS IN THE NIGHT 121

  XII. THE MEETING BETWEEN THE LINES 131

  XIII. CAUGHT IN THE ACT 140

  XIV. THE FIELD HOSPITAL 149

  XV. CHASING A JACK-O'-LANTERN 161

  XVI. THE BATTLE FOR THE TRENCHES 180

  XVII. THE BADGE OF COURAGE AND MERCY 190

  XVIII. AFTER THE FIGHTING WAS OVER 200

  XIX. AN IMPORTANT CLUE 210

  XX. THE CAMP FIRES OF AN ARMY 220

  XXI. THE HANGING BRIDGE 230

  XXII. SCOUT TACTICS 242

  XXIII. THE FROG HUNTERS 254

  XXIV. THE ARMORED CAR 266

  XXV. TURNING THE TABLES 278

  XXVI. FOR HUMANITY'S SAKE 290

  XXVII. CONCLUSION 302

  The Boy Scouts on Belgian Battlefields.

  CHAPTER I.

  ANTWERP, ON THE SCHELDT.

  "Oh! how glad I am that part of the trip is over, now we've crossed fromEngland to Antwerp without being wrecked!"

  "You certainly did seem to have a bad time of it, Tubby, in the wash ofthe Channel!"

  "Bad time did you say, Rob? It was a great deal worse than anything westruck on the voyage between New York and Liverpool, let me tell you."

  "But now we want to forget all our troubles of the past, Tubby."

  "I know what you mean by that, Merritt; it's just the same as telling methe worst is yet to come."

  "Well, I'm a little afraid myself that's going to turn out a fact. Herewe are, just landed in a strange country that is being overrun by anarmy of German invaders; and all of us are bound to push deeper anddeeper into the mire."

  "Hey, Merritt, you give me a shiver when you say that, don't you know?"

  "I guess you must mean a quiver, Tubby; because whenever you laugh ortremble you make me think of a bowl full of jelly!"

  "Now you're making sport of me because I'm so pudgy and fat. Just as ifI could help that; can I, Rob?"

  "To be sure you couldn't, Tubby; and we wouldn't want you to be anythingbut what you are--the best natured scout in the whole Eagle Patrol, andI'm safe in saying you're the only fellow in the Long Island town ofHampton who hasn't an enemy. Everybody takes a fancy to a jolly rolypolylike you, Tubby."

  "What would we do without you?" Merritt added, with real feeling in hisvoice.

  "Well, but it strikes me you tried mighty hard to induce me not to joinyou two on this wonderful trip abroad," complained the fat boyreproachfully.

  "There was a good reason for that, Tubby," defended Merritt quickly. "Icould see that with all these Old World countries in a scrap, my job offinding that man who is wanted so badly by my grandfather might take meinto the fighting zone. Now Rob, as the leader of the Eagle Patrol,volunteered to stand by me, and I gladly accepted his assistance. Whenyou asked to go along I was afraid the hardships of the trip might betoo much for one of your peculiar build. That's all, I give you my wordfor it, Tubby."

  "My 'peculiar build,' as you call it, Merritt," chuckled the other,considerably mollified by the explanation offered, "has gotten me into apeck of trouble, I admit. But you never saw me show the white feather,did you?"

  "Never, Tubby!" admitted the boy addressed, who was a rather thoughtfullooking young chap, of athletic build, though possibly not quite theequal of Rob Blake, the leader of the scout patrol to which all of thembelonged. "It was mighty good of you two to back me up when I'd decidedto take the risk alone. But unless that precious paper can be recovered,my grandfather, you know, stands to lose what he says is an enormousamount of money."

  "He's got plenty in reserve, I understand, Merritt," observed Blake."What a grand thing that turned out for your folks when GrandfatherMerritt, who had cut your dad out of his will many years ago after hemarried against his wishes, repented of his cruelty, and paid you anunexpected visit to get acquainted. Little did you think, when you stoodup for that old fellow who was being snowballed so unmercifully by abunch of village boys, that it was your own grandfather."

  "Yes," added Tubby, "you know they say a good action is never thrownaway. That's why I'm always watching for my opportunities. Some day Ihope to win the admiration of a crank millionaire who should, of course,make me his heir."

