THE STRUGGLE UNDER THE WATER
AS John Big Bear stalked away without even so much as saluting the
commander of the regiment, the colonel stood gazing after him
reflectively, the suspicion of a smile twitching at the corners of his
mouth. There were several things the colonel might have done, for John
Big Bear’s action distinctly came within the official definition of
unbecoming conduct, even insubordination.
But after all it is often not so much the act itself that counts, as the
motives behind it; and whereas such conduct as the Indian’s might have
been deliberate disobedience in one of a different nature, the colonel,
who knew men, and who particularly knew the hidden courage and devotion
of John Big Bear, merely looked after the Indian as he strode away,
muttering something under his breath which, as Ollie Ogden caught it,
was far from suggesting the guard house or a court martial.
The boys were standing aside, waiting to learn where their own company
was stationed, and the colonel had turned for a moment to speak to
another officer who had come up.
“A fighter from the ground up,” Ollie heard him say, undoubtedly
referring to John Big Bear.
“Yes,” the other man replied, “the only trouble I have is in holding him
in restraint. He constantly wants to go out and clean up the whole
German army himself. I must say he hasn’t much respect for the Huns. I
believe a dozen men like him could demoralize a whole Boche regiment.”
And the lads became aware for the first time that the speaker was their
own captain. They saw, too, that he carried his left arm in a sling. A
pang went through them as they realized the action their own company
must have been in that day while they were sleeping in the dug-out under
Thiaucourt; but the thought also brought with it all that they had
accomplished, and though not disposed to flatter themselves, they felt,
and justifiably so, that on every occasion they had fulfilled their duty
whenever and in whatever guise it presented itself.
The colonel and captain, who had been conversing in low tones, turned
and approached the three lads. The captain recognized them for the first
time.
“Well, well,” he exclaimed. “Here you are, apparently well and sound,
and we thought the three of you were gone. Have you been with another
unit? Just arrived I see. What’s the report, sergeant?”
Briefly, but clearly, Tom explained everything—how they had slept on
while squads and companies and battalions and regiments and brigades and
even the entire division moved out; how they had awakened to find
themselves alone; of their capture by the twenty Germans, and later,
under the leadership of John Big Bear, of their turning the tables on
those of the Germans who remained living after the Indian got through
his work.
Sergeant Tom Walton did not spare himself or his two pals in what looked
to them like unforgivable carelessness in having slept so soundly that a
whole army moved out over their heads without their having heard a
sound; neither did he seek to embellish the account of their later
daring accomplishment.
The colonel and captain listened in silence until the report was
concluded, but the lads found no censure awaiting them. The colonel
nodded his head approvingly and again called the captain aside. They
conversed for several minutes, apparently giving grave consideration to
some important project, and then called the youths over.
“Our company has been pretty well shot to pieces, boys,” the captain
began, “but the success of this entire drive of course depends upon the
manner in which every unit carries through its especial mission. And
ours is a difficult one tonight. The men have been fighting all day, and
those who are not dead or wounded are so utterly exhausted that they
hardly can be asked or expected to do anything further tonight.”
The colonel was gazing at them intently. The captain paused for a
moment. The young men remained at rigid attention, waiting to learn what
new service or sacrifice lay before them. Tired as they were, they knew
that they had rested and slept since other members of the company had,
and that they had not endured the awful conflict of the day, under which
hundreds of their friends had gone down. And besides, there was
something exhilarating and thrilling in receiving some commission
directly from the captain, in the presence, and undoubtedly with the
approval, of the commander of the regiment.
“We are not more than a quarter of a mile from a swift but narrow
river,” the captain continued, pointing off to the right, “but we were
unable to get further before darkness. Most of the enemy are on the
other side, but a strong rear guard is holding the near bank.
“To properly lay our plans for the morning it is necessary that we have
some definite idea of whether the Germans have decided to make a
determined stand here, or whether the main force is retreating beyond
the other side of the stream, leaving only this comparatively small
guard to harry and delay our advance.
“As I have said, our men are exhausted. It is necessary that we send out
scouts to reconnoiter. You men already have gone through a great deal
that has earned you the respect and admiration and commendation of your
officers. Do you feel that you can go forward on the difficult and
dangerous mission that I have outlined? I would send John Big Bear with
you, but he has been through enough in the last forty-eight hours to
kill an ordinary man. Are you men prepared to take up this necessary
task?”
“We are,” the three young soldiers answered in unison, and at the same
instant from out of the darkness behind them came a deep grunt and John
Big Bear stepped forward.
“Young ’em fellas go; me go, too,” the Indian announced briefly
John Big Bear had been listening! The captain swung on him suddenly, his
lips already framing a reprimand, when he caught the colonel’s eye. The
latter merely gave an almost imperceptible nod of his head, and the
captain at once changed his tactics.
“John Big Bear,” he announced, as though it had been he instead of the
Indian who had decided the question, “you and Sergeant Walton and Harper
and Ogden are assigned to report upon the approximate strength of the
enemy forces on the opposite bank of the river, and also whether they
are preparing to make a stand there, or are moving on.”
