CHAPTER IX
CHESTER TO THE RESCUE
Despite himself, Hal was forced to smile.
"'Gats?'" he repeated.
"Well, that's what we call 'em on the East Side in good old New York,"replied Bowers, also smiling. "But you can call 'em anything you wantto. We ought to be good for a couple of Huns apiece before we go down."
"They'll know we're here, at all events," declared Hal grimly.
As the Germans bore down on them from the east, Hal glanced quickly overhis shoulder and uttered a cry of joy.
"Here come the Yanks!" he shouted.
It was true. Half a mile behind them a long line of the boys in khakiadvanced at the double, spread out in the battle formation which had itsorigination in the great war. Behind the first line came a second andthen a third.
Hal estimated the distance with a practiced eye.
"Half a mile," he said.
"Right," said Bowers, "and the Germans are a quarter of a milecloser--but still not close enough for my little gun here. But if thereis going to be a race for us, I'll lay long odds on Fritz."
"Looks like you'd win," replied Hal. "There is the first messenger," headded quietly, as a German bullet struck the wall behind which the twohad taken refuge.
Bowers peered over the top of the wall, raised his automatic and wouldhave fired had Hal not stayed his hand.
"Don't waste your bullets," said the lad. "Remember the watchword of thebattle of Bunker Hill: 'Wait until you see the whites of their eyes.'"
"Right," said Bowers briefly.
Came a volley of bullets from the foremost Germans as Hal and the marinecrouched down behind their refuge. The bullets flattened themselvesagainst the stout wall, but did no other damage.
"Pure waste of ammunition," was Hal's cool comment.
"What do the fools want to shoot for?" demanded Bowers. "All they haveto do is rush us. We'll probably get a couple of them, but they arebound to get us in the end."
It appeared that the German officers had reached the same conclusion,for the rifle fire of the advancing infantry ceased and the Germans cameon with fixed bayonets.
"Here's where the Marine Corps loses a private of the first class," saidBowers, with something like a grin, as he made sure that his automaticwas ready for business.
"Looks like a certain lieutenant was going along with you," replied Hal,again glancing over his shoulder and calculating the distance to theapproaching American forces. "Well, they've seen us anyhow," he added.
There came a shout of encouragement from the Yankee line and the troopsappeared to redouble their speed.
"Help on the way, sir," said Bowers.
"And the Germans are here," rejoined Hal. "Don't waste a shot, Bowers."
"I wear a marksman's medal, sir," replied Bowers simply.
The Germans still came forward with a rush. Hal and Bowers stood to thewall, their revolvers poked slightly above and beyond it.
In this position, both were exposed to rifle fire from the enemy, but ifthey intended to fight back and not be caught like rats in a trap therewas no help for it.
"Crack!"
Hal's revolver spoke first and a German toppled in his tracks.
Bowers' automatic belched forth a stream of fire as he swept the Germanline. At this distance, a miss was practically impossible. Thus tenshots were hurled among the advancing foes and every bullet found itsmark.
"Some shooting, Bowers," said Hal quietly, as he emptied his revolverinto the very faces of the enemy.
There was no time to reload.
Hal clubbed his revolver in his right hand and waited. Bowers didlikewise. Neither thought of surrender. In fact, so inhuman andbarbarous had been the action of the Germans in the past that it wasdoubtful whether they would be spared should they raise their hands highin the air.
"Here they come!" cried Bowers.
The first German to poke his head around the wall from the left tumbledback again as the butt of Bowers' revolver crashed down on his skull.
Fortunately for the two, the granite wall, at the extreme right, toucheda steep hill, thus preventing a surrounding movement by the enemy.Nevertheless, it was possible that the enemy might climb the hill andpick Hal and Bowers off with revolver or rifle at will. On the otherhand, there was little likelihood that they would have time for such amaneuver before the American troops reached the spot. Besides the leftflank, therefore, the only way the foe could reach the defenders wasover the wall itself.
One German tried this. Climbing to the top of the wall, he leaped down.As he struck the ground Hal's revolver crashed down on his head and helay still.
A moment later two Germans leaped down together. The first Hal met witha blow to the head with his revolver, but before he could turn, thesecond man seized him in a powerful embrace. Hal kicked out with hisleft foot, which found the German's shin. At the same time the lad senthis left fist into the man's face. Down went the German.
