Homer Randall

“ Bart was there panting and flushed with nothing worse than a scalp wound where a rifle butt had glanced from his head. Wilson himself was unhurt. Billy also had come through unscathed, but Tom was nowhere to be seen.
An awful fear, a fear that they had never felt in the fighting itself, clutched the hearts of his comrades. Good old Tom, bound to them by a thousand ties of friendship and comradeship—had he met his fate in this desolate stretch of No Man's Land?
Frantically they searched among the bodies for one that wore a suit similar to their own. Frank found it first. ”

“ I'd hate to think that there was more than one traitor in the regiment.
"One's more than enough," agreed Bart.
"What do you think we ought to do about it?" asked Billy.
"I don't know," replied Frank, with a worried look on his face. "It would be a terrible thing to accuse a man wrongfully of such a thing as treason. Rabig would simply deny it and put it up to us to prove it. Then, too, every one knows that there's no love lost between us and Nick, and they might think we were too ready to believe evil of him without real proof." ”

“ There was a grinding, tearing, screeching sound, as wire entanglements were uprooted. These had been strengthened in every way that German cunning could invent, but they bent like straws beneath the onslaught of the gray monsters. A cyclone could not have done the work more thoroughly.
There was no need now for further secrecy, and with a wild yell the Allied troops swarmed through the gaps, sending a deadly volley before them, supplemented by thousands of grenades.
At the same instant, the Allied artillery opened up and laid a heavy barrage fire over the heads of the onrushing troops. ”

“ Ah, I shall never forget the night when I lay wounded on the battlefield and you climbed out of the trench and made your way through a storm of bullets and shells to my side and carried me back to safety. It was the deed of a hero, a modern d'Artagnan! How glad I am to see you again!"
"And I to see you" responded Frank warmly. "You were so dreadfully wounded that I feared you might not recover." ”

“ Everywhere was a welter of hideous confusion. Barbed wire entanglements with their supporting posts had been rooted from the ground. Guns had been torn from their carriages. "Pill boxes" had been smashed to bits. Horses and men and wagons and camp kitchens were mingled together in wildest chaos.
Parts of the trench had been filled to the surface with earth, while huge boulders blocked the entrance to some of the communicating passages.
There were a few sharp fights with scattered units of the enemy that had retained their senses and were trying to get their machine guns into action. ”

“ Crouched low in their trenches, massed line behind line, the Allied forces bent their heads to the storm, and waited in grim fury for the infantry attack that they knew would surely follow.
And it was not long in coming. The fog had risen by this time, and over the fields, rank upon rank, marching at the double quick, came masses of gray figures that seemed as endless as the waves of the sea.
The Allied artillery tore wide gaps in the dense masses, but they closed up instantly and continued their advance. ”

“ The chums passed on, laughing and talking about indifferent things, until they were out of ear shot.
"We've got him guessing," remarked Billy with a grin.
"We managed to put a flea in his ear," agreed Tom.
"Did you see how red he got?" questioned Bart.
"He sure is wondering how much we know," summed up Frank. "Whether it will make him go straight or not is another question. What we fellows ought to do is to take turns keeping tab on him, so that he can't act crooked even if he wants to." "It's a pity there should be any men in the American army whom we have to watch," said Tom bitterly. ”

“ But here the resistance began to stiffen. The first paralysis of surprise was past. The heavy guns of the enemy opened up, and from scores of machine gun nests and pill boxes came a storm of bullets. The German officers had got their troops under some semblance of control, and heavy reinforcements were rushed up from the rear. From now on the Allies had an awakened and powerful foe to reckon with.
But despite the sterner opposition, the tanks were not to be denied. On they went, as resistless as fate. Their sides were reddened now, and the wake they left behind them was fearful to look upon. ”

“ Frank's fingers stole toward his revolver, but stopped before they reached it. There must be no shooting so near the enemy trench. A horde of Germans would be upon him in a twinkling.
His rifle lay beside him where he had placed it while working on the wire. His fingers closed upon the stock. Here was a weapon that he might use at either end with deadly effect. The butt could serve as a club, while the bayonet, painted black like the rest of his accoutrements so that no glimmer of steel should betray it, carried death on its point. ”

“ And I rejoice to see the way you Americans are throwing yourselves into the fighting. We were sorely pressed by the Hun hordes and were fighting with our backs against the wall."
"And such fighting!" returned Frank enthusiastically. "The world has never seen anything finer. The spirit of France is unconquerable."
"Yes," replied the colonel proudly. "As one of our great orators has said: 'If the men are all killed the women will rise up; if the women are killed the children will rise; if the children are killed the very dead will rise and fight—fight for France." ”

“ Billy reassured them. "They were too intent on catching Napoleon to think of anything else."
"Poor Napoleon," chuckled Frank. "I suppose he's back on St. Helena by this time."
"Well, there's one comfort, anyway," declared Tom. "He doesn't know that he put anything over on us. If he hasn't forgotten us altogether he thinks we're part of the Old Guard."
"They say a philosopher is one who can grin when the laugh is on himself," laughed Billy. "If that's so we're dandy philosophers." ”

