Hal looked at the marine in some amazement. The man was terribly angry and as Hal gazed at the powerful figure he could not keep thinking that there were few soldiers in the German army could stand against him. "Come!" said Hal sharply. "Man the machine gun there. Wheel it about and open on the enemy to the left." "Very well, sir," said the marine quietly, and followed instructions. Unaware that Americans had approached so close in this section of the field, and probably placing reliance upon the machine gun that Hal and the marine had just captured, the Germans exposed themselves somewhat recklessly. Thus they were caught in a trap when their own weapon was turned against them. With loud cries of alarm, the enemy ranks broke and the troops fled in utter rout. This confusion soon spread to other detachments and the enemy fell back upon the village. From the west, meanwhile, Colonel Gregory had been pushing his attack as Colonel Adams' columns advanced. Farther back, General Lawrence was hurrying supporting columns to the front. To the very streets of the village the Americans pursued the enemy, and then entered after them. From houses and from around corners the enemy fired upon the Yankee troops, who dashed forward with reckless courage. Gradually, however, they retired from the village also, as their commanders realized that the American advance could not be stopped there. At the very edge of the village Colonel Adams halted his men. On the western outskirts, Colonel Gregory did likewise. There they awaited orders before advancing farther. Soon the orders came. "Forward!" was the cry. CHAPTER VII IN A "BABY TANK" So the American advance continued. With the supporting columns of infantry that now came forward were several score of small armored tractors, commonly called "tanks." Because of the fact that these small machines, unlike their larger counterparts, were capable of holding only two men--a gunner and a pilot--they were called "two-men tanks," or more commonly, "baby tanks." As an engine of warfare, the "tank," an American invention primarily, had made itself famous when General "Bingo" Byng led his British troops forward in the Cambrai battlefield, long before the United States entered the war. There were few tanks in the field in those days, but since their effectiveness was proven at Cambrai, thousands had been added to the Allied forces. The "baby tanks" came later but proved quite as effective. They were able to penetrate places that were proof against their larger counter-parts, and now there was scarcely a division of British, French or American troops in the field that did not have its tank corps. As the foremost American troops, among which was Hal, now pursued the enemy, the American "baby tanks" came waddling forward, their guns belching fire as they advanced.