er hurry up if they want to find any of us alive,"
muttered Billy.

"They'll probably find us dead," grunted Bart, "but they'll find, too,
that we've taken a lot of the Huns with us."

"There goes the fourth bird," said Frank. "Perhaps he'll have better
luck."

Through the tempest of shot and shell the bird winged its way unhurt,
and with new hope the desperate defenders buckled down to their work.
They knew their comrades would not leave them in the lurch.

Two more attacks came on, but the gray-clad waves broke down before the
gallant defense. And then, above the roar of battle, came a rousing
American cheer, and into the woods came plunging rank after rank of
fresh troops to relieve their hard-pressed comrades.

They rapidly fell into position, and the next time the Germans came for
what they believed would be their crowning success they had the
surprise of their lives. A withering rifle fire ploughed their ranks,
and then the American boys leaped over the barricade and chased the
enemy back to his own lines. The position was saved, and the hardy
fighters who had held it so gallantly looked at each other and wondered
that they were alive.

"The narrowest shave we ever had!" gasped Billy as, utterly exhausted,
he threw himself at full length on the ground.

"It was nip and tuck," panted Bart. "I know now how the besieged
British at Lucknow felt when they heard the bagpipes playing: 'The
Campbells are coming.'"

"We pulled through all right," said Frank, "and don't forget, boys,
that we owe it to the birds."

Two days later the position of the divisions was shifted and the Army
Boys found themselves on the banks of a small river that forms the
dividing line between the hostile armies.

The squad to which Frank and his comrades were assigned under the
command of Corporal Wilson, who had now fully recovered from his
wounds, was stationed at a point where the river was about a hundred
and fifty yards wide. Desultory firing was carried on, but the sector
at the time was comparatively quiet, as both armies were engrossed in
their preparations for the great battle that was impending. It was the
lull before the storm, and the boys improved it to the utmost. Their
duties were light compared to what they had been, and they rapidly
recuperated from the great strain under which they had been for some
weeks past.

"If only Tom were here now," remarked Frank for perhaps the hundredth
time, for their missing c