“I sincerely hope not,” said Tom, “although it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if he failed to survive such barbarous punishment as that. He was more dead than alive when we reached him. By the way, where is Buck Granger?”
“Captured,” answered Ollie Ogden, without an instant’s hesitation.
“What’s that?” the other two demanded of him in unison, coming to an abrupt halt and turning to face the bearer of this rather startling news. “What did you say?” Harper asked again, unable to believe that he had heard right.
“Captured,” Ollie repeated briefly.
“Well holy cats, when and where?” Tom exploded. “I didn’t know there were any Germans in this immediate vicinity, except those who are our prisoners.”
“I don’t believe there are,” answered Ollie, making desperate efforts to repress a grin.
“Look here,” George Harper exclaimed impatiently, at the same time grasping Ollie by the shoulder, “quitcherkiddinow, wadayamean, Buck Granger’s captured?”
“You talk like a machine gun,” Ollie responded, sparring for time. “I meant exactly what I said—Buck was captured.”
“When?” Tom Walton demanded.
“About an hour ago.”