“I shall let you pick the men,” said Hal to Lieutenant Anderson, when he was again back in the latter’s quarters, “and, so far as they know, you are in command.”

“Very well,” was the reply; “but remember that it is not so.  On this expedition I waive my rank, and will act under your orders.”

Half an hour later Chester and Hal inspected the men selected by Lieutenant Anderson, to whom the boys were introduced as scouts.  A likely body of men they were, strong and sturdy, and not a man of them under six feet in height.

“Look like they could give a good account of themselves,” muttered Chester to himself.

At length all were piled in a great motor truck, and a second later, in response to Hal’s directions, were speeding southward.

CHAPTER XXI.

Across the Marne.

For two hours the great motor truck continued its journey southward at top speed.  Then Hal called a halt.

Quickly the men clambered out, and with Hal in the lead marched in the direction of the river.

The place where Hal had ordered the men from the car could not have been better selected, for, on the opposite side of the river, though Hal did not know it then, there was a considerable open space between the German forces.

The troopers followed the lad to the bank of the river, and then, as there was not a shot from the opposite side, all walked boldly along the shore.  At length they came upon a number of small boats, evidently having been placed in readiness by some of the British forces.

“We’ll appropriate these,” said Hal.  “Luckily they were here or we should have been forced to swim across.”

The men piled into the boats, and pushed off.  They reached the opposite side without discovery, and hastily clambering up the bank were soon hidden from sight in a clump of trees.  Here Hal called another halt, until he was able to decide upon his next move.

The boats had been pulled into the trees, to be used for their return trip.  The driver of the auto truck was ordered to remain where the party had left him.  All in readiness for a hasty retreat, Hal now bethought himself of a way to successfully accomplish their mission.

After a consultation the party moved forward, keeping as much as possible in the shelter of the trees.  As they approached the edge of the little woods they came suddenly upon three German horsemen.

The latter had not seen them, so quietly had they crept along.  Hal, Chester and Lieutenant Anderson were upon them before they knew it, their men right behind them.  Seeing that they were far outnumbered, the Germans did not put up a fight.

The hands of all three immediately went into the air, and one of them called out in German: 

“We surrender.”

“Dismount!” ordered Hal, and the Germans obeyed.