“How about Professor Meyer at school?” “Just before I left I heard that he had left; was fired. They traced some propaganda to him, and other things.” “Hurrah for old Brighton!” Don said. “And may we enjoy her bright halls once more, Don.” “Amen! But it’s a toss-up; eh, Herb?” “It must be getting near morning now. Have you had any sleep?” “No; I don’t need it. I couldn’t go to sleep. But how about you? I’ll take this watch and you can go up and turn----” “Listen! Firing. Away to the south.” “Southeast, too. Must be all along the line. And more and more. Herb, is it a _barrage_?” “What else could it be? Is another drive on--the one that was soon to come off? Oh, Don, if it is, there’s a chance for us. If it is not, then before long----” “I know it’s serious, old man, and I guess you and the corporal see it clearer than the rest of us. But--it’s a _barrage_ in full force and the drive will follow.” “Look! It’s getting gray over yonder; morning. Let’s go up and get the fellows awake and in their places. If the Heinies are chased back again, and they will be, some of them may want to stop on the way and take another fling at us. I wish we had more ammunition; there are barely fifty cartridges left to each man. I have about seventy, but I must have been a little more careful.” “Slower and surer, Herb. I tried to follow your example. There are about seventy in my box; poor McNabb’s. How about pistol ammunition?” “Plenty, I guess, Don. We must fall back on that at close quarters. Oh, hear the music of that cannonade!” “I hope they don’t drop any long ones over on us, Herb.” “They won’t. The barrage is not much good in the woods, nor are shells. East of the Aire in the more open country, you know, it’s different. What we hear in the south is the Hun machine guns and our rifle fire. Our divisions are attacking again in force all along the line. The boys are at it, Don; they’re at it and they’ll get here!” The young commander’s joy and enthusiasm were shared by all the others of the squad except Jennings. “Lieutenant, we’re havin’ a right good time here, ain’t we? Nobody hurt much, except McNabb, and laws! most ev’ry year some feller gets killed even huntin’ deer. Some fool takes him fer a ol’ buck an’ lets fly. Well, me an’ Gill, my buddy, we’re havin’ a little fun makin’ these here Huns wish they’d stayed home an’ if----” “Sho! You talk for yourself, Jen,” Gill said, for the first time deserting his friend. “I told you, Lieutenant, that the big boob wasn’t right; he’s got bog mud in his head ’stead o’ brains. Thinks he can lick the whole German Army.” “I kin, too, if they’ll give me a chanct t’ hunt a tree an’ then come at me one at a time in front,” asserted Jennings. “You couldn’t lick a postage stamp if it was sick a-bed,” Gill muttered, evidently angry because the big mountaineer didn’t seem to know good news from bad.