“Get your pick!” commanded the guard.
Hal obeyed.
“Now get back to work!”
There was no help for it, and in spite of his weakness Hal wielded his pick with the others.
At his right, Hal saw that Harding, with several ugly wounds in his head, also was back at work. The man smiled slightly as he caught Hal’s eye.
“You see, you started something we all couldn’t finish,” he said in a low voice. “These Germans have discovered the way of putting down a mutiny, as you have learned. Of course the time may come when we shall catch them unprepared, but it hasn’t come yet, so lie low. Hello,” he added, “your friend is coming to his senses. If he’s wise he’ll get up and work till he drops.”
Chester, under the command of the guard who stood close to him, got to his feet and fell to work close to Hal. The lad’s face was very pale and he seemed in imminent danger of collapsing at any moment.
“Can you stick it out, Chester?” asked Hal in a low voice.
“I don’t know,” was his chum’s reply. “I feel pretty faint.”
“Silence, there!” thundered the nearest guard. “Work; don’t talk.”