CHAPTER SEVEN.
A SHOT Then, clear and crisp against the sound of the great guns far off, there was the sharp crack of a rifle and Tom was surprised to find himself still standing by his machine uninjured, while the Boche collapsed back into his shell hole like a jack-in-the-box.
He did not pause to think now.

Leaving his machine, he rushed pell-mell back to the barbed wire entanglement where the line was caught, disengaged it and ran forward again to his wheel.

Shells were bursting all about him, but as he mounted he could see two figures emerge, one after the other, from the American trench where it crossed the road, and take up the burden of wire.

He could feel the relief as he mounted and rode forward and it lightened his heart as well as his load.

What had happened to delay the carriers he did not know.