“I hope so; we haven’t any time to waste.”

The boys sat down and waited.

What seemed like hours later, the door to the closet above again opened, and the voice of the girl floated down the stairway.

“It’s all right, now,” she exclaimed.  “They have gone.  You can come up.”

CHAPTER XV.

The fight in the farmhouse.

The boys ascended the stairs and followed the girl back into the dining-room.

“Well,” said Chester, after the three had talked for some minutes.  “I guess we had better be moving.  We have wasted too much time already.”

They turned toward the door, and, as they did so, Hal uttered a low exclamation.

“Look!” he whispered.

Turning to where Hal pointed, Chester and Edna beheld a face pressed against the window pane.

“It is one of the German officers!” cried the girl.  “He has returned for something.”

It was apparent that the officer had seen the two boys.  He turned from the window, and the lads saw him making violent gestures to someone in the distance.  A moment later two soldiers joined him, and the trio turned toward the door.

There came a loud knock, followed by the sound of footsteps in the hall, as one of the servants went to open the door.

“Do not open the door, Bento!” called the girl.

The footsteps halted.

“Open that door at once!” came a voice of command from outside.

Again came the sound of footsteps, as the servant, evidently frightened, moved toward the door.

“Bento!  Do as I command you!  Do not open the door!” cried the girl again, and the servant stopped.

“Break down the door!” came the command from outside.

“What shall we do?” cried the girl, clasping her hands nervously.

“Fight!” was Hal’s brief reply.

His eyes roved about the room.  His gaze fell upon a pair of old dueling swords hung upon the wall.  Stepping on a chair, he took them down, and passed one to Chester.

At that instant there came the sound of a crash, as the door gave way, followed by a command from the officer: 

“Follow me!”

Edna and the two boys retreated to the far end of the room, as the three Germans rushed through the door.

“Surrender!” cried the officer.

“Come and take us!” replied Hal, his lips set grimly.

The officer covered the lads with his two pistols.

“Stun them with your rifle butts, my lads!” he cried to his soldiers.  “Take the spies alive!”

Reversing their weapons, the two soldiers strode forward.  As one raised his rifle preparatory to bringing it down upon his head, Chester leaped forward between them, thinking to take the officer, who stood behind them, unprepared, and cut him down.

But, even as he stepped forward, the officer’s revolver spoke, and Chester fell to the floor with a groan, a bullet in his chest.  But, at that instant, and before the officer could fire again, Hal, who also had avoided the attack of the two soldiers, sprang forward and aimed a slashing blow at the officer.