AN EXPEDITION
Briefly Jack repeated Captain Marcus' orders to Frank.
"I took the liberty of making those preparations without awaiting
such a command," said Frank. "I have thrown out outposts, and
there is no danger of a surprise tonight."
"You mean this morning," disagreed Jack, after a look at his
watch. "It's after four o'clock now."
"Then it will soon be daylight," said Frank. "You had better
turn in and get a little sleep. I'll stand watch."
Jack well knew the futility of an argument over this matter, so
he turned in without further words by the simple process of
throwing himself on a pallet on the floor of the tent. Frank
took his seat in the doorway, where he remained looking out into
the distance.
The sun was high in the heavens when Jack awoke. He jumped up
with a start. Frank was not there. Jack made a hasty toilet and
set out to find his friend. He came upon him at the river landing,
and, as the lad cast his eyes down the stream he made out
the launch of Captain Marcus coming, swiftly toward the camp.
He tapped Frank lightly on the shoulder.
"Why didn't you wake me up?" he demanded.
"Well, you were sleeping so comfortably I hated to disturb you,"
replied Frank.
"And I suppose you would have let Captain Marcus find me asleep?"
"I don't believe he would have minded. He knows we all sleep
some time."
"I'll get even with you one of these days," said Jack laughing,
and both lads stepped to the very edge of the landing to give
Captain Marcus a hand as he clambered from the boat.
"How is everything?" he demanded, as he arose to his feet.
"First rate," replied Frank.
"No signs of the enemy?"'
"Not a sign, sir."
"Good! Evidently he doesn't know we have occupied the town. I
believe that by a quick dash we can capture Boak. What do you
think?"
"Fine!" exclaimed Jack with enthusiasm.
"Of course we can, sir," agreed Frank.
"All right, then; it shall be your job!"
Jack and Frank saluted.
"Thank you, sir," both said breathlessly.
Several hours later the two lads, in the captain's launch, found
themselves at the head of a small flotilla moving slowly up the
river. Each boat was equipped with one rapid-fire gun and
carried twenty men. In all there were twelve boats.
The farther up the river the little party progressed the narrower
became the stream, until finally it was little better than a deep
creek. Foliage of large trees overhung the water, making it
almost as dark as night. The water was black and murky.
Frank shuddered as he glanced at it.
"Looks like it might be full of all kinds of reptiles and
things," he said.
"It certainly does," Jack agreed. "I would as soon think of
jumping into the bottomless pit as of diving into this black
stream."
Around bend after bend in the small stream the little flotilla
proceeded cautiously, and ever, as they progressed, the stream
became narrower and more fear-inspiring.
In some of the boats men began to grumble. Jack turned and
called out angrily:
"Silence!" Then he added more companionably: "It's all right,
men. Where men have gone before men can go now without fear of
the unknown. I'll admit it doesn't look very pleasant, but
surely an English sailor is not afraid to go where a German foot
has trod."
The men started a cheer at the lad's words, but he silenced them
by a motion of his hand, and called out:
"Silence! We do not want to warn the enemy of our approach."
Now, rounding a little bend in the stream, the lads could make
out, some distance ahead, what appeared to be the huts of a
little village. Also, they could see that, at that point, the
stream widened out considerably.
Apparently secure in the belief that the forts at Duala could
successfully ward off the attacks of any enemy, the German
commander at Boak had grown careless, and the lads could not see
a single sign of soldiers or sentries.
Frank glanced behind him and ordered softly:
"Take down all flags!"
The command was passed from one boat to another, and soon the
little flotilla was moving up the river, looking more like a
pleasure party than a hostile force, except for the uniforms of
the men. However, these could not be plainly seen from the
village, because of the shadow cast by the dense foliage that
overhung the river.
Now, through their glasses, the boys could see several German
officers peering at them through long telescopes.
"They've seen us," said Jack.
"Yes," was Frank's reply. "But evidently they believe us
friends, or they would open fire on us."
"Perhaps their guns are not of the heavy caliber of those at
Duala."
"By Jove! I believe you have hit it!" exclaimed Frank. "In
that case, with our rapid-firers, we should have little trouble
taking the village."
At the point where the stream widened out, Jack allowed two of
the craft behind to come up even and thus, three abreast, the
journey was continued.
