The Boy Allies under Two Flags Part 15

Every man was now at his post. The gunners were ready to open with the rapid-firers at a moment's notice. All held their rifles ready. Still the Germans did not fire, apparently uncertain of the ident.i.ty of the newcomers--or rather, seemingly certain they were friends.

Suddenly a squad of six German soldiers wheeled a small, old-fas.h.i.+oned cannon to the landing near the officers, and a moment later a solid shot plowed up the water in front of the first boat of the British flotilla.

"A signal to show our colors," said Jack grimly. "What do you say, Frank? Are we ready to show them?"'

"Yes!" cried Frank.

An instant and the English Jack floated over each boat, while at the same time the first three boats in the battle line opened with their rapid-firers.

At the distance, scarcely two hundred yards, the execution was terrible. The German officers and the entire gun squad, riddled with bullets, fell forward on their faces.

But this was only the beginning.

Swiftly moving German troops now came marching to the river front, steadily, in spite of the withering British fire, and sternly, to repel the foe. Slowly they came into position, and, dropping on their knees, poured a volley into the little flotilla.

But, deadly as this fire was, that of the rapid-firers aboard the boats was more so. The British did not escape without considerable damage, but the German loss was far heavier.

Steadily, in spite of the grilling German fire, the boats pressed on.

Each man concealed himself as well as he could behind the low sides of the boats, exposing just enough of his head to take aim at the enemy.

The first boats were now but a scant hundred yards away. For some reason, evidently thinking to pick off the men in the boats, the enemy had not brought artillery to bear. But at this juncture a squad sprang forward to serve the gun already used.

A charge was rammed home and the gun sighted; but, as the man detailed was about to pull the lanyard, Frank sprang suddenly to his feet in the boat and his revolver spoke. The German flung wide his arms and toppled to the ground. Another sprang to his place, but only to meet the same fate; and another, and still another.

All this time the little rapid-firers were continuing their deadly work, and at last a bugle sounded the call for the German retreat. Slowly they drew off, firing as they went, but, as the British now moved up faster, the Teutons turned and ran.

Quickly the little flotilla came alongside the wharf and men scrambled ash.o.r.e. It was but the work of a few minutes to land the rapid-firers, half the British with rifles meanwhile holding off the enemy.

Then, everything in readiness, Frank gave the order for an advance.

Now, from all sides, came a withering German fire. The enemy had taken to the woods, seeking to pick off the English one at a time; but, at a word from Jack, the machine-guns were turned upon the trees, and this scattering fire soon turned the retreat into a rout.

As the English at length poured into the streets of the little village itself, from every house and hut came a German bullet.

Many British fell, and it was here that the heaviest losses were sustained by the attacking party.

But Frank soon found a remedy for this. The rapid-fire guns were turned upon the huts and houses, and, as the bullets began to find their way into the openings, the work of the snipers stopped.

For some minutes there was a lull in the fighting, while ammunition for the guns was brought up from the boats; when, suddenly, down the street came a band of Germans at a charge.

Quickly the British formed to meet them, the rapid-fire guns for the moment being useless. Swords and bayonets were bared and rifles were clubbed. The Germans came on with a rush. The impact was terrific, but the British sailors stood firm, and gave thrust for thrust, blow for blow--and more.

Being unable to force the British back, and, seeing that they were getting the worst of this hand-to-hand encounter, the German officers ordered a retreat. This proved their complete undoing, for, as they drew off at a run, the rapid-firers of the British again came into action, and the enemy were mowed down like chaff.

More rapidly now the British pushed on through the heart of the village, Frank telling off a few men here and there to give notice of a possible approach of reinforcements from some other direction.

But no reinforcements came, and the Germans finally retreated before the victorious British until they were once again sheltered by a dense forest. Then Frank called a halt.

He threw a cordon around the town and dispatched three men in a little boat to inform Captain Marcus of the success of his expedition.

"Well," said Jack, with a laugh, "we've got the town all right.

What are we going to do with it?"

"That's the question," replied Frank. "I guess, before making any further move, we had better wait for orders."

"My idea, exactly," said Jack.

"Since we're agreed," replied Frank, "we'll wait."

CHAPTER XI

FINIs.h.i.+NG UP THE WORK

It was not until somewhat late the following morning that Captain Marcus, accompanied by the commander of the British cruiser Dwarf, reached Boak. Frank and Jack were at the little wharf to greet him.

After expressing a few words of commendation for the manner in which they had handled their men in the capture of the town, the two British commanders took a turn about the village.

"It will be impossible for us to remain here for the sole purpose of guarding these towns," said Captain Marcus. "We have other work to do. So now the question arises as to what to do with them."

"I would suggest," said the commander of the Dwarf, "that we put a prize crew aboard the German merchantman still in Duala, iron our prisoners, put them aboard her and send her home. We can make a thorough search of the town and destroy all arms and ammunition to be found."

"But," said Captain Marcus, "we shall first have to dispose of those Germans who escaped to the forest."

"That shouldn't be a hard job," replied the commander of the Dwarf, "I do not imagine there are many of them."

"About how many would you say?" asked Captain Marcus, turning to Frank, who, with Jack, had accompanied the two officers on the tour of inspection.

"Not more than a hundred, sir," was the lad's reply.

"Good!" replied Captain Marcus. "Do you feel equal to the task of rounding them up?"

"Perfectly, sir," Frank made answer.

"So be it, then. You may act at your own discretion; only see that you make a good, swift job of it."

Frank and Jack saluted and hurried away. Leaving half their force to guard the village, the lads, with the other half, which had dwindled to less than 100 by now, were soon lost to sight in the forest. They went quickly, but as silently as they could, for they wished, if possible, to take the foe by surprise.

"This is likely to be, a wild goose chase," declared Jack, when, at the end of an hour of forced marching they had seen no sign of the enemy. "There is no telling where the Germans are. They know the lay of the land and we don't. If they continue to retreat, there is no telling where we may come up with them, if at all."

Frank's lips set grimly.

"We'll get 'em," he said, "if we have to follow 'em clear across Africa."

They continued their march in silence. At length Frank drew his friends' attention to the fact that, a little to the left, the gra.s.s had been recently trampled, apparently by a considerable body of men.