“Save me! Save me! Don’t let me drown!” he spluttered hoarsely, in German, as soon as both of them came to the surface again.
The young lieutenant did not reply to this. He was in the grip of a deadly enemy, and he did not purpose to lose his life if he could help it. Gathering what strength remained to him, he twisted around and gave the German a stinging blow in the chin.
Ordinarily such a blow would have caused the other to fall back; but now fear clutched at the German’s heart, and though his head went back with a jerk, he still retained his hold upon our hero. Evidently he did not intend to drown unless Dave did likewise.
By this time the rowboat had drifted down the stream away from the pair. But one of the oars was close at hand and Dave seized hold of this. From a distance came a yell for help, evidently from the first soldier who had gone overboard. These cries gradually became fainter and fainter, and then ceased altogether.
With the oar in his hand, the young lieutenant wondered what he had best do next. He must act quickly, for already both he and the German soldier were on the point of going down a second time.
Perhaps it was a cruel thing to do, but this was war, and Dave did not purpose to lose his life if he could possibly avoid it. He brought the broad point of the oar around, and, catching the blade with both hands, made a jab with all of his strength for the German’s throat.
The thrust went true, the sharp end of the oar catching the man full in the neck. The force of the blow made him gasp, and for the instant his hold upon Dave was relaxed. Our hero made another lunge with the oar, catching the fellow in the breast and sending him several yards away. Then the German suddenly disappeared from view beneath the surface of the river; and that was the last the young lieutenant saw of him.
Dave swam a distance of twenty odd feet, and then looked back to see if he was being pursued. But when neither of the German soldiers showed himself, he continued his swimming, heading for the distant shore and also for the rowboat which was drifting on ahead of him. It did not take him long to reach the boat, and, almost exhausted, he pulled himself aboard and sank down on the middle seat.
Less than ten minutes had elapsed since Dave had made his attack on the enemy, yet to him it seemed as if it was an age. He had been close to death, and he thanked Providence for his escape.
“More than likely both of those chaps are drowned,” he told himself. “Even if they could swim, they were both too befuddled by liquor to take care of themselves.”