e damage done and making some adjustments.

"What's next on the program?" asked Ned of his chum one day about a
week later. "Any more tests in view?"

"Yes," answered Tom. "I've got the machine guns in place now. We are
going to try them out and also endeavor to demolish a building and some
barbed wire. Like to come along?"

"I would!" cried Ned.

A little later the tank was making her way over a field. Tom pointed
toward a deserted factory, which had long been partly in ruins, but
some of the walls of which still stood.

"I'm going to bombard that," he announced, and then try to batter it
down and roll over it like a Juggernaut. Are you game?"

"Do your worst!" laughed Ned. "Let me man one of the machine guns!"

"All right," agreed Tom. "Concentrate your fire. Make believe you're
going against the Germans!"

Slowly, but with resistless energy, the tank approached the ruined
factory.

"Are you sure there's no one in it, Tom?"

"Sure! Blaze away!"

Chapter XV

Across Country

Ned Newton sighted his machine gun. Tom had showed him how to work it,
and indeed the young bank clerk had had some practice with a weapon
like this, erected on a stationary tripod. But this was the first time
Ned had attempted to fire from the tank while it was moving, and he
found it an altogether different matter.

"Say, it sure is hard to aim where you want to!" he shouted across to
Tom, it being necessary, even in the conning tower, where this one gun
was mounted, to speak loudly to make one's self heard above the hum,
the roar and rattle of the machinery in the interior of Tank A, and
below and to the rear of the two young men.

"Well, that's part of the game," Tom answered. "I'm sending her along
over as smooth ground as I can pick out, but it's rough at best. Still
this is nothing to what you'll get in Flanders."

"If I get there!" exclaimed Ned grimly. "Well, here goes!" and once
more he tried to aim the machine gun at the middle of the brick wall of
the ruined factory.

A moment later there was a rattle and a roar as the quick-firing
mechanism started, and a veritable hail of bullets swept out at the
masonry. Tom and Ned could see where they struck, knocking off bits of
stone, brick and cement.

"Sweep it, Ned! Sweep it!" cried Tom. "Imagine a crowd of Germans are
charging out at you, and sweep 'em out of the way!"

Obeying this command, the young man moved the barrel of the machine gun
from side to side