Boy Scouts on Belgian Battlefields Read online

  CHAPTER IV.

  THE DAY OF THE BOY SCOUT.

  "Now, wouldn't that jar you!" muttered Tubby, sprawled on the back ofhis horse very much after the manner of a great toad. "Here we hardlyget started on our wonderful trip over the battlefields of Belgiumbefore we're held up, and told to fade away. Huh! talk to me about luck,we seem to have lost our grip."

  "Show him what you've got, Merritt," suggested Rob, who did not give upquite so easily, because of a sudden snag in the stream.

  "Oh! why, yes, how about that passport the burgomaster wrote out for ushimself? It ought to do the trick!" exclaimed Tubby, his sad lookdisappearing like a flash, and an expectant one appearing in its stead.

  The officer scanned the paper which Merritt handed him.

  "At a time like this the burgomaster himself is under military orders,"he told the waiting boys, "and if it happened to be a matter of muchimportance I could not honor his request. It chances, however, that inthis case there is nothing involved except your safety. And you seem tobe willing to take the risk?"

  "Yes, because we have a very important piece of business to carry out,"Rob hastened to tell him, seeing which way the wind was blowing, andwishing to take advantage of the flood-tide. "It means a great deal toone of my friends if we can find a certain man. You will allow us to goon, then, I hope?"

  The lieutenant shrugged his shoulders in real French style as he handedthe burgomaster's passport back.

  "Yes, if you are that rash, young messieurs," he said. "We, of theBelgian army, can admire pluck. You certainly have my best wishes."

  "Oh! thank you, lieutenant!" gushed Tubby, who was relieved to knowthat the enterprise was not fated to be condemned at the start.

  Perhaps the time might come ere long when the same Tubby would besecretly lamenting over the fact that it had been given a free swing.But coming events do not always cast their shadows before; and just atthat moment none of the venturesome scouts could so much as guess whatawaited them in the disturbed country beyond.

  They gave the obliging lieutenant a regular scout salute, which hereturned in kind. The paper had informed him that Rob and his chums weremembers of the Boy Scout organization in America, so that the fact oftheir wearing khaki uniforms was easily understood.

  "I hope we have as good luck in skipping past every obstacle we run upagainst," Merritt was saying, as they moved along the road leading fromAntwerp in the direction of the Belgian capital.

  "Oh! we mustn't expect to be always as fortunate as that," said Rob. "Ibelieve in hoping for the best, and preparing for the worst. It's goodpolicy all around."

  "Something like we read the Pilgrim Fathers used to do in the good olddays when they used to ride to church with the wife back of them," Tubbyexplained, "and every man carrying his gun along. Their motto was 'trustin the Lord; but keep your powder dry!'"

  "That's the idea," agreed Rob. "And so far, in all our tramps andwanderings, we've managed to do our part fairly well."

  "Let's hope this venture turns out as good," Tubby added, with a sideglance toward Merritt, for, of course, it concerned him more than eitherof the others whether success or failure resulted from their tripabroad.

  That was only a beginning, for they were soon held up again. This timeit came about that the soldier in charge of the detachment could notspeak a word of English, so the guide had to exercise his ability in theline of a translator.

  So well did he plead, and explain that they were all good friends of theburgomaster of Antwerp, that once again they were allowed to proceed.

  Rob could easily see, however, that considerable doubt had arisen inthe mind of the officer as to whether he should permit three boys tohead into such a disturbed country as that lying beyond.

  Like the lieutenant, he shrugged his shoulders, and dismissed the matterof responsibility from his mind. Indeed, there were too many otherserious affairs to be considered just then to bother about a party oftourists fairly wild to say they had gazed upon actual battlefields;for, doubtless, he concluded this was the real reason why theseventuresome boys elected to take chances in the war zone.

  So long as they were not spies in the service of the enemy it was allright; only he wanted to warn them that they were apt to meet with someroving detachment of Germans at almost any time, since they wereoverrunning most of the country, appearing suddenly at villages, anddemanding food and wine, or surprising isolated stations poorly guarded,so as to hold some important bridge for the coming of a column.

  "Look what's coming whizzing along ahead there!" Tubby called out ashort time after this encounter.

  There was a little cloud of dust, and they could see that it was causedby someone mounted on a bicycle, who was bending down over thehandlebars and working his feet very rapidly.

  "Give him the road, fellows; he seems to be in a big hurry!" orderedRob.

  A minute later and the bicyclist shot by them. As he did so hestraightened up in the saddle, and to their surprise gave them aregulation scout salute. Then he went tearing down the road in thatcloud of dust.

  "Did you see that?" cried Tubby. "Why, he was a Boy Scout as sure asanything! Now, what in the wide world was he in such a terrible hurryfor? He acted like he might be late for his breakfast."

  "Just now the Boy Scouts in Belgium have a good many other things tobother them besides missing an occasional meal," explained Rob. "Theyhave been taken over by the military authorities and are doing splendidwork in heaps of ways."

  "Yes," added Merritt, as they rode on again, "I noticed a number of themwhile we were in Antwerp, and they seemed to be on the jump constantly.Every fellow had a badge on his left arm with the letters 'S. M.' on it.You remember, Rob, when you asked what they stood for, you were told theletters meant 'Service Militaire,' and showed that the boys were workingfor the Government."

