CHAPTER VIII.
THE MISSION SUCCESSFUL.
"Never!" came back the reply of the German officer in command.
Hal, who had stepped slightly from the shelter of a big tree, jumped back quickly as a bullet lifted his cap from his head.
"Too bad," he said quietly. "I would have avoided further loss of life.
However, if they will have it, give it to them, men."
The fight had raged, at intervals, all during the night. Now the first faint signs of dawn appeared and a little while later it became light.
From his shelter Hal took in the situation about him. Here and there dead bodies strewed the woods, Germans and British alike. Wounded men also lay upon the ground.
Hal now decided that the battle had lasted long enough. With a cry to his men he dashed suddenly forward, the troopers following close behind. Chester, at his end of the field, perceiving this movement, also led his handful of men forward.
Some fell, as they dashed into the very face of the German fire, but the bulk of the British reached their goal, where, outnumbering the Germans now, they soon disposed of them. When all were down but a mere handful, a German lieutenant, the sole surviving officer, threw down his revolver and raised his hands in token of surrender.
Hal drew a great breath of pure relief and advanced. He was within ten feet of the German officer, when the latter suddenly sprang forward. His sword again leaped forth, and he made a furious thrust at the lad.
Although surprised at this attack, Hal was not caught completely off his guard. With a single movement his own sword leaped from its scabbard and parried the thrust of the German officer.
Chester took a sudden step forward to interfere, but Hal, perceiving his friend's move out of the corner of his eye, cried out:
"Stand back, Chester. I'll dispose of this cowardly dog alone."
But the German was an accomplished swordsman, which Hal was not. True, the lad had had some experience with the sword and had already fought one successful duel; but, in spite of this, he was no match for the more experienced German officer.
The German pressed the lad hard and, secure in the knowledge that he would not be interfered with, he tried his best to run the lad through. Fortunately, however, the lad's blade met his at every thrust. Tiring of this, the German took a step backward, and, raising his sword, grasped it by the point and hurled it at Hal.
The lad escaped being impaled only by a quick spring aside. The German turned to flee, and as he did so, bumped squarely into Anthony Stubbs, who accidentally barred his path at that moment. The two collided with a crash, and were soon rolling about on the ground.
To attack the German officer had been farthest from Stubbs's mind; but the German officer, believing that the little American had barred his path purposely, struck out at him heavily. More by good fortune than anything else, Stubbs evaded the blow by rolling quickly over, and as he did so his right hand accidentally descended upon the German's face.
Stubbs was as greatly surprised as was his opponent, but the latter became furiously angry.
"Hit me, will you!" he cried.
"I didn't do it on purpose!" exclaimed Stubbs, greatly alarmed by the anger of the German.
Quickly he rolled over again, once more escaping by a hair's breadth a heavy blow of the German's fist. Then he arose quickly and started to run; but the German was close behind him.
Realizing that he could not possibly outrun his opponent, Stubbs turned suddenly and dived at the German's legs, crying out as he did so:
"Help! Help! Anthony, you will be killed."
His sudden maneuver had taken the German by surprise, and again the two rolled over and over upon the ground in a tangled heap.
In some unaccountable manner Stubbs was the first to extricate himself, and, absolutely certain that his adversary meant to kill him, he rolled over quickly and sat upon his enemy's breast.
In vain did the German attempt to shake himself free. Stubbs, still crying for help and moaning to himself, was as immovable as the Rock of Gibraltar.
Hal, Chester, Captain Anderson and the British cavalrymen had derived great amusement from this scene, and, as Hal had realized that the German, now unarmed, could not do much harm to the war correspondent, he had let the two fight it out alone.
Now that Stubbs had been returned the victor, greatly to the surprise of all, Hal advanced and induced the little American to relinquish his seat. This the latter did, though not without some trepidation—fearing that the German would attack him again as soon as he could arise—and, when he finally did get upon his feet, he put a respectable distance between himself and his late opponent.
"You fellows are bent on getting me killed," he said, turning to Chester with a frown. "You always help each other, but whenever I am in trouble you leave me to fight it out alone."