Bowers, meanwhile, was equally hard pressed. Two men he disposed of withhis revolver butt and his fists; then the enemy surrounded him. Hal,thinking to join forces with the marine, had moved backward as otherenemies came over the wall and just before Bowers was hemmed in, the twomanaged to get back to back.
American arms flew about like flails and wherever a fist or a revolverbutt landed, a German crashed to earth. Right and left Hal and Bowersstruck out until their arms grew weary.
In the press of conflict, it seemed impossible that the two could remainon their feet. The struggle would have ended almost as soon as it beganhad one of the enemy been able to bring a revolver or rifle to bear, butso close were the struggling figures that the Germans could not firewithout imminent risk of killing one of their own number.
So the struggle went on.
But an unequal combat such as this could have but one ending. Under theoverwhelming numbers that closed in on them, Hal suddenly went down.
With a bellow like that of an enraged bull, Bowers moved back a trifleand stood squarely over the lad, one foot on each side of his prostrateform.
Two Germans jumped him from in front and two from behind. The first hesent staggering with a powerful blow from his right fist. The second hehurled from him with a kick; then turned on his heel to face the menbehind. One of these threw his arms around Bowers' neck. Without amoment's hesitation, the marine buried his teeth in the man's hand andthe strangle hold relaxed.
Whirling about, Bowers caught the fourth man in his arms, picked him upas though he had been a child and tossed him squarely in the faces ofhis comrades. Then, single-handed, he charged his foes.
Rifles were raised by the German soldiers and brought down sharply.Bowers reeled back, made an effort to retain his feet, and then sank tothe ground unconscious.
Almost at the same moment, and as a German infantryman raised hisbayonet to finish his work, a hail of rifle fire swept the Boche troops.Followed a loud Yankee cheer and the first American troops entered theconflict.
So intent had the enemy been on finishing Hal and Bowers, that they seemto have paid little attention to the advancing American columns. It isprobable that they had been ordered to finish the work in hand beforeworrying about the others and this had taken so long that they werecaught in their own trap.
With cries of terror, the Germans gave ground.
But even as they turned to flee, the Americans were upon them withswords and bayonets. Foremost in the advancing columns, their swordsthrowing circles of steel about their heads and revolvers clasped intheir left hands, belching fire, three officers dashed forward. Two weremarines. The other wore the garb of the regular army. The first two wereLieutenants Smith and Jenkins; the third, Chester Crawford.
"Get 'em, Smith!" shouted Jenkins. "You may not get another chance."
Smith apparently needed no urging. He led his men on with wild cries. Inthe face of these charging demons the Germans, who at first hadattempted to retire with some semblance of ord
er, broke and fled inutter rout. With loud cheers, the boys from Yankeeland followed close ontheir heels.
Suddenly Lieutenant Smith, who was slightly ahead of Jenkins andChester, halted. He had come upon the prostrate forms of Hal and Bowers.
"Hello!" he ejaculated, paying no heed to the confusion of battle. "Amarine, and he is down. Fritz will have to pay for that."
He sprang forward again.
A moment later Chester came upon his fallen chum. There was fear in hisheart as he bent over Hal, but this quickly fled as Hal drew a longbreath.
Chester lifted Hal to his feet.
"Still alive, eh?" he said.
"Alive and kicking," replied Hal briefly. "Give me a gun or something."
"You'd better----" Chester began.
But Hal stooped quickly, picked up a fallen German's rifle and sprangforward. Chester darted after him.
Bowers, meanwhile, also had come to his senses and was endeavoring toget to his feet. A company of marines, moving rapidly forward, encircledhim, steadied him and he also was given a rifle. The marines, closelyfollowed by regular army troops, continued the pursuit.
Hal turned to Chester as they ran ahead, trying to catch up with thefirst-line troops, who by this time were some distance ahead.
"In the nick of time again, old man," he gasped.
"I was afraid I wouldn't be," was Chester's reply.
Ahead, the American advance suddenly slowed down. The reason was soonclear. German reinforcements had been rushed hurriedly forward, and theenemy was making a stand. But the Yankee halt was only momentary.
"Forward!" came the command.