had run into an ambuscade of Germans who
were hidden among the holes and ruined trenches, and had risen up to
capture more prisoners.

Rousing himself, and determining to find out how many of his fellow
soldiers were in the same disastrous position as himself, Jimmy cried:

"Any of the Five Hundred and Ninth here? I'm Sergeant Blaise and--"

"Great guns!" cried a voice Jimmy well knew. "It's Blazes! We're
here, Jimmy!" went on the voice in a half sob. "Bob and I are
here--prisoners!"

"Then we're in the same boat!" answered Jimmy, who had recognized
Roger's voice. "I'll try and get to you, and then--"

"Shut up--American pig!" cried a Hun in fairly good English as he
struck Jimmy in the face. And then the Sergeant knew how he had been
betrayed. It was by a German who spoke English.

CHAPTER XX

THE CAPTAIN AGAIN

Worried over the possible fate in store for them, sick at heart,
smarting with wounds and bruises, and with Jimmy regretting the deaths
of the men he had led out to help rescue Bob and Roger, it is no
wonder that the three Brothers hardly knew what happened in the next
hour. All they remembered was that they were pushed, dragged and
fairly punched along in the darkness that was, every now and then,
lighted by gun flashes or the star-shells. The fighting was still
going on, though it was growing less intense, and it seemed evident
that the attacking party of raiding Germans had been beaten back.

But it was at a heavy cost, for many Americans had been killed or
wounded, and several taken prisoners, including our three friends.
Later, however, they learned that the losses of the Huns had been
heavier, except in the matter of prisoners. Only two had been captured
as against perhaps a score of Americans. The raid had been a surprise,
and this quality of it led to its success.

For a time, after he had learned of the presence of his two chums
in the raiding party of Huns, Jimmy was separated from them in the
darkness and confusion. He could not locate them by calling their
names, for each time he tried this he was struck by one of his
captors, which led him, finally, to desist. He realized that if he
exasperated the Germans too much they would not hesitate to kill him,
even though he was a prisoner.

But later on, when it seemed as though he had been pulled and dragged
over miles and miles of rough country, Jimmy was aware that the party
of men who had him in charge had been joined by another