CHAPTER XXVII.
A DEED OF DARING.
Quickly the captain formed and outlined a plan. Then, gathering hismen behind him at the door, he prepared for a sortie. Among the troopswere a few engineers, the captain ascertained upon inquiry, and thesehe placed at the extreme rear of the little body.
When all was ready, the captain opened the doors and stepped out. Haland Chester were right behind him. It was very dark, and, as there wasno light in the house, Germans who were on guard, being a considerabledistance back to avoid the fire of the British defenders, did not atfirst make out the forms flitting silently from the house.
Half the little troop had emerged before a single rifle shot, followedby a volley, gave notice that they had been discovered. Then, at aword from Captain Anderson, the British charged right at their enemy.
Not a shot was fired until they were at close quarters, in spite ofthe fact that the German fire was not ineffective. Then, as the menspread out in a long line, they blazed forth their answer, and, hardupon this, charged with the bayonet.
Apparently the Germans had not prepared for such a move on the part ofthe enemy, for they gave ground rapidly. The skirmish was brief, withsuccess to the British.
The Germans in flight, Captain Anderson, Hal and Chester soon foundthe Viviers road, and led their men along at double time. The twomiles were covered quickly, and finally the three could make out inthe darkness what appeared to be a factory. Closer approach showedthat this what it was.
"Must be a temporary affair," said Captain Anderson, in a low voice."And what are those objects nearby?"
Hal peered through the darkness.
"Look like armored automobiles to me," he said.
"And so they are," declared Chester. "And there must be twenty ofthem. Seems to me an act of providence must have put them there. Wecouldn't want anything better to escape in."
"You are right," declared the captain.
The captain now divided his men into three forces, one of which hecommanded, the other two being led by Hal and Chester.
The first column approached to within fifty yards of the automobilesbefore being discovered. Then the cry of a German sentry rang out.
At the word of command, the British opened fire, and again chargedwith fixed bayonets. But the German guard was strong, and evidentlyhad been on the alert against a possible surprise.
A rapid-fire gun stationed near the automobiles opened fire. The firstcolumn of men was literally annihilated, Captain Anderson himselfgoing to the ground with a severe wound in his chest. Not one of thetroopers reached the automobile.
Seeing what had happened to the first column, Hal and Chester weremore wary. They approached from two directions, and, before themachine-gun could be turned upon them, were at hand grips with theenemy.
A squad of men hurled themselves upon the German gunners, and thisweapon spoke no more. Then the British advanced upon the aviators, whostood near to guard their machines.
Both sides were fighting in small groups, and at once began a fierceinterchange of shots at a distance of fifteen yards. The airmen, whowere crouching along the edge of the road, answered the British firewith great bravery and vigor.
While this fighting was in progress, the detachments of engineers,which had been in the extreme rear of the British columns, armed withimprovised tools, hurled themselves upon the aeroplanes. With sureblows from their rifle butts, and whatever other implements theycould lay hands on nearby, they destroyed the motors, the gasolinereservoirs and the running gear of the German machines.
At this moment one of the armored automobiles burst into flames. Afierce red glare shot high into the air, lighting up the scene ofcarnage with great brilliancy.
While the little column commanded by Chester now withdrew a shortdistance, the lad having ordered this in the hope that he mightfind Captain Anderson still alive, Hal, with the comparatively fewremaining men, advanced to one of the armored automobiles, in whichstood a German officer, directing his men.
The officer opened fire on these few British with an automaticrevolver. Two men fell. Hal felt a bullet graze his arm, but notbefore he had discharged his own weapon against the chest of hisopponent, who fell to the ground, fatally wounded.
A second German, whom Hal had not noticed in the machine before,brought his rifle butt down over Hal's head. But the lad's quick eyehad seen the descending weapon, and his upraised arm warded off theblow. His left arm, however, fell to his side numb, and he stumbledand fell to the ground.
He was up in a moment, and sprang upon the German, one arm stillhanging by his side, and his revolver gone. The German brought hisrifle to bear, but, stepping quickly forward, the lad struck up theweapon, even as the German pressed the trigger.
With a quick leap Hal was in the automobile, and was grappling withthe German trooper. The German, unable to use his rifle at such closequarters, struck out with his fist. Hal dodged and his opponent drewback with a cry of pain. His fist had struck the steel side of thecar, and his arm was now useless.
The two were now on even terms. The German reached out and attemptedto entwine his fingers in Hal's throat, but the lad was too quick forhim. Dodging suddenly, he came up under the other's chin, and sent himspinning head over heels from the car, so fierce was the contact.
Then the lad turned his eyes to other sections of the field. He couldsee no signs of an enemy. Evidently the Germans had had enough, orwere awaiting the arrival of reinforcements before renewing the fight,for they had no way of determining the strength of the Britishattacking party.
In any event, Hal realized that there was no time to lose. Leapingfrom the car, he ordered the few men who were left to man the waitingautomobiles, quickly ascertaining that there were enough men capableof driving them. Then he set out to hunt Chester and Captain Anderson.
He found Chester on his knee, supporting the unconscious form of theirfriend.
"Hurry, Chester, get him into this car," he ordered. "We'll have toget out of here at once."
He helped the men lift the unconscious British officer into one of theautomobiles, leaped in himself, and took the wheel.
Five of the other cars also were ready to go, each containing twentymen, all that was left of the thousand who had made a dash for thefarmhouse in the morning.
Hal gave his orders slowly and tersely.
"Follow me, single file," he called to his men, "until I give the wordto close up. Then range right alongside of me. We will go as swiftlyas possible, and try to get through the German lines without a fight,if by any chance it is possible. However, if we have to make a quickdash and fight, it would be better to do it side by side, and plowright into the enemy. Do you understand?"
The driver of each car signified that he understood perfectly, and Halstarted his car off slowly. The others fell in line, and soon all weremoving along at a brisk pace.
Hal found time to call back over his shoulder to Chester:
"How is the captain?"
"I fear he is in pretty bad shape," was the reply; but, even at thatmoment, the captain showed signs of returning consciousness.
He stirred a little and moaned feebly. Then he raised his head.
"Where am I?" he demanded.
Slowly and carefully Chester explained the situation to him.
"And was the raid a success?" he asked. "Were the German aeroplanesdestroyed?"
"Yes, every one of them," replied Chester.
"Good! Now, give me a rifle, or a revolver, or something. I know wecan't get through the Germans without a fight, and I want to do mypart."
In vain did Chester protest. Captain Anderson insisted, and at lengthChester was forced to comply.
As the five automobiles, containing not more than a hundred Britishall told, approached the center of the German force, each mandetermined to get through to the allied lines or to die in theattempt.