CHAPTER XVII.
BEHIND THE BARRICADE.
"Such tough luck, and just when supper was going to be called, too!"groaned Josh, though possibly he did not mean to be at all humorous, butwas only expressing the first natural feeling of bitter disappointmentthat beset him.
Rod realized that it was a time for quick thinking, and rapid action aswell. No matter if the raiding Uhlans proved to be only a smalldetachment bent on striking terror to the hearts of the French, whiletheir main army was still retreating toward the Aisne, they would be innumbers sufficient to awe the village, where only women and boys andaged men were to be found.
He also knew that the three fine motorcycles owned by himself and chumswould be either confiscated or destroyed by the German cavalrymen.Uhlans have always been accredited with bold and reckless deeds wheneverengaged in warfare in the enemy's country. They would find incriminatingpapers, too, upon the boys, and might even take it in their hands totreat them as spies.
"Get busy, fellows; we must fetch our machines indoors and close shop tokeep the enemy out, if we can!" was what Rod called, as he hastened torun from the room.
Just then a bell tinkled somewhere near by, apparently to summon them tothe supper table; but much to the deep regret of Josh they were hardlyin a condition to respond to the alluring call.
Each of them came staggering in, trundling a heavy machine. These theystacked in a room, after which the outer door was shut and secured inthe best way possible, though not before a number of people had crowdedin with them.
Out on the village street the greatest excitement prevailed. Childrencried, women called to one another as they hurried their innocentcharges homeward; even the stray dogs started barking again, just asthey had done when Rod and his friends hit the place with their buzzingmotorcycles.
Above other sounds they could hear loud and heavy voices, as of men benton terrorizing the peaceful little community. Of course the words theyheard were German ones, showing that the speakers must indeed be thedreaded Uhlans.
They were undoubtedly galloping hither and thither, ransacking houses insearch of food or anything else worth carrying off. It might be thatpresently some of them would even be found putting the torch to anybuilding that failed to meet with their approval, after a hasty search.
Rod suddenly remembered something just then. It struck him forcibly, andthe more he considered it the stronger did it seem to appeal to him.
He recollected that they had come upon a regiment of French zouavesmaking a temporary bivouac alongside the road about two miles back. Ifonly they could be communicated with and informed of the presence of thehated Uhlans in the little French village, he felt positive they wouldnot let the grass grow under their feet in hastening to the rescue ofthe small terrorized community.
But how could it be done? Rod would have given considerable for a chanceto use his speedy motorcycle in this work, but there was no use thinkingof such a thing, because it could never be carried out.
Perhaps from the roof of the house he might manage to attract theattention of some sentry at the camp, and by means of the Signal Corpscode, which he knew very well, communicate their sad condition to thecommander of the troops, and thus procure help for the frightenedvillagers.
"Stay here, and try to keep them out if they make an effort to breakin," he told Josh. "I'm going up to the roof and see if I can send asignal for help to that zouave regiment we noticed camping by theroadside. Here, take this, Josh, and remember that you're defendingwomen and children when you use it."
"Bully for you!" cried Josh, as his hand closed upon the revolver whichhad been taken from the fraudulent Oscar William Tell.
Rod hurried away, and ran upon the woman of the house close by. She waslooking greatly alarmed at the sudden coming of the enemy, but for allthat Rod believed she would prove true grit.
"I want to get up on the roof if it's possible," was what he said toher; "there is a regiment of French troops camped not two miles away onthe side of the hill, and if I could get in touch with them they'd cometo our help. Show me the way to the trapdoor, if there is one."
She must have grasped his idea without trouble, for she immediatelystarted up the stairs. The confusion outside was growing worse thanever, and served to spur the boy on to renewed exertions.
The good woman of the house was soon pointing at the trap, and Rodquickly had it open. As he clambered out on the roof he saw to hissatisfaction that it was situated on the side away from the villagestreet. In this fashion he believed he might be able to accomplish whathe had determined to attempt, at least without being interrupted by anypassing Uhlan lancers.
One look in the direction of the hillside gave him cause for furtherdelight, since he found that he could easily see the camp of the tiredzouaves, who had marched many miles since sun-up in hopes ofparticipating in the day's battle, only to arrive when the action wasall over.
Rod immediately began to wave his handkerchief wildly, though carryingout a certain program, and hoping to thus attract the attention of somesentry who may have been posted on that side of the camp.
Almost immediately he realized that this was just what had beenaccomplished, for he saw men running, and then a signal flag was wavedin reply to his frantic appeals.
"What do you want to communicate?" was what he made out to be fashionedthrough the regular wigwag work of the flag.
"Village at mercy of Uhlans--come and help us at once!"
That was the message which Rod sent waving back. How glad he was at thatminute he had picked up his knowledge of Signal Corps work, and couldboth send and receive so accurately.
