“I wonder what that means,” said Billy anxiously.
“I think it means they’re coming,” replied the corporal. “They put the light out so that they won’t offer a mark for our revolvers. It looks as though it might come to a battle in the dark.”
“If it does, I’ll match our eyes against theirs,” remarked Frank confidently.
“We’ll get at the oars again,” said the corporal. “I don’t know how long this tunnel is, but it must end somewhere. If we can reach the outlet and find no Germans there, we’ll have a chance to get back to our lines by land. If not, we’ll have to give these fellows a fight, no matter by how many they outnumber us. I only wish we had more ammunition. A few more shots and we’ll be through.”
“We’ve got our knives anyway,” said Tom, “and Heinie hates knife fighting at close quarters.”
“I’ve got a hand grenade,” put in Frank. “I picked it up as we were coming away from camp, on the chance that it might come in handy in case we were discovered.”
“Good work,” said the corporal approvingly. “But now we’d better start. Waldon and I will take the oars, so as to give you other fellows a rest. Make as little noise as you can but work fast.”
They bent to their work, quickened somewhat by the faint sound of oars which told them that the enemy was approaching.
CHAPTER V
A MASTER STROKE
With fresh arms at the oars, they hit up a rapid gait, which in that unknown passage was not without its dangers. The darkness was so intense that they could not see a foot ahead of them, and they dared not use the flashlight for fear it would betray their location to their pursuers.