Suddenly the first Germans appeared around the turn in the bridge, marching five abreast.
“Fire!” cried the captain, and the British rifles broke into flame.
Five Germans tumbled to the bridge.
A sudden idea struck Hal.
“There’s no use wasting five bullets on each German,” he told his men. “Let the five men on the left each pick out a man. The rest reserve your fire unless one of our men go down, then the one nearest him take his man, and so on!”
The second five Germans were too close behind their comrades, who had just fallen, to arrest their steps in time to avoid the British fire.
Five shots rang out as they came into view, and again five Germans fell. So far not a shot had been fired by the Germans. But now five more came around the turn with a rush, followed by five more, and still another five.
The first five dropped in a heap, but from the second five came a burst of flame and the crack of rifles. Two men behind the barricade dropped, one of whom was Capt. Lee. But the Germans paid dearly for their rash attack.
In less time than it takes to tell it, ten more Germans had bitten the dust. Then they drew off.