The Boy Allies On the Firing Line | Page 9

sirs?" demanded the British commander.
Hal stepped forward and explained their absence.
"And you were in the midst of the charge?" questioned General French,
when the lad concluded.
"Yes, sir!"
"And are not even badly wounded?"
"No, sir!"
"Wonderful!" exclaimed the general. Then, after a few moments'
silence: "You seem to bear charmed lives. I believe you are the two for
my mission."
"Yes, sir!" exclaimed Hal eagerly.
"Both of you report to me in an hour," ordered General French.

The two lads saluted again and moved away.
"Wonder what he wants?" said Chester.
"Too deep for me," was Hal's reply.
"He said something about a mission. I guess that means more
excitement for us."
"I guess you are right. However, I am sure we can go through with it,
no matter what it may be."
"We can try, anyhow. That's the best anyone can do."
At the appointed time the two boys made their way to General French's
headquarters.
"I have an important piece of work that must be done, and which will
be attended with grave danger; are you willing to undertake it?" asked
the British commander, coming to the point without preliminaries.
"We shall do our best, sir," replied Hal.
"Good! The enemy has retreated beyond Meaux. To-morrow I shall try
and drive him farther. It is absolutely necessary that our movements be
not anticipated. As you see we have lost many officers. I want you to
lead one hundred men to a position just this side of the bridge. The
enemy must not be allowed to cross. One hundred men can hold the
bridge as well as ten thousand. The men to go with you have been
selected. They have volunteered for this duty. Captain Lee will show
you where to find them. Hold the bridge! That is all!"
The two lads saluted and took their departure. They found Captain Lee,
and with him were soon at the head of the little band of men who had
volunteered to hold the bridge at Meaux against the whole German
army, if necessary.
It was still dark, and it was a quiet little band that advanced through the
British lines to take up their positions at the extreme front. A long

range artillery duel was still in progress in spite of the darkness, but
little damage was being done by either side.
Having retreated beyond Meaux, the Germans had unlimbered their
artillery again and the British were replying. The little band of English,
with Hal and Chester in lead, advanced to the edge of the bridge
described by General French, and there took up their positions.
The bridge was very narrow, hardly wide enough for five men to walk
abreast. On the British end the approach curved, making it impossible
for one coming from the other direction to see what was at the other
end. It was indeed a strategic point for defense. The river was high and
thus precluded any attempt to ford it.
All night long the little band of men lay at the bridge, ready for battle
on a moment's notice. All night long the shells of both the Germans and
British flew screaming overhead; but none dropped near them.
With the first faint glow of the approaching day the little band of
British were awake. At Hal's suggestion they cut down trees, and
dragged them to the end of the bridge, forming a barricade. Behind this
they lay down.
It was almost noon before the man stationed to watch the approach to
the bridge dropped quickly over the barricade and reported:
"They are coming!"
"All right," replied Hal. "We're ready for 'em!"
Under Hal's direction, a single line of rifles, twenty-five in all, appeared
through the cracks of the barricade. The others had been divided into
three bodies--each containing twenty-five men--each body directly
behind the others. These were instructed to fill up the gaps made by the
German fire. Thus, as each man in the front rank fell, his place would
immediately be filled by another, the second by the third, the third by
the fourth, so providing twenty-five men fell the front line would be
still intact, although the fourth line would have disappeared.

Hal and Chester took their places just in the rear of the first line, where
they could see what was going on and direct the fighting.
"Do not fire until they come into sight around the turn," Capt. Lee
instructed his men. "Then mow them down, and make every shot
count!"
Joking and humming to themselves, the men prepared for action. The
first line poked their rifles through the barricade and lay down behind
them. All was in readiness to repulse the attack.
Suddenly the first Germans appeared around the turn in the bridge,
marching five abreast.
"Fire!" cried the captain, and