CHAPTER XXV
A FIGHT FOR FREEDOM
Hal felt a stinging sensation in his left side. He paid no attentionto this however, but, dropping suddenly to the floor, turned to facehis adversary. He saw in that instant the reason the German's bullethad not penetrated a vital spot.
As the German had fired, Antoinette, with a quick movement, had graspedat his arm. She had not succeeded in turning the revolver from itsvictim, but she did manage to spoil the man's aim. Therefore, thebullet had glanced off one of Hal's ribs.
He now held the advantage, and yet it was not an advantage, for,realizing that he was facing almost certain death, the German had swungthe girl in front of him and was using her as a shield.
"Shoot! Don't mind me!" Antoinette called.
But Hal would not fire without first making sure that he would not hitthe girl. The German had succeeded now in freeing his hand, and,pointing the revolver over the girl's shoulder, pulled the triggeragain.
Hal escaped this bullet by a quick spring aside, and, before the Germancould fire again, he had skipped forward, darted back of his opponent,and gripped him with his left hand by the throat.
Antoinette clawed so furiously at her captor that the German suddenlyreleased her with a cry of anger, and swung about to confront Hal. Hestruck out so viciously that Hal stepped back to avoid the blow. TheGerman again raised his revolver, but Hal, moving quickly forward,again struck at the German's revolver with his own--he had no time toraise it to fire. The German's revolver was knocked from his grasp,but Hal also lost his grip on his weapon and both went clattering tothe floor together.
Realizing that he was no match for his heavier opponent if they came tohand grips, Hal stepped quickly back and threw himself into an attitudeof defense. It was the lad's plan to stand off, if possible, andspar.
But the German had no mind to indulge in this kind of fighting, ofwhich he had not the slightest knowledge. He came forward with arush. Hal side-stepped and planted his right fist with great forceabove his opponent's left ear. The German staggered, but he did not godown. Before he could recover, Hal struck twice again--right andleft, but neither blow found a vulnerable spot.
The German uttered a terrible roar of anger and charged again. Thistime Hal was not successful in avoiding the rush and the man's armswent about him. Hal felt his breath leaving his body as the Germansqueezed.
In vain the lad struck out right and left. Several times he felt hisblows land, but there was no power behind them now.
As Hal struggled with the German, Antoinette had picked up one of therevolvers and circled around behind the struggling figures, trying tofind an opening that she might fire without risk of hitting Hal. Nonepresented itself.
Hal was gasping for breath. His mouth was open and his tongue hungout. Suddenly the lad's struggle relaxed and he became limp in theGerman's arms. The latter threw the boy's inert body from him roughly,and as he did so Antoinette fired. The German staggered as the bulletstruck him in the side. As he turned to face her the girl firedagain.
The German dropped to the floor and the bullet passed over him. Beforethe girl could aim again, the man had seized a revolver from the floorand covered her.
"Drop that gun!" he cried.
There was nothing for Antoinette to do but obey. She dropped therevolver.
"Sit down!" the German commanded.
Again the girl obeyed.
Her captor now saw signs of returning consciousness in Hal. He walkedacross the room, and, still keeping his revolver ready in one hand,stooped and picked Hal up with the other.
He deposited the lad on a sofa near the girl.
"Now I've got you both, so there'll be a double execution," hegrowled. "I'll just sit here and guard you till some of my men turnup."
Meanwhile, upstairs, Chester, Major Derevaux and the four Canadians hadwaited impatiently. The sound of revolver shots below had not carriedto their ears. Chester closed his watch with a snap.
"Time's up," he said quietly. "They must have nabbed Hal. Let's godown."
There were no objections offered, so Chester led the way.
The American lad, the French officer and the four Canadian troopersdescended the stairs as quietly as had Hal, and as quietly approachedthe door to the room where the German officer now guarded hiscaptives. Chester peered through the key-hole and took in thesituation at a glance.
Chester, however, used more caution than had Hal. Also he chose toproceed with strategy rather than force. Now, the lad realized, was atime when his German uniform would stand him in good stead. Heexplained his plan in whispers, and as the others stood back out of theway, Chester walked calmly into the room.
The German officer rose to his feet. He did not know Chester fromAdam, of course, but he recognized the uniform.
"Glad you've come, lieutenant," he said. "I've had a deuced hard timehere. As you may see, I have been shot in the side. ColonelBrewsterberg has been killed. I'll ask you to take charge of myprisoners."
"Very well, sir," said Chester, and produced a revolver.
The German officer returned his revolver to his holster and made asthough to leave the room.
"One moment," said Chester sharply.
The German stopped in his tracks and eyed him in surprise.
"I'll thank you for your gun," said Chester.
A great light broke upon the German.
"I see! I see!" he exclaimed. "Another one!"
His hand groped for his revolver.
"Be sure you keep your finger off the trigger," said Chesterpleasantly.
For a moment the German hesitated and it was apparent to Chester thathe was considering resistance.
"I wouldn't if I were you," said the lad quietly.
The German shrugged his shoulders, then took out his revolver andpassed it to Chester, holding it by the muzzle.
"Thanks," said Chester. "Now sit down over there."
He motioned to a chair and the German sat down.
"All right, major," called Chester. "You can come in now."
Major Derevaux entered the room, followed by the four Canadians. TheGerman prisoner looked at them in amazement. Apparently he thought thewhole Allied army was about to follow them in.
"Major," said Chester, "you stand guard over that fellow. I'll have alook at Hal."
"I'm all right," said Hal, as Chester approached him. "Bullet struckme in the side, but it is nothing dangerous, I guess. That big Germanthere nearly choked the life out of me, though. He's a hard customer."
Chester staunched the flow of blood in Hal's wound, and the latterannounced that he was fit as a fiddle.
"The thing to do now is to get out of here," he said.
Under Major Derevaux's direction, Gregory and Crean had securely boundand gagged the prisoner.
The major now approached Antoinette.
"Have you learned anything?" he asked.
"Yes," replied the girl quietly. "The next German attack will be madeday after tomorrow on this front, in an effort to recapture ground wonby General Byng. There will be no activity now in the Verdun sector."
"But will the enemy weaken his lines there?"
"Such is not the plan. The general staff believes that there areenough men on this front to go through."
"Good!" said the major. "That's what I came all this way to learn.But how were you discovered, Antoinette?"
"My wig came off," replied the girl. "One of the Germans tapped meplayfully on the head, and his ring caught in my hair. The next thingI knew I was a prisoner."
"It's too bad," said the major. "We have lost a valuable assistantnow. Of course, there is no use in your remaining here longer. Youmust go with us."
"But I would so like to stay," murmured the girl.
"But you can't," said Hal eagerly. "You can see that, can't you?"
Antoinette nodded her head.
"Yes, I must go," she said quietly.
"Then let's be moving," said t
he major.
The girl got to her feet. Chester led the way to the back door. Butas he would have thrown open the door and stepped out, he moved backinside with an exclamation.
"What's the matter?" demanded Hal in some alarm.
"Matter?" exclaimed Chester. "The yard is full of Germans!"