CAPTURED.
Caught thus unexpectedly Hal immediately threw his hands above his
head; Chester followed his example. It was plain to both lads that
there was not a chance in a thousand to escape, for the German soldier
had his rifle pointed squarely at them.
Of course there was a possibility that by a sudden spring one of the
lads might have succeeded in knocking the man down; but this probably
would have meant the death of the other. Hal and Chester both realized
that it was no time to take such a chance.
"We surrender," called Hal in German, and immediately the soldier
lowered his weapon and approached them.
He passed his hands around their waists and then felt in the pockets
of their coats and relieved them of their weapons. Then he ordered:
"Right about; forward, march!"
The lads obeyed this command, and the German stalked after them,
keeping his rifle in readiness for a quick shot should his prisoners
attempt to escape.
But the lads had no thought of taking to their heels, for they were
fully aware that a bullet would stop one of them at least should they
make even one false move.
They continued their walk, and presently came in view of what appeared
to be a large German camp. Here their captor marched them directly to
the tent of the commanding officer.
"What are you doing within our lines?" was the latter's first question
after the soldier had related how he had made his capture.
"Well," said Hal, "we were accidentally carried through your lines by
a locomotive which we happened to be running when the rest of the
train was blown up. We couldn't get back, so we went ahead. We finally
lost the engine, so we were making our way back to our own lines."
"Lost the engine? What do you mean?" asked the officer.
"Why," Chester broke in, "we sent it over a precipice that it might
not fall into the hands of the Germans."
"You did, eh?" said the German officer. "Well, I shall attend to your
case in the morning. Orderly! See that these prisoners are carefully
guarded, and have them brought to me the first thing in the morning.
Perhaps they may be induced to give me the information I require."
"You won't get any information out of us," said Chester angrily.
"Won't I?" replied the officer, with a sneer. "We shall see. Take them
away."
The two lads were led to a small field tent and thrust inside, with a
guard on the outside.
"Well, here we are again," said Chester, with a faint smile. "What do
you suppose will be done with us if we refuse to divulge what the
general wants to know?"
"I'm sure I don't know," was Hal's reply, "but I am afraid we are
in for it this time. I have never taken much stock in the tales I
have heard of the barbarous treatment of the Germans toward their
prisoners, but one look at the general's face was enough to convince
me that he would stop at nothing to gain his end."
"The same thought struck me, too," agreed Chester. "But, one thing is
certain, he'll get no information out of me."
"Nor out of me, either," declared Hal.
Chester rose and started to walk around the tent. In the darkness he
stumbled over something and fell to the ground. Arising he reached in
his pocket and produced a match. A tiny flame lighted up the dark
interior of the tent, and the lad stepped back with an ejaculation.
"Bicycles," he muttered.
"What?" demanded Hal.
"Bicycles. I wonder why they are here?"
"Probably dumped in here by a couple of men who have returned from a
scouting expedition," said Hal.
"By George!" exclaimed Chester suddenly.
"What is it now?" demanded Hal.
Chester did not reply immediately. He appeared to be thinking deeply.
"Have you a knife?" he asked at length.
Hal produced one, and, taking it from his friend's hand, Chester
stepped to the back of the tent. Quickly he opened the blade, and made
a neat incision in the canvas, finally cutting out a little square.
Then he put his eye to the hole and peered out.
There was no one in sight. The guard could be heard pacing to and fro
in front of the tent, but apparently there was no guard at the rear.
Chester left his peep-hole and returned to Hal's side.
"If we can get two of these bicycles out here," he whispered, "we may
be able to get away by a quick dash. Are you willing to take a
chance?"
"Sure," agreed Hal. "Anything is better than sitting here and waiting
for I know not what. But do you think we can make it?"
"Well, we can at least try. There doesn't seem to be a guard in the
rear. I am going to cut a big slit in the back. Then we'll slip the
bicycles through it, mount and make a dash."
"Good!" said Hal.
Quietly Chester slit the canvas in the rear of the tent, making a hole
large enough for a man to step through. Quietly the boys each selected
a bicycle and pushed it cautiously through the opening.
Once on the outside they drew a breath of relief.
"We'll have to depend on our luck now," whispered Chester. "Come on!"
The lads leaped into the saddles, and a moment later were speeding
through the heart of the German camp.
In the very boldness of their scheme lay a certain degree of safety,
for the sentinels on guard certainly did not look for two youths of
the allied armies to be riding through their midst.
They were not even challenged as they sped through the camp, turning
this way and that, and they had passed beyond the last row of tents
before a hubbub from the rear told them that their flight had been
discovered.
"We must be careful," cried Hal, as he rode his wheel close beside
Chester. "There is still the outpost to pass."
But they did not diminish their speed. Rather, if anything, they
pedaled faster; and then the outpost came into sight--a long line of
men, almost in front of them. Some were pacing to and fro, while
others sat upon the ground.
The riders were upon them before they knew it, and two flying bicycles
sped between the German troopers. A cry of "halt!" went unheeded, and
the Germans, quickly bringing their rifles to their shoulders, sent a
volley after the lads.
But neither was hit. In the darkness the Germans were unable to aim
carefully. The boys heard the hum of bullets around them, but they did
not falter. There was no second volley, for the lads had disappeared
in the darkness, and the Germans were not minded to spend their
ammunition foolishly.
The first streak of dawn appeared in the sky, and still the boys rode
on swiftly. But at length Hal slowed down and Chester followed suit.
"I'm tired out," said Hal, as he jumped from his bicycle.
"And so am I," replied Chester, as he, too, jumped to the ground to
stretch his legs.
Suddenly from the distance in which they had come came a faint
"chug-chug."
Chester pricked up his ears.
"What's that?" he demanded anxiously.
For a brief moment Hal paused to listen. The sound became louder. Hal
sprang toward his bicycle.
"Come on!" he cried, and leaped into the saddle. "Motorcycles! We are
pursued!"
Chester was hardly a second behind him, and the two lads were again
riding madly along the road. Fortunately there were many curves in the
highway, and this fact prevented their pursuers from sighting them
from any great distance.
Hal suddenly brought his bicycle to an abrupt stop and jumped to the
ground. Although not knowing what plan Hal had in his mind, Chester
immediately did likewise.
The spot where they had alighted was in the midst of a clump of trees,
and quickly the lads drew their bicycles in among them, hiding them
from sight of the road. Then Hal turned, and, with Chester close
behind him, dashed back in the direction from which they had come,
taking care to keep well within the shelter of the trees.
And now Chester made out the object of his friend's wild dash. It was
a farmhouse, setting well back from the road. Chester had not detected
it as they sped by, but Hal's keen eyes had singled it out as a
possible refuge.
"We'll have to take a chance of the occupants being friendly," Hal
told his friend, as they ran toward the house. "If they will allow us
to hide here until night, we may be able to get back to our lines
safely."
The boys ran around the house, and Hal rapped sharply upon the rear
door. A moment later and a kindly-faced woman appeared in the doorway.
She started back at the appearance of the two lads.
"Are the English coming?" she demanded, after a quick glance at the
lads' uniforms, and then she clasped her hands and exclaimed: "At
last! At last!"
"No, madam," Hal undeceived her, "the English are not coming--yet. We
are trying to make our way back to our lines, but a German motorcycle
squad is after us. We have come here to see if you will hide us until
nightfall."
The woman was silent for one moment. Then she stepped aside and
motioned them into the house.
"Come," she said quietly. "The Germans will not learn you are here
through me."
The lads stepped inside the door, and not a moment too soon. For at
that very instant a band of a dozen Germans flashed by on the road,
their motorcycles kicking up a cloud of dust.