m like that but it was the
only thing to do."

"He wouldn't have hesitated to fix us I guess," exclaimed Earl.
"Where's Jacques?"

"On the floor there."

"Is he dead?"

"I don't know. I haven't had a chance to look at him."

As they advanced towards their companion he moved slightly and tried to
get up.

"How do you feel, Jacques? Where did he hit you?" demanded Leon.

"He just grazed my head," murmured the young Frenchman weakly.

"Lucky for you," muttered Earl. "If he'd ever caught you squarely
you'd be dead now, sure enough."

"Let me see where you're hurt," exclaimed Leon bending over his friend.

"It's not much of a wound," said Jacques. "He just stunned me; I'll be
all right in a minute."

"Bring some water and a towel from that washstand over there, Earl,"
Leon directed his brother.

This was quickly done and the wound was bathed. The skin had been
broken and the blood flowed freely, but it was nothing serious. The
cold compress soon revived Jacques and a few moments later he was
apparently as well as ever.

"Feel all right, Jacques?" asked Earl.

"Never better."

"You'd better lie down here on this bed for a little while."

"I should say not," exclaimed Jacques warmly. "We were sent in here to
rout out the enemy and that's what we must do. There are surely more
of them than we have seen."

"Next time we must be more careful going into rooms like this," advised
Leon. "It doesn't pay just to go ahead blindly."

"Come," urged Jacques, and he led the way out of the little room down
the narrow passageway leading they knew not where.

Cautiously they slunk along, their eyes strained to see through the dim
light of the underground passage. The noise of the great cannonade
above came to their ears but faintly here. A hoarse rumbling and a
trembling of the earth was the sole evidence that over their heads the
opposing armies were hurling tons of metal at each other.

"There's a turn just ahead," whispered Jacques cautiously. "Be ready."

Every sense alert the three young soldiers proceeded slowly. Soon they
came to the spot where the passage led off to the left. Jacques peered
cautiously around the corner and quickly drew back his head.

"Come," he whispered, beckoning to his two companions. "Have your
grenades ready."

All three boys took hand grenades in their right hands and prepared for
instant action.

"Lean your rifles against the wall here," Jacques directed.

This