“I guess I had better tie you up for safe keeping,” the lad muttered to himself. “I can’t afford to be interfered with now.”
He found a piece of rope, and, making a gag out of a napkin, gagged and bound her securely. Then he placed her gently in a chair.
“You will have to sit there until someone comes along to free you,” he told her. “I hope it won’t be long, for your sake, but I can’t afford to take any chances with you.”
He left the house; and as he turned his eyes toward the spot where he had so lately left his friends, his heart sank.
Chester, Lieutenant Anderson and the three troopers were running toward him as fast as their legs would carry them, closely pursued by a band of mounted Germans. Even at this distance Hal could make out the forms of Count Von Moltke, and, yes, Emperor Wilhelm himself!
With the high German officers came a little troop of mounted soldiers, evidently, Hal thought, an escort, that had been left some distance behind while the Emperor and his officers discussed their plans in the farmhouse. In all, there were twelve horsemen dashing after the fugitives.
Now his friends came up with him, and Hal, believing as did his friends that discretion was the better part of valor, also turned and ran. Several shots rang out, but none was touched and they did not pause to reply.
“Just wait till we get back to our own men,” thought Hal to himself as he ran along, “that is, if we can make it.”
But help came unexpectedly. Bristow, the man who had been left in charge of the little band of English, hearing the sound of firing, had crawled forward to investigate. He made out the figures flying toward him and recognized them instantly; also, he saw the pursuing horsemen.
Quickly he returned to his men, and at a word they all dashed forward. This reinforcement arrived not a moment too soon, for the horsemen were overhauling the fugitives rapidly.