"I'll stop it, sir," he promised.
"Very well. Don't let me detain you longer."
Hal strode away to where the young lieutenant and a score of men were wheeling two big field pieces into position.
"Hurry, men," he cried. "We've no time to lose."
Meantime, because of the heavy execution by the enemy from inside the houses, the Americans had sought what shelter they could find in doorways and around corners. This situation, Hal knew, could not be allowed to exist, for it would give the demoralized enemy time to recover their scattered wits and to reform. Therefore, the houses must be cleared of snipers immediately.
From the first house in the block where Hal found himself, the snipers seemed to be more active than in any other. Hal determined to give this house his attention first.
He sighted the gun himself, then gave the command to fire.
"Boom!"
The voice of the big gun rose high above the rattle of machine gun and rifle fire.
"Crash!"