"Come, now, Chester," replied Hal. "Don’t get sore. Can’t you take a little joke?"
"I don’t call that much of a joke. I came with a piece of news I thought you would be anxious to hear, and all you’ve done is scoff."
"Never mind," said Hal. "Personally, as I have said, I am inclined to the belief that you are all wrong, but at the same time I hope you are right. However, time will tell."
Chester was about to reply, but the sound of hurried footsteps without restrained him. A moment later there was a knock at the door.
A lieutenant, whom the lads recognized as attached to Colonel O’Neil’s staff, entered and came to attention.
"Colonel O’Neil desires your presence in his quarters at once, sir," replied the lieutenant; "and, Major Paine also."
"We shall follow you at once, lieutenant," said Hal, reaching for his helmet, which lay on his cot.
The lieutenant saluted again, turned on his heel and departed. Hal and Chester followed him a few moments later.
"I thought it was about time we had something to do," said Hal as they hurried along.
"Right," Chester agreed. "We’ve been pretty quiet for the last week. I shall be glad to get busy again."
Hal Paine and Chester Crawford, natives of a small Illinois town, had been chums from early childhood. Together they had gone to school, toured the lumber country of the northwest where Hal’s father owned large tracts of land; travelled extensively, and fought and played. So close had they been in their school days that their companions had dubbed them "The Boy Allies." More than one lad of more mature years had found to his sorrow that when he "picked on" one of them he had two to contend with.
At the outbreak of the great European war Hal and Chester were in Berlin with the former’s mother. They were caught there by the German mobilization, and in attempting to get out of the German capitol, were separated from Mrs. Paine. Thrown thus upon their own resources, the two lads gave the first evidence of that resourcefulness which later was to stand them in good stead.
They joined forces with a French and an English officer and, after considerable excitement and adventure, reached the Belgian frontier just in time to be with the forces of King Albert when they made their desperate but futile stand at Liege.