They walked along leisurely, pa.s.sing countless German soldiers standing about; but little attention was paid to them. Occasionally a man nodded to them and the lads returned the salutation.

Gradually they drew away from the main body of troops and neared the outposts. Here German troopers were engaged in throwing up breastworks against a possible attack by the French in the morning.

"Guess we won't have far to go if we can get beyond the outposts,"

muttered Hal. "These preparations indicate the Germans have just won this ground. The French can't be far away."

Chester nodded in token of a.s.sent, and at that moment they came up to the workers. Casually they stood and watched the German soldiers digging for a few moments; then wandered in among them, keeping close together.

"When I give the word!" whispered Hal.

Chester nodded.

"Now!"

Hal gave the word suddenly.

Immediately the two lads took to their heels.

For a moment the Germans were stunned by the very audacity of the two lads. Then entrenching tools dropped to the ground and the men seized their rifles and fired a volley after the two boys. But in the time it had taken them to lay aside their tools and pick up their weapons the lads had disappeared in the darkness and now hurled themselves to the ground, antic.i.p.ating such a volley.

In the darkness the Germans could hope to hit them only by accident.

Springing to their feet again, the lads ran forward, bearing off slightly to the north, and soon felt they were safe.

They slowed down and approached the French lines cautiously. Presently they beheld the first French entrenchment. As they drew close a French soldier poked up his head and levelled a rifle at them.

"Halt!" he cried. "Who goes there?"

"Friends!" returned Hal.

"Advance friends," came the soldier's next words while he still held his rifle ready.

Hal and Chester advanced to the very edge of the trench. There the soldier took a good look at their faces and noticed the German uniforms.

Up went his rifle again and he would have pulled the trigger with the gun aimed squarely at Hal had not Chester leaped quickly forward and struck up the weapon.

The two clinched.

"You fool!" cried Chester. "We are not Germans!"

Other soldiers now came running up. They gathered about the two figures in German uniforms. An officer approached. Fortunately, he recognized the two boys and waved the men away.

"These men are all right," he said.

The soldiers drew off, satisfied, all but the man who would have fired point blank at Hal. He stood there and eyed the lad sullenly. Then, for the first time, Hal obtained a good look at him. The lad recognized him instantly. He was the same man who had directed the hazing of young Jules Clemenceau a short time before.

As the Frenchman leered at him evilly, Hal walked close to him.

"It's my belief you knew me all the time," he declared quietly.

"What of it?" the Frenchman demanded.

"Why," said Hal, "only that if I were sure, I'd pull your nose for you."

"Ha!" exclaimed the Frenchman. "I'd like to see you try it. You caught me off my guard the other night. You can't do it again."

"I don't particularly care to do it," returned Hal, quietly, "because you're not worth it; but if I start I'll probably go through with it."

Again the Frenchman sneered at him.

Further conversation was prevented by the appearance of a French lieutenant who had observed the trouble.

"Matin!" he ordered. "Back to your post at once, sir."

The latter saluted respectfully enough, but he gave Hal another evil look as he walked away.

"He's no friend of yours, that's sure," said the young French officer to Hal, with a smile.

"I am glad to say he's not," replied Hal, quietly. "I don't believe I'd care for a friend like that."

"I don't blame you," was the young officer's response. "Matin has a bad reputation and I would advise you to keep your eye on him."

"Thanks," said Hal. "I shall remember that. By the way, can you tell me just where we are?"

"Thiaumont farm," returned the French officer; "or, rather, I should say, just east of Thiaumont farm. You two fellows look somewhat done up. If you will go to the farm you will find a place to sleep in the farmhouse.

By some trick of fate the house and barn still stand, although everything else in this vicinity has been knocked to pieces by the big guns."

"Thanks," said Hal, again. "We shall take your advice. We are pretty tired and a sleep will help out. It's too far back to our own quarters when there is a place to bunk so handy."

The two lads left the young officer and made their way to the farmhouse.

Here they found a number of French officers already installed, but the latter gladly made room for them.

"No beds," said one with a laugh, "but there is plenty of room on the floor."

"I guess a bed would be too much to expect," said Chester, also laughing. "Besides, it's been so long since I slept in one I don't believe I could rest."

"The floor is plenty good enough for me," Hal agreed.

"Help yourselves then. You can pick out your own room."

"Guess we'll go upstairs then," said Hal. "It'll probably be more quiet up there. These fellows down here are having too much fun to care about sleep," and he waved his arm toward one corner of the room, where a group of young French officers were engaged in a game of cards.

The two boys made their way upstairs and found a room to their liking in the rear of the house. Here they stretched themselves out on the floor and were asleep immediately. There were no other occupants of the room.

Outside the moon was shining, and it cast a beam of light into the room where the two chums lay asleep. Several hours after the boys had closed their eyes in sleep, the figure of a man appeared in the window without.

After some experimenting he opened the window softly and came in. He closed the window gently behind him.

Chester stirred in his sleep and the man shrank back against the wall in the darkness. For perhaps five minutes he remained there, and then, as there was no further move by the sleeper, he advanced into the center of the room. The light fell upon his face, and had the boys been awake, they would have recognized in the intruder, Matin, the man who had attempted to shoot Hal a short time before.

Matin approached the two sleepers quietly, seeking to make sure which was Hal. He examined each closely and then grinned as he stepped back a pace or two, apparently satisfied.