Corporal Wilson complied, and he and his squad were joyfully welcomed.
"I said 'friends'" added the corporal with a grin, as the party made their way through the opening in the wire defences, "but perhaps that doesn't go for all this crowd. Some of them didn't want to come, but we told them they'd better, and here they are."
"A bunch of huskies," remarked the sentry, as he surveyed the prisoners critically. "You don't mean to say that just you five rounded up that gang?"
The four privates merely grinned.
"Looks like it, doesn't it?" answered the corporal with keen relish of the sentry's surprise. "Counting those we brought down, there are just fourteen that will turn up missing when the Boches call the roll this morning."
"That's going some," said the sentry admiringly. "I only wish I'd been along with you. Some fellows have all the luck."
The prisoners were turned over to the officer in charge, and the corporal made his way to headquarters to make his report of the night's work.
Bart and Tom went under the hands of the surgeons to have their wounds and bruises treated, and were assured that with a little rest they would be as well as ever in a day or two. Then the boys, "dog-tired," as Bart expressed it, but happy and exultant that they had done their work well and were back safe once more, tumbled into their bunks to enjoy the rest they had so richly earned.
"Never was so tired in my life," murmured Frank, drowsily, as he fell rather than climbed into his bunk.
"Same here," chimed in Billy.