Horses dashed suddenly into view, dragging behind them a rapid-fire gun.

Hal guessed the answer.

“That’s to mow us down when we try to run,” he told himself.  “Well—­”

He broke off and shrugged his shoulders.

Now the Germans came on again, the rapid-fire gun covering their advance.  A moment later the side of the farmhouse resembled a sieve, it was so full of holes.  For a man to stick his head out the window meant instant death.

But as the Germans drew closer, the rapid firer became silent, for, without risking the lives of Germans as well as French, it was of no value now.  At the same moment the heads of the defenders again appeared at the windows and renewed the work of picking off the Germans as they charged.

For some reason Hal took the time to glance at his watch once more.

“Time’s up!” he told himself gravely, “and no help in sight.”

But the lad was wrong; for, could he have looked from the rear of the house at that moment, he would have seen advancing several columns of French cavalry, coming to their relief.

The Germans saw the approach of reinforcements and redoubled their efforts to gain the farmhouse before the reinforcements could arrive.  But it was too late.  With wild cries, the French cavalrymen swept down and about the house.  Cheers from the defenders greeted them.  The men left their places at the windows and ran from the house.  Hurriedly the wounded were carried out and the retreat begun.

And at that moment the Germans, also reinforced, charged again.  Greatly outnumbered the French retreated, firing as they went.

Then, for the first time, Hal noticed Chester’s absence.

“Great Scott!” he exclaimed to Captain Leroux, “we have come away without notifying the men in the basement.”

Quickly the two made their way to the French commander and laid the situation before him.  The latter shook his head sadly.

“It’s too late now,” he said quietly.  “Look at the number of the foe.  We could not make headway against them.”

He was deaf to all Hal’s entreaties that he make the effort.

In the basement, Chester and his five men had been unable to ascertain the cause of the increased firing at one moment and the lull a moment later.  Chester had about decided that the defenders had given up and that he and his men in the cellar were all that remained.

From his window he could see the Germans only when they came into a certain position; and what went on above he had no means of telling.  But that the others would go and leave him and his men behind had not entered his head.  Therefore, he decided to remain quiet with his men.

But when an hour had passed and there came no more sounds of firing from above, Chester decided it was time to investigate.  Accordingly, he ascended the steps quietly.

There was no one above.  The lad gazed about quickly.  Except for the dead, there was no Frenchman in the house.  Bloodstains on the floor showed that the wounded had been removed.