*CHAPTER XII*
*HAL MEETS AN OBSTACLE*
Hal made rapid progress through the American lines. It was almost anhour after he left Chester that he reached the most advanced Americanoutposts toward the north. He was challenged there, but after confidingto the officer in charge of operations there that he was on a missionfor General Rhodes, he was allowed to pass.
The German lines, Hal learned, were perhaps two hundred yards ahead.There the enemy had hurriedly dug a temporary line of shallow trenchesand settled down to hold them. It was Hal's business to get into and topass through them.
Fortunately, the night was very dark so the lad had no hesitancy instepping from the protection of the American lines. The officer incommand at that point walked with him as far as he felt prudent. To himHal confided the fact that Chester would be along presently, and theofficer volunteered to speed the latter's progress in any way he could.
"Good luck," he called, as Hal disappeared in the darkness.
Hal made no response, but moved slowly and silently off through thenight.
The first hundred yards he covered standing and without fear ofdetection. It was so dark that he knew his presence in No Man's Landwould not be noticed unless the enemy chanced to turn one of theirpowerful searchlights in that direction. In that event, too, the ladknew it would make little difference whether he was standing or crawlingacross the open.
After covering what he judged was a hundred yards, Hal dropped to hishands and knees and proceeded more cautiously. Voices in the Germanlines became audible now and Hal was perfectly well aware that a pair ofGerman eyes might discover him. However, there was no help for it. Itwas his business to take such chances.
He wormed his way along slowly.
In this manner he came at last to the edge of the German trenches.There he paused a moment, listening intently. He heard voices. Theyseemed directly ahead of him. The lad crawled to his left. Afterprogressing in this manner for perhaps a hundred yards he paused andlistened again. He could still hear voices, but they were some distanceto his right. There was no sound directly ahead of him.
Silently the lad got to his feet. His head came just above the top ofthe trench. He peered around quickly. Some distance to the right heperceived a little knot of men apparently engaged in heated argument.It was apparent that they were so busy with their dispute that theywould not notice the alien figure in their midst. To the lad's left,too, perhaps fifty yards away, were half a dozen German soldiers. Butthey were not looking in Hal's direction.
Slowly the lad drew himself to the top of the trench, then droppedquietly inside. There he crouched for a moment, his hands on hisrevolvers, ready to fight or run as occasion should demand.
But his presence was unnoticed and Hal drew a breath of relief.
"Safe for a minute, at least," he told himself.
But Hal knew that he could not hope to escape discovery long in thisexposed position. Besides, he had no time to spare. It was hisbusiness to pass through the German Lines as quickly as possible.
Little light showed in the German trenches. Here and there a lanternflickered as a sentinel passed along his post. Also candles, shelteredfrom the breeze by improvised shades, showed where little groups ofGermans had gathered to chat before turning in for the night.
Hal perceived that his best hope of avoiding discovery lay straightahead, toward the center of the German camp. The enemy would be lookingfor no enemies there. Besides, Hal's destination lay in that direction.
Leaving the shelter of the trench, he crawled forward. He stopped onceor twice and flattened himself into the ground, as footsteps approached.But the footsteps turned off each time without coming close to him, andHal proceeded.
Tents had been pitched in improvised streets and Hal heard the sound ofdeep snores from within. The German camp, except for sentries and somefew others, was asleep.
It was very dark. Hal rose to his feet and proceeded more swiftly. Hefelt confident now that he would be able to pass through the campwithout discovery, but he realized that the hardest work cut out for himwould be to leave the German lines on the other side.
Nevertheless, it had to be done, so the lad pressed on.
Walking boldly along the little camp street, he at last passed beyondthe long row of tents. Not more than a hundred yards ahead now, heknew, he would come upon more trenches thrown up as a protection to theenemy against the forces of General Lejeune of the Second division.
Now the lad went more cautiously, and at last he came within view of thetrenches. Here and there a sentinel flitted by in the darkness. In thetrenches, Hal saw several groups of the enemy gathered in circles withinthe glow of light cast by lanterns and candles. He approached verycautiously.
The lad no longer stood erect. He was crawling on his hands and knees.With each inch advanced he knew his danger increased; but he knew, too,that every foot of ground he covered brought him that much closer tosuccess.
