"Where are you hit?" demanded Leon breathlessly.
"I'm not hit; I stumbled over that furrow."
He scrambled quickly to his feet and hurried on. A moment later and the three boys gained the shelter of the forest and plunged into it. A few scattering shots followed them and then all was still. It was now too dark to shoot with any good chance of success.
"Wait here," panted Jacques drawing his two companions down behind a clump of bushes. Guns in hand the three young soldiers crouched and peered eagerly back over the course they had come.
"Do you think they'll follow us in here?" demanded Earl in a whisper.
"I doubt it," replied Jacques. "There are only four of them now you know."
"Only two of them were hit," objected Leon. "I don't believe that those two who were thrown from their horses were hurt."
"Not badly perhaps," agreed Jacques. "They got an awful jolt just the same. At any rate it's only six to three now."
"What do you think they'll do?" asked Earl.
"Can't we crawl up to the edge of the woods and look at them?"
"Isn't there a full moon to-night?" exclaimed Leon suddenly.
"I believe there is," said Jacques. "Why do you ask?"
"Just as soon as the moon comes up we can sneak up to the border of the forest and everything in the clearing will be lighted up; we will hide in the shadow of the trees and can pick off the Boches at our leisure. Isn't that a good scheme?"
"Fine," said Jacques, "all except for one thing."
"You don't think the Germans are going to sit out there all this time, do you? Undoubtedly they have sent for help already."
"Then," exclaimed Leon, "our chance is to attack them at once. There can't be more than five of them at the most left now."
"That's right," cried Earl eagerly. "It's our only chance and we must be quick about it too."
"Don't you think so, Jacques?" insisted Leon. "Come along."
"I know," exclaimed Leon, "but it's our only one. You know as well as I do that if we don't get away before their reënforcements arrive we're done for. Why, after we've killed a couple of their men they'll spend a year if necessary to hunt us out."
"That's true," Jacques agreed. "I guess you're right; we'd better try it now."
Crouching low and making as little sound as possible the three young soldiers crept forward. Jacques led the way, with Leon and Earl close behind him. Every boy held his pistol gripped tightly in his right hand. Night had now fallen and pitchy darkness had taken possession of the forest.