The good woman pointed out the road taken by Hal and Chester, never thinking for an instant that her son meant to harm them. A moment later young Dersi left the house; and soon the Germans were once more upon the trail of the two lads.
Hal and Chester hurried along as fast as their legs could carry them. It was now nearing dusk, and with each forward step they knew that they were that much closer to a place of safety. Darkness fell and still the two lads plodded onward.
At length, coming upon a small brook beside the road, they stopped to quench their thirst. Hal had risen to his feet and was waiting for Chester when from the rear once more came the faint "chug-chug" of a motorcycle, or motorcycles, the boys were unable to tell which.
"Here they come again," he cried. "We were right. It is the traitor Dersi who has put them on our trail. Hustle!"
Side by side the two lads sprinted for a clump of trees almost directly ahead. They reached their friendly shelter just before the glare of a searchlight down the road gave evidence of the approach of their pursuers.
Once among the trees the boys dropped to the ground and became absolutely silent. A moment later and the band of Germans flashed by at terrific speed.
The boys arose to their feet and continued on their way, keeping in among the trees.
"We must be very careful," Hal warned Chester. "When they fail to overtake us they are sure to return. When we hear them coming we'll climb up a tree, or hunt a hole, or something. But we might as well go ahead as far as we can."
"That seems the best way to me," Chester agreed.
They continued their journey for perhaps an hour without hearing a sound of the Germans, and then, suddenly, they were made aware of the presence of the enemy.
Chester's cap seemed suddenly to jump from his head. Both lads heard the hum of a bullet and the crack of a rifle. Immediately they both dropped to the ground.
They had not detected from which direction the bullet had come, and for that reason were at a great disadvantage. Crouched close to the ground they waited, ears strained for a sound by which they could locate the man who had fired.
But a sound came not. Nothing but silence. Crouched close to the ground as they were, the silence soon became stifling. Hal endured the suspense as long as he could, and then whispered to Chester: