CHAPTER X
AN EXPEDITION
Briefly Jack repeated Captain Marcus' orders to Frank.
"I took the liberty of making those preparations without awaitingsuch a command," said Frank. "I have thrown out outposts, andthere is no danger of a surprise tonight."
"You mean this morning," disagreed Jack, after a look at hiswatch. "It's after four o'clock now."
"Then it will soon be daylight," said Frank. "You had betterturn in and get a little sleep. I'll stand watch."
Jack well knew the futility of an argument over this matter, sohe turned in without further words by the simple process ofthrowing himself on a pallet on the floor of the tent. Franktook his seat in the doorway, where he remained looking out intothe distance.
The sun was high in the heavens when Jack awoke. He jumped upwith a start. Frank was not there. Jack made a hasty toilet andset out to find his friend. He came upon him at the river landing,and, as the lad cast his eyes down the stream he made outthe launch of Captain Marcus coming, swiftly toward the camp.
He tapped Frank lightly on the shoulder.
"Why didn't you wake me up?" he demanded.
"Well, you were sleeping so comfortably I hated to disturb you,"replied Frank.
"And I suppose you would have let Captain Marcus find me asleep?"
"I don't believe he would have minded. He knows we all sleepsome time."
"I'll get even with you one of these days," said Jack laughing,and both lads stepped to the very edge of the landing to giveCaptain Marcus a hand as he clambered from the boat.
"How is everything?" he demanded, as he arose to his feet.
"First rate," replied Frank.
"No signs of the enemy?"'
"Not a sign, sir."
"Good! Evidently he doesn't know we have occupied the town. Ibelieve that by a quick dash we can capture Boak. What do youthink?"
"Fine!" exclaimed Jack with enthusiasm.
"Of course we can, sir," agreed Frank.
"All right, then; it shall be your job!"
Jack and Frank saluted.
"Thank you, sir," both said breathlessly.
Several hours later the two lads, in the captain's launch, foundthemselves at the head of a small flotilla moving slowly up theriver. Each boat was equipped with one rapid-fire gun andcarried twenty men. In all there were twelve boats.
The farther up the river the little party progressed the narrowerbecame the stream, until finally it was little better than a deepcreek. Foliage of large trees overhung the water, making italmost as dark as night. The water was black and murky.
Frank shuddered as he glanced at it.
"Looks like it might be full of all kinds of reptiles andthings," he said.
"It certainly does," Jack agreed. "I would as soon think ofjumping into the bottomless pit as of diving into this blackstream."
Around bend after bend in the small stream the little flotillaproceeded cautiously, and ever, as they progressed, the streambecame narrower and more fear-inspiring.
In some of the boats men began to grumble. Jack turned andcalled out angrily:
"Silence!" Then he added more companionably: "It's all right,men. Where men have gone before men can go now without fear ofthe unknown. I'll admit it doesn't look very pleasant, butsurely an English sailor is not afraid to go where a German foothas trod."
The men started a cheer at the lad's words, but he silenced themby a motion of his hand, and called out:
"Silence! We do not want to warn the enemy of our approach."
Now, rounding a little bend in the stream, the lads could makeout, some distance ahead, what appeared to be the huts of alittle village. Also, they could see that, at that point, thestream widened out considerably.
Apparently secure in the belief that the forts at Duala couldsuccessfully ward off the attacks of any enemy, the Germancommander at Boak had grown careless, and the lads could not seea single sign of soldiers or sentries.
Frank glanced behind him and ordered softly:
"Take down all flags!"
The command was passed from one boat to another, and soon thelittle flotilla was moving up the river, looking more like apleasure party than a hostile force, except for the uniforms ofthe men. However, these could not be plainly seen from thevillage, because of the shadow cast by the dense foliage thatoverhung the river.
Now, through their glasses, the boys could see several Germanofficers peering at them through long telescopes.
"They've seen us," said Jack.
"Yes," was Frank's reply. "But evidently they believe usfriends, or they would open fire on us."
"Perhaps their guns are not of the heavy caliber of those atDuala."
"By Jove! I believe you have hit it!" exclaimed Frank. "Inthat case, with our rapid-firers, we should have little troubletaking the village."
At the point where the stream widened out, Jack allowed two ofthe craft behind to come up even and thus, three abreast, thejourney was continued.