“ The next instant the sentry turned, and there was a whistle of surprise from Billy. "By the great horn spoon!" he ejaculated. "It's Nick Rabig!"
"Set a Hun to watch a Hun," remarked Tom bitingly.
"Oh, come, Tom," remonstrated Frank, "that's going a little too far. I've no reason to like the fellow, and we know he had to be dragged into the army, but that doesn't say he's a Hun."
"All except the uniform," persisted Tom. "He'd rather be fighting for the Kaiser this minute than for Uncle Sam."
"Shouldn't wonder if Tom's more than half right," assented Billy. ”

“ Fine fellows the cavalrymen were on splendid mounts, which they bestrode as though they had never done anything else in all their lives. For months past they had chafed under restraint, for since the struggle had settled down to trench warfare they had seldom seen service except on foot. But now their turn had come, for with the broken line of the enemy had come a call for the cavalry to pursue and complete the demoralization of the foe.
"Some class to that bunch," remarked Tom, as he watched the flying column with an appraising eye.
"A little faster than your tanks, old scout?" ”

“ Without waiting for a reply he hurried off, and the four Camport chums looked after him with speculation in their eyes until he was lost to view at a turn of the trench.
"He's guilty all right," declared Tom with conviction.
"If ever guilt looked out of a man's eyes they looked out of his," agreed Bart.
"It seems so," admitted Frank with reluctance, "and yet he was in his bunk when I went through last night." "How do you know it was Rabig?" Tom retorted. "Are you such a cute detective that you can tell one man's snore from another?" ”

“ The clatter of hoofs drew nearer, and they clutched their guns more tightly.
Soon they were able to distinguish in the gloom the outline of a horse and rider. The man's figure loomed up huge and threatening, and they felt sure that it was the big German corporal for whom they were searching.
The boys waited until the horse was almost upon them and then rushed out into the road.
"Halt!" cried Frank. He seized the horse's rein while the others leveled their rifles at the rider.
The horse reared in fright, but the rider made no answer nor did he attempt to draw a weapon. ”

“ Look at this army of tanks.
We've never had so many in one place since the war began."
"Looks like a herd of elephants," commented Frank, as his eye ran along the array that seemed to number hundreds. "They'll do more trampling than any herd of elephants that ever trod the earth," remarked Stone grimly. "But come along, fellows, and let me show you my own particular pet. It's the biggest one of the bunch, and it's a peach! ”

“ With a grunt of satisfaction he stooped to pick up his rifle.
Lithe as a panther, Frank sprang to his feet, leaped over the hedge and landed heavily on the stooping form, knocking the breath out of the German's body. ”

“ Behind the barrier at the point nearest them they saw one bulky captive, who was munching contentedly the food that had been given him, and who had none of the woe-begone expression that a man in his position is commonly expected to show.
"See him shovel it in," laughed Billy.
"He doesn't seem to have a care in the world," remarked Bart.
"Probably glad to be behind our machine guns instead of in front of them," conjectured Tom.
"Hello, Heinie!" said Frank good-naturedly. ”

“ Frank, Bart, Billy and Tom were lucky enough to stumble on a meal that had already been started for some German officers, and they were surprised to find it so good and abundant.
"The Germans may be starving, but there's no sign of it here," remarked
Frank, as he threw himself down on the ground with a sigh of relief.
"Trust the Huns to look after their soldiers, even if the civilians starve," replied Bart. "The people don't count in Germany. Only the military are taken seriously. They take the middle of the sidewalk and others are crowded to the wall." ”

“ No prison camp for ours! They'd have shot us down like dogs! They'd have reasoned that we had heard their military plans, and that would have been all the excuse they wanted."
"Not that they would care whether they had the excuse or not," said Billy. "The mere fact that a German wants to do anything makes it all right to do it."
"How they'd froth at the mouth if they knew Frank had that paper," remarked Tom. ”

“ My feet feel as though they weighed a ton."
"Perhaps they do," gibed Billy unfeelingly. "Considering the size of them, I should say a ton was just about right."
"I notice your hoofs are not so small," retorted Tom. "But how much longer is this hike going to take?"
"Search me," responded Frank. "To tell the truth, I'm twisted up about the direction. Seems to me we ought to strike some of our troops soon."
"It would be funny if we walked straight into the German lines," observed Billy.
"Funny!" snorted Tom. "Yes, as funny as a funeral. Some people have a queer sense of humor." ”

“ And if these Germans are all as stupid as the ones we've seen so far, it oughtn't to be very difficult."
"Well, when the chance comes, we won't let any grass grow under our feet, that's certain," said Frank. "But now, I'm dog-tired, and I'm going to see if I can't get a little sleep. And what's more, I'd advise you fellows to do the same."
"He who sleeps, dines," quoted Tom, with a somewhat rueful grin. "I hope there's more in that old saying than there is in most of them."
"Right you are," said Bart, "but something seems to tell me I'm going to be hungry in the morning, just the same." ”