The Boy Allies on the Firing Line; Or, Twelve Days Battle Along the Marne — John Shaqi
The Boy Allies on the Firing Line; Or, Twelve Days Battle Along the MarneHayes, Clair W. (Clair Wallace)
History
The Boy Allies on the Firing Line; Or, Twelve Days Battle Along the Marne
Hayes, Clair W. (Clair Wallace)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Juvenile fiction
A moment later Hal heard the German approaching. He half arose to his
knee and trained his revolver at the darkness ahead of him.
Then there came the sound of the German rounding the bend, and taking
careful aim at the distance above the ground he believed the man's
head would be, Hal pressed the trigger.
There was a terrific roar that echoed and reechoed through the
passageway, a howl of pain and then silence. For a moment Hal waited,
for he did not wish to be caught napping. Then he slowly made his way
forward. Presently he came in contact with a man's body. It was the
enemy.
Propping himself up behind the dead man, Hal felt more comfortable.
"It will be daylight soon," he said to himself, "and they can't get in
here without me seeing them And one man here is as good as a hundred."
Raising his voice, Hal shouted:
"Are you all right, Chester?"
"All right," came back the answer. "One man tried to get in here, but
I got him," for all the time that Hal had been engaged Chester had
been having troubles of his own.
After Hal had left him, Chester, seeking to ascertain the exact
position of the Germans at his end of the cave, and, if possible,
their number, had ventured too close to the opening.
A German, walking past at that moment, struck a match to light a
cigarette, and Chester's form was clearly outlined in the glare of it.
With a hoarse guttural exclamation the German dropped his match and
cigarette and brought his rifle to bear.
But before he could press the trigger Chester had disappeared in the
darkness of the cave. Evidently believing that the lad would flee from
him, the German, sprawling upon hands and knees, gave chase.
Chester, well back in the cave, judged his pursuer's distance by the
sounds of his awkward movements. He waited until the German got well
within the cave, then raised his automatic and quickly fired twice.
The sound of the explosion was so great that even Chester himself was
frightened. This was the shot that Hal had heard as he grappled with
his opponent.
Fearing a trap, Chester did not move for several moments, keeping his
revolver aimed steadily. But then, as there was no sound from the
German, Chester slowly moved forward.
His outstretched hand touched a soft object, and his exploring fingers
sought out the German's face.
"He'll do no more fighting," was Chester's only comment.
Relieving the German of his arms and ammunition, Chester sat down to
await the approach of the others, who he was certain must have heard
the sound of the shot.
And they were not slow in coming. Suddenly the flame of a match
appeared in the opening, and taking quick aim Chester let fly with his
automatic.
There came a groan of pain from the opening to the cave, but the
exact result of his shot Chester could not determine. The light had
disappeared and the cave was again in darkness. Hal, at his end of the
cave, having serious business of his own to attend to, had not heard
this last shot.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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