  "What d'ye reckon they find to do?" asked Tubby, deeply interested.

  "They act as dispatch bearers," replied Rob, "ambulance orderlies, andaids to the police. They told me that in Brussels, now held by theGermans, some scouts daily herded the women who came for their regularration issued by the Government, and kept order, too. Everybody takesthem seriously. This is no time for play among the Boy Scouts ofBelgium, when war has gripped their native land."

  "When we were over in England," Merritt related, "I made it a point tofind out how all the scouts there were being made use of. It gave me amighty proud feeling to know that I was authorized to wear the uniformof the Eagle Patrol; for there never was a time in the history of theworld when boys were of as much use as now."

  "But there have been no battles on English soil, up to now, Merritt;tell me how the Boy Scouts of Great Britain could do things, then?"asked Tubby, who it seems could not have been bothering himself verymuch when his chums were making all these observations.

  Merritt took a slip of paper from his pocket. They were riding slowly atthe time, indeed at all times, for the horses did not seem desirous ofmaking any particular speed.

  "Here's an account I clipped from an English paper while we were inLondon," he told Tubby. "It tells a lot of things the scouts have takento doing in order to assist; for, during the war, school duties havebeen mostly dropped."

  "Oh! what joy!" cried Tubby; "but go and read it out to us, Merritt."

  "Here's what the account says, then," Merritt told them, as he managedto read from the slip: "'Acting as guides to troops. Forwardingdispatches dropped from air craft. Coastguard work, such as watchingestuaries, guiding vessels in unbuoyed channels, and showing lights tofriendly vessels!'"

  "Whew!" remarked Tubby; "that sounds fine to me, Merritt. For once Ialmost wish I happened to be a Johnny Bull boy instead of an Uncle Sam.Is that all?"

  "It's only the beginning," he was told. "Listen to some more work ascout can do for his country over there. 'Collecting information as toavailable supplies and transports. Helping the families of men at thefront. First aid; fitting up nursing stations, refuges, dispensaries,and kitchens in their own club rooms. Ca
rrying on organized relief ofthe destitute. Guarding and patrolling bridges, culverts, telegraphlines, and water supplies. Serving as dispatch bearers, telegraph andmail delivery riders; and distributing millions of notices as tobilleting, commandeering, safety precautions, and the like,' How's thatstrike you, Tubby?"

  "It certainly gives me a thrill," the fat boy replied, "and I envy thelucky Boy Scouts of Great Britain. I reckon they're doing things likethat down in France. Yes, and in Germany too. Now people will see whatit means to wear the khaki uniform. I'm prouder than ever because I havethat right."

  "They say," remarked Rob, chiming in with what knowledge he had pickedup, "that for once the boys are appreciated in these times. They have atlast come into their own. A scout's uniform is regarded in England as asign of competence and responsibility. It is treated with the samerespect given to any other official garb."

  "This account goes on to say that the boys have developed a wonderfultopographical knowledge," Merritt continued, full of the subject as anyBoy Scout might well be. "They pack ambulances systematically withinstruments and medical supplies, checking off their lists likeexperienced quartermasters. Others take charge of the delivery of campoutfits from the stores to the troops about to embark for the seat ofwar. The bicycle corps and mounted squads can care for their machinesand horses, make high speed, and meet emergencies with decision andintelligence. The signal corps can use the telegraph key, semaphore,and flags almost as well as veterans, thanks to their training. They canrepair telegraph lines and instruments, and have considerable knowledgeof wireless."

  "Hurrah!" exclaimed Tubby. "This is sure the day of the Boy Scout. Inever thought I'd ever live to see him climb to such a dazzling height.Of course, over in America, scouts have never been trained with any ideathat they might be soldiers; for we don't have a chip on our shoulderall the time, and feel that we're spoiling for a fight."

  "All the same," said Rob, "the time may come when what we've learnedwill be of great use to our country. Besides, every boy is ten timesbetter off for joining the organization."

  They had been riding in this fashion for an hour and more, often meetingparties of fugitives on the road, some of them bearing householdtreasures, leading a mooing cow, or driving a spavined old horse thatwas attached to a shaky wagon piled up with goods of value to the ownersonly.

  These sights at first struck the boys as pitiful. They would in timebecome so accustomed to them that such spectacles must be taken as apart of the war game; still, all of them were sure that in this case"familiarity would not breed contempt."

  Then at times it happened that houses were scarce, and a stretch of theroad, from some reason or other, ahead appeared deserted. Often, in thedistance, they heard strange sounds like far-away thunder. It thrilledthem to imagine that possibly this was the roar of big guns; perhapsthey were even drawing near to an actual battlefield!

  About this time the boys noticed that their guide was acting as thoughexcited.

  "What's the matter, Anthony?" asked Rob, bent on knowing the worst.

  In his broken English the Belgian guide tried to tell them his fears.

  "Look you--over thisaways--you see men, horses--they run thisaway, theyrun thataway--some shake hands at us--I do not know, but it may be theywill turn out to be Uhlan cavalrymen--bad men who ride far in advance ofthe army, to screen movements of troops. If they are Uhlans, we may notgo ahead further!"