Now that the English had obtained a foothold upon the opposite side they did not relinquish it, in spite of heavy assaults made by the Kaiser's troops in the days that were to follow. Passage across the stream for the rest of the allied army was now comparatively easy, for the English, already having a foothold, stood ready to drive off the Germans as reinforcements crossed. And if the action at the Marne was one of the deciding factors in the offensive movement of the Allies, the credit of it is undoubtedly due largely to Chester and Hal, who, at the risk of their own lives, enabled the British troops to catch the Germans in their own trap. That the boys' value in this important battle was recognized, is evidenced by the fact, that, when the army once more had come to a halt, General French summoned the two lads to him, and with a hand on the shoulder of each, and his whole staff grouped about him, said: "You have done well! England is proud of her kinsmen!" CHAPTER XXVI. TRAPPED. It was two days later. The battle was raging fiercely. On all sides men were dropping singly, in pairs, in tens and in hundreds. Since early morning, when an advance guard of Germans had approached the British line, the struggle had continued without a minute's breathing space. Gradually giving way before the English attacks, the German troops fell back mile after mile, the English, in the section of the field where the fighting had been going on, pursuing them closely. Unmindful of their support on either side, the British still pressed forward, until now they were far beyond either flank. Suddenly from either side of the English troops came a thundering volley. Taken by surprise, the British halted suddenly, while men tumbled to the earth on every hand. Before the officer in command could give the order to fall back, a force of Germans was hurled into their rear, completely cutting them off from any possible hope of aid from that direction. A thousand men were in this little force now completely surrounded. But the officer in command of the British was not of the caliber to surrender. He was a typical son of Albion, a fighting man, none other than Captain Harry Anderson, whose part in the expedition across the Marne had raised him to that rank. Advancing with his command, he soon found himself the ranking officer still on his feet. Hal and Chester, who the night before had shared his quarters, at the call to arms had plunged into the thick of the conflict alongside the gallant captain. In spite of the terrific carnage, in spite of the shot and shell that fell about them, they had so far escaped injury. Perceiving that retreat was cut off, Captain Anderson conceived a possible escape. With a loud cry of "Forward!" to his men, he dashed right into the face of a terrible rifle and artillery fire.