ing in the woods,
stretching out for a possible quarter of a mile.

In the very center of this clearing the lad made out a strange sight. His
eyes fell upon a detachment of German troops--about fifty all
told--dancing about what Hal finally made out to be a barn.

As Hal looked a sheet of flame sprang up. It was plain to the lad in an
instant that the enemy had set the wooden structure afire.

"But why?" he muttered to himself.

The answer was not long coming.

From the barn, through a crack between the boards, issued a cloud of
smoke, and even above the yells of the dancing Germans Hal made out the
report of a revolver. One of the Germans stopped his antics and toppled
to the ground to rise no more.

"Great Scott!" cried Hal aloud. "They are burning him up!"

Jerking his horse about, he dashed back to his men and again placed
himself at their head. Chester ranged himself alongside.

In a few brief words Hal explained what he had seen, and then cried
to his men:

"Forward! Charge!"

At a gallop the British covered the distance to the clearing, and then
dashed toward the enemy as fast as their horses could go. As the sound of
galloping hoofs was borne to the ears of the enemy, they stopped their
dancing about the barn and fell into line to beat back the British.

The first line threw themselves to the ground. The second line fell to
their knees, their rifles pointing over their prostrate comrades, while
above them protruded the weapons of the third line, standing erect.

At a shouted word of command from Hal the British cavalry scattered, and
bore down on the enemy from three directions. Here and there a rider
dropped to the ground as a German bullet found its mark; but in spite of
these losses and the withering German fire, the rest dashed on.

Right up to the muzzles of the German rifles the British charged, and
leaning over their horses did terrible havoc among the enemy with
downward sweeps of their heavy swords. They rode their horses right in
among them, the hoofs of the chargers trampling the foe to death. Some
sprang to their feet and darted toward the rear, only to encounter the
British troopers who had ridden around behind them.

The engagement was short and decisive. Soon the majority of the Germans
lay dead upon the ground, and at a cry of "Surrender!" from Chester, the
rest now threw down their arms.

But the British had not escaped without great loss. Exposed to the fire
of the enemy as th