CHAPTER XVI
PRISONERS
Immediately Hal had brought the car to a stop, he raised his hands highabove his head. Chester followed his example. A moment later the machinewas surrounded by a score of German soldiers, a lieutenant at theirhead.
"What are you doing here?" demanded the German officer sharply of Hal.
"By Jove, Hal!" cried Chester in well simulated surprise. "They'reGermans. You've run right into a nest of the enemy."
"So it would seem," replied Hal, immediately falling in with Chester'sruse. "Now that's what I call bad luck."
This conversation was carried on in English, but Chester had hopes thatthe German officer or one of his men would understand it. Much to thelad's delight, the next remark came from the German lieutenant.
"So you've run into our lines accidentally?" he said. "Well, so much theworse for you. You're Americans, I take it?"
"We are," replied Hal, in German.
"I've always said," declared the lieutenant, "that you Americans wouldmake fools of yourselves over here. You're a couple of fair examples;you can't even keep your sense of direction. Get out of that car."
Hal and Chester did as they were commanded, and as they alighted theywere immediately surrounded by the soldiers.
"Are you armed?" asked the German.
Hal tossed a single automatic toward the lieutenant. Chester followedsuit.
"There you are," said Hal.
For a moment the lad was afraid the enemy would search him and Chesterfor further weapons, but the man apparently never even thought of suchaction. Slyly Hal slipped his hand inside his coat and made sure thathis second revolver was secure. Chester also had concealed a secondrevolver within his coat.
"Forward, march!" commanded the German officer, and Hal and Chester,hemmed in by enemy soldiers, set off at a swift pace.
Both lads kept their eyes open as they were led along. Apparently theposition in which they found themselves was not well fortified, for itshowed the result of hasty intrenching.
There was no firing in this particular sector of the battlefield for themoment, but to the north and south Hal and Chester could hear the rumbleof the big guns as the artillery duel continued on each flank.
"Where are you going to take us, lieutenant?"
"None of your business," was their captor's response.
"You're not a very civil sort of a fellow, are you?" demanded Hal.
"Hold your tongue, if you know what's good for you," was the response."We don't have time to bother with a pair of American pigs. You'll belucky if you are not ordered shot at once."
"Oh, I guess they won't shoot us," said Hal quietly. "We're prisoners ofwar, you know."
"Well, you wouldn't be the first to be shot offhand," said the Germanlieutenant.
"I've heard that you're a rather barbarous lot," returned Hal, "but Ididn't know you were as bad as that."
The German stepped close to Hal and shook his fist in the lad's face.
"That's enough out of you," he cried angrily.
"Don't make me laugh," said Hal, smiling.
For answer the man drew back his right hand and struck Hal a swift blowin the face. Hal, throwing off the men who surrounded him, promptlyknocked the lieutenant down.
The man arose with blood streaming from his lips and an angry light inhis eye. With his right hand he drew his revolver, while he cried to hismen:
"Shoot him!"
To the German soldier, an officer's word was law. It was not for thesoldier to consider the merits of the case. An order had been given, andGerman discipline said that it must be obeyed.
A dozen rifles covered Hal instantly.
But an interruption came from an unexpected source.
"Stop!" cried a commanding voice.
Instantly the rifles were lowered and the soldiers came to attention,while the German lieutenant lowered his revolver and saluted stiffly.
Not ten paces away sat a German officer on horseback. He wore theshoulder straps of a general of infantry, as both lads saw at a glance.
"What's the meaning of this?" demanded the general.
"One of these men knocked me down, sir," the German lieutenant replied,"and I was about to have him shot."
"So," said the general, "and why did he knock you down, if I may ask,lieutenant?"
The German stuttered and hung his head. It was Hal who replied.
"He struck me first, your excellency."
"As I thought," said the German general. "I've heard of your actionsbefore, Lieutenant Leffler. Do not let me hear of your offending again."
"But sir----" said the lieutenant.
