D Chester. "You have accomplished a feat you may well be proud of t

Avy guns in the distance, telling that the long-range artillery duel,
farther south, was still in progress. But, as Hal was about to give the
word for a further advance, from almost directly ahead, though still
some distance away, came the sound of
a single pistol
shot. Just one shot; that was
all. In vain did the lads strain their ears to catch a possible reply to
the shot. None came. Hal ordered his men to advance at
a slow trot, and the troop moved
forward once more. Now they came to a woods. They advanced rapidly and
the woods became less dense, and the darkness
caused by the heavy overhanging trees gave way to more light. Hal again
called a halt, and
himself rode forward to investigate. Twenty yards ahead he came to a
clearing in the woods, stretching
out for a possible quarter of a mile. In

the very center of this clearing the lad made out a strange sight. His
eyes fell upon
a detachment of German troops--about fifty all told--dancing about what
Hal finally made out to be
a barn. As Hal looked a sheet of flame sprang up. It was plain to the
lad in an instant