CHAPTER XVI
CHESTER'S GALLANT FEAT
The object upon which Chester's eyes had fallen and which was the cause of the sudden activity on the lad's part was nothing less than the rapid-fire gun the Germans so recently had brought up to bombard the farmhouse and cut off the retreat of its French defenders. Its crew had been killed, picked off by the accurate shooting of the French before they abandoned the house, and the gun had not been remanned. Apparently the Germans had overlooked the small field piece in their haste to give chase to the retreating French.
The horses were standing a short distance away, unhurt, as Chester could see. The lad dashed toward the gun at top speed, his five men following him as fast as they could run.
There was a light of anticipation on Chester's face as he reached the gun and examined it carefully.
"Plenty of ammunition," he said with a grin, as his men came up to him.
The others grinned also.
"What are you going to do with it, sir?" asked one.
Chester waved his arm in the direction of the retreating French and pursuing Germans.
"Give those fellows a little surprise party when they turn back," he said.
The men caught the idea and were immediately filled with enthusiasm.
"We'd better get away from here before we're discovered, though," said
Chester. "Catch those horses, some of you."
This was an easy matter, for the horses stood still as two of the French soldiers approached them.
"Hook 'em up," cried Chester.
This, too, was the work of a moment.
"I'll do the driving," said Chester. "You fellows climb aboard."
The others needed no urging and a moment later this strange battery moved toward the French lines at a gallop.
The Germans in pursuit of the French were still in plain view and Chester intended to keep close behind. He reasoned that the distance was too great for the Germans to make out the uniforms of the men on the gun and he intended to turn off the roadway at the first sign that the Germans were ready to give up the chase.
Along the road ran a fringe of trees, sparse in some places and thicker in others. It was Chester's plan to wheel the gun in among the trees at the proper moment and open on the foe when they came back.
And the plan was to be put in execution sooner than the lad had hoped for.
Chester saw the Germans slow down. Then they turned and came toward him. The lad could not make out at once the cause of their sudden decision to retreat, but it came to him a moment later with the sound of heavy rifle firing. Apparently, French infantry had advanced to the support of the cavalry and the Germans were not strong enough in numbers to contest effectively.
Immediately, Chester swung the horses to the right in among the trees, which, fortunately, happened to be dense at this particular point.
"Guess we'll give 'em a little surprise," said Chester, with a grin.
Dismounting, he motioned the men to unhitch the horses, which was done.
Then the gun was whirled into position where it commanded the roadway.
"We're ready for them," said Chester, quietly.
The Germans drew on apace. Suddenly a thought struck Chester.
"Great Scott!" he exclaimed. "I can't shoot them down in cold blood, I'll have to give them a chance. Here!" he motioned to one of his men and the latter approached. "Take this gun," the lad commanded. "I'm going to give these fellows a chance to surrender. If they refuse I'll duck back here and you let them have it. I'll keep out of range, but don't turn this gun until I get back. Understand?"
The man signified that he did.
Chester walked some distance back to where the road curved a bit. He was out of the direct line of fire, but still in such position to make his demand for the surrender of the Germans without allowing them to pass the sweep of the rapid-firer.
With the Germans still some distance down the road, Chester stepped directly into the highway and raised a hand.
The leading Germans pulled up and an officer demanded:
"What's the matter?"
"Surrender!" exclaimed Chester, "or you shall all be killed."
The German officer gave a great laugh.
"Hear the boy talk," he exclaimed. "He asks us to surrender when we have just chased all the French back to their own lines."
There was a roar of laughter from the troop.
"Surrender!" called Chester again.
Again there was a laugh and the German officer called:
"Throw up your hands, boy, or you shall be shot!"
"Well," said Chester, "I've done all I can. I've warned you. Your blood be upon your own heads."
With a sudden leap he disappeared among the trees. With a fierce cry, the
German officer made after him, firing as he did so.
At the same moment there was a crash as of a thousand rifles. Germans fell from their saddles like chaff before a storm. Horses reared, screamed, stampeded and fell down dead, crushing their riders beneath them.
By this time Chester had returned to his men and took charge of the rapid-fire gun himself. He turned it this way and that, sweeping the roadway clear, where the foe was in range.
And from far behind the German line at this moment broke out the crack of rifles. The French infantry had advanced in pursuit of the Germans, a squadron of cavalry showing the way.
The Germans were caught between two fires.
Unable to estimate the number of men in the force that had ambushed them, the Germans threw down their arms.
"We surrender!" cried a German officer.
Instantly the fire of the machine gun ceased and Chester advanced to the road again. The same German officer who, a moment ago, had scorned the lad's warning, now advanced and tendered his sword to Chester.
"Tell your men to throw down their arms," commanded Chester.
The officer did so, and swords and pistols rattled to the ground.
"Now," said Chester, "you will about face and march toward the French lines. There must be no foolishness. My army here is rather small, but we still have the rapid-fire gun and it will be trained upon you until you are safe."
The lad signalled to his men, who had already hitched up the horses, and these now advanced.
"What!" exclaimed the German officer, when he had taken a glance at
Chester's "army," "are these all the men you had when you attacked us?"
"They seemed to be enough," said Chester, with a smile.
"No wonder we haven't beaten you a long while ago," the German officer mumbled to himself. "When five men and one a boy perform a feat like this, I begin to have my doubts as to the outcome of this war."
"Well," said Chester, "I don't have any such doubts. But come, now; forward march."
Slowly the German troopers marched ahead, Chester and his machine gun bringing up the rear.
And in this manner they came directly upon the French cavalry and infantry advancing in pursuit of the Germans.
Great were the exclamations among the French troops when it was found that five men and a young officer had made such an important capture, to say nothing of the terrible execution inflicted upon the enemy with their own rapid-fire gun. The French officers were loud in the praises of Chester's gallantry.
And with the troop of French cavalry Chester found Hal and Captain
Leroux.
"By Jove! I'm glad to see you, Chester," said Hal, advancing with outstretched hand. "I was afraid we wouldn't get back in time."
"I guess you wouldn't have, if we had waited for you," said Chester, dryly. "I wasn't going to take any more chances if I could help it. When you left us there by ourselves, I was sure if we wanted to come away, we'd have to do it by ourselves."
"We didn't do it intentionally," said Captain Leroux.
"Who said you did?" demanded Chester, somewhat angrily.
The French captain flushed. He drew himself up, seemed about to make an angry reply; then cooled down and said:
"I'm sorry."
With that he walked away.
"Look here, Chester," said Hal, "you know that I wouldn't have left you behind for anything if I had only thought of it. But in the excitement and—"
"That's it," said Chester. "There was too much excitement and you were having it all. I get buried down in a cellar with five men and sit there in the dark till the fun's all over. Then you don't even take the trouble to tell me it's time to go home. I don't like it."
"Great Scott! You're not mad, are you, Chester?"
"Mad? Sure I'm mad. Next time you get in a hole I'm going to walk away and leave you there."
Hal smiled.
"Oh, I guess not," he returned.
"You do, eh? Well, you try it and see what happens."
"Come, now, Chester, you know how this thing happened," said Hal. "We didn't do it purposely."
Chester seemed about to make an angry retort; but a moment later a smile broke over his face and he extended a hand to his chum.
"I know you didn't," he replied, "but can't a fellow have a little fun?"
Hal took the hand as he exclaimed:
"You've offended Captain Leroux."
"Well," said Chester, "Captain Leroux has offended me."