Produced by Al Haines [Illustration: Dust cover art] [Illustration: Cover art] [Frontispiece: "OF WHAT OFFENCE AM I ACCUSED, SIR?" _Page_ 202. _Frontispiece_] The Dispatch-Riders The Adventures of Two British Motor-cyclists in the Great War BY PERCY F. WESTERMAN Author of "Rivals of the Reef" "The Sea-girt Fortress" &c. &c. _Illustrated by F. Gillett_ BLACKIE & SON LIMITED LONDON AND GLASGOW 1915 By Percy F. Westerman The Red Pirate. The Call of the Sea. Standish of the Air Police. Sleuths of the Air. The Black Hawk. Andy All-Alone. The Westow Talisman. The White Arab. The Buccaneers of Boya. Rounding up the Raider. Captain Fosdyke's Gold. In Defiance of the Ban. The Senior Cadet. The Amir's Ruby. The Secret of the Plateau. Leslie Dexter, Cadet. All Hands to the Boats. A Mystery of the Broads. Rivals of the Reef. A Shanghai Adventure. The Junior Cadet. Captain Starlight. The Sea-Girt Fortress. On the Wings of the Wind. Captain Blundell's Treasure. The Third Officer. Unconquered Wings. The Riddle of the Air. Chums of the "Golden Vanity". Clipped Wings. Rocks Ahead! King for a Month. The Disappearing Dhow. The Luck of the "Golden Dawn". The Salving of the "Fusi Yama". Winning his Wings. A Lively Bit of the Front. The Good Ship "Golden Effort". East in the "Golden Gain". The Quest of the "Golden Hope". Sea Scouts Abroad. Sea Scouts Up-Channel. The Wireless Officer. A Lad of Grit. The Submarine Hunters. Sea Scouts All. The Thick of the Fray at Zeebrugge. A Sub and a Submarine. Under the White Ensign. With Beatty off Jutland. The Dispatch Riders. _Printed in Great Britain by Blackie & Son, Ltd., Glasgow_ Contents CHAP. I. THE COMING STORM II. A BREAK-DOWN III. MAJOR RÉSIMONT IV. ENLISTED V. A BAPTISM OF FIRE VI. A VAIN ASSAULT VII. DISABLING A TAUBE VIII. IN BRITISH UNIFORMS IX. A MIDNIGHT RETIREMENT X. THE UHLAN PATROL XI. THE RAID ON TONGRES XII. THE MAIL ESCORT XIII. SEPARATED XIV. A FRIEND IN NEED XV. CAPTURED XVI. ENTOMBED XVII. THE WAY OUT XVIII. THROUGH THE ENEMY'S LINES XIX. ARRESTED AS SPIES XX. STRANDED IN BRUSSELS XXI. DENOUNCED XXII. THE SACK OF LOUVAIN XXIII. A BOLT FROM THE BLUE XXIV. ACROSS THE FRONTIER XXV. THELMA EVEREST XXVI. SELF-ACCUSED XXVII. WITH THE NAVAL BRIGADE AT ANTWERP XXVIII. WHEN THE CITY FELL XXIX. ON THE NORTH SEA XXX. THE VICTORIOUS WHITE ENSIGN Illustrations "OF WHAT OFFENCE AM I ACCUSED, SIR?" . . . . . . . . . _Frontispiece_ KENNETH HAD A MOMENTARY GLIMPSE OF THE UHLAN'S PANIC-STRICKEN FACE ... THEN CRASH! KENNETH SUCCEEDED IN THROWING THE SPY TO THE FLOOR THE DISPATCH-RIDERS CHAPTER I The Coming Storm "Let's make for Liége," exclaimed Kenneth Everest.