CHAPTER XX. CAPTURED
Silently, in the darkness of their trenches, the party of which Tom andJack were to be members, prepared to go over the top and penetratethe German front line of defense, in the hope of taking prisoners thatinformation might be had of them. It was a risky undertaking, but onefrequently accomplished by the Allies, and it often led to big results.
There were about a score in the patrol, and, to their delight, thoughthey rather regretted it later, Tom and Jack were given positions wellin front, two files removed, in fact, from the lieutenant commanding.
"Now I suppose you all understand what you're to do," said thelieutenant as he gathered his little party about him in one of thelarger dugouts, where a flickering candle gave light. "You'll allprovide yourselves with wire cutters, hand grenades and pistols. Rifleswill be in the way. Take your gas masks, of course. No telling whenFritz may send over some of those shells. Blacken your faces, as usual.A star shell makes a beautiful light on a white countenance, so don't beafraid of smudging yourselves. And when we start just try to imagine youare Indians, and make no noise. One object is to come in contact withsome German post, try to hear what's going on from their talk, and makesome captures if we can. Do you all understand German?"
It developed that they did--at least no one would confess he did not forfear of being turned back. But, as it developed, they all had some, ifslight, acquaintance with the language.
A little period of anxious waiting followed--a sort of zero houreffect--until finally the word was received from some source, unknown toTom and Jack, to proceed. The night was black, and there was a mist overeverything which did not augur for clear weather on the morrow.
"Forward!" whispered the lieutenant, for they were so near the Germanlines that incautious talking was prohibited. Out of their trenches theywent, Tom and Jack well in front, and close to the leader.
As carefully as might be, though, at that, making noise which themembers of the patrol thought surely must be heard clear to Berlin, theymade their way over the shell-torn and uncertain ground in the darkness.They went down between their own lines of barbed wire to where anopening had been made opposite what was considered a quiet spot in theHun defenses, and then they started across "No Man's Land."
It was not without mingled feelings that Tom and Jack advanced,and, doubtless, their feelings were common to all. There was greatuncertainty as to the outcome. Death or glory might await them. Theymight all be killed by a single German shell, or they might run intoa German working party, out to repair the wire cut during the day'sfiring. In the latter case there would be a fight--an even chance,perhaps. They might capture or be captured.
On and on they went, treading close together and in single file, makinglittle noise. Straight across the desolate stretch of land that laybetween the two lines of trenches they went, and, when half way, therecame from the German side a sudden burst of star shells. These are asort of war fireworks that make a brilliant illumination, and the enemywas in the habit of sending them up every night at intervals, to revealto his gunners any party of the enemy approaching.
"Down! Down!" hissed the lieutenant. But he need not have utteredthe command. All had been told what to do, and fell on their facesliterally--their smoke-blackened faces. In this position they resembled,as nearly as might be, some of the dead bodies scattered about, and thatwas their intention.
Still each one had a nervous fear. The star shells were verybrilliant and made No Man's Land almost as bright as when bathed insunshine, a condition that had not prevailed of late. There was noguarantee that the Germans would not, in their suspicious hate, turntheir rifles or machine guns on what they supposed were dead bodies. Inthat case-well, Tom, Jack and the others did not like to think about it.
But the brilliance of the star shells died away, and once more therewas darkness. The lieutenant cautiously raised his head and in a whispercommanded:
"Forward! Is every one all right?"
"My mouth's full of mud and water--otherwise I'm all right," said someone.
"Silence!" commanded the officer.
Once more he led them forward. They reached the first German wire, andinstantly the cutters were at work. Though the men tried to make nonoise, it was an impossibility. The wire would send forth metallicjanglings and tangs as it was cut. But an opening was made, and thepatrol party filed through. And then, almost immediately, somethinghappened.
There was another burst of star shells, but before the Americans had anopportunity to throw themselves on their faces, they saw that they wereconfronted by a large body of Germans who had come forward as silentlyas themselves, and, doubtless, on the same sort of errand.
"At 'em, boys! At 'em!" cried the lieutenant. "The Stars and Stripes! At'em!"
Instantly pandemonium broke loose. In the glaring light of the starshells the two forces rushed forward. There was a burst of pistol fire,and then the fight went on in the darkness.
"Where are you, Tom?"' yelled Jack, as he flung a grenade full at a big,burly German who was rushing at him with uplifted gun.
"Here!" was the answer, and in the darkness Jack felt his chum collidewith him so forcefully that both almost went down in a heap. "I jumpedto get away from a Hun bayonet," pantingly explained Tom.
Jack's grenade exploded, blowing dirt and small stones in the faces ofthe chums. There were shouts and cries, in English, French and German.The American lieutenant tried to rally his men around him, but, as wasafterward learned, they were attacked by a much larger party of Hunsthan their patrol.
"We must stick together!" cried Jack to Tom. "If we separate we're lost!Where are the others?"
"Sam Zalbert was with me a second ago," answered Tom, naming a lad withwhom he and Jack had become quite friendly. "But I saw him fall. I don'tknow whether he slipped or was hurt. Look out!" he suddenly shouted.
He saw two Germans rushing at him and Jack, with leveled revolvers.There was no time to get another grenade from their pockets, and Tom didthe next best thing. He made a tackle, football fashion, at the legs ofthe Germans, which he could see very plainly in the light of many starshells that were now being sent up.
Almost at the same instant Jack, seeing his chum's intention, followedhis example, and the two Huns went down in a heap, falling over theheads of their antagonists with many a German imprecation. Their weaponsflew from their hands.
"Come on! This is getting too hot for us!" cried Jack, as he scrambledto his feet, followed by Tom. "There'll be a barrage here in a minute."
This seemed about to happen, for machine guns were spitting fire anddeath all along that section of the German front, and the American andFrench forces were replying. A general engagement might be precipitatedat any moment.
The American lieutenant tried to rally his men, but it was a hopelesstask. The Germans had overpowered them. Tom and Jack started to run backtoward their own lines, having made sure, however, of putting beyond thepower to fight any more the two Germans who had attacked them.
"Come on!" cried Tom. "We've got to have reinforcements to tackle thisbunch!"
"I guess so!" agreed Jack.
They turned, not to retreat, but to better their positions, when theyboth ran full into a body of men that seemed to spring up from the veryground in the sudden darkness that followed an unusually bright burst ofstar shells.
"What is it? Who are they? What's the matter?" cried Tom.
"Give it up!" answered Jack. "Who are you?" he asked.
Instantly a guttural German voice cried:
"Ah! The American swine! We have them!"
In another moment Tom and Jack felt themselves surrounded by anoverpowering number.
Hands plucked at them toughly from all sides, and their pistols and fewremaining grenades were taken from them.
"Turn back with the prisoners!" cried a voice in German.
The two air service boys found themselves being fairly-lifted from theirfeet by the rush of their captors. Where they were going they could notsee, but they kne
w what had happened.
They had been captured by the Germans!