A sudden idea struck Hal.

"There's no use wasting five bullets on each German," he told his men.
"Let the five men on the left each pick out a man. The rest reserve your
fire unless one of our men go down, then the one nearest him take his
man, and so on!"

The second five Germans were too close behind their comrades, who had
just fallen, to arrest their steps in time to avoid the British fire.

Five shots rang out as they came into view, and again five Germans
fell. So far not a shot had been fired by the Germans. But now five
more came around the turn with a rush, followed by five more, and still
another five.

The first five dropped in a heap, but from the second five came a
burst of flame and the crack of rifles. Two men behind the barricade
dropped, one of whom was Capt. Lee. But the Germans paid dearly for
their rash attack.

In less time than it takes to tell it, ten more Germans had bitten the
dust. Then they drew off.

"Good work, men!" cried Chester. "We can hold them off indefinitely," he
added to Hal.

"Looks like it," was Hal's reply. "But if they make a concerted rush we
shall have our hands full. How is Capt. Lee?"