  "Well, here we are landed in Antwerp, and with a lot of sights to gatherin before we set out in the direction of Brussels to find your man.Every minute counts, so let's get busy, and begin to wander around."

  "That's right, Rob," said Merritt. "Suppose you lead the way."

  These boys, who were all dressed in the well-known khaki thatdistinguishes scouts in nearly every country of the world, had justlanded from a steamer that reached Antwerp from the shores of England.

  They had managed to get themselves and few belongings conveyed to a fairhotel by means of a vehicle drawn by a broken-down horse; all of thebest animals as well as such automobiles as were deemed worth takinghaving been commandeered by the Government for cavalry, field andartillery purposes.

  While Rob Blake and his two chums, Tubby Hopkins and Merritt Crawford,are thus starting out to secure their first view of the quaint Flanderscity, we may take occasion to glance back and see who they are and whatthey have done.

  Those who have had the pleasure of reading previous volumes of thisseries need no further introduction to the trio; but for the benefit ofany who are now making their acquaintance for the first time, a fewparagraphs may not come in amiss.

  There were other patrols in the Hampton Troop, but as the Eagles hadbeen first in the field, the members of this organization were lookedupon as the pioneers of the scout movement in that part of Long Island.

  Rob filled the post of patrol leader, and had, on one occasion, evenoccupied the position of assistant scout-master, being fully qualifiedfor the certificate he had received from Scout Headquarters in New YorkCity.

/>   Merritt, the second in command, filled the position of corporal. Tubbythus far seemed content to remain just a scout, though he had, by dintof hard labor managed to climb into the first grade rank.

  Until recently, Merritt's folks had been in just ordinary circumstances.His father was said to be the best wheelwright in the eastern end of theisland, and by constant labor kept his little family housed andclothed, and perhaps laid up a little for a rainy day.

  Merritt always knew there was some sort of a family skeleton around, andthat he had a severe old grandfather somewhere far away; but beyond thathe had never been able to probe.

  One day, near the end of the preceding winter, had come the singularlittle incident that wound up in a joyful reunion. Merritt, as one ofhis chums chanced to remark a little further back in this story, hadcome upon several village roughs engaged in battering a stranger intown, a little old gentleman who, carrying his grip and finding thehacks all away from the station, had evidently attempted to walk to thehotel.

  The cowardly assault aroused the indignation of Merritt, who was a manlyboy at all times. He remonstrated with the assailants, and when theycontinued to pelt the old man, he proceeded to attack them. Whether hecould have won out alone and unaided will always be an open question.Fortunately one of the town policemen chanced to come in sight, whichevent caused the three foes to vanish in hot haste.

  Then imagine the astonishment of Merritt when, after giving the oldgentleman his name at the other's urgent request, he found himself beinghugged by the stranger. He announced himself as Merritt's repentantgrandfather who, unable to keep up his bitter feud longer, had soughtthe forgiveness of his son.

  Just what came up later to start these three boys across the waterduring vacation time, when the Old World was commencing to rock andheave in the throes of the most terrible war ever known, will be madeclear as the story progresses.

  The first volume in the series, _The Boy Scouts of the Eagle Patrol_,was necessarily confined to the activities of the young organization;but Rob and his mates met and overcame many difficulties that are wellworth reading about.

  In the second volume, _The Boy Scouts on the Range_, were recounted aseries of strange adventures that befell some of the Eagles during avisit to the Far Southwest, where they took part in the wild life of acattle ranch.

  Through the pages of _The Boy Scouts and the Army Airship_ the readerwill find that Rob and his comrades always bore themselves manfully, nomatter the emergency; and that they scrupulously observed "scout law"under any and every occasion, as every true wearer of the khaki makes ita point to do.

  After this, followed an account of many remarkable happenings thatbefell the Eagles when under canvas. _The Boy Scouts' Mountain Camp_ hasdeservedly been reckoned one of the very best scout books ever publishedfor boys, and those who own a copy are likely to read it many times.

  Once more, chance allowed some of the leading characters in the HamptonTroop to come in touch with Government officers who were experimentingwith a wonderfully designed submarine. It happened that Rob and hisfriends were enabled to assist Uncle Sam's agents in defeating the plansof foreign spies who tried to steal the design of the new invention. Inthe pages of _The Boy Scouts for Uncle Sam_ are recorded the adventuresthat accompanied their service, as well as mention of the rewardfollowing their victory.

