CHAPTER VIII. THE COUNTRY OF WINDMILLS.
Of course everybody became tremendously excited; at least everybody butThad, who somehow seemed to be able to retain his coolness in thepresence of peril better than any of his comrades.
"There are four of them!" announced Giraffe, immediately, "and they'redigging their spurs into their nags for all that's out. I guess theyknow we're meaning to cross over into little old Holland, and they wantto nab us before we can get over the border line!"
"They must have been sent after us by that smart officer we ran upagainst at that town; the one who turned us back, and threatened toarrest us!" Allan remarked, this being the one explanation of thepursuit that flashed into his mind.
"Either that," added Bumpus, "or else the chap who was on the ferry withus told of the meeting after he got to Duren, and they sent out thatsquad with orders to bring us in, dead or alive!"
Thad was saying not a word. He seemed to be devoting all his attentionto manipulating the old car so as to get every atom of speed out of itpossible. Besides, since its course was so erratic he had to be verycareful how he steered, as even a slight blunder might mean a smash-up.
Thad had not even made the slightest attempt to look back and see theironcoming pursuers. He was content to take the word of his mates for itthat they were making great headway, and closing in on them at a rapidrate.
"This is getting mighty interesting, let me tell you!" exclaimedGiraffe, as he twisted his long neck again and again in order to watchthe rush of the cavalrymen, and then try to judge whether the car couldgain an offing before being overhauled.
"I can see what looks like the border post ahead there another mile!"Allan now told them.
That was indeed cheery news, and must have revived their droopingcourage. Still naturally Giraffe immediately expressed a desire to knowon what sort of foundation Allan fixed his assertion.
"What makes you think it's the crossing where we strike Holland?" hedemanded.
"Because I can see soldiers in uniforms, and they don't happen to be thegray kind we've seen most Germans wear, either. Yes, and they've gotwhat looks like high-peaked caps, which I've read the Dutch troops use."
"Bully!" exclaimed Bumpus, and the others knew he must be greatly workedup, for as a rule Bumpus never used words like this, leaving that toGiraffe.
"How are they doing now?" asked Thad.
"Catching up hand over fist," replied Giraffe. "It's going to be an openquestion whether they reach us before we cross the line, or not."
"Oh! I think we've got a good chance to slip over, unless somethinghappens to our cranky old engine," Allan asserted, for it was his natureto be sanguine, just as the tall scout could not help looking at thegloomy side of things as a rule.
"Now they're lashing their mounts like everything," reported Giraffe;"and seems to me they do get more speed out of the horses."
Bumpus did not attempt to get up any more, so as to look. He had a firmgrip on the side of the quivering car, and was staring ahead. Perhaps hewas trying to figure how happy he would be if only they could rushacross that border line, and secure the protection of those Dutchsoldiers.
They were drawing very close to the haven of refuge, so that it was easyfor all of them to see the little squad of guardians stationed there tosee that the strictest neutrality was maintained. While the Netherlandsmight seem to be a small country, still she has an active army of somefive hundred thousand soldiers, and history tells how bravely the Dutchhave always fought when their country was invaded.
Germany would not want to have such a foe on her flank. Besides, many ofthose harbors of Holland would be extremely valuable to an Allied navyseeking to strike at the heart of the gun foundry region of theFatherland.
Giraffe was becoming more excited than ever. He fairly quivered as hereported the lessening of the distance between the fleeing car and thepursuing horsemen.
"Faster! Thad, give her all the juice you can! Squeeze a little morespeed out of the poor old thing, and we'll do it yet!" was the burden ofhis appeal.
Of course Thad was trying everything he could to coax the motor to dojust a little mite better. Small things count at a time like this, andeven the wobbling motion that the car continued to keep up as it ran wascounting against them, more or less.
But the race could not last long now. The Dutch border guard had spreadout, and seemed to be ready to do some threatening with their guns.
"I only hope they don't mean to shoot at us," Giraffe was heard to saywhen he noticed this; "if only we had a big enough flag for them to seethey'd know we were Americans, and friends. I wonder how it would do forme to shout out that word as we come up?"
"It would do no harm, Giraffe!" Allan told him.
Accordingly the tall scout began to make frantic gestures as he stoodthere, trying to balance himself in the swaying car. He had an idea thathe was using his arms to denote their peaceful intentions; but possiblythe puzzled Dutch soldiers might imagine him stark crazy.
"Americans! We're American boys!" he kept shouting.
Bumpus tried to pull him down.
"They're shooting at us back there, Giraffe!" he pleaded, "and you mightget hit."
It seemed that the Uhlans were using their weapons, though when going atthat wild pace they could not have had much hope of doing any execution,unless by some accident.
A dozen seconds more of suspense followed, every one of which must haveseemed an eternity to the fleeing scouts. Then they reached the line ofthe Dutch border guard and were thrilled to know they had actually leftGerman soil behind them.
