Here was the by-path which Roscoe had mentioned, and which led down into the main road.
Running east and west across the northern extremity of the woods was a road, and the Germans, driven first from their trenches, then out of the village, and then out of the woods, were establishing their lines north of this road.
If the boys had followed the brook down they would have reached the village by a much shorter course, but Roscoe preferred the open country where they could keep a better lookout.

Whether his decision was a wise one, we shall see.
[Illustration: SHOWING PATH TAKEN BY TOM AND ROSCOE THROUGH THE WOODS] Leaving the scene of their "complete annihilation of the crack poison division," as Roscoe said, they followed the ragged edge of the woods where it thinned out to the north, verging around with it until they were headed in a southerly direction.
"There's a house on that path," said Roscoe, "and we ought to be able to see a light there pretty soon." "There's a little piece of woods ahead of us," said Tom; "when we get past that we'll see it, I guess.

We'll cut through there, hey ?" "Wait a minute," said Roscoe, pausing and peering about in the half darkness.

"I'm all twisted.

There's the house now." He pointed to a dim light in the opposite direction to that which they had taken.
"That's north," said Tom in his usual dull manner.
"You're mistaken, my boy.