CHAPTER VII.
THE FIGHT IN THE WOODS.
Chester had drawn Stubbs to shelter behind a large tree, and now, bendingover the little war correspondent, sought to stop the flow of blood fromhis wounds. Stubbs was not seriously injured, although he had been badlyscratched and bitten in the back of the neck.
"You are a fine bunch, you are!" exploded Stubbs when Chester announcedthat he had dressed the wounds as well as he could. "Wanted to see thosecats chew me up, didn't you?"
"You are a brave man, Mr. Stubbs," replied Chester. "You haveaccomplished a feat you may well be proud of the rest of your life. Itisn't every man who has the chance of distinguishing himself by slayingthree wild cats single handed."
"Were they wild cats?" asked Stubbs in surprise.
"Well, they were cats and they certainly were wild," replied Chester."Yes, sir, you are a brave man."
"I know that," said Stubbs, "but just the same you fellows should havepitched in and helped me out."
"Had we not been struck motionless by your great display of courage, wemight have done so," replied Chester, smiling to himself. "But surely youwould not have had us rob you of the glory?"
"Well, no, I wouldn't have wished that," answered Stubbs. "But just thesame when a man is attacked by a bunch of wild cats, the first thing hethinks of is help."
"But tell me, Mr. Stubbs," said Chester, "what were you doing in the roadin the first place?"
"Why," muttered the little man, somewhat confused, "I was seeking to makeout the number of the enemy so that I might tell you whether we werestrong enough to defeat them."
"That's all right; I just wanted to know."
Mr. Stubbs peered out from behind the tree, and as he did so aGerman bullet went whizzing by. Mr. Stubbs hurriedly threw himselfupon the ground.
"What's the matter?" demanded Chester, although he knew well enough.
"A slight illness," replied Mr. Stubbs. "I am somewhat faint. I fear Ioverexerted myself in my struggle with the wild cats."
He lay there behind the tree, stretched out at full length. Nor could hebe induced to get to his feet.
Slowly the last half of a moon arose, giving a little light but makingthe shadows deeper.
Bullets whistled through the trees at regular intervals now, and wherevera man exposed himself the German sharpshooters ran him quickly back tocover or shot him down.
But the British, excellent marksmen that they were, in spite of theirlosses were having the better of the encounter. Wherever a German arm orleg was exposed, there a British bullet struck. Consequently the firingsoon became desultory and then ceased altogether.
Taking advantage of this lull, Chester made a dash, and succeeded inreaching a tree behind which Hal and Captain Anderson had taken shelter.
"What are we going to do?" he demanded. "Surely we can't stay heremuch longer."
"Well, what shall we do?" demanded Hal. "At the first break the Germanswill shoot us down."
"We must do something," replied Chester. "Wait a moment"--as Hal turnedaway--"I have an idea."
"What is it?" demanded Hal.
"Yes, let's have it," said Captain Anderson.
"Well, why can't a few of us--say ten men--crawl toward the rear, and,when out of sight, make a detour and catch the Germans from the rear?Those who are left here will fire only at intervals, so that when we openfrom the rear the enemy will believe that the major part of our men arethere. Naturally they will present their strongest front there. Then youcan take them by surprise from this side."
"By Jove!" ejaculated Captain Anderson. "That's not a half-bad idea."
"It's a good idea," said Hal. "It shall be acted upon at once. Now, whoshall go and who shall stay here?"
"Well," said Chester, "as it was I who suggested the plan, I guessI am the one to head those who go. Detail ten men, Hal, and I'llstart at once."
The men placed at his disposal Chester made ready to go; but, before heleft, he called to Hal:
"By the way, when you leave here don't forget Stubbs. He's lying behind atree over there," pointing.
"I'll get him," Hal called back, "if I have to carry him on my shoulder."
Dropping to all fours Chester and his ten men soon disappeared inthe distance.
Feeling sure that he was out of sight in the thick underbrush, Chesterjumped to his feet. The ten men did likewise, and turning to the left alldashed off through the brambles as fast and as quietly as possible. Amongthe bushes it was very dark, and for this reason the little party wasunable to make much speed; but, nevertheless, they pushed on as rapidlyas possible.
Finally, feeling that he had gone far enough, Chester turned once moresharply to the left, and pushed on in the way he had come.
