Hoskins crawled nearer before he spoke. "How near are we, Lieutenant?" he asked: "I should say about a hundred yards." "Look straight ahead of us when the next rocket goes up," Hoskins suggested. They had not long to wait for one of the great sky torches to come sailing over the side of the German trench, but from a considerable distance ahead of them. "Did you notice anything?" Hoskins asked. "I didn't," whispered the lieutenant. "Did you?" "I thought I saw half a dozen men," said Joe. "We'll wait, then, and see," said Lieutenant Mackinson. In a moment another rocket went up, this time from the American-French side, and it clearly showed what Joe and Frank both had seen. Six, perhaps seven or eight, men were crawling along, headed toward them. "They are making for the same place," said Jerry. "Exactly," replied the lieutenant. "It means that we have got to fight for it. We will have some advantage if we can beat them to the protection of the base of that hummock." As rapidly as possible they started forward. Lying out flat, they would draw their feet upward and toward them, rising slightly and going forward upon their arms. This action, which put them ahead a few inches every time, they repeated times without number. But it was slow progress at best, and made slower by the interruptions of the rockets. "We are almost there," Lieutenant Mackinson whispered, "but I think we have been discovered. Lie flat and don't make a move. By keeping my head in the position I have it I can watch that other group. If we have been seen it means a running fight to the mouth of that trench or cave." Another rocket cut a glaring path across the sky. Again it was from the American-French side and illumined the black shadows strewn along the ground like little clumps of low-growing bushes. "Ah!" exclaimed the lieutenant suddenly, and then, in the same breath: "Up and at 'em, boys!" Before the others had an opportunity to realize what had happened, Mackinson was dashing at top speed toward the indicated trench or cave, firing as he went. As they followed suit, but more careful in their shooting, for fear of hitting him, they realized that the men in the enemy group were doing the same thing--running as fast as they could for the same position. "Drop!" ordered the lieutenant, and they did so, but it was as if he had issued the order for both sides, for the others were not a second later in seeking the security of the ground. "Either side may begin playing machine-guns on us at any moment," the young officer whispered, between gasps for breath. "Forward as quickly as possible, and continue firing." How they ever escaped the enemy bullets as long as they did none of them ever knew, but the men of the other side were just as doggedly determined, and no less courageous, even if three of their number already lay stretched out motionless and useless upon the ground.