"I'll get through quietly if I can," he told himself, "but if I'mdiscovered I'll make a run and a fight for it. Once in the darkness ofNo Man's Land beyond I've as much chance of getting away as the bocheshave of catching me."
The lad halted suddenly. Footsteps were coming toward him, and a momentlater Hal made out the figure of a German sentry approaching. The ladsquirmed quickly but silently to one side and the German passed withoutseeing him.
"Close shave," the lad muttered to himself.
He moved forward again.
Other footsteps now approached and Hal made himself as small as possibleon the ground. Looking up, he perceived the figures of half a dozen menonly a few feet away. They were coming directly toward him. Halrealized that if he didn't act promptly, he would probably be steppedon.
He tried to squirm out of the way silently, but haste was too urgent forextreme caution and the sound of the lad's body gliding over the groundcarried to the ears of the enemy.
"What's that?" demanded one of them, and all halted.
"What's what, Hans?" asked a second voice.
"I heard something moving there," said the man called Hans.
"And what of it?" demanded the second voice. "Probably a rat."
"Made too much noise for a rat," was the response. "Sounded more like aman."
"Ha!" said another voice. "You talk as if you feared enemies right inthe heart of our own camp, Hans."
"Can't trust these Americans," was the reply. "They're not afraid ofanything. One of them is as likely to be here as any place else."
"Some truth in that, Hans," said another voice. "We'll have a look."
The Germans spread out fanwise and moved forward again. This was whatHal had been afraid of, and he knew now that concealment was no longerpossible.
"I'll have to make a dash for it," he told himself grimly.
Still stooping, he produced his pair of automatics and paused, ready foraction as soon as he should be discovered. And as he had feared,discovery was not long coming.
"Hello! What's that?" said a German voice.
"What's wh--" began a second voice.
Hal waited to hear no more. He knew he had been discovered, and hedecided to act before the Germans completely recovered from theirsurprise.
Springing to his feet, the lad dashed forward with a cry.
"Out of my way!" he shouted in German.
For a moment it seemed that the Germans would obey this command, sostartled were they by its suddenness and Hal's appearance from out ofthe ground, apparently.
But they recovered their wits in a moment and closed in on the lad withguttural cries of anger.
Hal raised both revolvers.
"Crack! Crack!"
Two Germans reeled back and the others gave ground. Before they hadtime to recover from this unexpected attack, Hal was among them. Twicemore his revolvers spoke. The targets were so close that a miss wasimpossible and two more Germans crumpled up on the ground.
Theremaining two skipped promptly out of harm's way.
Hal leaped for the trenches, revolvers still in hand. Once beyond theenemy's lines he felt he would be comparatively safe.
But the sounds of the revolver shots had aroused the camp. Men streamedforth from all directions.
Hal found his progress barred by a dozen men who seemed to appear fromout of the ground. The lad raised his revolvers again and emptied theminto his foes, then sprang in among them, his revolvers clubbed.
With both hands he laid about him lustily, the while endeavoring to pushthrough the enemy and reach the trench beyond. But the weight ofnumbers was too great and directly Hal went to the ground under a blowfrom a rifle butt.
He dragged himself to his feet and again mixed in with his foes. For amoment it seemed that he might fight his way clear, so desperate werehis efforts. Reinforcements continued to arrive, however, and at lastthe lad was overpowered.
Strong hands seized him from behind, rendering further strugglingfutile. Hal relaxed his efforts and grew quiet.
"You've got me," he said quietly, "but I'd have got away if there hadn'tbeen half a hundred of you."
"Tie him up," said a German voice.
No sooner said than done. A moment later Hal's arms were boundsecurely.
"Bring him up to the light," said another voice. "The colonel wants alook at him."
Hal felt himself propelled toward the trench. There a lantern was thrustin his face and a man attired as a German colonel of infantry surveyedthe lad.
"So we've caught you, you American pig!" he exclaimed.
"So it seems," returned Hal quietly. "What are you going to do with me?That's the next question?"
"Brave man, aren't you," sneered the German. "Well, you won't be sobrave when I get through with you. Lieutenant Steinz!" he called.
"Now what's up, I wonder?" Hal muttered to himself.