Too late," he said briefly.

For a moment he stood listening.

"What are we going to do?" demanded Chester.

Hal considered.

"Follow me," he said at length.

He led the way beyond where His Lordship was sleeping, and, swinging
himself out of a rear window, quickly clambered into the house next door.

"Maybe they won't look for us here," he said. "Then, when they have gone,
we can escape."

"Maybe," said Chester dubiously, "but I don't think so."

The boys approached the front of the house and looked out the window,
taking care to keep out of sight from the street. But just then there
came a sound of a shot.

"Wonder what that is for?" asked Hal.

He peered through the window. At the far end of the street he beheld a
squad of German troops gazing toward the house they had just left.

"Guess they are afraid we'll take a shot at 'em if they rush us," said
Chester. "They don't know we have left."

At that moment, from the house they had so recently quitted, there came
the sound of a shot. A German soldier tumbled in his tracks.

The enemy was just beyond the town, and the others, instead of rushing
forward when their companion hit the ground, scattered and took refuge
behind the nearest possible shelter.

Another shot rang out from the next house, and a second German trooper,
who had exposed his head for a moment, toppled over.

"Great Scott!" exclaimed Chester. "That's pretty good shooting, if you
ask me. Wonder who's doing it?"

"There is not much question about that," said Hal dryly. "That is His
Lordship, fighting for his bed."

"By Jove!" cried Chester. "I'll bet that's just who it is."

The lads were right.

No sooner had they left the room in which His Lordship lay asleep than he
arose and peered forth. His eyes fell upon the Germans in the distance.

His Lordship muttered to himself: "Why can't they let a man sleep?"

It was at that moment that one of the Germans, thinking to draw a fire
from whoever chanced to be in the house, fired through the window. The
bullet whistled close to His Lordship's head and moved him to action.

"Shoot at me while I'm trying to take a nap, will you?" he said to
himself. "Well, if you want my bed you'll have to come and take it."

He reached for his rifle, which stood near the bed, and, dropping on his
knee at the window, brought it to bear upon the first German. A crack
and a puff of smoke and the Teuton was no more. A second one met the
same fate.

Thes