Here another difficulty presented itself. They could not find the place where they first reached the trail, so they sat down to wait for the welcome sound of a train to guide them. Even that aid was denied them, and as darkness was now coming on a suitable place was found to rest for the night at the base of an uprooted tree. There the night was spent in comparative comfort, as, fortunately, the weather still continued mild and agreeable. The matter of food now became a vital one, but so, also, was the necessity of locating the airplane. The matter was debated, and the lieutenant finally said: "We must find our machine; from that point I think we should strike to the west. It would be unwise for us to approach the railroad to the east, as that is in the hands of the Germans, and every mile of it is patrolled." By means of the compass they trudged to the west, and soon reached familiar ground. As they were about to enter the open space, which was recognized as their landing place, voices were heard. The three glanced at each other in dismay, until Alfred's keen ears detected a French word or two, of which he quickly advised his companions. "I will call to them in French," said the lieutenant. He did so, and the two men, for the lieutenant could now distinctly see them, were startled, but in another moment returned an answer. "We are French," said the lieutenant. "That is our machine, and we have been reconnoitering." "We are friends," said one of the men. In another moment the lieutenant and the boys were at the machine, and grasped the hands of the hunters. "We are Belgians," continued the man. "Where are we?" asked the lieutenant. "In the forest, north of Messanoy," was the reply. "Are there any Germans near?" asked the lieutenant. "Yes, at St. Leger, to the north, and at the junction of Arlon, to the northeast. But troops are constantly going along both roads to Longwy and Metz," replied one of the spokesmen. "Where can we get something to eat?" was asked. "Ah, we can arrange that," said one of the men with a smile. "Follow us." On the way the lieutenant learned a great deal of the system in force by the Germans. They were conducted north, through the woods for fully a mile where they reached a wagon trail. Here the lieutenant stopped. "Where does this trail lead?" he asked. "From the railway station on the east line to a little village on the west side of the forest," was the answer. "Then we were on this trail yesterday," said Ralph. If they had gone a quarter of a mile farther, after reaching the cottage, they could have seen the first cottage in the village. It was also learned that the two men were the hunters whose shots were heard the previous day while at the cabin. The men lived a quarter of a mile from the village, in the elevated part, near the border of the forest, and like true Belgians were glad to help their French brothers. CHAPTER XII EXCITING EXPLOITS ON LAND