“No one in sight,” he informed his companions, and softly the four stepped outside, closing the door gently behind them.

Silently four shadows flitted along the corridor, out across the bridge and to the wall beyond.  They encountered no one.

“Your Uncle Billy is a jewel,” declared the young Frenchman, in a whisper.

“He is for a fact,” whispered back the lieutenant.

Chester crept silently through the gate and peered in all directions.  Then he crept back to his companions.

“All safe!” he whispered.

“Now to get to the place where Uncle Billy said friends would be waiting,” said Hal.

“I guess we had better make it at a run,” spoke up the Frenchman.

“Yes,” said the lieutenant; “some one might happen along and we would have to make a fight for it.”

Passing through the entrance to the old castle, the four broke into a run, and turning to the right in accordance with their instructions, increased their speed.

For a considerable distance they sped along under the shelter of the castle wall.  Just as they reached the end of the wall a whispered voice brought them to a halt.

“Hyah, sah!” came the unmistakable voice of Uncle Billy.

Turning, they saw the old negro, who had been hidden from their sight, standing under the far wall of the castle.

“Follow me!” he whispered, and led the way a short distance along the wall, to where were picketed four horses.

Turning, he motioned the companions to mount.

“Which way?” asked the lieutenant, when all were in the saddle.

“Straight north, I suppose,” said the captain.

“No, sah, no, sah,” broke in Uncle Billy.  “Yo’al can’t get free that-a-way.  Since de Emp’ror declared wah on Belgin an’ Englan’ dun declare wah on Germany, all de no’th coast am hev’ly guarded.”

“What!” exclaimed the French captain.  “War on Belgium!”

“England has declared war?” asked the young lieutenant, in surprise.

“Yassah, yassah.  I jes’ hearn erbout it.”

“Then which way shall we go?”

“Yo’al must go that-a-way,” came the answer, and Uncle Billy pointed toward the southwest, in the direction of the faraway frontier of The Netherlands.

“But Holland is a long ways off, and the country between must be overrun with troops,” protested the Frenchman.

“Mos’ all de troops am at de front,” explained the old negro.  “Dat am de bes’ way, sah.”

“I believe we had better take Uncle Billy’s word for it,” declared Hal.

“I guess he is right,” said the lieutenant.  “Uncle Billy, we can never thank you enough.”

“No,” agreed Captain Derevaux.  “We can never thank you enough.”

“Come,” said the lieutenant, “let us ride,” and he turned his horse’s head toward the southwest, and started off cautiously.

But Hal and Chester stopped for a further word with Uncle Billy.