Every man was now at his post. The gunners were ready to openwith the rapid-firers at a moment's notice. All held theirrifles ready. Still the Germans did not fire, apparentlyuncertain of the identity of the newcomers--or rather, seeminglycertain they were friends.
Suddenly a squad of six German soldiers wheeled a small,old-fashioned cannon to the landing near the officers, and amoment later a solid shot plowed up the water in front of thefirst boat of the British flotilla.
"A signal to show our colors," said Jack grimly. "What do yousay, Frank? Are we ready to show them?"'
"Yes!" cried Frank.
An instant and the English Jack floated over each boat, while atthe same time the first three boats in the battle line openedwith their rapid-firers.
At the distance, scarcely two hundred yards, the execution wasterrible. The German officers and the entire gun squad, riddledwith bullets, fell forward on their faces.
But this was only the beginning.
Swiftly moving German troops now came marching to the riverfront, steadily, in spite of the withering British fire, andsternly, to repel the foe. Slowly they came into position, and,dropping on their knees, poured a volley into the littleflotilla.
But, deadly as this fire was, that of the rapid-firers aboard theboats was more so. The British did not escape without considerabledamage, but the German loss was far heavier.
Steadily, in spite of the grilling German fire, the boats pressedon.
Each man concealed himself as well as he could behind the lowsides of the boats, exposing just enough of his head to take aimat the enemy.
The first boats were now but a scant hundred yards away. Forsome reason, evidently thinking to pick off the men in the boats,the enemy had not brought artillery to bear. But at thisjuncture a squad sprang forward to serve the gun already used.
A charge was rammed home and the gun sighted; but, as the mandetailed was about to pull the lanyard, Frank sprang suddenly tohis feet in the boat and his revolver spoke. The German flungwide his arms and toppled to the ground. Another sprang to hisplace, but only to meet the same fate; and another, and stillanother.
All this time the little rapid-firers were continuing theirdeadly work, and at last a bugle sounded the call for the Germanretreat. Slowly they drew off, firing as they went, but, as theBritish now moved up faster, the Teutons turned and ran.
Quickly the little flotilla came alongside the wharf and menscrambled ashore. It was but the work of a few minutes to landthe rapid-firers, half the British with rifles meanwhile holdingoff the enemy.
Then, everything in readiness, Frank gave the order for anadvance.
Now, from all sides, came a withering German fire. The enemy hadtaken to the woods, seeking to pick off the English one at atime; but, at a word from Jack, the machine-guns were turned uponthe trees, and this scattering fire soon turned the retreat intoa rout.
As the English at length poured into the streets of the littlevillage itself, fro
m every house and hut came a German bullet.Many British fell, and it was here that the heaviest losses weresustained by the attacking party.
But Frank soon found a remedy for this. The rapid-fire guns wereturned upon the huts and houses, and, as the bullets began tofind their way into the openings, the work of the snipersstopped.
For some minutes there was a lull in the fighting, whileammunition for the guns was brought up from the boats; when,suddenly, down the street came a band of Germans at a charge.
Quickly the British formed to meet them, the rapid-fire guns forthe moment being useless. Swords and bayonets were bared andrifles were clubbed. The Germans came on with a rush. Theimpact was terrific, but the British sailors stood firm, and gavethrust for thrust, blow for blow--and more.
Being unable to force the British back, and, seeing that theywere getting the worst of this hand-to-hand encounter, the Germanofficers ordered a retreat. This proved their complete undoing,for, as they drew off at a run, the rapid-firers of the Britishagain came into action, and the enemy were mowed down like chaff.
More rapidly now the British pushed on through the heart of thevillage, Frank telling off a few men here and there to givenotice of a possible approach of reinforcements from some otherdirection.
But no reinforcements came, and the Germans finally retreatedbefore the victorious British until they were once againsheltered by a dense forest. Then Frank called a halt.
He threw a cordon around the town and dispatched three men in alittle boat to inform Captain Marcus of the success of hisexpedition.
"Well," said Jack, with a laugh, "we've got the town all right.What are we going to do with it?"
"That's the question," replied Frank. "I guess, before makingany further move, we had better wait for orders."
"My idea, exactly," said Jack.
"Since we're agreed," replied Frank, "we'll wait."
Boy Allies under Two Flags Page 10