"They are coming!"

"All right," replied Hal. "We're ready for 'em!"

Under Hal's direction, a single line of rifles, twenty-five in all,
appeared through the cracks of the barricade. The others had been divided
into three bodies--each containing twenty-five men--each body directly
behind the others. These were instructed to fill up the gaps made by the
German fire. Thus, as each man in the front rank fell, his place would
immediately be filled by another, the second by the third, the third by
the fourth, so providing twenty-five men fell the front line would be
still intact, although the fourth line would have disappeared.

Hal and Chester took their places just in the rear of the first line,
where they could see what was going on and direct the fighting.

"Do not fire until they come into sight around the turn," Capt. Lee
instructed his men. "Then mow them down, and make every shot count!"

Joking and humming to themselves, the men prepared for action. The first
line poked their rifles through the barricade and lay down behind them.
All was in readiness to repulse the attack.

Suddenly the first Germans appeared around the turn in the bridge,
marching five abreast.

"Fire!" cried the captain, and the British rifles broke into flame.

Five Germans tumbled to the bridge.