they had before observed. His wrath was not yet abated, and he kept up a
volley of epithets as he sullenly marched along.

"He's making as much fuss as though he were the Kaiser," chuckled Tom,
who was vastly amused at the prisoner's antics.

"Slap him on the wrist and tell him to be nice," counseled Billy with a
grin.

The captive glared at them with insane rage in his eyes.

"I think he's going nutty," remarked Bart. "It's lucky for him there
aren't any squirrels around."

"You want to keep your eye peeled for him," warned Frank. "He's bad
medicine."

"He's safe enough," replied Bart, carelessly. "He hasn't any weapon, and
if he started to run he wouldn't get far. He isn't cut out for a
sprinter."

"Even if he were, a bullet would catch him," chimed in Billy. "He'd make
a big target and it would be a pretty bad shot that would miss him."

When they reached the blown-up first trench they found it difficult to
keep in line, and had to pick their way over the heaped-up ruin that had
been made by the mine explosion.

Bart tripped over a strand of broken wire, and in trying to save himself
from falling, his rifle slipped from his hand.