AN AUDACIOUS SCHEME
As soon as the dusk of evening was sufficient to obscure objects of any
considerable size at a distance of a hundred yards, several scouting and
foraging parties were sent out with instructions to report back in about
two hours. The foraging parties were directed to gather in whatever
vegetables and fruit they were able to discover in the darkness, and the
scouts were instructed to travel due west for several miles and
determine if the way were clear for a general advance toward the battle
area.
In the course of the day, Phil, Evans, Tim and several other leading
spirits had held half a dozen conferences and discussed plans for the
following night. It was during these conferences that the scouting and
foraging plans had been outlined. A bird-call code was also agreed upon
and practiced in the course of the day for the purpose of enabling the
scouts and foragers to locate one another or their hide-out in case any
of them should lose his way.
The latter precaution proved to be of considerable service, as did also
a check-up system adopted to determine when all who were sent out on
their several missions had reported back. By about ten o’clock
(estimated), therefore, the checking proved all to have returned with a
gratifying supply of raw food, including apples, vegetables, half a
dozen chickens and a young pig. The fowl had been captured alive, and it
was decided to carry these to their next stopping place, but the pig,
which one of the men had slain with a heavy club without the provocation
of a squeal, had to be left behind.
The scouts brought back information to the effect that there was a clear
field between them and the next town, and that a careful inspection
failed to disclose a sign of an occupant in the place. So far as they
were able to determine, the village was abandoned by both inhabitants
and invaders.
Accordingly a silent, ghost-like march was made to this place. On the
way they passed a score or more of bodies of dead soldiers and a like
number of guns were found lying near them. Most of these were boches, as
was later discovered by examination of their rifles and cartridge belts
by the Americans and French who took possession of them.
“The advance over this ground was so rapid that they didn’t have time
even to pick up the arms of their own dead,” Tim observed to Phil.
“So much the better for us,” the latter replied. “And I’ve a suspicion
that it will work to the benefit of the Allies in more ways than one.
This is a drive of desperation, or I miss my guess, and the boches are
going to find themselves in a trap. They can’t possibly have enough
reserves to maintain such an advance as this. I bet you’ll find in the
end that Marshal Foch is just leading them on.”
“I wish he’d have General Pershing throw in some of his troops at this
point,” said Tim eagerly. “They’d drive these fellows back, and we could
jump in and have some real fun as the Gray Coats came running past us.”
“I can hardly hope that things will turn out just the way our dreams
picture them,” said Phil dubiously. “But it surely would be great if we
could put over such a stunt as that. Anyway, when we pick our last
hiding place we’ll pick it with that in view.”
“We don’t want to advance too close to the enemy’s lines,” Tim argued;
“because they may take a notion to back up a little and establish some
kind of headquarters right where we are stationed.”
“Yes, that’s another thing we want to keep in mind. And we must also try
to pick buildings that are not likely to interest them for any purpose.”
These suggestions were communicated to the other escaped prisoners and
were received with such favor that they were observed carefully in the
selection of quarters not only for the following day, but for all the
succeeding days that they remained in hiding behind the enemy’s lines.
And these succeeding days were more than they at first reckoned on. They
had no way of knowing that the Marines had saved the day at Chateau
Thierry as well as at Belleau Wood, but there was not an American in
this company of escaped prisoners who did not firmly believe that the
advance of the enemy was cut short the instant the Yanks got into the
front line.
And so as they advanced day by day, or night by night, nearer to the
enemy’s lines, sometimes a mile, sometimes two or three miles, sometimes
half a mile, they expected at any moment to discover evidence of a rapid
boche retreat. However, more than five weeks elapsed before the
hoped-for evidence of Allied victory appeared; after which events moved
so rapidly that Phil felt like comparing his existence to life on the
tail of a comet flying through space.