n as I did.
We must trust to the others, and if they fail, why, we'll know it is not
their fault."

"Right, sir," said Francois. "If they fail, it will not be their fault."

He returned to his place at the window.

On the floor below Captain Leroux also had taken account of his
casualties. Merely a handful of men remained unwounded. Some of the
men who had felt the effects of the German fire were still in
condition to continue the fight should their services be necessary,
but their number was few.

The captain shook his head dubiously as he glanced at his watch.

"Ten minutes," he muttered. "Well, we'll hold it that long, but
afterwards I can't be held accountable, there will be none of us left."

In the basement Chester and his five men still were unmarked. Though they
had stood at the small windows and fired at whatever German forms came
within view, they had had little work to do, the men were beginning to
murmur among themselves.

"We're not needed down here," said one. "We should be upstairs where the
fighting is being done. No Germans will seek to come in here."

"That's right," said another, "we might do some good above. Here we are
doing nothing at all. Why, we have hardly seen a German. I don't believe
any of the enemy have spotted this opening yet, either."

"Nor I; wish they had let me stay upstairs."

"What's all this?" demanded Chester, suddenly. "You men have been in the
ranks long enough to know better than to question your officers' orders.
You have been posted here and here you shall remain until I get orders to
the contrary."

"But, sir," said one of the men, "we would like--"

"Silence!" said Chester. "Back to your places."

The men obeyed, though they continued to murmur. Chester softened a few
minutes later and again addressed his men.

"I have no doubt you fellows will have all the fighting you want before
this thing is over," he said quietly. "As nearly as I can make out from
here the men upstairs must be about done for. I question whether they
will be able to beat off another attack."

"And are the two hours up, sir," asked one of the men.

Chester glanced at his watch.

"Not quite," he returned.

"How much to go, sir?"

"A little more than five minutes."

The man's face darkened.

"And we'll be relieved at the end of that time without having done any
fighting," he said. "Here we sit down here in the dark and the other
fellows have all the fun."

"You're liable to get