here!"

The German major looking down the long line of Germans, possibly
planning some recoup from the shame and ignominy of the surrender of so
many of them, stepped up to York and asked:

"How many men have you got?"

The big mountaineer wheeled on him:

"I got a-plenty!"

And the major seemed convinced that the number of the Americans was
immaterial as York thrust his automatic into the major's face and
stepped him up to the head of the column.

Among the captives were three officers.

These York placed around him to lead the prisoners--one on either side
and the major immediately before him. In York's right hand swung the
automatic pistol, with which he had made an impressive demonstration in
the fight up the hill. The officers were told that at the first sign of
treachery, or for a failure of the men behind to obey a command, the
penalty would be their lives; and the major was informed that he would
be the first to go.

With this formation no German skulking on the hill or in the bushes
could fire upon York without endangering the officers. Similar
protection was given all of the Americans acting as escort.

Up the hill York started the column. From the topography of the land he
knew there were machine guns over the crest that had had no part in the
fight.

Straight to these nests he marched them. As the column approached, the
major was forced by York to command the gunners to surrender.

Only one shot was fired after the march began. At one of the nests, a
German, seeing so many Germans as prisoners and so few of the enemy to
guard them--all of them on the German firing-line with machine gun nests
around them--refused to throw down his gun, and showed fight.

York did not hesitate.

The remainder of that gun's crew took their place in line, and the major
promised York there would be no more delays in the surrenders if he
would kill no more of them.

As a great serpent the column wound among the trees on the hilltop
swallowing the crews of German machine guns.

After the ridge had been cleared, four machine gun-nests were found down
the hillside.

It took all the woodcraft the young mountaineer knew to get to his own
command. They had come back over the hilltop and were on the slope of
the valley in which the Eighty-Second Division was fighting. They were
now in danger from both German and American guns.

York listened to the firing, and knew the Americans had reached the
valley--and that som