"About fifteen, I should judge," was the answer.
"What are you going to do?" asked Bart.
"Keep right ahead in the direction we are going. The boldest way is usually the best. If they saw us do any p.u.s.s.yfooting, they"d think we were scared, and they"d come after us anyway."
The two parties were not traveling in such a line that they would necessarily meet each other. Under ordinary conditions they would have pa.s.sed at a distance of perhaps six hundred feet. But as the other party approached, Frank could see that one of their number was observing him and his comrades through a pair of field gla.s.ses. There was a hurried consultation, and then the newcomers swerved from their line of march and came directly toward the Army Boys.
"Just what I expected," muttered Frank, as his eyes darted from place to place over the snowy landscape to find a favorable position from a military point of view.
A hundred feet away was a slight rise of ground from which grew a clump of gigantic oak trees. They were so close together that their roots seemed to intermingle. On the near side of the little hill the vagaries of the wind had swept the snow into a sort of cave formation, leaving a s.p.a.ce in the center hollowed out with great banks of snow on both sides.
Straight into this cave-like s.p.a.ce Frank marched his group of prisoners who were walking with their hands upraised, but resting on their heads so as to ease their arms.
"You stand here, Billy, with your gun leveled, and if any one of these fellows makes a break drop him in his tracks," Frank directed, "You, Bart and Tom, come with me, and we"ll go ahead and have a parley with this gang, and see what their intentions are."
The newcomers had now approached within a distance of a hundred yards. The boys looked in vain for any one wearing an officer"s uniform, but there was no one who seemed to be in command. The crowd advanced in straggling formation, some of their faces exhibiting merely curiosity, while those of others were ugly and determined. There were perhaps half a dozen rifles among the lot, but the boys could see army revolvers at the belts of half a dozen more. A few had nothing but heavy sticks. The clothing of all was worn and travel stained, but all were of military cut and pattern, indicating that the wearers had belonged to the German army. The Army Boys went boldly toward them, and their confident bearing seemed to impress the Germans, who hesitated in their advance and crowded close together as though in consultation.
The boys kept going until they were within thirty feet, and then Frank handed his rifle to Billy and went forward with empty hands to show that his intentions were peaceable.
"We"re American soldiers, as you can see by our uniforms," he said in a clear voice, in which there was no trace of wavering. "We are on our way to camp. We saw you turn from your line of march and come our way as though you wanted to speak to us. What do you want?"
Frank had spoken in German and they all understood him, but there was no answer ready, although the men"s eyes glowered as they rested on his uniform and there were muttered exclamations.
"Is there any one of you that speaks English?" Frank asked, after waiting a moment.
Again a whispered consultation, and one of their number was pushed forward by the others.
"Do you speak English?" Frank asked.
"Yes," replied the man roughly. "I lived for five years in your accursed America."
The tone and words were offensively insolent, but Frank took no notice of them.
"Then perhaps you can tell me what you and your comrades want with us," he said.
"We want those prisoners you have with you," the man replied.
"What prisoners?" parried Frank.
"Don"t try to fool us," the man answered angrily. "We saw those men walking with their hands on their heads, and we know they are Germans. We want them, and we"re going to have them."
"How are you going to get them?" Frank asked quietly.
"How are we going to get them?" sneered the man. "Why, by taking them, if we have to. There are only four of you, as we saw through our gla.s.ses, and we"re four to one. You wouldn"t be fools enough to fight against such odds. If you give them up peaceably we won"t hurt you. But if you don"t, we"ll wipe you out."
"Now listen," said Frank sternly. "We"ve arrested these men because they were plotting against the United States. We"ve set out to take them into camp, and we"re going to do it. This district is under American rule and America has a long arm. You may wipe us out, but the American Government will reach out that arm and get you, no matter where you try to hide. I warn you to go on your way and let us pa.s.s."
"It"s fight then, is it?" snarled the German.
He turned to his companions.
"Comrades!" he roared.
But he got no further.
Like lightning, Frank"s left hand shot out and gripped the man by the collar. With his right, he yanked his automatic pistol from his belt and clapped it against the man"s temple.
"One move and I"ll blow your brains out," he snapped.
The man, after his first instinct of revolt, stood like a statue.
That cold muzzle against his head was a compelling argument.
There was a wild commotion among the Germans, and rifles were raised, but as Frank had whirled his prisoner between him and them they did not dare to fire, but stood raging but irresolute.
Walking backward with his prisoner, the pistol still pressed to his head, Frank rejoined Bart and Tom, whose rifles were leveled at the crowd. Step by step the boys retreated, until they stood with Billy in the shelter of the oaks. Frank then delivered his prisoner to Billy, who made him lie down in the snow cave with the others.
"Good work, old man!" said Tom admiringly, as he clapped Frank on the shoulder.
"I"ll tell the world so," agreed Bart enthusiastically.
"Gee, but my heart was in my mouth while I watched you," said Billy.
"Have any trouble with the prisoners while I was gone?" asked Frank.
"Not much," grinned Billy. "Redbeard tried to get up, but I handed him a clip on the jaw and he sat down again."
"Drop!" shouted Bart suddenly. "Those fellows are getting ready to fire."
They threw themselves flat on the snow, and a moment later some bullets zipped over them.
"Looks as though they meant business," muttered Frank.
"Lucky that they haven"t all got rifles," remarked Billy.
"Seems like the old Argonne days come again, only on a smaller scale," remarked Tom. "Shall we let them have a taste of lead, Frank? My finger"s fairly itching to pull the trigger."
"Hold in a while, Tom," counseled Frank. "They have done that to vent their spite. We"re safe enough behind these oaks, and we haven"t any too much ammunition. If they show any signs of making a rush, we"ll let them have a volley."
"That"s just what they"re going to do," remarked Bart. "They know they"re four to one and they"re going to take a chance."
"Five to one, really," answered Frank, "for Billy will have his hands full in guarding the prisoners."
Another volley came at that minute, and several bullets embedded themselves in the oaks. At the same moment, the Germans rushed forward a few yards, taking shelter behind what trees they could or throwing themselves behind hillocks of snow.
"They"re in earnest," remarked Tom.
"All right," said Frank, and his fingers tightened on his rifle.
"Let them rush us. They"ll get all that"s coming to them."