Both lads were without weapons, their arms having been confiscated when they were captured by the Germans.
On hands and knees Hal made a short detour and approached his enemy from behind. Now he was hardly ten feet from the man, who loomed up like a giant in the darkness. Hal rose suddenly to his feet, and, as he did so, he stepped on the fallen limb of a tree.
The deathly silence was shattered by this sound, and Hal’s enemy turned suddenly to confront this unexpected assailant. But, before he could bring his rifle to bear, Hal was upon him.
The man did succeed in raising his rifle above his head, and he now attempted to bring it down on the lad’s head. But Hal was too quick for him. Stepping in close, he struck his opponent a stinging blow in the face, and at the same time seized the rifle barrel with his other hand.
As the man staggered back, Hal wrenched fiercely on the rifle, and the weapon came away in his hand. But the man was not badly hurt by the force of Hal’s blow, and he suddenly dropped his hand to his belt. A moment later and the naked blade of a knife gleamed in the night.
Hal saw his enemy’s move and sprang back. But the man was after him in an instant, his knife raised to strike. They were too close together for Hal to bring the rifle to bear upon his enemy, and, realizing that he probably was no match for his opponent, the lad suddenly turned and ran.
But it was not Hal’s intention to run very far from his enemy. He was not that kind of a boy. His idea was to get far enough ahead of the man so that he might turn and shoot him. But as he ran he felt a gust of air pass his ear, and he heard the sound of something whizzing by him.
The German, realizing the boy’s purpose, and also that he could not overtake him, had hurled his knife. Hal also realized this the moment the knife sped by him, and stopped suddenly in his tracks.
In spite of the fact that his assailant had attempted to murder him, Hal could not find it in his heart to kill him in cold blood. Therefore, even as he turned, he raised the rifle high above his head, and, holding it tightly by the barrel, rushed upon his enemy.