CHAPTER XXIII

WHERE VICTORY WAS SEIZED

More than half a dozen men in military uniforms could be seen, each one with a pair of binoculars in his hands, and most of them sweeping the horizon in their intense eagerness to watch how the fortunes of the battle ebbed and flowed. Now it might be one of them would point a quivering finger toward some particular spot where he had detected events of a thrilling nature developing. Then they would compare, notes, and perhaps send a messenger hurriedly to inform the commander-in-chief of what was going on.

The boys lost little time in making use of the field glasses that had been placed in their hands. It was a picture worth seeing, as they followed along up and down the ridges where those billowing clouds of smoke told of action.

They picked out many batteries of friend and foe from these signs; they could watch the movements of heavy bodies of moving troops as they were flung forward at some supposed weak place in the French lines; and then observe the shock when machine-guns opened upon them, so that the companies dwindled away to mere squads, and these in turn to individuals drifting back in an uncertain way to where they had started forth so bravely.

Again they felt all the thrill that goes with a battle. No doubt, too, they experienced something of the horror also; for it was not their country that was being trodden under the iron heel of the oppressor, nor their capital in danger of being captured again, as back in ‘71.

After taking a steady look along the whole front, as seen from that hill top, the boys rested their eyes. Their friend the colonel was conversing with some of his fellow officers; Thad even suspected that he might be telling them of the exploit carried through by the boys in faded khaki, whose presence there at such a crisis must naturally have aroused the wonder of the Frenchmen; for several times he saw the latter look their way.

“Hello! where’s Bumpus now?” suddenly demanded Allan, showing that in all the excitement he had not missed the stout chum until then, but supposed the other must be only hanging behind, as usual.

“I hope now he hasn’t got lost as he did the other night, though I don’t see how he could, coming only that short distance, and in broad daylight too. Thad, what’s the answer?” and Giraffe turned on the patrol leader as he demanded this.

“Well, the poor fellow just got cold feet, that’s the truth of the matter,” was the way Thad explained it. “You know he isn’t built on the same lines as you happen to be, Giraffe. Bumpus has seen about all the fighting he can stand. And between us I give him credit for staying back by the car.”

“Oh! well, I’m not so crazy as to want to see much more myself,” admitted the tall scout. “It cuts me to the bone to see such terrible things; but stop, and just think how proud we’ll all be some day to be able to declare we watched this wonderful battle that’s going down in history as one of the greatest ever known. It means a whole lot to get up and say, ‘yes, that’s right, because I was there, and saw it with my own eyes!’”

“All of the officers seem to be watching one particular place now,” advised Thad; “and we’d better follow suit. They act as if they thought some vital stroke might be on the carpet over there on the left.”

Accordingly all of the boys leveled their glasses again. It was easy to tell which way to look, because they could figure that out by a glance at the Frenchmen. No one was talking just then, but every officer had his eye intently glued to his binoculars. And no sooner did Thad focus upon the distant ground than he saw why those men were in such a state of suspense.

The Germans were making possibly the most savage assault of the whole day. They had issued forth from cover, and were crossing the open ground in dense masses. It was simply amazing to see how splendidly those ranks kept their formation even after all manner of machine-guns, and those of larger bore, opened a hailstorm of lead and iron.

If men went down, as they undoubtedly must have done here, there and everywhere, like leaves falling from the trees with the Autumn wind, the slight gaps were not noticeable at that distance, for others simply closed in, and the solid mass kept charging on and on like a machine that, once set in motion, could not be stopped by any power on earth.

Away back of the first lines came a second and still a third formation. These of course were the reinforcements meant to take up the fight after those in the lead had been so dreadfully thinned out that they no longer made a force to be feared. Perhaps there were even other masses still waiting to follow, though those who came later would have to pick their way over a field of fallen men.

If in this way they managed to break through the French lines it might mean the beginning of the end. That one point was likely to bring about a decision in the great battle; for it would mean a reformation of lines, with the initiative in the hands of the Germans.

Thad could not blame those French officers for watching with white lips what was taking place. He understood what was at stake as well as they could do. Nevertheless, the fact that his sympathy lay with the French because they were the “under dog” in the fight, did not prevent him from feeling the greatest admiration for those stanch German lines of men who kept moving along shoulder to shoulder while their ranks were being so steadily decimated by the machine-guns and batteries of larger pieces.

Everything would depend on what happened in the next few minutes. Thad could see that the Frenchmen were intently watching the play of the game, and that they must be anticipating some vital move that would alter things in their favor.

Again he sealed his eyes to the end of his glasses. Across the open those masses were still sweeping, though the first lines were dreadfully thinned out by now, and with good reason, if those dots upon the green sward in their rear meant all that Thad believed they did.

