The words had scarcely been spoken when there came another jagged flash of lightning from the sky almost directly, so it seemed, in front of the young engineers. They saw the fork of electricity shoot down into the very midst of the spot where the German shells lay hidden. The flash of lightning was followed by a crack of thunder, and then almost immediately afterward came a tremendous explosion from the pile of shells as a number of them seemed to go off simultaneously.
There was an awful flash of fire, and then Dave and the others were hurled backward in a heap among the bushes and trees.
CHAPTER IV
LETTERS
For fully a minute after the tremendous explosion there was silence, broken only by the falling rain. Then came two minor explosions, one directly after the other.
The three young engineers had been hurled into a thick mass of brushwood, backed up by several saplings. The brushwood had fortunately acted as a sort of cushion for their bodies, otherwise one or more of them must have been seriously injured. Even as it was, Dave had the wind taken out of him and had his left ear scratched by a branch.
When our hero managed to scramble to his feet following the third explosion, he saw that Phil was wedged in between two of the saplings. Roger lay face downward, with both hands up to protect his head.
“How is it, boys, either of you hurt?” demanded the young sergeant, as soon as he could speak.
“I—I—don’t exactly kn—know,” stammered Phil slowly. “Any m—more explosions coming?” he continued apprehensively.
“I’m sure I don’t know.” Dave gazed at Roger, who was now turning over and sitting up. “How about you?”
“It didn’t do my hurt ankle much good,” responded the senator’s son. “But I guess we can all be thankful we weren’t blown to bits.”