Porky and Beany looked on and trembled with excitement. There ahead, hidden in the darkness, were the Huns. There were the barbarians who had shown a civilized world how men can slip back into worse than savagery. Wasted lands, ruined homes, orphaned and mutilated little children, butchered old people. All the unspeakable horrors of war trooped through the boys’ minds, a hideous train of ghosts, as they looked across the valley. Ahead lay the heartless and ruthless killers, wolves that had come to worry and tear the sheep, but behind in the darkness, the boys knew with a thrill, every possible mode of transportation was swiftly bringing up the reserve American troops, thousands and thousands of them; men in their prime and beardless boys grim, determined, yet light-hearted, ready to fight as only Americans can fight. Men from the farms, farms in the east where fifty well-tilled acres was a fine homestead; farmers from that great and spacious west where a man called miles of land his own. Professional men, clerks, divinity students, adventurers, all welded by this great need into a common likeness. Eager for life, yet fearlessly ready to die if need be, a mighty army was on its way, was drawing nearer and nearer to the tired troops below. Overhead an adventurous plane or two hummed in the darkness. “And we can’t help!” said Porky mournfully. “Not a thing we can do, not a thing!” “Oh, well, we are doing all we can,” said Beany. “I don’t just see what _more_ we can do. We can’t help our age.” “No, but if we are not told just _where_ to stay, and _where_ to go, I mean to take a little stroll around to-night,” said Porky. The boys went over to the General, who stood looking across the valley and saluted. He looked, and gravely returned the salute. “Good-night, boys,” he said. “Good-night, sir,” said the boys, and then as an afterthought, “May we walk around a bit, sir?” The General was busy studying the vast field below him as the flashes of light revealed it. “Yes, if you don’t get lost,” he said absently, “and be on hand at eight to-morrow morning. I may be ready to go on then.” “Yes, sir,” said both boys cheerfully. What luck! The General certainly didn’t know what he was getting himself into. “The whole night to ourselves, and no bounds, and only we mustn’t get lost!” chuckled Porky. “Peach pie!” murmured Beany. “Let’s be off! Where will we go first?” “Down there,” said Porky, waving a hand widely over the valley. “That’s where I thought. But we can’t get into any scrape on account of the General. You know he wasn’t thinking about us at all when he spoke, and, besides, there would be an _awful_ fuss if we got into any trouble. It would be good-by to our little trip. We would be sent back quicker than they sent Bill and Peggy.” “Who wants to get into any scrape?” said Porky. “All I want to do is to see--to see--well, to see just what I _can_ do.”