"Enough!" was the general's stern command. "See that your prisoners aremade secure and then report immediately to me."
The lieutenant saluted stiffly, but Chester noted an angry gleam in hiseye.
"Humph!" said the lad. "He apparently has no love for his general. Lookslike he would like to put a bullet through him."
The German commander, without further thought of his subordinate, hadwheeled his horse and was about to ride away. At that moment the Germanlieutenant, with an audible snarl, suddenly whipped out his revolver andcovered his general.
But Chester was too quick for the man.
Taking a quick step forward, he sent the would-be assassin's revolverspinning into the air by a sudden blow of his fist. The Germanlieutenant, thus foiled in his purpose, turned and grappled with thelad.
Hal sprang to his chum's assistance, while the German soldiers closed inabout him.
The German general, attracted by the sounds of the commotion but notknowing what the trouble was about, wheeled his horse again and rushedinto the thick of the melee.
"Here! Here!" he cried. "Stop that!"
Immediately the soldiers drew off. The German lieutenant, however, wastoo furious even to heed the order of his commanding officer. Hisfingers sought Chester's throat.
But Chester, athlete that he was, was too quick for his opponent, and heheld the man off despite the fact that in strength he was hardly a matchfor him.
The German lieutenant suddenly released his hold and stepped back. Hishand dropped to his belt, where hung a long sheath knife. The knifeflashed aloft and Chester staggered back quickly to avoid the descendingblow.
Before the man could strike again, Hal sprang forward and seized theman's arm from behind. He twisted sharply and the knife fell to theground. The German whirled quickly, but Hal dropped him with awell-directed right-hand blow to the point of the chin. The Germanlieutenant lay still.
The German general by this time had dismounted and had been hurryingforward even as Hal put his adversary down.
"Well done!" shouted the German commander in excellent English. "Welldone, I say! But what is all this commotion about?"
"If you please, sir," said one of the soldiers, stepping forward,"Lieutenant Leffler was trying to shoot you when this Americanofficer"--and he indicated Chester--"interfered."
"So?" exclaimed the general in utter astonishment. "It has come to this,eh? How dare a German soldier lift a hand toward his superior officer!"
He drew near and stirred the prostrate body of Lieutenant Leffler withhis foot. Then he turned to Chester.
"So I have to thank an enemy for saving my life, eh?" he said in a quietvoice. "I am sorry that we are enemies, sir, for I have been in yourAmerica. Well, I thank you. If there is anything I can do for you at anytime, call upon me. But what are you doing within our lines?"
In a few words Chester repeated the story told the German lieutenant afew moments before.
"Lost, eh?" said the general. "Well, it's too bad, of course. I can'tsend you back to your own lines, for you have been captured within ours.That means that you are prisoners of war until the war ends, or untilyou are exchanged--which is unlikely," he added as an afterthought.
He turned to one of the soldiers.
"What's your name, my man?" he demanded.
/> "Loeder, sir!" replied the man addressed, saluting.
"Very well, Loeder. I appoint you to make sure that the prisoners areturned over to Colonel Ludwig. You will also take Lieutenant Lefflerthere and confine him to his quarters, under arrest. A courtmartialshall sit on his case in the morning. You are in command of this squad,Loeder."
"Very well, sir," replied Loeder.
As Lieutenant Leffler was lifted to his feet at the command of Loeder,the German general again mounted his horse. As he was about to put spurto the animal, he seemed struck with a sudden thought, and with acommand to Loeder, halted the march of the party surrounding Hal andChester.
"A moment!" he called. "What are your names, sirs?"
Chester replied for both.
"I shall remember them," replied the German general quietly, "and if youare ever in need while within our lines, I ask that you call upon me, Iam General von Mackensen!"
He wheeled his horse and rode rapidly away.
"Great Scott, Hal!" said Chester. "What do you think of that? I guesswe're safe enough while we're here."
"So we are," agreed Hal dryly, "as long as they don't know just why weare here."
The lads about-faced with their captors and were led away.