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Read Ebook: The Battleship Boys in Foreign Service; or Earning New Ratings in European Seas by Patchin Frank Gee
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Ebook has 1936 lines and 38842 words, and 39 pages
The Battleship Boys in Foreign Service
BATTLESHIP BOYS TO THE RESCUE
"This is the famous Bois de Boulogne Sam."
"The what?"
"Bois de Boulogne, one of the most popular drives in Paris."
"Huh!" grunted Sam Hickey. "That sounds to me like some kind of sausage. What do they ever name their streets that way for in Paris?"
"All the names in this great, gay city mean something," answered Dan Davis. "This park here bears the same name. It was infested by desperate robbers as far back as the fourteenth century."
"Robbers!" exclaimed the red-haired boy.
"Yes."
"Are they here yet?"
"No; Napoleon cleaned them out. We shall soon be out by the Arch. The Frenchmen call it Arc de Triomphe."
"They do?"
"Yes."
"Just like that?"
"Of course."
"I'll bet there isn't a Frenchman in France who would know what you were talking about if they heard you call it by that name. I don't know anything about French, but if that is French give me plain United States. You are sure there are no robbers left in the Bologna sausage?"
"Bois de Boulogne, Sam," corrected Dan. "No; there are no robbers here. You need not be afraid."
"Hark!"
"Nothing of the sort. I'm no coward. I, a sailor in Uncle Sam's Navy, and afraid of robbers? Pooh!"
"Listen! Did you hear that, Sam?"
"Hear what? No; I didn't hear anything. But--wow! What's that?"
Hickey gave a sudden startled jump.
"It's a woman's scream," breathed Dan, listening intently. "Did you hear it?"
"I--I should say I did. Yes, and there it goes again. She's some sort of foreigner. I wonder what is going on?"
The scream was repeated. Though the lads were unable to understand what the voice was saying, it was evident that the woman, whoever or whatever she might be, was in dire distress.
"Where is it--where is it?" demanded Sam, now very much excited.
"The sound came from off yonder, where the trees are thickest."
"I see nothing."
"I do," answered Dan. "See, yonder is a carriage. Come on! There's a woman in trouble. What is it?" shouted the boy, raising his voice.
"Help! Help!" came the answer in plain English.
"It's one of our own countrywomen--our own United States. We're coming, madam!"
Dan was off with a bound, followed a few paces behind by his red-haired friend, Sam Hickey.
As they ran they made out a coup? that had been drawn up beside the road. One man was holding the horses by the heads, while a group of others were standing by the door of the carriage.
"What's going on there?" demanded Dan.
"I--I guess Napoleon didn't chase all the robbers out," stammered Hickey in a doubtful tone.
"They are robbers and they're robbing two lone women," exclaimed Dan.
"I guess we're Johnnie-on-the-spot, then," answered Sam. "Me for the party holding the horses. He looks kind of weak like."
Two women, attired in evening gowns, were standing beside their carriage, which, at a glance, was seen to be an elegant private equipage. The men surrounding the women wore small, black caps with the visors pulled down over their eyes, and long, flowing handkerchiefs about their necks.
As the lads drew near they saw two of the men strip the handkerchiefs from their necks, quickly twisting the cloths about the necks of the women. The cries of the latter were stilled almost instantly.
"Break away, you villains!" roared Dan Davis.
"Yes; chase yourselves or you'll get your faces slapped," added Sam. "Vamoose! Allez vous--scat!"
"We're coming, ladies! Charge them, Sam! They're thugs! Look out for yourself!"
"I've got one of them!" yelled Sam Hickey triumphantly.
In passing the horses he had sheered close to the fellow who was holding them, hitting the man a blow on the jaw that tumbled him over in a heap. The man did not rise, but Sam was too excited to notice the fact.
"Whoop!" he howled, making a rush and coming up by his companion. "We're the wild men from the land of the cowboy!"
The boys swept down on the robbers, the formers' fists working like the piston rods of a locomotive.
The ruffians turned on them instantly.
"Quick! Into your carriage!" called Dan. He had neither the time nor opportunity to assist the ladies in doing so. Both boys were now altogether too busy to give further heed to the frightened women.
Smashing right and left, they fell upon the robbers.
Bang!
A bullet whistled close to the head of Sam Hickey. The latter made a dive for the man who had fired the shot, and ere the fellow could pull the trigger for another shot, Hickey's fist had struck him on the jaw, laying the fellow flat on his back.
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