"Exactly," agreed Armande. "As soon as anyone touched the wire the bell would ring. It warned the Germans and I must admit it was a clever trick."
"It surely was," agreed Leon. "What happened then?"
"I jumped to my feet and started to run," exclaimed Armande. "I had gone but a few steps however when they cut loose with their rapid-firers. A second later I was down, shot through the leg. I guess the Boches thought a whole regiment was making a surprise attack on them. They certainly used enough ammunition to wipe out two regiments."
"Funny no more bullets struck you, Armande," said Dubois. "How do you account for that? Was their aim poor?"
"When I fell I rolled into a shell-hole," said the wounded man. "That afforded me good protection from their bullets. After awhile, when they discovered that they were not being attacked, they ceased firing and I crawled back here. It was hard going I can tell you."
"I should think it might be," exclaimed Leon grimly. "I hope your wound won't prove to be serious, Armande."
At this moment two of the Red Cross men arrived with a stretcher and carried the wounded soldier away.
"Well," said Earl when they had gone, "I should say that Armande ought to be pretty glad that he got nothing worse than a bullet in his leg. I think he's lucky to be alive."
"I think so too," agreed Leon. "That was a great stunt for the Germans to hang that bell on the wire like that, wasn't it?"
"It was indeed," said Dubois. "I know what we can do to them though."