Then there came the sound of the German rounding the bend, and taking careful aim at the distance above the ground he believed the man’s head would be, Hal pressed the trigger.
There was a terrific roar that echoed and reechoed through the passageway, a howl of pain and then silence. For a moment Hal waited, for he did not wish to be caught napping. Then he slowly made his way forward. Presently he came in contact with a man’s body. It was the enemy.
Propping himself up behind the dead man, Hal felt more comfortable.
“It will be daylight soon,” he said to himself, “and they can’t get in here without me seeing them And one man here is as good as a hundred.”
Raising his voice, Hal shouted:
“Are you all right, Chester?”
“All right,” came back the answer. “One man tried to get in here, but I got him,” for all the time that Hal had been engaged Chester had been having troubles of his own.
After Hal had left him, Chester, seeking to ascertain the exact position of the Germans at his end of the cave, and, if possible, their number, had ventured too close to the opening.
A German, walking past at that moment, struck a match to light a cigarette, and Chester’s form was clearly outlined in the glare of it. With a hoarse guttural exclamation the German dropped his match and cigarette and brought his rifle to bear.