Every man was now at his post. The gunners were ready to open
with the rapid-firers at a moment's notice. All held their
rifles ready. Still the Germans did not fire, apparently
uncertain of the identity of the newcomers--or rather, seemingly
certain they were friends.
Suddenly a squad of six German soldiers wheeled a small,
old-fashioned cannon to the landing near the officers, and a
moment later a solid shot plowed up the water in front of the
first boat of the British flotilla.
"A signal to show our colors," said Jack grimly. "What do you
say, Frank? Are we ready to show them?"'
"Yes!" cried Frank.
An instant and the English Jack floated over each boat, while at
the same time the first three boats in the battle line opened
with their rapid-firers.
At the distance, scarcely two hundred yards, the execution was
terrible. The German officers and the entire gun squad, riddled
with bullets, fell forward on their faces.
But this was only the beginning.
Swiftly moving German troops now came marching to the river
front, steadily, in spite of the withering British fire, and
sternly, to repel the foe. Slowly they came into position, and,
dropping on their knees, poured a volley into the little
flotilla.
But, deadly as this fire was, that of the rapid-firers aboard the
boats was more so. The British did not escape without considerable
damage, but the German loss was far heavier.
Steadily, in spite of the grilling German fire, the boats pressed
on.
Each man concealed himself as well as he could behind the low
sides of the boats, exposing just enough of his head to take aim
at the enemy.
The first boats were now but a scant hundred yards away. For
some reason, evidently thinking to pick off the men in the boats,
the enemy had not brought artillery to bear. But at this
juncture a squad sprang forward to serve the gun already used.
A charge was rammed home and the gun sighted; but, as the man
detailed was about to pull the lanyard, Frank sprang suddenly to
his feet in the boat and his revolver spoke. The German flung
wide his arms and toppled to the ground. Another sprang to his
place, but only to meet the same fate; and another, and still
another.
All this time the little rapid-firers were continuing their
deadly work, and at last a bugle sounded the call for the German
retreat. Slowly they drew off, firing as they went, but, as the
British now moved up faster, the Teutons turned and ran.
Quickly the little flotilla came alongside the wharf and men
scrambled ashore. It was but the work of a few minutes to land
the rapid-firers, half the British with rifles meanwhile holding
off the enemy.
Then, everything in readiness, Frank gave the order for an
advance.
Now, from all sides, came a withering German fire. The enemy had
taken to the woods, seeking to pick off the English one at a
time; but, at a word from Jack, the machine-guns were turned upon
the trees, and this scattering fire soon turned the retreat into
a rout.
As the English at length poured into the streets of the little
village itself, from every house and hut came a German bullet.
Many British fell, and it was here that the heaviest losses were
sustained by the attacking party.
But Frank soon found a remedy for this. The rapid-fire guns were
turned upon the huts and houses, and, as the bullets began to
find their way into the openings, the work of the snipers
stopped.
For some minutes there was a lull in the fighting, while
ammunition for the guns was brought up from the boats; when,
suddenly, down the street came a band of Germans at a charge.
Quickly the British formed to meet them, the rapid-fire guns for
the moment being useless. Swords and bayonets were bared and
rifles were clubbed. The Germans came on with a rush. The
impact was terrific, but the British sailors stood firm, and gave
thrust for thrust, blow for blow--and more.
Being unable to force the British back, and, seeing that they
were getting the worst of this hand-to-hand encounter, the German
officers ordered a retreat. This proved their complete undoing,
for, as they drew off at a run, the rapid-firers of the British
again came into action, and the enemy were mowed down like chaff.
More rapidly now the British pushed on through the heart of the
village, Frank telling off a few men here and there to give
notice of a possible approach of reinforcements from some other
direction.
But no reinforcements came, and the Germans finally retreated
before the victorious British until they were once again
sheltered by a dense forest. Then Frank called a halt.
He threw a cordon around the town and dispatched three men in a
little boat to inform Captain Marcus of the success of his
expedition.
"Well," said Jack, with a laugh, "we've got the town all right.
What are we going to do with it?"
"That's the question," replied Frank. "I guess, before making
any further move, we had better wait for orders."
"My idea, exactly," said Jack.
"Since we're agreed," replied Frank, "we'll wait."