nced to the edge of the
bridge described by General French, and there took up their positions.

The bridge was very narrow, hardly wide enough for five men to walk
abreast. On the British end the approach curved, making it impossible
for one coming from the other direction to see what was at the other
end. It was indeed a strategic point for defense. The river was high
and thus precluded any attempt to ford it.

All night long the little band of men lay at the bridge, ready for
battle on a moment's notice. All night long the shells of both the
Germans and British flew screaming overhead; but none dropped near
them.

With the first faint glow of the approaching day the little band of
British were awake. At Hal's suggestion they cut down trees, and
dragged them to the end of the bridge, forming a barricade. Behind
this they lay down.

It was almost noon before the man stationed to watch the approach to
the bridge dropped quickly over the barricade and reported:

"They are coming!"

"All right," replied Hal. "We're ready for 'em!"

Under Hal's direction, a single line of rifles, twenty-five in all,
appeared through the cracks of the barricade. The others had been
divided into three bodies--each containing twenty-five men--each body
directly behind the others. These were instructed to fill up the gaps
made by the German fire. Thus, as each man in the front rank fell, his
place would immediately be filled by another, the second by the third,
the third by the fourth, so providing twenty-five men fell the front
line would be still intact, although the fourth line would have
disappeared.

Hal and Chester took their places just in the rear of the first line,
where they could see what was going on and direct the fighting.

"Do not fire until they come into sight around the turn," Capt. Lee
instructed his men. "Then mow them down, and make every shot count!"

Joking and humming to themselves, the men prepared for action. The
first line poked their rifles through the barricade and lay down
behind them. All was in readiness to repulse the attack.

Suddenly the first Germans appeared around the turn in the bridge,
marching five abreast.

"Fire!" cried the captain, and the British rifles broke into flame.

Five Germans tumbled to the bridge.

A sudden idea struck Hal.

"There's no use wasting five bullets on each German," he told his men.
"Let the five men on the left each pick out a man. The rest reserve
your fire