The Khaki Boys Fighting to Win; or, Smashing the German Lines — John Shaqi
The Khaki Boys Fighting to Win; or, Smashing the German LinesChase, Josephine
General
The Khaki Boys Fighting to Win; or, Smashing the German Lines
Chase, Josephine
World War, 1914-1918 -- Juvenile fiction
"Well, maybe I'd better be looking to see if I can find the old
tunnel," said Jimmy. "We'll need to find that, anyhow, to get ourselves
out, as well as Iggy. Roger, you come with me. Bob and Franz can stay
with Iggy. We'll be back as soon as we can," he added.
The two boys climbed over the débris, flashing their pocket torches
at intervals, so as not to use up the batteries too quickly. Bob and
Franz made Iggy as comfortable as possible.
"Seems to me the place was over here," observed Jimmy, as he pulled
aside some loose and splintered boards.
Quickly Jimmy flashed the gleams of his small lamp over the cracked and
broken walls of the dugout. At first he had no success, but finally he
found what he was looking for.
"Here it is!" he cried. "An old door! It's been closed for some time,
but here it is."
"Can it be opened?" asked Roger.
"That remains to be seen," replied Jimmy, as he limped nearer to it,
for he had been struck on the leg by a piece of timber and he was
painfully lame.
An examination showed that the door, though broken and jammed, was
capable of being forced open. This was done by Roger and Jimmy, using
pieces of planks for levers. At last the broken door swung to one side
on its burst hinges, and beyond it a dark tunnel was seen.
"Here's the place!" cried Jimmy. "Now if we can go along this until we
reach the other bomb-proof we shall get out all right."
"Yes--if we can," said Roger significantly. "Well, we've got to try,
that's sure. Can't stay here very long. It may come down about our
ears."
"I don't know about Iggy, though," went on Jimmy. "Of course we could
carry him, but it would be hard work."
However, they were not compelled to do this. For when Roger and Jimmy
went back to where they had left Bob and Franz looking after the
wounded Polish lad, they found that Iggy could walk by leaning on the
shoulder of someone.
"That's good!" exclaimed Jimmy. "Now then for the tunnel! But take it
easy, everybody. We may be going into a blind lead, or a place worse
than this. So go slow!"
And slowly and cautiously they entered the tunnel, Roger and Jimmy in
the lead. One of them flashed a pocket torch at intervals, for the way
was rough and treacherous.
Suddenly Roger, who had got a little in advance of Jimmy, caught the
latter by the arm, and, pointing ahead, in a whisper, asked:
"What's that? Who are they?"
Jimmy, looking to where his friend pointed, uttered a guarded
exclamation. He was gazing at a strange sight.
CHAPTER III
ANOTHER PUZZLE
"What's the matter up ahead there?" came the demand from Schnitzel,
who, with Bob, was helping along the disabled Iggy. "Why don't you go
on, Jimmy?"
"Is the way blocked?" asked Bob. "Are we stuck again?"
"Keep still back there!" fiercely whispered Sergeant Jimmy. "Don't make
such a row, or they'll hear you!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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