Suddenly one of the officers uttered a shriek. It had a note of joy about it that told Thad something had happened. Why, the shells were no longer bursting in the midst of the front ranks now. As if at a given signal to every battery at work, the range had been raised and now a _barrage_, or curtain of fire had been established between the first and second lines of Germans. This was intended to shut out the reinforcements completely, while the machine guns cleaned up what was left of those who could not retreat, and whose advance meant simply walking into the arms of death.

“Look at the Frenchies!” exclaimed Giraffe, with possibly a touch of boyish contempt in his voice; for of course he could not understand what this meant to those almost frantic men, any more than he could appreciate their emotional dispositions.

Americans or British under similar conditions would have shaken hands as they congratulated each other over the successful outcome of the engagement that meant so much for victory; Frenchmen must embrace, and even kiss each other on the cheek, an action that caused Giraffe to shake his head in disgust, for it seemed so womanish to him.

Thad, listening, heard those men exchange congratulations as though they truly believed that the victory must be clinched; and that from then on the German army would be forced to retreat toward the north, where no doubt they already had a line marked out along the River Aisne at which to make a stand in case of disaster.

The next time he looked through his glasses Thad was shocked to observe that the masses of German troops had dwindled to a mere handful. These men still struggled blindly, obedient to the call of duty to push on; but they were like so many blind men staggering amidst the wreckage of the regiments of fallen.

Strange to say, it was Giraffe who first let his hand holding the glasses fall at his side. The roar was so great even at that distance he could not be heard when he spoke, though he raised his voice to a shout. But Thad, reading the movement of the other’s lips, could guess the import of the words; and he set them down as being:

“Well, I’ve had enough, I guess; let’s get away from here, boys. Seems like the rest of the Kaiser’s army has fallen back, unable to face that curtain of fire. It is France’s big day, and that goes!”

Yes, later on, when the whole truth came out, it was learned that despairing France, almost at the last gasp, took on a new lease of life in that hour when the most violent assault of the enemy failed to pierce her lines, and the German army was hurled back along the Marne. Joffre had discounted the tactics of the best of the Kaiser’s great generals; and his sun was steadily heading toward the zenith. There was no Bismarck, no Von Moltke there to guide the destinies of the invading host; and France had consequently won a most important victory.

Neither of the others thought to say a single word calculated to cause Giraffe to alter his mind. Truth to tell, both Thad and Allan were heartily sick of looking upon such terrible sights, and would only too gladly shut them out of their minds for the time being, if it could only be managed. They knew full well they were bound to be haunted by much of what had fallen to their observation during those blood-stirring days and nights spent so close to the battle lines in France.

So only waiting to catch the eye of their friend, the colonel, Thad beckoned to him. The officer hurried to join them. His face shone with such deep satisfaction as could only spring from seeing some cherished object accomplished.

“We win the fight, my brave boys!” he told them joyously as he went around to shake hands with each one in turn; and Giraffe half drew back as though a little afraid lest the effusive Frenchman might feel tempted to clasp him around the neck, and actually kiss him on the cheek.

However, they were spared that exhibition of French emotion, for which Giraffe at least must have been vastly pleased.

“Then you believe the Germans will give it up after this, do you, M’sieu?” asked Thad, wishing to make sure they had gauged things correctly.

“It was their last and most powerful stroke,” they were proudly told. “But they could not brush aside our valiant army, standing to their guns, and cutting great swathes through the padded lines. Already we know the order has gone out for a general retreat. After this it can only be a series of rear-guard actions, for they will try to hold us in check as long as possible, so that trenches may be completed in the north of France, where the defeated army expects to make a stand. But France has been born again this day, and never again shall the foot of a German foe be set in the streets of our beloved Paris. It has been written over there where you saw what happened. What more can I do for you, my young friends?”

“We have seen enough and to spare, M’sieu,” said Thad, smilingly. “We rejoice with you that the victory is won, and your capital saved; but these are no scenes for boys to feast their eyes on. So we had better go our way, and try to find in Paris the mother of our chum, where we expect she is waiting for our coming.”

“I applaud your sentiments, young M’sieu,” said the officer, gravely. “I have a boy of about your age at my home near the Mediterranean, where with his mother he lives at peace. Not for anything would I wish him here, to have his young soul harrowed by these terrible sights and sounds. It is bad enough for old campaigners like myself, who have seen service in Algiers. We have already sent the great news to our commander, whose heart will sing with joy, for he must know France has been saved this day. And now I myself will accompany you to where you left your comrade and your car, that I may say farewell to you as you go from us.”