  It was a happy chance that allowed some of the boys to pay a visit tothe then uncompleted Panama Canal. While in the Canal Zone they againdemonstrated that they were always wide-awake and devoted to the serviceof their country. Much useful information will also be found between thecovers of this volume, called _The Boy Scouts at the Panama Canal_.

  Once more, Rob and several of his close adherents were unexpectedlyallowed to take a trip. Andy Bowles, the bugler of the troop, had anuncle who owned a cattle ranch down in Chihuahua, in Mexico. He wassick, and unable to go down himself to dispose of the stock before thefighting forces of rebels and Federals drove the herds away.Accordingly, he sent his nephew and several of his chums to seek GeneralVilla, whom he had once befriended, and gain his assistance in sellingthe valuable stock. The wonderful things they saw, and the peculiaradventures that came their way, have all been described in the seventhvolume, just preceding this, under the title of _The Boy Scouts UnderFire in Mexico_.

  That, telling briefly some of the remarkable things that happened intheir career as Boy Scouts, will have to suffice to introduce Rob andhis two chums to the reader.

  Starting out from their hotel, the three American boys were soonengrossed in their pursuit of seeing some of the strange sights forwhich this old Flemish city on the Scheldt has always been famous.

  While they gazed, and made many amusing comments, Rob could not helpnoticing that, in turn, they attracted considerable attention. He couldgive a good guess as to the reason of this.

  At that time, with the vast German army spreading out over most ofBelgium, and also fighting its way to Paris, the good people of Antwerpwere constantly worried over the possibility of an attack. They had manyscares, though as yet the invaders, after taking Brussels, had notchosen to invest the big city near the sea. Later on, as we all know,the time came when their heavy artillery was turned on the forts ofAntwerp, and before the terrible fire from those colossal German guns,steel domes that had been called invulnerable were easily battered topulp.

  With the assault and fall of Antwerp we have nothing to do, at least atpresent; but possibly those Flemish people thought the Boy Scouts partof an English army coming to defend Antwerp.

  When Rob and his two chums landed from England, after crossing on asmall steamer, they found the city choked with fugitives and Belgiansoldiers.

  Pushing their way along the crowded sidewalks, the boys took in all thesights that were so new to their American eyes. Only Rob had a smallsmattering of French, while his companions could not speak a word of thelanguage. All of them were utterly ignorant of Flemish, current in halfthe homes of Belgium.

  The way in which the natives made use of sturdy-looking dogs, harnessedin small carts, and trained to do their duty in order to earn theirkeep, was perhaps the most interesting thing that held their attention.

  "Why," remarked Merritt, "they use dogs for nearly everything. Dozensof milk peddlers have teams to drag their big brass cans around. Thenthere are the hucksters, like we have over in New York, only thesefellows peddle from carts drawn by dogs. We saw one poor, four-footedwretch roped to a treadmill, and doing the family churning; so I guessBelgium must make the dog traffic pay right well."

  "And think of dogs drawing a quick-firing gun, which we saw in thatstreet where the soldiers were getting ready to go to the front!"exclaimed Tubby. "I think that was the queerest sight ever."

  "I can plainly see," Rob told them, "that while we're over here we arebound to keep our eyes wide open all the time because there are so manythings that strike us as being queer just because we've been used toother ways. These people would stare at many of the things we think arecommon."

  "What are you looking at now, Tubby?" asked Merritt, seeing that theboy, who had gained his name because after a fashion he resembled a tubof butter, was in the act of stretching his fat neck in order to seesomething that had attracted his attention.

  "Why, I was wondering what made all the people crook their necks likethat, and look up in the air. Is there a German Zeppelin heaving insight? I don't seem to glimpse any big dirigible up there; do you,fellows?"

  "What's that moving along away up near the clouds?" demanded Merritt.

  "It must be an aeroplane," said Tubby. "I just heard somebody say myname close by; but he pointed up at that flier. What could he havemeant, Rob?"

  "I think I can tell you," replied the other scout. "German aeroplanesare called Taubes, and it sounded like your name. They say that is anaeroplane spy up there!"