CHAPTER XVI--THE EMPTY HOUSE
During the afternoon of the same day that Don Hale was destined to havehis great adventures George Glenn and Bobby Dunlap, off duty, decided totake a little jaunt about the surrounding country.
Leaving the main highway the boys struck off toward the southeast.
The road sometimes took them past stuccoed walls, gray, chipped andbroken by the ravages of time; and here and there, rising high above thefaded red coping, were the tall and graceful poplars so characteristicof the landscapes. Once in a while, the two, their youthful curiosityaroused, peeped between the bars of the entrance gates to get a look, ifthey could, at the mansion so secluded from public gaze.
Presently the boys were descending a steep road which led down to alittle village at the base. Occasionally, between the trees, they caughtglimpses of red-roofed houses, and the spire of an ancient church, allserenely beautiful in the midst of a peaceful landscape.
Now George and Bobby came across _poilus_ resting on either side of thehighway. And then, to bring the grimness of warfare once more to theirminds, a Red Cross ambulance, leaving behind it a long trail ofyellowish dust, rumbled up the hill, carrying its load of wounded to thebase hospital further to the rear.
Arriving at the bottom of the incline the two found themselves on a roadwhich turned abruptly. Soldiers were billeted in the village; and in thecourtyards and out on the streets were rolling kitchens, while parked atvarious points they saw huge camions awaiting their turn to carrysupplies toward the front. Evidently but few of the inhabitantsremained; and the reason was at once apparent--there was scarcely ahouse which did not show some evidence of scorching shell fire or thedevastation caused by bombs dropped from the air.
George and Bobby soon passed the quaint old church, no longer a place ofworship but a hospital, and continued on, soon leaving behind them thevillage, with its soldiers, camions and other paraphernalia of war.
"Now let's take a rest," suggested Bobby, at length.
"You'll not hear any objections from me," said George. He turned hisgaze toward the east, adding: "I hope to goodness Don doesn't run intotrouble over the front to-day."
"I'm with you there, Georgie," said Peur Jamais, gravely. "I never sawsuch impolite fellows as those Boches. Just the other day one of themchased me for miles, and all I did was to empty a belt of cartridges inhis direction. Honestly, I believe he wanted to hurt me."
"I guess you're about right," laughed George.
"Hello! just cast your eyes along the road. But do it gently, though, soas not to hurt them. Do you see that chap yonder--about to cross?"
"My vision being extremely good, I can."
"Don't you see anything familiar about him?"
George, after taking a long and earnest look at the blue bloused figure,nodded his head.
"Yes; to be sure. It's the peasant who's been visiting our escadrille."
"Correct, old chap. And say, did you ever notice how chummy he's gottento be with Jason Hamlin? Funny combination, that--a college highbrow andan humble, downtrodden tiller of the soil. By the way, Vicky Gilbertcertainly has said some funny things to Jasy."
"Have you found out yet what the scrap is all about?"
Peur Jamais pondered an instant before replying, and then said, slowly:
"From what Vicky said it looks as if he thought Hamlin was, or ratherwasn't---- No, that he was, I should say----" And here the young combatpilot broke off abruptly, to further remark, after a few moments ofearnest reflection: "No--I reckon I'd better wait until furtherdevelopments. One day I happened to say a few words to one of the chapsabout it when along waltzed the captain, who had overheard; and he saidto me: 'What do you mean?' Crickets! It was awful!" Bobby began to grinbroadly. "It reminded me of the time I used to get hauled up in theprincipal's room to explain certain things that had happened in theclassroom. But, I say; let's skip after the old boy, and interview him."
"What's the good?" asked George.
"None at all. But what's the good of staying here? Coming?"
"First tell me what the captain said."
"'No!--a thousand times no!' as the persecuted heroine in the play hasit. Later on--perhaps. Just now my sole desire in life is to inflictsome of my French upon the humble plodder."
Without further ado, Peur Jamais started off and George, with agood-humored smile, followed.
It took the boys but a few moments to reach the road where the peasanthad been observed; but although he had been walking very slowly the manwas not in sight. The road was as deserted as a road could be.
"Hello! That's rather odd!" cried Peur Jamais. "A shabby way to treat acouple of would-be interviewers, I call it. In classic language, Iwonder where he's at!"
"That oughtn't to be a hard job for Sherlock Holmes the Second to findout," suggested George.
Bobby laughed and began studying the surroundings with keen attention.
In the fields were growing crops, all bathed in bright, clear sunshine.Little clumps of trees and patches of woods dotted the landscape, while,far off, the irregular contour of the hills limned itself with hazyindistinctness against the brilliant sky. To the left a touch of blue,like a bold splash of paint upon canvas, indicated a pond, and nearer athand rose three sturdy oaks, majestic specimens of their kind. Justbehind these Peur Jamais espied a house.
"I shouldn't wonder a bit if that's the peasant's castle," he remarked."Suppose we journey over there, Georgie, and see! I declare! I won't besatisfied until I learn a bit more about him. It's a little odd thatsuch an uncouth specimen should take so much interest in an aviationcamp."
"Mild adventures, after our strenuous ones, have a sort of appeal tome," confessed George. "So I'm quite willing."
Following the road for a short distance the boys found a narrow pathleading across the field; so they headed for the ancient oaks and thehouse behind them.
They had expected to see some evidences of farming, some indications oflaborers in the fields beyond, but on arriving at the structure, atypical old farmhouse, everything wore a mournful and deserted air, asthough all human activity and endeavor had long ago departed, leavingthe building to crumble and decay.
"It seems that we've had all our pleasure for nothing," grumbled PeurJamais. "Nobody can be living in this old shack. But as a deserted houseis anybody's home, I'm going in."
"I'll share the danger with you," laughed George.
The door stood invitingly ajar, and one vigorous push sent it creakingback on a pair of rusty hinges.
All the dreary and forlorn appearance which marked the exterior of theancient farmhouse was to be met with in the interior. Dust lay thick onthe floors, and a few pieces of broken-down furniture added their quotato the depressing atmosphere.
"This place is enough to give a fellow the creeps!" declared Bobby."Just imagine how nice it would be strolling around here on a stormymidnight, with lightning the only illumination. Hello!--goodnessgracious!"
A very unexpected interruption had caused Peur Jamais to utter theexclamation.
Quick footsteps had sounded. And, as both boys, a little startled, butmore surprised, hastily glanced at an open doorway leading to anotherroom, they saw a blue-bloused figure suddenly appear.
It was the peasant for whom they had been seeking.