"What shall we do with him?" questioned Chester. "We can't go away and leave him here like this."

"No," Hal agreed. "I know we should, for our own safety may depend upon it, but just the same it goes against the grain."

"If we had something to dig with," said Chester.

"But we haven't," Hal interrupted.

But the two lads were saved the trouble of finding a grave for the traitor, for suddenly through the woods came the sound of tramping feet.

For a moment the two lads listened intently. Then Chester grabbed Hal by the arm.

"Come," he said in a hoa.r.s.e whisper, "we must find a place of safety."

Hal drew back.

"Wait until I see if Dersi happened to have another gun," he said.

He ran his hand over the dead man and at length rose up with a second revolver and a belt well filled with cartridges. One of the weapons he pa.s.sed to Chester.

"We'll probably need these," he said grimly. "Now, let's see if we can't find a place to hide."

Cautiously the two lads made their way through the woods. They could hear the sound of their pursuers, but they had little fear of being detected in the still uncertain light, as long as they kept the same distance between themselves and the Germans.

But suddenly a gleam of light showed in the forest. A German soldier had flashed a pocket searchlight, and the glare of it fell squarely upon the crouching lads, before they could step behind a tree or any other place of refuge.

"Run!" cried Hal, suiting the action to the word.

Chester needed no urging, and also took to his heels. But their presence had been discovered, as was proved by the sharp crack of a rifle. Neither boy was touched, although the bullet pa.s.sed uncomfortably close to Chester's head.

Stumbling along as fast as the semi-darkness would permit, the boys made a brave effort to escape. But they were not to get off in such easy fashion. For again the searchlight lighted up the woods and exposed them to their pursuers. Both lads threw themselves to the ground, and thus avoided the volley of shots that were fired at them.

As Chester dropped, he heard a startled exclamation from his chum, and, glancing quickly about, he could see no sign of him. The lad was non-plussed, but, before he could so much as move, he heard Hal's voice, apparently below him:

"Quick, Chester! Down here, but be careful how you come."

Cautiously Chester moved in the direction of his friend's voice. But he was not cautious enough, and a moment later, grasping out wildly for some means to stay his rapid descent, he was sliding down what seemed to be a steep embankment.

He brought up abruptly at the bottom, and felt Hal's hand upon his arm.

"Great Scott!" he e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed. "Where are we? Down in the bottomless pit?"

Hal clapped his hand over Chester's mouth, for his keen ears had detected the sounds of footsteps above.

"Quiet!" he whispered.

Chester needed no second warning. He did not move a muscle. From above came the sound of a voice:

"I wonder where they went?"

"I don't know," answered another voice, "but we had best be careful.

They are probably armed."

Now, Hal, moving his position slightly, felt a s.p.a.ce behind him, and crawled slowly backward, where the darkness seemed greater, pulling Chester along after him. They continued this crawling for some minutes. Finally, raising his head, Hal dropped quickly again with a muttered exclamation.

In arising his head had come in contact with something above him.

Raising an exploring hand, he investigated. He touched a rock above.

Then he reached out on each side. As he had surmised, only a few feet each way were solid walls.

"A cave," he muttered.

"What?" asked Chester.

"We are cooped up in a cave. If the Germans are wise enough, after they learn where we are, they will just sit down on the outside and starve us out. But, if they try to come in--well, I don't think they will get very far, as long as our cartridges hold out. You wait here until I see how far back this thing goes."

Chester obeyed, and Hal continued his exploration. For two or three minutes he crawled along, and then, turning a slight bend, gave a sudden exclamation. He had come upon a possible means of exit, for, apparently, the cave had two openings.

Quickly Hal poked his head out and looked around. He could see no one.

Slowly he crawled back to where he had left Chester, and informed him of what he had learned.

"Then the best thing we can do is to get out of here quick," was Chester's decision. "Let's go."

Slowly Hal led the way along the low pa.s.sageway, and, reaching the opening again, poked his head out. This time he was doomed to a disappointment. Hardly had his head emerged from the hole in the ground when he drew it in quickly again.

"What's the matter now?" demanded Chester.

"Matter is," said Hal quietly, "that there are six Germans standing about five yards from the entrance."

"What!" cried Chester, in consternation.

"Exactly," said Hal; "if you don't believe it have a look for yourself."

"Oh, I don't want to look," said Chester, bitterly disappointed. "I can take your word for it. What are we going to do now?"

"Well," said Hal, "it looks to me like a good time to get out the other end."

"Yes, but there are likely to be a few of them hanging about there, also," said Chester.

"That's so, too," agreed Hal. "Well, I'll tell you what: You sneak back there and investigate, and I'll stay here and guard this end, in case one of them tries to get in."

Slowly Chester crawled away. Reaching the opposite end of the cave, he cautiously poked his head out and looked around. In the dim light he could see no one. But he was afraid to call out to Hal--his voice might be overheard--so he took his tedious way back to where he had left his friend.

"All O. K.," he whispered.

"Good," said Hal. "Let's get out of here, then."

They crawled back along the dark pa.s.sageway as rapidly as the darkness and the condition of the ground would permit, but before leaving their place of refuge, Chester thought it advisable to peep out once more.

And it was well that he did so. For, standing almost at the entrance of the cave three figures loomed up against the sky. Quickly Chester drew back in again.