"Three of 'em out there," he informed Hal briefly. "What are we going to do now?"

"You've got me," replied Hal. "Can't you pick 'em off with your gun?"

"Oh, I can pick a couple of 'em off, all right. But what then? We would probably have a whole brigade upon us in two shakes of a lamb's tail."

"I guess you are right," Hal agreed. "But we have got to do something."

"So we have," replied Chester; "but the question is, what?"

Hal was silent for several minutes, thinking. Finally he said:

"Well, I guess the best thing to do is to wait and see what happens.

Perhaps they may leave before broad daylight and not discover this cave. In that case we shall be safe enough. Now you stay here and guard this end, and don't move unless I call. I'll do the same at the other end."

"All right," said Chester. "We'll keep our posts till daylight, whether they go away or not. Then, if we have not been discovered, we can at least see what we are doing."

Hal moved slowly along the pa.s.sageway once more, being very careful not to make any noise. He crawled on hands and knees, his head thrust out before him.

Suddenly, as he moved slowly along, his head came in contact with another moving object with an audible crack.

He had b.u.mped into a second crawling figure.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE STRUGGLE IN THE CAVE.

In spite of the pain that shot through his head following the contact, Hal did not lose his coolness or his presence of mind. Although his head hurt badly, he did not utter a sound.

His unseen antagonist apparently was too surprised to make an outcry, or it may have been that he thought he had b.u.mped into a wall. If the latter were his thought he was quickly undeceived.

As he sat back on his haunches, to rub his head, Hal moved lightly forward, and, judging the distance by the sound of his enemy's movements, fell on top of him.

He had gauged the distance to a nicety, and before the German could cry out, one of the lad's hands sank deep into his throat. But the latter was a powerful man and not to be overcome easily. He hurled the lad from him with a quick shove, at the same time twisting on the wrist of the hand that gripped his throat.

The pain was almost unbearable and Hal was forced to loosen his hold.

But again the lad sprang, before the German could take the offensive, and this time struck out fiercely with his right fist. The German uttered a cry of pain, and with one hand delivered a smashing blow at the face so close to his own.

But Hal had figured on this move and had calculated the time of the blow perfectly. With a quick movement of his head he avoided the huge fist, and there came a terrific howl of pain from the German. The blow had pa.s.sed over the lad's head and the German's fist had crashed into the solid wall.

And at the same instant there came the sound of a shot from Chester's end of the cave.

This sound spurred Hal to greater activity, for he realized now that their presence had been discovered by those on the outside. He felt certain that the sound of the shot would probably bring new visitors into the cave from the end he was supposed to guard.

Quickly, then, while his opponent was still in agony from the self-inflicted blow, Hal drew his revolver and, reversing it, struck out in the direction of a muttered curse.

He was rewarded by another groan of anguish and a moment later by the sound of a falling body. Quickly the lad leaped forward, his weapon held ready to strike again. But there was no need of a second blow.

The German was unconscious.

By great exertion Hal succeeded in turning his wounded adversary over and pushed him slowly along the pa.s.sageway, using him as a shield in case he encountered another of the enemy.

At length he came to the end of the pa.s.sageway, and pushed his prisoner out. Even as he did so a bullet whistled by his head and he heard the crack of a German rifle. Hal lost no time in getting back into his hiding place.

But now he discovered that even this was not far enough, for a bullet came whizzing into the cave after him. It hit the side of the wall and went skimming over his head.

With all possible haste the lad retreated around the little bend, and throwing himself upon his face held his revolver ready to fire at the first sign of an advancing foe.

He lay perfectly still, not making the slightest noise, and after some moments heard the sound of voices.

"I tell you I must have hit him. I never miss at that distance," said one. "And, besides, if he were in there we could hear him."

"I wouldn't be too sure," came a second voice. "He's liable to be there waiting for you."

"Well, I am going in after him anyhow," said the first speaker.

A moment later Hal heard the German approaching. He half arose to his knee and trained his revolver at the darkness ahead of him.

Then there came the sound of the German rounding the bend, and taking careful aim at the distance above the ground he believed the man's head would be, Hal pressed the trigger.

There was a terrific roar that echoed and reechoed through the pa.s.sageway, a howl of pain and then silence. For a moment Hal waited, for he did not wish to be caught napping. Then he slowly made his way forward. Presently he came in contact with a man's body. It was the enemy.

Propping himself up behind the dead man, Hal felt more comfortable.

"It will be daylight soon," he said to himself, "and they can't get in here without me seeing them And one man here is as good as a hundred."

Raising his voice, Hal shouted:

"Are you all right, Chester?"

"All right," came back the answer. "One man tried to get in here, but I got him," for all the time that Hal had been engaged Chester had been having troubles of his own.

After Hal had left him, Chester, seeking to ascertain the exact position of the Germans at his end of the cave, and, if possible, their number, had ventured too close to the opening.

A German, walking past at that moment, struck a match to light a cigarette, and Chester's form was clearly outlined in the glare of it.

With a hoa.r.s.e guttural exclamation the German dropped his match and cigarette and brought his rifle to bear.

But before he could press the trigger Chester had disappeared in the darkness of the cave. Evidently believing that the lad would flee from him, the German, sprawling upon hands and knees, gave chase.

Chester, well back in the cave, judged his pursuer's distance by the sounds of his awkward movements. He waited until the German got well within the cave, then raised his automatic and quickly fired twice.

The sound of the explosion was so great that even Chester himself was frightened. This was the shot that Hal had heard as he grappled with his opponent.

Fearing a trap, Chester did not move for several moments, keeping his revolver aimed steadily. But then, as there was no sound from the German, Chester slowly moved forward.

His outstretched hand touched a soft object, and his exploring fingers sought out the German's face.