n followed him. Jimmy had a sudden thought. Rushing up to the
captain, who was listening to a report from a corporal who had been
wounded, and who had escaped after being captured, Jimmy cried:

"Two of my friends have been caught--Sergeant Barlow and Corporal
Dalton. May I take a relief party out, sir, and rescue them?"

"Yes, Sergeant Blaise! Take six men with you, and good luck! Keep in
touch with us, though. We don't want to be separated at a time like
this!"

"Yes, sir!" cried Jimmy, his heart now on fire with a desperate
resolve. He wished Franz and Iggy could be of the rescue party, but
they were already out of the trench, under the leadership of one of
the lieutenants, making a fierce counter-attack.

Quickly Jimmy picked out six privates, and rapidly explained what
he wanted. They ran forward in the darkness. Shells were exploding
overhead, there were flashes of rifle fire on every side, and a more
continuous stream of wicked spurts from machine guns. Rockets were
being sent up from the German lines, together with star-shells, and
these made the scene of the fight brilliantly light with, now and
then, recurrent periods of intense blackness.

"Barlow and Dalton captured?" cried one of the privates whom Jimmy had
selected. "That's tough!"

"We'll bring 'em back, or go over with 'em!" added another.

"Come on!" cried Jimmy, and he led the way.

He had only a vague notion of where to look for Bob and Roger. But he
and his companions in arms saw immediately ahead of them a dark mass
of fighting men. And they judged this to be the attacking party of
Germans, taking away prisoners, and fighting off the attacks of those
Americans who had hurried to the rescue.

"Come on! Let's get in on that!" cried Jimmy. "Forward!"

"Forward she is!" came the grim answer from one of the lads he was
leading.

There came a fierce burst of machine-gun fire from the German line to
the left of that fighting, struggling bunch of forms. It was followed
by yells of rage, mingled with pain, and then deep groans.

"Anyone here hit?" asked Jimmy.

"I think Jepson has gone out," some one answered. Jimmy hesitated. He
was between two duties--that toward one of his immediate force, and
the desire to rescue his chums. But he knew his duty as an officer
required him to look after his command first. He ran back to where two
of the privates were bending over Jepson. A look and a touch convinced
Jimmy that the man was past all aid.

"