CHAPTER II
A STRANGE SIGHT
For a moment after the dramatic announcement of Roger Barlow to theeffect that he and his chums were in such dire straits, there wasintense silence. Silence and darkness reigned in the dugout that, amoment before, had been light and the scene of as much gaiety as canperhaps ever be attained so near the war front. And the hearts of thefive Brothers turned sick with fear.
Then Jimmy, perhaps because he was more used to commanding than hiscompanions, though they were all non-commissioned officers, took chargeof the situation.
"I say!" he called aloud, after making sure that the worst that hadhappened to him was numerous cuts and bruises. "I say, are any of youbadly hurt?"
"I seem to be all there," answered Roger. "But I'm caught under a beamor something."
"Don't try to wiggle out yet!" warned Jimmy. "You may bring the wholeplace down about our ears! Wait until I see if I can get my hand in mypocket and bring out my flashlamp. I hope it isn't broken."
"I can get at mine!" came from Franz.
"Are you all right?" asked Jimmy.
"Yes, except for a crack on the head that made me see stars for aminute."
"Stars!" cried Bob. "We'd be well off if we could see comets now. It'sas dark as a bucket of tar in here. What happened, anyhow? I believe wemust be under tons of earth and rocks."
"I guess we are," said Jimmy, and his voice had a solemn note in it."We must be buried alive, as you said. The Huns must have dropped abomb from an aeroplane straight on the location of this dugout, which,of course, they knew. Or else they've got the range with one of theirbig guns. But wait, I can flash my glim now. We'll soon see what thetrouble is."
"Has anyone heard a peep out of Iggy?" asked Roger. "Of course we can'tsee one another, but we can hear. I say, Iggy, are you all right?" hecalled, and by his voice it would seem that Roger was not much hurt.
There was silence for a moment, and then the tones of the Polish ladwere heard. Iggy said:
"I dunno if I am here, or by a deadness alretty. Only I haf a muchpains in my foot. Maybe he is cracked!"
"Let us hope not!" said Jimmy, as he switched on his pocket flashlight."Oh, I see him!" he cried. "You are under a heap of dirt and sandbags,Iggy. We'll soon have you out."
As Jimmy flashed the light, Bob and Franz began digging with theirhands. They very quickly freed Roger. It was soon evident that Iggy,also, could be freed; but when this was accomplished his head sank backlimply and his eyes closed.
"He must be worse hurt than we think," said Franz solemnly. "Is thereany way out of this hole?"
"There is one if it hasn't been closed by the explosion," answeredJimmy. "Wait until I get my bearings. This is the main German dugoutfor this section of trench--that is, it was," he added significantly."Now from here, as I recall it, there ran a tunnel into anotherbomb-proof. If we can dig our way to that we may be saved yet. Andwe've got to dig our way out, fellows. We may be buried alive, but it'sup to us to dig our way out. But first we'd better get Iggy some water,if we can find any. I'm afraid he's in a bad way."
And while the five Brothers are trying to solve one of the many hardproblems that came to them during their war career, I will take amoment to inform my new readers something of the lads themselves.
They were called the "Khaki Boys," and they were first introduced inthe volume named "The Khaki Boys at Camp Sterling." Jimmy Blaise,otherwise known as James Sumner Blaise, the son of wealthy parents,Roger Barlow, an orphan who had tried various ways of making aliving, Robert Dalton, who after the death of his parents had becomea "cub" newspaper reporter, Franz Schnitzel, and Ignace Pulinski, hadestablished a Brotherhood during their preliminary camp training.
They had many thrilling times together during the early days of theparticipation of the United States in the big conflict, and they formedfriendships that meant much. They started for France together, and inthe second volume, "The Khaki Boys on the Way," their experiences onthe water have been detailed. Being torpedoed was only one of manythrilling things that happened to them. Eventually the five Khaki Boysreached the actual fighting ground, and in "The Khaki Boys at theFront," will be found set down their experiences as real fighters. Inthat book may be learned how Jimmy earned the reward of five thousandfrancs by disposing of the "tiger man." And it was this reward, orrather, his share of it, that Iggy sent to his "mothar," as he calledher.
In the fourth volume, entitled, "The Khaki Boys Over the Top," arerelated the details of some rather curious happenings. Jimmy hadentrusted his five thousand francs to the care of a friend, SergeantMaxwell, and, after a certain skirmish, when the five Brothers wentover the top, the sergeant was reported missing. The five thousandfrancs also disappeared.
