easy."

But he was mistaken, for just then the door of a dugout in a small
trench opened, and two men came out with lanterns. It was evidently
the corporal of the guard who had come out with a private to relieve
the sentry.

There was an exclamation of surprise and alarm, and as the light of the
lanterns revealed the group of dark figures at the head of the trench,
the men started to leap back into the dugout. But a rifle cracked and
one of them fell. The other, however, got inside and slammed and
barred the door.

"Rush them, men!" shouted the corporal, and charged, at their head,
toward the dugout.

Two or three of them launched themselves against the door, but it held.

"Splinter it with your gun butts!" yelled the corporal, and a series of
heavy blows thundered against the barrier.

Some of the planks started to give, but before the door had completely
yielded, it was thrown open from within and the Germans rushed out,
firing as they came.

They were met by a return volley, and two of them fell. But the others
charged fiercely, and in an instant the two forces were engaged in a
terrible hand-to-hand battle.

In the narrow confines of the trench there was no chance for shooting
after the first volley. It was a matter of fists and knives and in
this the Germans proved, as they had many times before, that they were
no match for the sinewy young Americans who with a yell went at them
like wild-cats.

Sullenly they retreated and their leader held up his hands and shouted
"_Kamerad!_"

His followers did the same. The fight was over. None of the Americans
had been killed though one was slightly and another severely wounded.
Three of the Germans would never fight again and two others stood
supported by their comrades.

Two of the Americans stood at the door of the dugout and searched the
Germans for arms as they came through. Others stood at the head of the
trench and herded the prisoners together for transportation to the
other side.

The German corporal looked about him as he and his men stood guarded by
Americans with loaded rifles, and his chagrin was evident as he
realized that he had been captured by so small a force.

"Are these all the men you have?" he asked in passable English of
Wilson.

"They were enough, weren't they?" answered Wilson with a grin that
reflected itself on the faces of his comrades.

"_Donnerwetter!_" growled the German. "You would never have taken us
if we had know