THE FIGHT IN THE WOODS.
Chester had drawn Stubbs to shelter behind a large tree, and now, bending
over the little war correspondent, sought to stop the flow of blood from
his wounds. Stubbs was not seriously injured, although he had been badly
scratched and bitten in the back of the neck.
"You are a fine bunch, you are!" exploded Stubbs when Chester announced
that he had dressed the wounds as well as he could. "Wanted to see those
cats chew me up, didn't you?"
"You are a brave man, Mr. Stubbs," replied Chester. "You have
accomplished a feat you may well be proud of the rest of your life. It
isn't every man who has the chance of distinguishing himself by slaying
three wild cats single handed."
"Were they wild cats?" asked Stubbs in surprise.
"Well, they were cats and they certainly were wild," replied Chester.
"Yes, sir, you are a brave man."
"I know that," said Stubbs, "but just the same you fellows should have
pitched in and helped me out."
"Had we not been struck motionless by your great display of courage, we
might have done so," replied Chester, smiling to himself. "But surely you
would not have had us rob you of the glory?"
"Well, no, I wouldn't have wished that," answered Stubbs. "But just the
same when a man is attacked by a bunch of wild cats, the first thing he
thinks of is help."
"But tell me, Mr. Stubbs," said Chester, "what were you doing in the road
in the first place?"
"Why," muttered the little man, somewhat confused, "I was seeking to make
out the number of the enemy so that I might tell you whether we were
strong enough to defeat them."
"That's all right; I just wanted to know."
Mr. Stubbs peered out from behind the tree, and as he did so a
German bullet went whizzing by. Mr. Stubbs hurriedly threw himself
upon the ground.
"What's the matter?" demanded Chester, although he knew well enough.
"A slight illness," replied Mr. Stubbs. "I am somewhat faint. I fear I
overexerted myself in my struggle with the wild cats."
He lay there behind the tree, stretched out at full length. Nor could he
be induced to get to his feet.
Slowly the last half of a moon arose, giving a little light but making
the shadows deeper.
Bullets whistled through the trees at regular intervals now, and wherever
a man exposed himself the German sharpshooters ran him quickly back to
cover or shot him down.
But the British, excellent marksmen that they were, in spite of their
losses were having the better of the encounter. Wherever a German arm or
leg was exposed, there a British bullet struck. Consequently the firing
soon became desultory and then ceased altogether.
Taking advantage of this lull, Chester made a dash, and succeeded in
reaching a tree behind which Hal and Captain Anderson had taken shelter.
"What are we going to do?" he demanded. "Surely we can't stay here
much longer."
"Well, what shall we do?" demanded Hal. "At the first break the Germans
will shoot us down."
"We must do something," replied Chester. "Wait a moment"--as Hal turned
away--"I have an idea."
"What is it?" demanded Hal.
"Yes, let's have it," said Captain Anderson.
"Well, why can't a few of us--say ten men--crawl toward the rear, and,
when out of sight, make a detour and catch the Germans from the rear?
Those who are left here will fire only at intervals, so that when we open
from the rear the enemy will believe that the major part of our men are
there. Naturally they will present their strongest front there. Then you
can take them by surprise from this side."
"By Jove!" ejaculated Captain Anderson. "That's not a half-bad idea."
"It's a good idea," said Hal. "It shall be acted upon at once. Now, who
shall go and who shall stay here?"
"Well," said Chester, "as it was I who suggested the plan, I guess
I am the one to head those who go. Detail ten men, Hal, and I'll
start at once."
The men placed at his disposal Chester made ready to go; but, before he
left, he called to Hal:
"By the way, when you leave here don't forget Stubbs. He's lying behind a
tree over there," pointing.
"I'll get him," Hal called back, "if I have to carry him on my shoulder."
Dropping to all fours Chester and his ten men soon disappeared in
the distance.
Feeling sure that he was out of sight in the thick underbrush, Chester
jumped to his feet. The ten men did likewise, and turning to the left all
dashed off through the brambles as fast and as quietly as possible. Among
the bushes it was very dark, and for this reason the little party was
unable to make much speed; but, nevertheless, they pushed on as rapidly
as possible.
Finally, feeling that he had gone far enough, Chester turned once more
sharply to the left, and pushed on in the way he had come.
