The Boy Allies at Liege | Page 8

the machine sped on.
Then came a second volley, and the automobile swerved suddenly to
one side. The chauffeur groaned, but the car immediately righted itself
and continued on its way.
Unmindful of the bullets flying about, Hal sprang to his feet and
climbed into the front seat, where the chauffeur was making heroic
efforts to keep the car steady, a stream of blood the while pouring from
a wound in his head.
"Give me the wheel!" cried Hal, as the car lurched from one side of the
road to the other, at the imminent risk of turning over.
He climbed in front of the chauffeur and his strong hands grasped the
steering wheel just as the man's body relaxed and he fell back
unconscious.
Bullets were still flying thick and fast, but the range was too great now

for accurate shooting. Still, there was always the chance that one of the
leaden messengers would hit Hal and end disastrously the career of the
flying machine.
Without even checking the speed of the auto, Hal called to Chester:
"The chauffeur is badly wounded. Pull him into the rear of the car!"
"Slow down!" came the answer. "We can't pull him from beneath you
while going at this terrific speed."
"Slow down nothing!" shouted Hal. "We don't want to be captured after
this. You'll have to pull him out!"
It was no small task, this driving a flying automobile, while a man in
whose lap he was almost sitting was being pulled from under him by
hands from behind.
Once Hal lost his balance. Throwing out one hand, he grasped the side
of the car, and that alone saved him and his friends, too, for that matter.
The car swerved to one side of the road, and just at that instant a sharp
curve came into view.
With a desperate effort Hal regained his balance, steadied the machine,
and, without even trying to slacken his speed, took the curve on two
wheels.
"Whew!" he muttered to himself. "That was a close shave!"
By this time the body of the chauffeur had been pulled into the back of
the car, and Hal slid into his seat.
"Are you all right?" came Chester's voice from the rear.
"All right now," replied Hal.
"You can slow down a bit," shouted Lieutenant Anderson. "We are out
of range. We are safe enough now."

"We are safe from bullets, but we are not safe from pursuit," Hal called
back. "Do I keep to this road?"
"Yes," came the reply, "if you don't run into a ditch or a telegraph
pole."
"Oh, I'll run it, all right; and I'll run it on the road, too," Hal answered
grimly. "I've made a record on a worse road than this."
"Is the chauffeur badly hurt?" he called back after a few minutes.
"No, I don't think so," replied the French captain's voice. "Just a scalp
wound. He has lost a lot of blood, and is still unconscious, but I think
he will come around all right presently."
Hal settled back in his seat and gave his entire attention to the road
ahead.
The big car flashed through several small towns, and the dim lights in
the homes looked like a string of brilliant spots, so swiftly did they go
by. For almost half an hour the terrific speed was continued, and then,
at a shouted command from Lieutenant Anderson, Hal slowed down.
"We should be nearing Angermunde by this time," the lieutenant
explained, "and it will never do to go through there at this speed."
"Do you suppose our would-be captors have communicated with the
authorities at Angermunde?" asked the Frenchman.
"I would not be surprised," replied the lieutenant; "but we must risk it.
One thing I am sure of, however, is that our pursuers are not far behind.
They will never rest till we are caught. And, for that reason, we cannot
afford to waste much time."
"You are right," said the captain. "We must get through Angermunde as
quickly and as quietly as possible."
Then to Hal he shouted: "Don't lose your nerve, and keep cool. Be
ready to make a dash if you get the word."

"Don't you worry about my nerve," Hal replied grimly. "I'll run right
through a thousand Germans, if you say so."
"I guess that will not be necessary," broke in the lieutenant, with a
laugh, "but you never can tell what may happen."
Hal reduced the speed of the machine even more, and slowly
approached the town, the lights of which could be seen in the distance.
It was now nearly midnight, and, as Captain Derevaux suggested, it
would be wise to go through the town without attracting attention, if
possible.
But this was not to be.
The automobile entered the town, and had