"And you always acquit yourself admirably," said Chester, forbearing to smile.
"Well, I'll admit that," returned Stubbs; "but some time I am bound to get the worst of it. Then I suppose you'll laugh."
By this time Hal had the German officer securely bound, and at his command the rest of the enemy still upon their feet also were tied up. Then, with their prisoners in the center, the British once more set out upon their march to the British lines, Stubbs trailing along behind.
Before noon they came within sight of the first British outposts, and soon had passed to safety. Here they procured horses, and made all haste back toward their own division, where they arrived several hours later.
When those of the British troop who had gone forth with the two lads returned to their own regiment, and the lads, with Captain Anderson, took their departure, they raised three lusty cheers for each of the officers in farewell.
The three, accompanied by Stubbs, immediately made their way to the headquarters of General French. Here Hal, Chester and Captain Anderson were at once admitted, but Stubbs was forced to remain without, being told that Sir John French had no time to waste upon war correspondents.
"Well, what do you think of that?" Stubbs ejaculated. "A newspaper man refused admittance! I never heard of such a thing before."
Nevertheless he was forced to cool his heels on the outside until his newly found friends should come out, and this is what he proceeded to do.
General French greeted the two lads with a smile.
"Back so soon?" he exclaimed. "I hardly expected you before to-morrow.
And was your mission a success?"
"Well, General," replied Hal, "we didn't go as far as we could have gone. We were fortunate enough to come upon Captain Anderson, who had just escaped from the Germans, and knows more of the situation there than we could possibly have learned. We figured that it was not necessary to sacrifice lives foolishly."
"You did exactly right," replied General French.
He turned to Captain Anderson. "Are the Germans contemplating any new move in the north that you know of?" he asked.
"They are not, sir," was the reply. "I can say that positively. I heard plans while I was in the hospital. The German forces in the west have been drawn upon somewhat heavily to reënforce their troops in the eastern theater of war."
"Do you believe that a new offensive would drive them back?"
"That's a hard question, sir. They are strongly intrenched all along the line, and I should say that unless the offensive were to be pushed to the limit, with some object in view besides merely advancing a mile or two, it would be a needless sacrifice."
General French looked Captain Anderson full in the eye.
"That, sir," he said gravely, "is my idea exactly, which is the reason we have not assumed the offensive long before this. I have been censured for my policy more than once; but I would not sacrifice lives needlessly, and would wait until Lord Kitchener has furnished me with sufficient men before ordering a concerted advance."
Captain Anderson did not reply to this statement, for he knew that no answer was expected. He was, nevertheless, honored by the general's confidence, and pleased to know that his ideas found favor with his commander.
"You gentlemen had all better get a little rest," said General French.
He turned to his desk, littered with maps and papers, signifying that the interview was ended. The three officers drew themselves up to attention, saluted, and left the tent.
Outside they were joined by Anthony Stubbs, who poured into their ears his tale of woe at being refused admission to the general's quarters.
"And where am I to go, now?" he asked.
"Where do you want to go?" asked Hal.
"Why," was the reply, "I want to go where I can get some news for my paper. I want big news—something that the other papers will not get."
"But," said Hal, "you know that, even if you got it, you could not send it to your paper. The censor would see to that."
"Oh, I know that," replied Stubbs, "but if I can get it I'll get it out.
You leave that to me."
"Well, Mr. Stubbs," said Hal, "I don't know where you can get it right now, but for to-night I ask you to share our tent. You may fare forth on your quest in the morning."
Mr. Stubbs made a profound bow.
"I thank you," he replied, "and I shall do myself that honor."
Hal turned to Captain Anderson.
"And you, too, Captain," he said, "I hope you will stay the night with us. You can look up your regiment in the morning."
Captain Anderson replied that he would be happy to accept this invitation, and the four immediately went to the quarters provided for the two lads when they had returned to the army from the air flight from Russia.
Here, tired out and almost exhausted, they turned in immediately—in spite of the fact that the sun had not yet sunk below the horizon—and soon all lay snug and comfortable in the arms of Morpheus.