The men below, of whom there were perhaps a dozen, stood still.
Apparently each was afraid to make the first move.

General Rentzel sat up and wiped his face with a handkerchief.

"Shoot them!" he cried.

From the rear of the crowd there was a flash of fire and a report. A
bullet sped over Hal's head. McKenzie's revolver flashed and a German
fell to rise no more.

At this moment McKenzie took command.

"Up the steps!" he cried.

Hal realized that to hesitate meant instant death. He was, perhaps,
two steps above McKenzie, and he covered the rest in two leaps. There
he stopped and covered the room. He was in position to protect
McKenzie's retreat.

McKenzie also leaped to the top step, and there, for a moment, they
were out of the line of fire. To reach them it was necessary for the
Germans to stand directly in front of the steps, and there was no man
below who felt called upon to face this certain death, in spite of the
hoarse commands of General Rentzel.

But in a situation like this could not last long. Other officers and
soldiers, aroused by the explosion appeared on the scene. Hal realized
that their predicament was desperate. With a cry to McKenzie, Hal