At length they came again to the road, and, making sure that there was no
German in sight, Chester silently led his men across the highway to the
German side. Here they pushed straight on for a considerable distance,
until the lad felt certain that they had penetrated to the rear of the
German line. He then led his men sharply to the left again.
If his calculations were correct he must now be behind the enemy.
The little band of British crept forward silently now and more slowly. It
was ticklish work, and not a soldier but recognized the fact as, very
cautiously, they pressed on.
Chester halted abruptly. Directly ahead, perhaps fifty yards, he made out
the form of a single figure. Silently the lad crept closer. It was as he
had expected. The man was a German, and undoubtedly one of the force
which had so recently attacked them.
Chester threw his men out in a thin line, the distance between each man
being perhaps twenty yards.
"Fire when I give the word, and not until then," he ordered. "And make
every shot count. If the enemy rushes us give way as slowly as possible;
but if they try a hide-and-seek game, keep your positions behind shelter
as much as you can."
The men repeated this order to show that they understood, and all crept
forward. Three minutes of silent crawling and they came within full view
of the German line. It was still facing the road, across which were the
British. In the faint moonlight the entire force was clearly exposed to
Chester's party.
When Chester believed that he had approached near enough, he raised his
hand for a halt. Quickly each man concealed himself behind the largest
tree he could find.
So far they had not been discovered.
Chester glanced quickly around. Everything was ready.
Drawing a bead upon the German soldier who was nearest, Chester at last
gave the command his men had been eagerly awaiting:
"Fire!"
The eleven British rifles cracked out as one, and as many of the enemy
toppled over, for the British, unseen, had approached so close that a
miss was practically an impossibility.
Immediately confusion reigned among the enemy. Taken completely by
surprise, as Chester had intended they should be, the Germans lost all
signs of formation. Before they could recover their scattered wits and
turn upon their new foes, or even seek new shelter, the British had
poured in a second volley.
But the German officers, displaying great skill and bravery, soon had
their men under control, and turned upon the little party of British
in the rear.
Chester perceived what was about to happen and cried out to his men:
"They are going to rush us! Pick 'em off as they come!"
The Germans, at a command, sprang forward, and the British fired full in
their faces.
The Germans reeled, and for a moment it seemed they would seek shelter
once more; but they rallied and came on.
But, as they came, a volley was poured into them from the rear. Hal's
men, on the opposite side of the road, had advanced quickly, and again
the Germans had been surprised.
Caught thus between two fires, and unable to tell the number of their
foe, the Germans were at a great disadvantage. Nevertheless, outnumbering
the British as they did, they fought bravely, jumping quickly behind the
nearest trees, determined to sell their lives as dearly as possible.
When Hal heard the first sounds of firing, and realized that Chester and
his men had come into position and opened on the enemy, he quickly
ordered his men forward. He himself stopped for a moment to seek out
Stubbs, for fear that the little American might be left behind and fall
into the hands of the enemy.
"Quick, Stubbs!" he cried. "Get up, man, and come on!"
Stubbs scrambled to his feet.
"Where are you going?" he demanded in some anxiety.
"After the Germans," replied Hal. "We are attacking them from two
sides. Come on!"
Stubbs drew back.
"We'll all be killed!" he exclaimed.
"Never mind that," said Hal impatiently. "Are you coming with me or are
you going to stay here?"
"Alone?"
"Yes, alone."
"Oh, I'll go," said Stubbs mournfully, "but I know I'll never get back to
America alive. The _New York Gazette_ is about to lose its best man."
Still mumbling to himself he followed Hal.
The British under Hal and Captain Anderson broke from their shelter and
crossed the road to the enemy's side on a dead run, their smoking rifles
dealing out death on every hand as they advanced.
When Hal's men had attacked, Chester found it unnecessary to retreat, as
he had figured upon doing, and the rain of hail continued to pour upon
the enemy from all sides.
The British gradually closed on the enemy, fewer now by half than they
had been a few moments ago, until the circle had narrowed to within a few
yards of the enemy.
In spite of the semi-darkness the aim of the British cavalrymen had been
remarkable, and wherever and whenever a German showed himself, in nine
cases out of ten he fell to rise no more. The losses of the British had
been heavy, but not so great as those of the foe.
Now, at a command from Hal, the fire of the British ceased. Then the lad,
raising his voice to its highest pitch, shouted:
"Surrender!"