couting, when an officer
came in with a slip of paper. He began reading off some names, and when
he had finished, having mentioned Tom and Jack, he said:

"Prepare for patrol duty at once."

"Good!" whispered Tom to his chum: "Now there'll be something doing."

He little guessed what it was to be.

CHAPTER XX. CAPTURED

Silently, in the darkness of their trenches, the party of which Tom and
Jack were to be members, prepared to go over the top and penetrate
the German front line of defense, in the hope of taking prisoners that
information might be had of them. It was a risky undertaking, but one
frequently accomplished by the Allies, and it often led to big results.

There were about a score in the patrol, and, to their delight, though
they rather regretted it later, Tom and Jack were given positions well
in front, two files removed, in fact, from the lieutenant commanding.

"Now I suppose you all understand what you're to do," said the
lieutenant as he gathered his little party about him in one of the
larger dugouts, where a flickering candle gave light. "You'll all
provide yourselves with wire cutters, hand grenades and pistols. Rifles
will be in the way. Take your gas masks, of course. No telling when
Fritz may send over some of those shells. Blacken your faces, as usual.
A star shell makes a beautiful light on a white countenance, so don't be
afraid of smudging yourselves. And when we start just try to imagine you
are Indians, and make no noise. One object is to come in contact with
some German post, try to hear what's going on from their talk, and make
some captures if we can. Do you all understand German?"

It developed that they did--at least no one would confess he did not for
fear of being turned back. But, as it developed, they all had some, if
slight, acquaintance with the language.

A little period of anxious waiting followed--a sort of zero hour
effect--until finally the word was received from some source, unknown to
Tom and Jack, to proceed. The night was black, and there was a mist over
everything which did not augur for clear weather on the morrow.

"Forward!" whispered the lieutenant, for they were so near the German
lines that incautious talking was prohibited. Out of their trenches they
went, Tom and Jack well in front, and close to the leader.

As carefully as might be, though, at that, making noise which the
members of the patrol thought surely must be heard clear to Berlin,