“Amen to that,” said Chester, also standing with bared head.  “And his mother.  He is right.  It would break her heart.  We must see that she does not know.”

“And so we shall,” declared Hal.  “It will be a lie for which I am sure we shall be forgiven.”

CHAPTER XV.

Attacked by the enemy.

“What shall we do with him?” questioned Chester.  “We can’t go away and leave him here like this.”

“No,” Hal agreed.  “I know we should, for our own safety may depend upon it, but just the same it goes against the grain.”

“If we had something to dig with,” said Chester.

“But we haven’t,” Hal interrupted.

But the two lads were saved the trouble of finding a grave for the traitor, for suddenly through the woods came the sound of tramping feet.

For a moment the two lads listened intently.  Then Chester grabbed Hal by the arm.

“Come,” he said in a hoarse whisper, “we must find a place of safety.”

Hal drew back.

“Wait until I see if Dersi happened to have another gun,” he said.

He ran his hand over the dead man and at length rose up with a second revolver and a belt well filled with cartridges.  One of the weapons he passed to Chester.

“We’ll probably need these,” he said grimly.  “Now, let’s see if we can’t find a place to hide.”

Cautiously the two lads made their way through the woods.  They could hear the sound of their pursuers, but they had little fear of being detected in the still uncertain light, as long as they kept the same distance between themselves and the Germans.

But suddenly a gleam of light showed in the forest.  A German soldier had flashed a pocket searchlight, and the glare of it fell squarely upon the crouching lads, before they could step behind a tree or any other place of refuge.

“Run!” cried Hal, suiting the action to the word.

Chester needed no urging, and also took to his heels.  But their presence had been discovered, as was proved by the sharp crack of a rifle.  Neither boy was touched, although the bullet passed uncomfortably close to Chester’s head.

Stumbling along as fast as the semi-darkness would permit, the boys made a brave effort to escape.  But they were not to get off in such easy fashion.  For again the searchlight lighted up the woods and exposed them to their pursuers.  Both lads threw themselves to the ground, and thus avoided the volley of shots that were fired at them.

As Chester dropped, he heard a startled exclamation from his chum, and, glancing quickly about, he could see do sign of him.  The lad was nonplussed, but, before he could so much as move, he heard Hal’s voice, apparently below him: 

“Quick, Chester!  Down here, but be careful how you come.”

Cautiously Chester moved in the direction of his friend’s voice.  But he was not cautious enough, and a moment later, grasping out wildly for some means to stay his rapid descent, he was sliding down what seemed to be a steep embankment.