That the man in the zouave camp had grasped the meaning of his dispatchRod quickly understood, for almost immediately there was waved back ananswer calculated to reassure him:
"Hold on! Relief coming! O. K."
All this of course took a little time in transmission. Seconds hadpassed into minutes, and about the time he was through Rod realized thatthings were getting pretty warm close by. In fact some of the raidershad discovered that the most pretentious house in the entire littlevillage was barred against them. They had leaned from their saddles andpounded heavily on the door. When no one opened up they had given ventto their anger and even threatened to smash their way in, doubtlesspromising all sorts of terrible things for the inmates if forced to goto this trouble.
Still there had been no response. Josh, who was in charge below, did notmean to risk the loss of the precious motorcycles, as well as takechances of being shot as a spy, just because those lordly Uhlancavalrymen demanded that he unbar the heavy door and let them enter.
The threatening voices, accompanied by louder blows, continued to soundas Rod hastened downstairs again. He realized that they must doeverything possible to keep those rough raiders out until the Frenchzouaves had a chance to arrive on the field.
There were several old men among those who, in the first excitement, hadsought refuge in the house that temporarily sheltered the youngAmericans whom the simple French peasants and villagers considered realheroes. Although far from sturdy in build, and with trembling,half-palsied hands, these old chaps had proceeded to arm themselves asbest they could.
One had found a big carving knife which he brandished as though it werea sword, and he a captain leading a charge; a second was swinging acudgel, as though filled with a hope that it might yet be laid upagainst a German head; while the last of the trio had taken down a gunof the vintage of '71, which, together with its glistening sabrebayonet, had hung on the wall in memory of the good man of the house,who doubtless made the right kind of use of it in other days.
Altogether they presented quite a curious collection as they gatheredthere by the door, and waited to see if the enemy would carry out thoseloud threats to break in. Rod was reminded of accounts he had read aboutthe patchwork army gathered together by one Falstaff in early Englishdays, which consisted of the lame, the halt and the blind. All the same,those old fellows had the right sort of spirit, and acted
as thoughquite willing to yield up their own lives in defense of the village.
Things were going from bad to worse outside. Smoke could easily bedetected now, as if to prove that those awful threats made by the Uhlanswere not idle ones; and that some cottage was already in flames.
Rod was almost counting the seconds. He found himself wondering whetherthe oncoming zouaves could possibly reach there before the door wasbroken from its hinges and the wolves without rush in to use their heavysabres against the defenders. How long could they hold the aggressors incheck? Those weak old men would be swept aside as though they werepigmies; and what could he and his two chums do against half a dozen bigcavalrymen, bent on pillage?
The very first thing Rod did do was to possess himself once more of thatrevolver. He believed he could make better and more judicious use ofsuch a dangerous weapon than Josh might--Josh was so rash andheadstrong, once he found himself up against a dangerous situation.
The door, being very heavy, was resisting the attack of the soldierssuccessfully, though Rod did not plume himself on this account. Hefeared there were many other ways by means of which the Uhlans couldaccomplish their purpose and enter the house did they care to botherabout looking.
Just then there arose a new cause for alarm. The good woman came cryingfrom the other part of the building. Rod heard what she said and wasable to understand, although the other two were left in the dark.
"What's happened next, Rod?" demanded Josh, with the air of a veteran;for Josh often affected to liken himself to those old worthies who, whensorely beset, never asked about the number of their foes, but where theycould be found, so that they might attack them hip and thigh.
"She says they've set fire to the house, and that the whole rear of thesame is already blazing fiercely," Rod explained.
Hanky Panky's face was a study. Of course it was not really _fear_that gripped him so fiercely; but nevertheless the boy had a peaked lookabout the eyes, and watched Rod eagerly, as though hoping the otherwould eventually find some way of extricating them from this newpredicament.
"Now here's a pretty kettle of fish," growled Josh; "house afire, and wecan't even rush out to throw water on the flames, just because there's alot of cowardly skunks waiting to spit us like we were fowls. Whee!what're we going to do about it, Rod, tell me? I'll sally out and try tocreate a diversion, if you say the word."
Perhaps Josh honestly meant it, but Rod only laughed at him.
"Don't be silly, Josh," was what the other said; "you'd have about asmuch chance against those half-dozen Uhlans as a baby might. All we cando is to hold tight, and hope the zouaves will get along before it's toolate. But if they do try to smash their way in we're going to fight;hear that?"
"You just bet we are; every time," said Josh, who had found a heavypoker and was swinging it around in a way that made poor Hanky Pankyduck every time it barely missed his devoted head.
He had hardly finished saying those few expressive words than there wasan awful crash, and the front door, struck by some sort of batteringram, seemed to be partly knocked from its hinges. The Uhlans wereapparently determined to enter; and the more opposition they met thegreater their desire seemed to become.