From the shelter of the sand dunes there came suddenly a fusillade. Two
British troopers reeled in their saddles and tumbled to the ground.




CHAPTER II.

A BIT OF HISTORY.


While Hal and Chester and their troop of British cavalry are preparing to
meet this unexpected attack, it will be well to introduce here a few
words relating to the positions of the gigantic armies battling in France
and Belgium.

The war had now been in progress for five months. From the time that the
Allies had braced and checked the Germans in their rapid advance upon
Paris, and had assumed the offensive themselves, they had progressed
consistently, if slowly.

The Germans contested every inch of the ground, and all along the great
battle line, stretching out for almost four hundred miles, the fighting
had been terrific. Day after day, week after week, month after month the
terrible struggle had raged incessantly. The losses of all four armies,
German, British, French and Belgian, had been enormous, although, up to
date, it was admitted that the Germans had suffered the worst.

The conflict raged with advantage first to one side and then to the
other. Assaults and counter-assaults were the order of the day. From