cts.

"Oh, one of the shells hit a church where they were having a service
and killed seventy-five people, mostly women and children," answered
Frank. "Don't you imagine the Germans call that a good day? Can't you
see them grinning and rubbing their hands? It's as good as bombing a
hospital or an orphan asylum. The Kaiser felt so good about that he
sent a special message of congratulation to the manager of the Krupp
works, where the gun was made. Oh, yes, it was a good day!"

"The swine!" exclaimed Bart furiously, while Billy's fist clinched.

"Let's get busy," cried Frank, springing to his feet. "I can't wait to
get at those barbarians. I hope there's lots of bayonet work today. I
never felt in better trim for it."

They fought that day as they had never fought before, for they had
never felt so strongly that the world would never be a decent place to
live in until their barbarous enemies were humbled to the dust.

The next day the old Thirty-seventh was ordered to take up its position
at a bridgehead that it was of the utmost importance should be strongly
held. The enemy attacks were converging there, and it was evident that
they were planning to cross the river in force. The country behind the
American troops was flat and difficult to defend, and if the enemy
should make good his crossing the consequences to the Allied cause
might prove serious.

The enemy advance had reached the further side of the river, which at
that point was about two hundred yards in width. A fierce artillery
duel was kept up between the hostile forces. A wooden bridge with
stone arches afforded the only means of crossing, and this was swept by
such a fierce shell fire from the Allied guns that it did not seem as
though anything could live on it for a moment.

As an additional precaution the bridge had been secretly mined by the
Allied engineers. Electric wires ran to the concealed charges.

A pressure of a button--and the bridge would be reduced to atoms.

CHAPTER XVIII

A DESPERATE VENTURE

"The Huns will get a surprise party if they try to cross that bridge,"
remarked Billy with a grin, as the boys were talking over the present
situation.

"I don't see why we don't blow it up right away," said Bart. "Then the
Germans would have to rely on pontoons and what we would do to them
would be a crime."

"Our officers know what they're about," objected Frank. "We might want
that bridge to go across on ourselves if