Thad immediately shut off power, and applied the brake, for he had seenthat one of the guard made a motion easily interpreted. Giraffe wasdancing about in the car, though Bumpus after having his toes trodden onseveral times promptly shoved him out.
The Uhlans had given up the pursuit. They evidently felt so chagrinedover having failed to overhaul the fugitives that they would not evenwait to exchange words with the Dutch soldiers, but wheeling theirhorses started back along the dusty road.
Of course the Dutch guard at once gathered around. Giraffe wonderedwhether his poor command of German would serve him in this case as wellas it had done under other conditions. He was saved from this anxiety,however, for the one who seemed to be in command of the post immediatelyaddressed them in fair English. He must have taken his cue from the wayGiraffe shouted that word "American"; and then, now that they had comeup, it was easy to see those miniature flags pinned on the lapels of thescouts' khaki coats.
He proceeded to ask questions, and Thad was only too well pleased toanswer. The passports were shown, and seemed to satisfy the soldiers.There would be hundreds, yes thousands of non-combatants presentlyseeking an asylum on the neutral soil of Holland; and thosewarm-hearted, hospitable people would show the world that they had nosuperiors when it came to holding out a helping hand to those indistress.
"We have Boy Scouts over here in Holland," the non-commissioned officerproudly told them; "and they have won the respect of the whole Nation.Only here in Europe, you know, every boy has to look forward to servingthe colors at some time in his life, so they all expect to be soldiersof the Queen later on."
"I hope you will not think it necessary to detain us, sergeant?" Thadasked, after he felt sure they had made a good impression on the Dutch.
"Please stretch a point if you can," pleaded Bumpus, "for I am wild toget over in Belgium where my poor sick mother is waiting for me."
The soldier scratched his head as though a little puzzled.
"We would know what to do if you were enlisted men of any country atwar," he explained; "it would then be our duty to interne you untilpeace came. But orders have not been so clear about what to do ifcitizens of the United States choose to cross our country. I might holdyou until you could communicate with your Minister, Dr. Van Dyke; or onthe other hand I might just wash my hands of you, and let you go as youpleased."
"Oh!
that's most kind of you, sir!" exclaimed Bumpus, possibly meaningto help the soldier choose the latter course; "all we want to do is tocross over this neck of Holland and enter Belgium, so we can go aroundthe fighting line without getting caught in the mess. Thad, we'll neverforget this kindness, will we?"
It was really clever in Bumpus to exert this species of flattery inorder to gain his end. Perhaps it did influence the Dutch sergeant moreor less, for he smiled amiably and offered his hand to Bumpus.
"Get across as quickly as you can," he told them; "for my superiorofficer will be due here presently, and he might look at things in adifferent light from what I do. I spent several happy years in yourcountry once, and then came back home to marry, and serve out my time inthe army. Good luck to you, young mynherr, and to all of you. That isall; you can go!"
They lost no time in making a fresh start. The superior officer mighthappen to come along ahead of time, and spoil all their plans.
It was with considerable satisfaction Bumpus looked around him at thenew sights that met their eyes as they passed across that narrow stripof territory belonging to Holland, and which stretches down between theother two countries as if it were used as a convenient buffer, and forno other purpose.
"There's a real Dutch windmill, yes, and I can see some more of the samekind!" Bumpus was telling them, pointing excitedly as he spoke.
"Oh! they're as common as dirt, you'll find," Allan told him. "They notonly pump water but are used for a great many other purposes. A Dutchmanwould almost as soon think of doing without his vrouw as his windmill."
"Given half an hour, and if this road isn't too wobbly we ought to be atthe Belgian frontier," Thad announced.
"We've carried everything by storm so far," said Giraffe, exultantly;"and there's some hope we may get to Antwerp. If the Germans over theline couldn't hold us in check we oughtn't to be much afraid that theBelgians will try to detain us."
"I wonder now if that can be an inn we see ahead there?" suggestedBumpus, with a most intense longing look on his face as he shaded hiseyes with one hand the better to see.
"It looks like some sort of a road-house," Thad ventured.
"Yes," added Giraffe, almost as eagerly as the fat scout, "and I can seewhat must be a swinging sign hanging there. Thad, hadn't we better takea chance, and say we've tasted one meal in Holland?"
"What about you, Allan?" asked the patrol leader.
"I think I could tackle any sort of stuff just about now. We had anearly breakfast on the boat, you know, and it's now getting along in theafternoon. I'm willing to try most anything once."
Thad laughed.
"I guess that settles the question," he told them.
"Then we stop over, do we?" demanded Bumpus.
"Three against one would carry the day, because scouts believe inmajority ruling," said Thad; "and to tell you the truth, I'm prettysavage myself for something to eat. So we'll pull up, and see what theycan give us at this hour."