What effect this had on the Khaki Boys, and how, later, they were savedfrom almost sure death by a strange officer, and how they denouncedthis officer as a spy--all this will be found in the fourth book. Atthe close, the boys, after many hardships, were united again, and theywere waiting for the resumption of the heavy fighting where we findthem at the opening of this present tale.
Among their friends the five Khaki Boys numbered the "Twinkle Twins,"otherwise John and Gerald Twinkleton, two aviators, whose cousin, EmileVoissard, was known as the "Flying Terror of France." He was more thanan ace, and it was in helping him that Jimmy won the reward. There was,too, Jimmy's friend Margaret, of Buffalo, but he had small hope ofseeing his "girl" in those strenuous war days.
Of course boys like the five Brothers could not progress as they hadand not make enemies. The very fact that Jimmy, Roger and Franz weresergeants, while Bob and Ignace were corporals was enough to causesome jealous feelings among the squads they often commanded. And evenin camp this had been shown, before they were promoted. There was oneyoung soldier, Private Bixton, who acted very despicably toward thefive friends until he was sent to a military prison, mainly through theinstrumentality of Jimmy and his chums. For Bixton was a scoundrel, aswell as a deserter.
So, it can be seen, the five friends did not have it altogether easy.They fought hard, and they were wounded more than once, but notseriously enough to keep them long away from the firing line.
And now, after having fought hard and been given a short leave ofabsence, part of which they had spent in the old German dugout,the Khaki Boys are again in trouble, caused by the collapse of theunderground place when the big shell or the bomb exploded.
Putting aside, for the moment, all thought of trying to dig theirway out of their underground prison, the Khaki Boys proceeded to dowhat they could for the unfortunate Iggy. Their flashlights gaveconsiderable illumination to the otherwise dark hole, and by lookingaround Jimmy and the others saw what had happened.
The shell, bomb, or whatever it was, must have landed squarely on topof the dugout. And though this top proper, being made of concrete, wassome distance underground, it had been made to collapse as one mightpush in the end of an egg. The roof of the dugout was depressed whilethe walls still stood upright, though much cracked. The place wasfilled with d?bris.
It was owing to the fact that the strong, thick walls held that theboys' lives were not at once crushed out. They had been along theedges, and not standing in the middle, when the crash came.
"Lift him over to one side, and we'll see if we can tell what's thematter with him," suggested Roger.
Accordingly they scraped as much dirt and d?bris off the Polish lad aspossible, and then half lifted and half dragged him over to a pile ofblankets.
"Feel any better?" asked Jimmy, as he gave his friend another drinkfrom a canteen.
"Yes, of a little betterness am I," was the answer. "But do not of mindme. I can get alongs. Look for a way out of these place if you can findhim. Do not mind me."
"Well, maybe I'd better be looking to see if I can find the oldtunnel," said Jimmy. "We'll need to find that, anyhow, to get ourselvesout, as well as Iggy. Roger, you come with me. Bob and Franz can staywith Iggy. We'll be back as soon as we can," he added.
The two boys climbed over the d?bris, flashing their pocket torchesat intervals, so as not to use up the batteries too quickly. Bob andFranz made Iggy as comfortable as possible.
"Seems to me the place was over here," observed Jimmy, as he pulledaside some loose and splintered boards.
Quickly Jimmy flashed the gleams of his small lamp over the cracked andbroken walls of the dugout. At first he had no success, but finally hefound 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 waspainfully lame.
An examination showed that the door, though broken and jammed, wascapable of being forced open. This was done by Roger and Jimmy, usingpieces of planks for levers. At last the broken door swung to one sideon 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 wereach 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 ourears."
"I don't know about Iggy, though," went on Jimmy. "Of course we couldcarry him, but it would be hard work."
However, they were not compelled to do this. For when Roger and Jimmywent back to where they had left Bob and Franz looking after thewounded Polish lad, they found that Iggy could walk by leaning on theshoulder of someone.
"That's good!" exclaimed Jimmy. "Now then for the tunnel! But take iteasy, everybody. We may be going into a blind lead, or a place worsethan this. So go slow!"
And slowly and cautiously they entered the tunnel, Roger and Jimmy inthe lead. One of them flashed a pocket torch at intervals, for the waywas rough and treacherous.
Suddenly Roger, who had got a little in advance of Jimmy, caught thelatter 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 guardedexclamation. He was gazing at a strange sight.