“Where are the rest of the fellows that helped you take this bunch?” asked Corporal Wilson, who was in command of the squad.
“There weren’t any others,” answered Frank. “I just happened to get the draw on this crowd and gathered them in.”
“‘Happened’ is good,” said Wilson dryly. “There’s more to it than that. You’ll have to tell us about it later. In the meantime, I’ll have these fellows sent to the rear.”
The prisoners were sent back, and Frank went forward with his comrades for further fighting. Under other circumstances, he would have liked to rest for a while, for he had been under a terrific strain and now he was feeling the reaction. But there was stern work yet to be done, and the resting time could come later.
Tom and Billy had worked their way in his direction and now rejoined him. They moved forward and soon reached the scene of Frank’s exploit. The German who had been knocked unconscious had evidently come to his senses and had disappeared, but the two men whom Frank had wounded were still there. A stretcher party working in that part of the field was signaled, and the men were taken away to the hospital.
“Some classy work!” exclaimed Billy, when at his eager urging Frank had told to him and Tom the incidents of the fight. “If you don’t get the Distinguished Service Cross for this, there’s no gratitude in the United States army.”
“Billy’s right,” declared Tom, as he clapped Frank on the shoulder. “There isn’t one man in a thousand who would have thought of it or done it if he had thought of it. Frank, old man, you’re a wonder.”
“Oh, forget it,” said Frank. “I had a chance and took it. That’s all.”
“That’s all,” mimicked Tom. “You had a chance and took it. We’ll let it go at that.”
All that morning the fighting continued, and the Germans were steadily driven back. By noon the edge of the forest had been cleared, and the Americans began to consolidate their lines in preparation for the next advance.