CHAPTER XX.
A RACE FOR LIFE.
Hal and Chester walked slowly along the road. It was just beginning togrow light and the lads were tired out. All night they had been on theirjourney toward Louvain, carrying a second communication to General Givetfrom the Belgian commander at Liege.
Unlike their previous trip, the country now was known to be overrun byGermans, and their second mission was much more perilous than had beentheir first. For this reason they had taken a different route, and so didnot pass the farmhouse where Chester had been wounded some days before.
"What is that ahead?" asked Chester suddenly.
Hal strained his eyes, peering into the distance.
"I don't know," he replied.
They continued their advance, and suddenly Chester exclaimed:
"Why, it looks like an old-time provision wagon."
"So it is," replied Hal; "I wonder what it can be doing here?"
As the boys drew nearer they perceived their surmise had been correct. Adilapidated old wagon it was, standing beside the road. To it werehitched two mules. There was not a soul about.
"I thought these things had gone out of date," said Hal, indicating thewagon. "It looks like an old prairie schooner."
"It certainly does," answered Chester. "The only reason I can account forsuch a relic being in use is that every available vehicle has beenimpressed into service."
"I suppose that is the reason, but it certainly reminds me of the wildand woolly days we have read about in America. If this is not aregulation prairie schooner, I never saw one."
And indeed it seemed that the lads were right. The wagon was coveredwith a canvas top, which came down over the back, leaving a littleopening in the rear.
"What is the reason we can't get in this thing and ride?" asked Chester.
"I can see none," was Hal's reply. "We might as well do it. Then, too, wecan make better time."
Accordingly the lads climbed in, and soon were riding slowly along theroad. When about five or six miles from Louvain, Hal, glancing behind,saw three horsemen approaching.
He grabbed Chester by the arm.
"Look there!" he said, pointing.
"Germans, by George!" exclaimed Chester, who was driving, and heimmediately started the mules on a dead run.
"Hold on," said Hal; "maybe they are Belgians."
"No, no," replied Chester. "I know they are Germans!"
"Well," replied Hal, "I am going to see," and, stepping out on thefootboard and holding to the side of the wagon, he looked back over thetop of the wagon. The horsemen were closer now, and Hal could make outtheir uniforms.
"They are Germans, aren't they?" asked Chester.
"Yes," replied Hal, "and they are coming like the wind!"
"Well," said Chester, "maybe we can get away. You do what fighting isnecessary, and I'll do the driving."
"All right," said Hal. Crawling back in the wagon, he drew his tworevolvers, and in response to his command, Chester turned his two pistolsover to him also.
Hal had hardly reached his place at the back of the wagon when Chester,between yells to the mules, cried out:
"How far off are they now, Hal?"
Hal answered him as well as he could, and Chester renewed his lashing ofthe mules and his yelling.
Once more Chester inquired the distance between pursued and pursuing,but, before Hal could answer, two shots were fired from behind,accompanied by a shouted command to halt. The bullets from the riflespassed through the wagon between the two lads, but did no damage; andalmost instantly the Germans charged down on them. Three shots rang outas they passed the wagon, but the boys were not touched.
The Germans passed on, and then, circling back, prepared for anothercharge. Hal had fired at them several times, but, owing to the bumping ofthe wagon, his shots had not found a mark. But, if the bumping of thewagon had spoiled his aim, it had probably saved the lads' lives, for itmade accurate shooting by the Germans impossible.
Down came the Germans again, shooting as they passed by. And again theboys were unharmed. Hal and Chester were now yelling at the top of theirvoices--why, they never knew.
Hal, crawling to the back end of the wagon and, looking out, saw theGermans ready to charge down on them again. One man, however, was joggingalong close behind the wagon, his revolver held in his hand.
As Hal looked out, the German stopped his horse and fired. Hal dodgedback sideways. The bullet whizzed through the hole in the canvas in therear, grazed Hal's head, and struck the back of the seat near Chester.Chester did not even turn, but, with cries and blows, continued to urgethe mules on.
As quick as he could, Hal rushed to the hole and fired at his opponent,but failed to hit him. At the same instant another bullet came throughthe side of the wagon, and struck his revolver, and the weapon fell tothe road. Hal dodged back inside.
Then the Germans bore down on them again, firing into the wagon as theypassed it. Hal sprang to the front of the wagon. One German had stoppedand was taking aim at Chester. Hal raised his revolver, and, taking asnap shot, fired. The bullet went true, and the German fell to the road.
"I've hit one of them, Chester!" called Hal.
"Bully for you!" came back the response, and Chester continued to ply hiswhip on the backs of the galloping mules.
Once more the remaining two Germans turned and came back, but this timethey did not fire as they passed the wagon. Hal rushed back to the rearof the wagon and looked out.... One German rode close behind and to theright of the wagon.
Bracing himself, Hal quickly stuck his revolver through the hole, butbefore he could fire, the German flopped over on one side of his horse,and all that could be seen of him was his arm around the animal's neck,and from the knee down, one leg.
Hal did not fire, but waited for him to come up--he could almost hit thehorse's head with his hand, so closely was he running. Suddenly he sawhis enemy's hand move, and he dodged back just in time. A bullet spedpast his head.
Up came the German, and Hal stuck his revolver through the hole, and,without taking aim, fired. The ball struck the German in the breast, and,with a cry, he threw up his hands, and toppled from his horse.
"I got another one, Chester!" cried Hal.
"Good!" came the reply, but Chester was too busy to say more.
The bullet with which Hal had disposed of the second German had been hislast, and the boys were now without firearms.
Along they bowled, and once more the last German passed the wagon. He hadlearned the boys were without weapons. But the German now had alsodisposed of his last cartridge, so the lads were on even terms.
Suddenly Chester called:
"He is crowding the mules off the road!"
It was true. The pursuer was riding close to the mules, trying to pushthem from the road. The animal on the near side was jumping franticallyand gradually pushing the other mule toward the edge of the road.
The German kept close to the mule, in spite of several attempts Hal madeto scare him off by pointing his empty revolver at him. The Germanrefused to scare.
Grasping the side of the wagon, Hal took the revolver by the barrel andhurled it at the German. The latter tried to dodge, but it was too late.The revolver struck him in the face, and he fell to the ground.
He was up in a moment, however, and, picking up his sword, was soon inthe saddle again; and a moment later the mules again were being crowdedoff the road.
The German was within striking distance, but Hal had nothing with whichto hit him. His other empty revolvers had already been thrown.
"Hit him with the whip!" he cried to Chester. "Hit him with the whip!"
Chester, suiting the action to the word, simply diverted one of the blowsintended for the mules, and struck the German fair across the face.
The whip had a knot on the end of it, to keep it from unraveling, andthis knot hit the German in the eye. The German dropped his sword, puthis hands to his face, and rubbed his eyes; then, putting spurs to hishorse, he made
off rapidly over the road which they had come.
The boys now caught the first glimpse of the town of Louvain, and theglad sight of Belgian troops could be discerned--the outpostsguarding the town.
Chester let the mules slow down.
"That was some ride," he declared.
"You bet," was Hal's answer. "I thought we were gone that time, sure."
"Well, let's get out and walk the rest of the way," said Chester. "I havehad enough of this riding to last me a lifetime. The wagon jolted so muchI must be black and blue all over."
Chester stopped the mules, and the boys climbed to the ground; and, justas they started to resume their walk, Hal sank suddenly to the ground!