Chester acted promptly.  Swimming rapidly up to them, he raised his right arm and sent his fist crashing full into the German’s face.  The latter’s already white countenance turned whiter, and gradually his hold on Hal relaxed.  With a quick movement Hal freed himself, and the German sank from sight.

Without waiting to see whether he would come up again both lads struck out for the opposite shore.

But they were too late.

When the little motorboat had capsized, four French soldiers had run down to the bank and thrown themselves into the stream.  Almost at the same time a squad of perhaps a dozen Germans had performed the same maneuver.  Now, from both sides of the river, men were closing in upon the almost exhausted lads.

But the Germans were the best swimmers and overtook them first.  One grasped Hal by the arm and another seized Chester.  In vain did the lads try to shake off these opponents, striking out blindly at them, and calling to the French to hurry to their assistance.

In spite of the superior numbers of the enemy the French swam rapidly toward them.  The first to arrive struck the man that grasped Hal a stunning blow.  Immediately the lad felt his arm freed, but it was immediately grasped again by a second German, who held on while his comrades swam on to drive back the French.

Knives were drawn and the battle in the water continued with desperation.  The four Frenchmen gave a good account of themselves, and two German soldiers disappeared beneath the water to come to the surface no more.

But the weight of numbers told at last; and, when two of the French had been severely wounded, the other two, realizing the futility of further fighting in the face of overwhelming odds, drew off, and, supporting their wounded companions, returned to the far shore.

Hal and Chester had put forth their best efforts to free themselves from the hands of their captors, but in spite of their frantic struggles, they were overpowered and were soon dragged back to the bank on the German side.

A German trooper had dived beneath the water and succeeded in grasping the collar of the boys’ late prisoner and dragging him to shore, where several men were now at work trying to restore him to consciousness.

The men who had captured the boys stopped to watch this operation.  Soon the German began to gasp for breath, and ten minutes later he was able to sit up and look about.  His gaze rested on the two lads.

He was a pitiful-looking object, but in spite of this the lads were forced to smile as he glanced at them.  The man arose and approached them, leaning heavily upon the arm of a brother officer.

“So you didn’t get away after all?” he said.

“No,” said Hal quietly, “we are still here.”

“And here you’ll stay, if I have anything to do with it,” was the response.  “You are tough customers, and no mistake, but I guess there are enough here to keep you quiet now.”