In the darkness the Germans could hope to hit them only by accident.
Springing to their feet again, the lads ran forward, bearing off slightly
to the north, and soon felt they were safe.
They slowed down and approached the French lines cautiously. Presently
they beheld the first French entrenchment. As they drew close a French
soldier poked up his head and levelled a rifle at them.
"Halt!" he cried. "Who goes there?"
"Friends!" returned Hal.
"Advance friends," came the soldier's next words while he still held his
rifle ready.
Hal and Chester advanced to the very edge of the trench. There the
soldier took a good look at their faces and noticed the German uniforms.
Up went his rifle again and he would have pulled the trigger with the gun
aimed squarely at Hal had not Chester leaped quickly forward and struck
up the weapon.
The two clinched.
"You fool!" cried Chester. "We are not Germans!"
Other soldiers now came running up. They gathered about the two figures
in German uniforms. An officer approached. Fortunately, he recognized the
two boys and waved the men away.
"These men are all right," he said.
The soldiers drew off, satisfied, all but the man who would have fired
point blank at Hal.
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