“Well,” said Hal, “there is nothing we can do.  It’s up to us to save our own skins.  We have done the best we can for him.”

He stepped to the door and Chester followed him.  They looked about for some sign of their men, but the latter had gone, and Hal, Chester and His Lordship were left alone in the house.

“We might as well make a dash for it,” said Hal.  “Come on!”

He stepped from the door, but, as he would have started ahead, something whistled by his head.  He started back with an exclamation, and, jumping back into the house, closed the door.

“Too late,” he said briefly.

For a moment he stood listening.

“What are we going to do?” demanded Chester.

Hal considered.

“Follow me,” he said at length.

He led the way beyond where His Lordship was sleeping, and, swinging himself out of a rear window, quickly clambered into the house next door.

“Maybe they won’t look for us here,” he said.  “Then, when they have gone, we can escape.”

“Maybe,” said Chester dubiously, “but I don’t think so.”

The boys approached the front of the house and looked out the window, taking care to keep out of sight from the street.  But just then there came a sound of a shot.

“Wonder what that is for?” asked Hal.

He peered through the window.  At the far end of the street he beheld a squad of German troops gazing toward the house they had just left.

“Guess they are afraid we’ll take a shot at ’em if they rush us,” said Chester.  “They don’t know we have left.”

At that moment, from the house they had so recently quitted, there came the sound of a shot.  A German soldier tumbled in his tracks.

The enemy was just beyond the town, and the others, instead of rushing forward when their companion hit the ground, scattered and took refuge behind the nearest possible shelter.

Another shot rang out from the next house, and a second German trooper, who had exposed his head for a moment, toppled over.

“Great Scott!” exclaimed Chester.  “That’s pretty good shooting, if you ask me.  Wonder who’s doing it?”

“There is not much question about that,” said Hal dryly.  “That is His Lordship, fighting for his bed.”

“By Jove!” cried Chester.  “I’ll bet that’s just who it is.”

The lads were right.

No sooner had they left the room in which His Lordship lay asleep than he arose and peered forth.  His eyes fell upon the Germans in the distance.

His Lordship muttered to himself:  “Why can’t they let a man sleep?”

It was at that moment that one of the Germans, thinking to draw a fire from whoever chanced to be in the house, fired through the window.  The bullet whistled close to His Lordship’s head and moved him to action.

“Shoot at me while I’m trying to take a nap, will you?” he said to himself.  “Well, if you want my bed you’ll have to come and take it.”