Frank and Tom obeyed, putting every ounce of strength into their strokes, until it seemed as though the oars must snap. The boat sprang forward like a live thing, while the corporal and Billy, with their bodies concealed as much as possible, sent shot after shot from their revolvers at the men in the German boats.
The enemy had grasped the purpose of the turning upstream, and both boats raced on, trying to keep on a line with the Americans and prevent them turning in to shore. At the same time, the German patrol on the further bank ran along the shore with a constant crackling of rifle fire. Bullets whistled about the boat, some of them penetrating the side. One of them went through the corporal’s sleeve, grazing his arm and bringing blood. Another knocked Tom’s oar from his hand, but he recovered it in a desperate grab before it got out of reach, and the boat kept on with only a momentary lessening of its speed.
Suddenly Billy gave an exclamation of alarm as a dark wall of what appeared to be solid rock loomed up before them.
“Back water!” he shouted. “The boat will be smashed!”
“Go ahead,” countermanded Wilson after a quick glance. “It’s a tunnel. There’s nothing to do but keep on. It kills our chance of getting to the shore. But on the other hand it’s dark in there and we may be able to double on these fellows and give them the slip. Keep on.”
The boat shot quickly into the blackness of the tunnel through which the canal flowed at that point. The bullets ceased to sing about them. The radiance of the star shells died away. Darkness enfolded them, a darkness so intense that they were absolutely hidden from each other. They rowed along for some distance with undiminished speed. Then as no sound of oars was heard in pursuit, the corporal gave the word to lay on the oars.
“Some race!” panted Frank as he wiped the perspiration from his forehead.
“But we beat them to it!” gasped Tom. “Gee, I never worked so hard in my life!”
“They don’t seem to be following us,” commented Billy.
The corporal pulled out his flashlight and turned it around them. They were startled to see how the stream had narrowed after entering the tunnel. There was barely room for two barges to pass each other.