CHAPTER XX.
A RACE FOR LIFE.
Hal and Chester walked slowly along the road. It was just beginning to grow light and the lads were tired out. All night they had been on their journey toward Louvain, carrying a second communication to General Givet from the Belgian commander at Liège.
Unlike their previous trip, the country now was known to be overrun by Germans, and their second mission was much more perilous than had been their first. For this reason they had taken a different route, and so did not pass the farmhouse where Chester had been wounded some days before.
"What is that ahead?" asked Chester suddenly.
Hal strained his eyes, peering into the distance.
"I don't know," he replied.
They continued their advance, and suddenly Chester exclaimed:
"Why, it looks like an old-time provision wagon."
"So it is," replied Hal; "I wonder what it can be doing here?"
As the boys drew nearer they perceived their surmise had been correct. A dilapidated old wagon it was, standing beside the road. To it were hitched two mules. There was not a soul about.
"I thought these things had gone out of date," said Hal, indicating the wagon. "It looks like an old prairie schooner."
"It certainly does," answered Chester. "The only reason I can account for such a relic being in use is that every available vehicle has been impressed into service."
"I suppose that is the reason, but it certainly reminds me of the wild and woolly days we have read about in America. If this is not a regulation prairie schooner, I never saw one."
And indeed it seemed that the lads were right. The wagon was covered with a canvas top, which came down over the back, leaving a little opening in the rear.
"What is the reason we can't get in this thing and ride?" asked Chester.
"I can see none," was Hal's reply. "We might as well do it. Then, too, we can make better time."
Accordingly the lads climbed in, and soon were riding slowly along the road. When about five or six miles from Louvain, Hal, glancing behind, saw three horsemen approaching.
He grabbed Chester by the arm.
"Look there!" he said, pointing.
"Germans, by George!" exclaimed Chester, who was driving, and he immediately started the mules on a dead run.
"Hold on," said Hal; "maybe they are Belgians."
"No, no," replied Chester. "I know they are Germans!"
"Well," replied Hal, "I am going to see," and, stepping out on the footboard and holding to the side of the wagon, he looked back over the top of the wagon. The horsemen were closer now, and Hal could make out their uniforms.
"They are Germans, aren't they?" asked Chester.
"Yes," replied Hal, "and they are coming like the wind!"
"Well," said Chester, "maybe we can get away. You do what fighting is necessary, and I'll do the driving."
"All right," said Hal. Crawling back in the wagon, he drew his two revolvers, and in response to his command, Chester turned his two pistols over to him also.
Hal had hardly reached his place at the back of the wagon when Chester, between yells to the mules, cried out:
"How far off are they now, Hal?"
Hal answered him as well as he could, and Chester renewed his lashing of the mules and his yelling.
Once more Chester inquired the distance between pursued and pursuing, but, before Hal could answer, two shots were fired from behind, accompanied by a shouted command to halt. The bullets from the rifles passed through the wagon between the two lads, but did no damage; and almost instantly the Germans charged down on them. Three shots rang out as they passed the wagon, but the boys were not touched.
The Germans passed on, and then, circling back, prepared for another charge. Hal had fired at them several times, but, owing to the bumping of the wagon, his shots had not found a mark. But, if the bumping of the wagon had spoiled his aim, it had probably saved the lads' lives, for it made accurate shooting by the Germans impossible.
Down came the Germans again, shooting as they passed by. And again the boys were unharmed. Hal and Chester were now yelling at the top of their voices—why, they never knew.
Hal, crawling to the back end of the wagon and, looking out, saw the Germans ready to charge down on them again. One man, however, was jogging along close behind the wagon, his revolver held in his hand.
As Hal looked out, the German stopped his horse and fired. Hal dodged back sideways. The bullet whizzed through the hole in the canvas in the rear, grazed Hal's head, and struck the back of the seat near Chester. Chester did not even turn, but, with cries and blows, continued to urge the mules on.
As quick as he could, Hal rushed to the hole and fired at his opponent, but failed to hit him. At the same instant another bullet came through the side of the wagon, and struck his revolver, and the weapon fell to the road. Hal dodged back inside.
Then the Germans bore down on them again, firing into the wagon as they passed it. Hal sprang to the front of the wagon. One German had stopped and was taking aim at Chester. Hal raised his revolver, and, taking a snap shot, fired. The bullet went true, and the German fell to the road.
"I've hit one of them, Chester!" called Hal.
"Bully for you!" came back the response, and Chester continued to ply his whip on the backs of the galloping mules.
Once more the remaining two Germans turned and came back, but this time they did not fire as they passed the wagon. Hal rushed back to the rear of the wagon and looked out…. One German rode close behind and to the right of the wagon.
Bracing himself, Hal quickly stuck his revolver through the hole, but before he could fire, the German flopped over on one side of his horse, and all that could be seen of him was his arm around the animal's neck, and from the knee down, one leg.
Hal did not fire, but waited for him to come up—he could almost hit the horse's head with his hand, so closely was he running. Suddenly he saw his enemy's hand move, and he dodged back just in time. A bullet sped past his head.
Up came the German, and Hal stuck his revolver through the hole, and, without taking aim, fired. The ball struck the German in the breast, and, with a cry, he threw up his hands, and toppled from his horse.
"I got another one, Chester!" cried Hal.
"Good!" came the reply, but Chester was too busy to say more.
The bullet with which Hal had disposed of the second German had been his last, and the boys were now without firearms.
Along they bowled, and once more the last German passed the wagon. He had learned the boys were without weapons. But the German now had also disposed of his last cartridge, so the lads were on even terms.
Suddenly Chester called:
"He is crowding the mules off the road!"
It was true. The pursuer was riding close to the mules, trying to push them from the road. The animal on the near side was jumping frantically and gradually pushing the other mule toward the edge of the road.
The German kept close to the mule, in spite of several attempts Hal made to scare him off by pointing his empty revolver at him. The German refused to scare.
Grasping the side of the wagon, Hal took the revolver by the barrel and hurled it at the German. The latter tried to dodge, but it was too late. The revolver struck him in the face, and he fell to the ground.
He was up in a moment, however, and, picking up his sword, was soon in the saddle again; and a moment later the mules again were being crowded off the road.
The German was within striking distance, but Hal had nothing with which to hit him. His other empty revolvers had already been thrown.
"Hit him with the whip!" he cried to Chester. "Hit him with the whip!"
Chester, suiting the action to the word, simply diverted one of the blows intended for the mules, and struck the German fair across the face.
The whip had a knot on the end of it, to keep it from unraveling, and this knot hit the German in the eye. The German dropped his sword, put his hands to his face, and rubbed his eyes; then, putting spurs to his horse, he made off rapidly over the road which they had come.
The boys now caught the first glimpse of the town of Louvain, and the glad sight of Belgian troops could be discerned—the outposts guarding the town.
Chester let the mules slow down.
"That was some ride," he declared.
"You bet," was Hal's answer. "I thought we were gone that time, sure."
"Well, let's get out and walk the rest of the way," said Chester. "I have had enough of this riding to last me a lifetime. The wagon jolted so much I must be black and blue all over."
Chester stopped the mules, and the boys climbed to the ground; and, just as they started to resume their walk, Hal sank suddenly to the ground!