"He is a German. Why else should he be prowling around, if not to spy?" And their informant rushed into the thick of the crowd, gesticulating violently, and adding his voice to the din.
"Great Scott! We can't stand for this!" exclaimed Chester. "Come on!"
Together the two lads rushed into the thick of the mob. Elbowing and pushing men to right and left they made their way through the mass of humanity.
The cause of all the confusion had now freed himself from the clutches of the angry mob, and was laying about him furiously with his cane. He cleared a space before him. But those in front were pushed forward by the men in the rear of the crowd, and once more surged to the attack, just as Hal and Chester, with a final effort, burst through.
The lads took their places, one on each side of the fighting German, and
Chester raised a hand to check the mob.
"Get back!" he shouted. "Shame upon you to attack a single man like this.
Is this Belgian bravery?"
For a moment the crowd hung back, then rushed forward again, and the three were soon fighting desperately against fearful odds.
But the boys this time had tackled a task that was beyond them. They struck out rapidly, as did the man to whose aid they had rushed, but the sheer weight of numbers finally told.
Chester, Hal and the stranger all went down at last, and were in imminent danger of being beaten into insensibility.
But at that moment the sound of a bugle rang out, and the crowd scattered in all directions. A troop of cavalry was hurrying to the scene.