Chapter 2

TWO YOUNG LIEUTENANTS.

Sturdy American lads, young though they were, Hal Paine and Chester Crawford had, when this story opens, already seen considerable military service. Each had received his baptism of fire during the heroic defense of the Belgian city of Liège, which had held out for days against the overwhelming horde of Teutons.

In Berlin with Hal's mother when the war broke out, they had been separated from her and left behind. With Captain Raoul Derevaux, a gallant French officer, and Lieutenant Harry Anderson of the British army, they finally succeeded in making their way, after many desperate experiences and daring adventures, over the Belgian frontier, as told in the first book of this series, entitled "The Boy Allies at Liège." They had reached Liège in time to take an active part in the defense of that city.

In escaping from Germany, each had done his full share of fighting and each had been wounded. They had finally reached Brussels, where they remained some time, while Hal's wound healed sufficiently to continue his homeward journey. As the result of their heroic actions, the Belgian commander at Liège had mentioned them so favorably in his report to King Albert, that he had bestowed upon them commissions as lieutenants in the Belgian army as a mark of distinction for their bravery.

It was while waiting in Brussels that they again encountered Lieutenant Anderson, from whom they had been separated, and it was through his inducement that they now found themselves attached to the staff of Field Marshal Sir John French, commander of the British forces on the continent, engaged in scout duty.

At the time when this story opens they had been sent in advance of the main army on a reconnaissance.

The German advance through Belgium into France, up to this time, had been steady, although the Allies had contested every foot of the ground. Day after day and night after night the hard pressed British troops, to which Hal and Chester were attached, had borne the brunt of the fighting. But for the heroism of these comparatively few English, slightly more than one hundred thousand men, the Germans probably would have marched to the very gates of Paris.

But the arrival of the British troops had been timely, and under the gallant command of Sir John French, they had checked the overwhelming numbers of Germans time after time. The bravery of these English troops under a galling fire and against fearful odds is one of the greatest military achievements of the world's history.

Slowly, but standing up to the enemy like the true sons of Great Britain always have done, they were forced back. They stood for hours, without sight of the enemy, men dropping on all sides under the fearful fire of the great German guns miles away. While the French, farther south, gave way more rapidly, these few English stood their ground.

Time after time they came to hand grips with the enemy, and at the point of the bayonet drove them back with terrible losses. These bayonet charges were things of wonder to Hal and Chester, in spite of the fact that they had been in the midst of similar actions before Liège.

As the French and Belgians advanced in a wild whirlwind of fury, the English went about the business of a charge more deliberately, though with the same savage determination. They charged swiftly, but more coolly; gallantly, but more seriously, and the effect of their charges was terrible. The Germans who came on in the face of the fierce rifle and artillery fire, could not face the British bayonets, and time after time were driven back in disorder.

And as the British charged, always the words of their battle-song, fated for some unfathomed reason to become historic, rose above the sounds of battle:

"It's a long way to Tipperary. It's a long way to go; It's a long way to Tipperary, To the sweetest girl I know. Good-by, Piccadilly, Farewell, Leicester square. It's a long, long way to Tipperary, But my heart's right there!"

Liège had fallen before the invading German hosts, though several of the forts still held out; Louvain had been captured and its beautiful buildings burned to the ground. Brussels had been invested by the Teutons. In Alsace-Lorraine the French had been forced to relinquish the spoils won in the first days of the war. General Pau, after a stubborn resistance, had fallen back, and General Joffre, commander-in-chief of the French army, also had been forced to retire.

So close to Paris were the Germans now that the seat of government, the day before this story opens, had been removed to Bordeaux. Homes and other buildings in the French capital were being razed, so that the great French guns in the city could sweep the approach to the town unobstructed. Paris, the most strongly fortified city in the world, was being prepared to withstand a siege.

And still the Germans came on. Several of the enemy's war aviators flew over Paris and dropped bombs in the streets. This occurred upon several days, and then the French airmen put an end to these daring sky fighters. After this, no more bombs were dropped on Paris.

But as the Allies fell back, it was always the few British troops that time and again checked the Germans. The morale of the English was excellent.

In a final desperate charge, a small body of British cavalry had succeeded in driving back the German vanguard, while the main body of English retired still further. Then this little body of men returned, their number much smaller than when they had charged.

For some time now there had been no sign of the enemy, and Hal and Chester, with a small squad, had been sent toward the enemy's line to reconnoiter. It was while on this reconnaissance that they had been attacked by the Germans in force.

Slowly the two lads and the eight men, all that was left of the fifty who had gone forth, continued their retreat. They had gone forth on horses; they were returning afoot. Their mounts were in the hands of the enemy. From the rear, in the darkness, still came the sounds of firing.

"Evidently they have not given up the pursuit," said Hal.

"No; and they are probably mounted. Let's turn off into this little woods," replied Chester.

They did so, and followed by the remaining eight troopers continued on their way.

As they came to the edge of the woods, Hal, who was slightly in advance, stopped suddenly, and raised a warning hand. The little party halted.

"What's the matter?" asked Chester in a whisper.

"Germans!" replied Hal briefly.

Chester approached closer and peered over his friend's shoulder. Less than three hundred yards ahead he could dimly make out moving forms.

"Perhaps they are not Germans," said Chester hopefully. "How did they manage to get behind us?"

"I don't know," replied Hal. "But I am sure they are Germans. Some way, I can feel it."

"Well, what are we going to do?"

"We shall have to try and go round them without letting them hear us. Otherwise we are likely to be killed or captured."

Making a wide detour, the little party continued on their way. For an hour they walked along unmolested, and then, suddenly, from almost directly before them, came a cry, in German:

"Halt!"