At length they came again to the road, and, making sure that there was noGerman in sight, Chester silently led his men across the highway to theGerman side. Here they pushed straight on for a considerable distance,until the lad felt certain that they had penetrated to the rear of theGerman line. He then led his men sharply to the left again.
If his calculations were correct he must now be behind the enemy.
The little band of British crept forward silently now and more slowly. Itwas ticklish work, and not a soldier but recognized the fact as, verycautiously, they pressed on.
Chester halted abruptly. Directly ahead, perhaps fifty yards, he made outthe form of a single figure. Silently the lad crept closer. It was as hehad expected. The man was a German, and undoubtedly one of the forcewhich had so recently attacked them.
Chester threw his men out in a thin line, the distance between each manbeing perhaps twenty yards.
"Fire when I give the word, and not until then," he ordered. "And makeevery shot count. If the enemy rushes us give way as slowly as possible;but if they try a hide-and-seek game, keep your positions behind shelteras much as you can."
The men repeated this order to show that they understood, and all creptforward. Three minutes of silent crawling and they came within full viewof the German line. It was still facing the road, across which were theBritish. In the faint moonlight the entire force was clearly exposed toChester's party.
When Chester believed that he had approached near enough, he raised hishand for a halt. Quickly each man concealed himself behind the largesttree he could find.
So far they had not been discovered.
Chester glanced quickly around. Everything was ready.
Drawing a bead upon the German soldier who was nearest, Chester at lastgave the command his men had been eagerly awaiting:
"Fire!"
The eleven British rifles cracked out as one, and as many of the enemytoppled over, for the British, unseen, had approached so close that amiss was practically an impossibility.
Immediately confusion reigned among the enemy. Taken completely bysurprise, as Chester had intended they should be, the Germans lost allsigns of formation. Before they could recover their scattered wits andturn upon their new foes, or even seek new shelter, the British hadpoured in a second volley.
But the German officers, displaying great skill and bravery, soon hadtheir men under control, and turned upon the little party of Britishin the rear.
Chester perceived what was about to happen and cried out to his men:
"They are going to rush us! Pick 'em off as they come!"
The Germans, at a command, sprang forward, and the British fired full intheir faces.
The Germans reeled, and for a moment it seemed they would seek shelteronce more; but they rallied and came on.
But, as they came, a volley was poured into them from the rear. Hal'smen, on the opposite side of the road, had advanced quickly, and againthe Germans had been surprised.
Caught thus between two fires, and unable to tell the number of theirfoe, the Germans were at a great disadvantage. Nevertheless, outnumberingthe British as they did, they fought bravely, jumping quickly behind thenearest trees, determined to sell their lives as dearly as possible.
When Hal heard t
he first sounds of firing, and realized that Chester andhis men had come into position and opened on the enemy, he quicklyordered his men forward. He himself stopped for a moment to seek outStubbs, for fear that the little American might be left behind and fallinto the hands of the enemy.
"Quick, Stubbs!" he cried. "Get up, man, and come on!"
Stubbs scrambled to his feet.
"Where are you going?" he demanded in some anxiety.
"After the Germans," replied Hal. "We are attacking them from twosides. Come on!"
Stubbs drew back.
"We'll all be killed!" he exclaimed.
"Never mind that," said Hal impatiently. "Are you coming with me or areyou going to stay here?"
"Alone?"
"Yes, alone."
"Oh, I'll go," said Stubbs mournfully, "but I know I'll never get back toAmerica alive. The _New York Gazette_ is about to lose its best man."
Still mumbling to himself he followed Hal.
The British under Hal and Captain Anderson broke from their shelter andcrossed the road to the enemy's side on a dead run, their smoking riflesdealing out death on every hand as they advanced.
When Hal's men had attacked, Chester found it unnecessary to retreat, ashe had figured upon doing, and the rain of hail continued to pour uponthe enemy from all sides.
The British gradually closed on the enemy, fewer now by half than theyhad been a few moments ago, until the circle had narrowed to within a fewyards of the enemy.
In spite of the semi-darkness the aim of the British cavalrymen had beenremarkable, and wherever and whenever a German showed himself, in ninecases out of ten he fell to rise no more. The losses of the British hadbeen heavy, but not so great as those of the foe.
Now, at a command from Hal, the fire of the British ceased. Then the lad,raising his voice to its highest pitch, shouted:
"Surrender!"
Boy Allies in the Trenches; Or, Midst Shot and Shell Along the Aisne Page 7