The four men saluted and a moment later were lost in the darkness. It
was not until they were crawling well within the enemy outposts that
they remembered that with the exception of John Big Bear, who had
equipped himself with a regulation automatic and plentiful ammunition,
the others had only what cartridges were in the revolvers they had taken
from the Germans.
And it was almost at that instant that an alert sentry discovered their
presence. He fired point blank from a distance of not more than fifty
feet, and Ollie Ogden felt the bullet whistle by his head.
Bang! It was John Big Bear’s unerring aim, and the Boche was laid low.
But in that moment a dozen of the enemy suddenly rose into sight, and
there was but one course open—a running fight toward the river bank, for
the position of the Germans was such that retreat to the American lines
was cut off, even had the four men been disposed to turn back.
Just as they reached the edge of the river a suppressed grunt from John
Big Bear indicated that he had been hit, but he did not go down.
“In big water,” he shouted to the others, and with a simultaneous splash
they dived into the river.
All were excellent swimmers, but as they came up close together, far out
in the stream, the outlook was far from encouraging. The bank from which
they had jumped was lined with hostile men, and directly approaching
them was a boat containing at least half a dozen others, evidently
engaged in ferrying back and forth, gradually depleting the rear guard
which had been left upon the American side.
With one long breath the four men dived again, but not before Tom had
noticed that John Big Bear was swimming only with his right arm, his
left seemingly out of commission.
When they came to the surface again they were above the boat, which was
a raft-like affair, but still at a point between it and the American
side. Before their whereabouts had been discovered John Big Bear had
formulated a plan and in a few swift words imparted it to his
companions.
Inhaling all the air they could, in order to remain under water as long
as possible, they dived for the third time. The three lads swam with all
their strength down stream and ahead of the Indian, to a point just
behind the boat.
There, until it seemed that their lungs would burst, they waited. Unable
to stay down longer, each struck out again for the top. They lifted
their heads into the air not ten feet below the boat, and just at an
instant when, if the situation had not been so serious, they could have
laughed outright.
John Big Bear, giant of a man that he was, with the strength of a
Sampson despite his wounded left arm, had come up unsuspected on the
upper side of the boat, and, despite the weight of the men in it, had
with one deft and tremendous upward push turned it over. Or, to be
exact, with the men all lined up on the opposite side, waiting to take
pot shots at the swimmers when they came up where they thought they
must, he was just in the act of turning it over, with their unconscious
assistance, when the lads came up for air.
The Germans had neither time nor thought for shooting then. It all had
happened so suddenly, as most things did that were engineered by John
Big Bear, that they were seized with consternation as they hurtled
headlong into the river.
Each of the lads had his gun ready, butt end outward, for the struggle
that must ensue. John Big Bear, working with one arm and shoulder, as he
had to, was having all he could do to right the boat again.
There were shouts from the American side of the bank which indicated
that another raft loaded with men was trying to put out. A Boche came up
beside Tom Walton, gave one wild stare at him and dived again, just as
Tom’s revolver butt hit the water with a resounding splash. Ollie at
that moment was struggling in the grasp of a gigantic Hun. With three
quick strokes Tom was beside them. He managed to hit the enemy a
terrific blow over the head, which released Ollie, but a moment later it
was George Harper who had to come to Tom’s rescue as a German who had
dived under him dragged him gasping and breathless, below the surface.
Some of the Germans had fled down stream as fast as their swimming
abilities could carry them, but enough had stayed to make it a terrible
struggle, with all the odds upon the enemy side.
Firing had ceased on the bank when it was seen that Americans and
Germans were all mixed up together in the water, but no sooner had John
Big Bear righted and crawled into the boat than bullets began to whiz
around his head.
This angered John Big Bear, and it’s bad business to get an Indian mad.
He is likely to do some damage. John Big Bear was no exception to his
race.
Lying flat in the boat, he leveled his revolver over its side. Pop! And
a Boche who twice had nearly drowned Ollie Ogden went down to a watery
grave. The sight so disconcerted the other Huns who had seen it that
they immediately dived. John Big Bear’s gun continued to speak as one by
one they came to the surface again. Instantly all dived. The lads saw
only two finally reappear. Whether the others had been killed or
drowned, or had made their escape in the darkness, they never knew.
Nor did they much care. It had been the most exhausting experience they
ever had been through, and as they climbed into the boat which John Big
Bear managed to maneuver to them, and each laying to the oars struck out
with all their strength for a point of safety down stream, they were
thankful enough to have escaped alive.
A bullet had smashed John Big Bear’s shoulder, and all were half frozen
from the icy water and chilling winds. But they had learned that for
which they had been sent. The rear guard left on the American side of
the stream was rapidly being ferried to the opposite side, and no shots
worth speaking of had come at them from there. Undoubtedly the Germans
were continuing a hasty retreat under cover of the night.
And with all the strength they had remaining in them, after half an
hour’s rowing had brought them to a place of safe landing, the lads ran
back into the mainland, to report to their commander and get hot coffee
and into dry clothes.
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