The Boy Allies at Liege | Page 9

officer.
"Berlin," replied the Englishman.
"Where are you bound?"
"Stettin."
"Your business?"
"Our business is purely private. Two of my companions are young American lads and the third is a Belgian gentleman. I am an Englishman. You will interfere with us at your peril."
"In times of war we interfere with whom we choose. A state of war exists in Germany, as you know."
"There is no state of war between your country and ours."
"Perhaps not, but I am not sure of it; there may be by this time. You have no passports, I take it?"
"We have not."
"Then I must ask you to leave your machine and come with me."
"For what reason?"
"Because I command it. You are my prisoners."
Turning to an aide, the German officer commanded:
"Call a guard of four men!"
The aide saluted and did as he was ordered. Four of the troopers who blocked the road dismounted and ranged themselves beside the car.
"Order Lieutenant Myers to take his men and report to Major Von Volk," commanded the German officer of his aide.
The troopers, with the exception of the four who guarded the car, wheeled and rode away.
The officer turned again to the automobile.
"Leave the car," he ordered the four occupants.
"He evidently hasn't been tipped off," whispered Lieutenant Anderson to his companions, as they left the machine.
"No," Hal whispered back, "but the others are likely to be along in a few minutes."
"Right," came the reply. "We must watch our chance, and, if one comes, make the most of it."
The four stepped from the automobile, and were immediately surrounded by their guards.
"See what they have in the machine," the officer ordered one of the men.
"Great Scott!" ejaculated Chester. "We are in for it now!"
Exploring the front of the auto first, the soldier found nothing. Then he turned his attention to the back. He lifted up the rugs that had been thrown over the chauffeur, and started back with a cry.
"A dead man!" he exclaimed, and added: "At least he appears to be dead. He has a bullet hole in the back of his head."
"What!" demanded the officer, and hurried to the side of the car.
He drew his sword and waved it at his men.
"Guard them closely!" he exclaimed, indicating his four prisoners.
"Pretty ticklish situation," whispered Hal to Chester, who stood beside him. "We have got to do something."
"You bet," replied Chester, "and we've got to do it now."
He took off his cap, twirled it about a few seconds, and let it fall to the ground.
Chester stooped to pick it up. Rising suddenly, he came up under the guard of his nearest captor, and with his head butted him with all his force under the chin.
The blow was more than flesh and blood could stand. The soldier fell to the ground with a groan of pain, his tongue almost bitten off. Without a pause, Chester turned upon another of his captors, and, with two well-directed blows of his fist, sent him staggering.
The suddenness of Chester's attack had not taken Hal by surprise. When Chester dropped his cap, Hal divined his purpose, and, as his friend butted his first victim, Hal acted. Turning upon his nearest guard, he seized the latter's rifle, at the same time delivering a well-directed kick at his enemy's shin. The man released his hold on the rifle, and, as he stooped unconsciously to rub his shin, the pain of which was almost unbearable, he met Hal's right fist, which, sent into his face with stunning force, knocked him cold.
All this happened in the smallest fraction of the time it takes to tell it, and, before the German officer and the soldier who were exploring the interior of the automobile could realize what was happening and go to the aid of their companions.
Captain Derevaux and Lieutenant Anderson had acted with almost as much celerity as had Hal, in spite of the fact that Chester's attack had taken them by surprise. Almost at the same moment Hal seized the weapon of his guard Captain Derevaux closed with the third man, and, with his fingers at his throat, was attempting to choke him into unconsciousness.
At the same moment the German commanding officer and his troops ran to the aid of their fellows.
"Shoot them!" shouted the officer, drawing his revolver and rushing to take part in the fray. He already held his sword in his hand.
The soldier drew a revolver.
Hal, having disposed of one enemy, clubbed the rifle he had wrenched from him, and, before either the German officer or his man could fire, was in the thick of the mêlée. Lieutenant Anderson, having picked up a rifle dropped by one of the German soldiers, was already there, his weapon also clubbed.
The officer and the trooper were unable to bring their revolvers to bear, and rushed into the fight with their weapons clubbed.
With a single blow Hal crushed the