The Boy Allies On the Firing Line | Page 2

shall have to make a dash for it!" he cried. "One more volley, men,
and then run!"
One more death-dealing volley was delivered at close range, and then
the little troop of English turned and fled. But they had traversed
scarcely half the distance when the Germans reached the edge of the
woods, and poured a volley into them.
Hal groaned as men fell on all sides of him. But still those who were
left ran on. At length they reached the friendly shelter of the trees, but
half their number lay behind, either dead or dying.
Once more, screened from the enemy, Hal halted the men.
"We may as well fight it out here," he told them. "We will hold them
off if we can, and if not we must retreat slowly, keeping behind
whatever cover offers."
A faint cheer went up from the handful who were left, and they turned
determinedly to face their foes. They did not waste their fire. As the
Germans came again into view, the British rifles cracked. Their
marksmanship was superb, and rather than face this deadly fire the
enemy halted.
Then began a game of hide and seek, with death the penalty for all who
were seen. The firing was only at intervals now. Wherever a German

arm or leg showed itself, a British rifle sounded and a German was
accounted for.
For almost half an hour the game continued; and it was kept up until
darkness fell. Fearing that it was the intent of the British to lure them
into the hands of a strong force, the Germans did not attempt a charge,
but contented themselves with trying to pick off their foes as they
flitted from one tree to another.
But if the Germans had suffered, so had the English. Of the little troop
of fifty, there now remained, besides Hal and Chester, but ten men. The
two boys seemed to bear charmed lives, for neither had been struck
once. They had exposed themselves to all dangers as well as had the
troopers, but fortunately no German bullets had reached them.
And still the few English fought on. Now that darkness had fallen and
two more men had dropped, Hal ordered those who were left to make a
last dash for life. He sprang from behind the tree which had sheltered
him, and Chester and the few remaining troopers joined him. Then they
turned and sped as rapidly as the darkness would permit in the direction
of their own lines.
Now that the fire of the English had ceased entirely, the Germans
halted, puzzled. It was impossible for their officers to tell whether the
enemy had all been killed, or whether the silence heralded the approach
of a larger force. Their indecision undoubtedly saved the lives of Hal
and Chester and the eight troopers, for had the Germans advanced they
would have experienced little difficulty in killing or capturing them.
Silently but swiftly the ten forms dashed through the woods, and when
at length they once more emerged into the open country they were
completely exhausted.
"Well, I guess we are safe, what is left of us, at any rate," said Chester
as they halted to take a much needed rest. "It's terrible to think of those
poor fellows we left behind."
"It is, indeed," replied Hal; "but I don't think they would complain. The

British soldier is not that kind."
"You are right," agreed Chester. "And each accounted for more than
one of his country's foes before he went down. Were you hit, Hal?"
"No. Were you?"
"No. But come, we had better be pushing on again."
With the loss of their comrades still preying upon their minds, the little
troop continued on its way; and while they are hurrying onward we
shall take time to introduce Hal and Chester more fully to those who
have not met them before, and to relate how it came about that they
were serving in such an important capacity with the British army in
France.

CHAPTER II.
TWO YOUNG LIEUTENANTS.
Sturdy American lads, young though they were, Hal Paine and Chester
Crawford had, when this story opens, already seen considerable
military service. Each had received his baptism of fire during the heroic
defense of the Belgian city of Liège, which had held out for days
against the overwhelming horde of Teutons.
In Berlin with Hal's mother when the war broke out, they had been
separated from her and left behind. With Captain Raoul Derevaux, a
gallant French officer, and Lieutenant Harry Anderson of the British
army, they finally succeeded in making their way, after many desperate
experiences and daring adventures, over the Belgian frontier, as told in
the first book of this series, entitled "The Boy Allies at Liège." They
had reached Liège