ter did not take the trouble to deny it, but as the German's hand
went to his hip he said quietly:

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

His revolver gleamed in his hand as he spoke, and he took a step
forward. The German moved back a pace, but he made no further move to
draw his weapon.

"Now that you have recognized me," continued Chester, "I would advise you
to come along with us. We can't afford to let you go back and set up an
alarm, you know. I don't want to shoot you, for I remember that I owe my
life to you. Walk on ahead of us, now!"

He emphasized this last sentence with a flourish of his revolver, and
the German, realizing that a refusal to obey might possibly spell
death, obeyed.

"Sorry I didn't place you at once," he exclaimed. "Then I guess we would
be going the other way."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Hal broke in. "We usually go the way
we want to."

Half a block farther on Hal perceived a body of German troops moving
toward them.

"Step in between us," he commanded the prisoner.

The latter obeyed without remonstrance.

"One false move and you are a dead man, no matter what happens to us,"
said Chester quietly.

The prisoner recognized by the lad's tone that he was in earnest, and he
would have passed right on, but an officer with the approaching troop
walked directly up to him and saluted.

At the same moment he felt the pressure of Chester's automatic, which the
lad gripped inside his pocket, against his back.

CHAPTER X.

ON THE AISNE.

The prisoner was in a quandary. To raise a cry of warning, he felt
sure, would mean his instant death; and yet, should he remain silent if
he was asked any questions concerning his companions he might also get
into trouble.

"Good evening, Captain," said the officer who had accosted him. "Are you
going far?"

The pressure of the revolver against the German's back increased, and
he replied:

"I am accompanying my friends to the bank of the Aisne. They wish to have
a look at the enemy on the opposite shore."

"You might invite them to go with us when we cross the next time," was
the laughing rejoinder. "When we cross again we shall stay."

The prisoner also forced a laugh.

"I am likely to go across sooner than I expect," he said.

"What do you mean?" demanded the other. "Are you going on a scout?"

"Well, you might call it that. Anyway, I am going across."

Both lads were forced to smile to themselves at this. In their