The Brighton Boys in the Radio Service Part 17

"Ah!" exclaimed the lieutenant suddenly, and then, in the same breath: "Up and at 'em, boys!"

Before the others had an opportunity to realize what had happened, Mackinson was das.h.i.+ng at top speed toward the indicated trench or cave, firing as he went.

As they followed suit, but more careful in their shooting, for fear of hitting him, they realized that the men in the enemy group were doing the same thing--running as fast as they could for the same position.

"Drop!" ordered the lieutenant, and they did so, but it was as if he had issued the order for both sides, for the others were not a second later in seeking the security of the ground.

"Either side may begin playing machine-guns on us at any moment," the young officer whispered, between gasps for breath. "Forward as quickly as possible, and continue firing."

How they ever escaped the enemy bullets as long as they did none of them ever knew, but the men of the other side were just as doggedly determined, and no less courageous, even if three of their number already lay stretched out motionless and useless upon the ground.

And so the battle waged, until both groups were no more than fifty feet away from the mouth of the natural trench. Each moment brought them closer together, with the even more vigorous popping of their guns, for by now it was virtually a hand-to-hand battle.

Only four men now remained upon the side of the Germans, and, so far as numbers were concerned, the Americans seemed to have the advantage by one. But the score was evened an instant later, when one of the Boches "winged" Frank Hoskins, and his right arm fell useless at his side.

But Lieutenant Mackinson squared accounts for Hoskins by putting another German completely out of commission. A prompt return compliment knocked Jerry's revolver out of his hand. At this juncture Slim played a heroic part by laying low another German.

Seeing themselves now outnumbered almost two to one--for apparently they did not know that they had injured Hoskins--the two remaining Boches took one final, despairing survey of the situation, then turned and started on a dead run for their own lines.

Lieutenant Mackinson leveled his revolver at them, held it in that position for a moment, and then--perhaps it was an accident--seemed to elevate it slightly in the air and fired. Certainly neither German was hurt by the bullet, although it did seem to add a little to their haste.

"The position is ours," announced the lieutenant exultantly, and then, suddenly remembering that Frank Hoskins had been hit and that Jerry had dropped his gun, he inquired: "Hurt badly, Frank? And how about you, Jerry?"

"Nothing but a scratch," said Frank. "Took me right on the 'crazy bone'

and made me jump for a minute, but it's hardly bleeding now."

"Only hit my gun," announced Jerry, "and I recovered that."

There was no time for further conversation. The Germans had reached their own lines, and a machine-gun was being trained upon the Americans.

They rushed headlong to the north side of the little mound, and into the opening of a natural cave.

The earthwork made them as solidly entrenched as though they were behind their own lines, and only heavy sh.e.l.ls could dislodge them. But they had work to do, and the nature of it required that they do it quickly.

The entrance faced almost directly north and into No Man's Land, so that the light of an electric flash, such as they all carried, hardly could attract the attention of either side.

"Joe," said the lieutenant, sizing up the situation, "it is not safe to leave the enemy unwatched for a single second. I think it would be well for you to stay on duty outside, while the rest of us rig up the instrument and begin to unspool the wire. Hoskins, you're hurt, so you stay here with Joe. But both of you be mighty careful not to expose yourselves where you'll stop a German bullet."

With Lieutenant Mackinson leading, Jerry just behind him and Slim bringing up the rear, they crossed the five feet of narrow pa.s.sageway back into the natural dungeon.

The lieutenant switched on his light. Involuntarily and with a startled gesture he stepped back.

"Jumping Jupiter!" exclaimed Jerry, "what's that?"

Slim, peering ahead of the other two, e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed something between a shriek and a groan.

Strewn about the ground of that cave, in every conceivable position of misery and torture, were the bodies of half a dozen dead men, all Germans.

The lieutenant's hand that held the light trembled slightly as he stared at the ghastly scene before him, but he was grit and courage right through to the heart.

"This is bad business," he said, "but we are under orders and we must go through with it. We cannot move the bodies out to-night."

He stepped further into the dark hole, and the other two lads followed.

Suddenly from behind them there was a grumbling, roaring crash, pierced by a cry of warning from Joe, outside.

The three whirled around, and for a moment no one could utter a word.

The mouth of the dungeon had completely caved in!

"Trapped!" gasped Jerry, who was the first to find his voice.

Even the lieutenant seemed dazed.

"Trapped," echoed Slim, "in the cave of death."

CHAPTER XIV

DESPERATE MEASURES

Never did three young men face a more terrible or more horribly gruesome situation. Here they were, locked in a natural dungeon behind a wall of dirt and rock probably four or five feet thick. Not only that, but the cave already contained the bodies of six men whose fixed and gla.s.sy eyes stared at them as though in mockery and warning, and the already foul air was becoming more stifling every moment.

In a dull way they realized that they probably could not survive more than two or three maddening hours in that death chamber.

"It may not be so bad as it seems," said Lieutenant Mackinson in a voice that seemed unnatural in that vault. "Perhaps it was only a slight cave-in."

He flashed his light about the hole. It was difficult to tell where the opening had been.

"Joe and Frank Hoskins!" cried Jerry, a new terror in his voice. "I heard Joe shriek!"

Slim, catching his meaning, s.n.a.t.c.hed a rifle from beside one of the bodies, and with the b.u.t.t of it began pounding frantically upon the side of the cave where the entrance had been.

There was no answering knock.

"Joe," shouted Jerry in a frenzied tone. "Joe! Can you hear me?"

No answer came, either from Joe or Frank.

"Pinned under tons of that stuff," gasped Slim, the words trembling upon his lips and a tear trickling down his cheek.

"I do not think so," the lieutenant a.s.sured them. "Both Joe and Frank were upon the outside when we entered."

"But they would try to get us out," said Jerry. "If they were out there they would give us some sort of signal that they were trying to help us."

"We might not be able to hear them," answered the lieutenant, even against his own judgment. "But look at it this way. Even though they never were inside here, they had a fair idea of what the place was like.

They knew from that that we needed help, and needed it quickly. If one went alone, and anything happened to him on the way, the other might wait here indefinitely, not knowing whether he had got a.s.sistance or not. By going together they took the safest course."