THE BATTLE OPENS
For forty-eight hours the greatest of modern artillery duels had raged
incessantly. German guns swept the French positions in all sections of
the Verdun region. Fortresses protecting the approach to the city of
Verdun had been shattered. The Germans had hurled two and three shells to
each one by the French.
But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind
their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained
secure. Into these the German guns now poured their fire. The defenders
were ready for the first attack by infantry, which it was realized would
come soon.
And it came even sooner than was expected.
Hal, with a despatch for the officer in command of the first line troops
just to the north of Verdun, was about to return when there came a
sudden shout:
"Here they come!"
Hal turned quickly.
There, perhaps half a mile away, stretched out a long thin line, barely
visible through the dense cloud of smoke that overhung the ground. Hal
took in the situation, instantly. The German infantry was advancing to
the charge under artillery support.
Behind the first long line stretched out a second and beyond that a third
and a fourth and many more. They advanced slowly in the face of a rain of
lead turned on them by the men in the trenches. Men fell to the right and
to the left, Hal could see, but the gaps were filled instantly and the
long lines pressed forward.
Now they were within three hundred yards and the heavy German guns became
silent. The advance now must be made without further artillery support,
for the German batteries could not fire without imminent danger of
shooting down their own men. The Germans broke into a run.
From behind the French earthworks was poured a hail of lead, but it did
not serve to check the approaching foe. On to the breastworks they came
and clambered up. Behind the first line came many more and they swarmed
upon the defenders like bees in a hive.
Bayonet met bayonet and revolvers cracked. Men struggled with their bare
hands. Friend and foe went down together, struggling to the last. On the
right and on the left, though Hal could not see these actions, similar
scenes were being enacted. The Germans had made their initial advance
upon a front of almost fifteen miles.
A bugle sounded.
French reinforcements were rushed forward to aid the hard-pressed men in
the first line trenches. More Germans poured in. The struggling mass
surged backward and forward. Then the French broke and fled, and Hal
found himself among a panic-stricken mass of humanity, running for life
for the protection of the second line trenches. From behind, the
victorious Germans fell to their knees and poured a steady rifle fire
upon the vanquished. Over the heads of their fleeing countrymen the
second line French troops returned the fire.
Hastily the Germans fell to work throwing up earthworks facing the second
French line. Under experienced hands the breastworks sprang up as if by
magic. They entrenched calmly under the rifles of the French infantry and
the heavy guns of the French batteries, though men fell upon all hands.
Far away, but coming closer, the German batteries now opened fire on the
second French trenches, firing above the heads of the victorious German
infantry. The infantry action subsided. The duel of big guns was resumed.
Chester, who had been despatched by General Petain with orders, arrived
there to witness a scene similar to the one Hal had seen in the center.
The German assaults had been successful all along the line. The French
had lost their first line trenches on a front of approximately twelve
miles. Only at one or two isolated spots had the Germans met reverses;
and these few points that the French still held were doubly dangerous
now. They could not be given the proper support. Later in the day they
were abandoned.
Hal and Chester returned to their posts about the same time. Each was
sadly disappointed at the result of the first infantry fighting. For
several hours they were kept on the jump carrying despatches, and it was
after dark before they found themselves alone together after the
strenuous day.
"Pretty hard," said Hal, shaking his head sadly.
"I should say so," Chester agreed. "It seems to me that those fellows
could have been stopped."
"It doesn't to me," declared Hal. "The way they swept into our trenches
seemed to me beyond human power to stop. I'm glad they stopped when they
did. They probably could have gone farther."
"They'll try again to-morrow," said Chester positively.
"I'm afraid so," agreed Hal; "and if they do, I'm afraid they'll drive us
back again."
"And what's the reason?" demanded Chester.
Hal shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know," he said. "Of course they can only progress so far.
They'll wear themselves out by their own exertions. They lost a great
deal more heavily than we did to-day; but certainly it seemed as if
nothing could stop them."
There was little rest for Hal and Chester that night. It seemed to both
that they had hardly closed their eyes when they were again summoned to
General Petain. Assembled there they found the entire staff. The French
commander was reviewing the events of the day and issuing orders and
instructions rapidly. He realized that there would be more and probably
harder fighting on the next day and he was laying his plans
accordingly. Hal and Chester received their instructions for the morrow
along with the rest.
Returning to their own quarters again, they were attracted by the sound
of confusion a short distance away.
"Something up," said Chester. "Let's have a look."
Nothing loath, Hal followed his chum.
In the light of a large camp fire they made out a crowd of soldiers
gathered about in a large circle. Howls of amusement and hilarious
laughter rose on the air. Hal and Chester pushed closer and were able to
ascertain the cause of merriment.
In the center six French soldiers held a blanket and in the center of
this blanket was a man. He rose and fell as the six men alternately
released the blanket and then drew it taut again. He was yelling at the
top of his voice to be let alone and threatening dire vengeance on his
tormentors when he would be able to get at them. But he was laughing and
taking the joke good naturedly.
Hal and Chester joined the circle of spectators and derived as much
amusement as the others from the proceedings. At length, tiring of their
present victim, the men lowered him to the ground. One of them, a large,
strapping fellow, perhaps thirty years of age, cast his eye around the
circle of faces.
"Let's get another one," he shouted.
There was a chorus of assent from the others and all six set to looking
about for a victim who would not prove too willing. As Hal said to
Chester, apparently there was no fun tossing a man who took it good
naturedly.
At last the big fellow gave a howl of delight and dashed forward. Hal
gazed after him. As the big fellow bounded forward, a slight figure in
the first row turned and ran. But the big fellow overtook him and
dragged him back.
"Here's one, men," he cried. "See, he doesn't want to come with me. He
doesn't know what a good time he is going to have. We'll give him a
good one."
The others lent a hand and dragged the unwilling captive forward. As they
would have put him on the blanket, the youngster--for such the captive
proved to be--protested.
"Some other time, fellows," he said. "I'm sick to-night. I hadn't ought
to be out at all, but I couldn't stay in the tent any longer. I'll let
you toss me in the blanket some other time, but please let me alone
to-night."
From where Hal and Chester stood it was plain to see that the boy was
telling the truth. His face was deathly pale and he looked very ill.
"Great Scott," said Hal, "they shouldn't torment him. He is telling
the truth."
"Certainly he is," Chester agreed. "I believe the boy is very ill."
But the young French boy's protest fell on unheeding ears.
With loud guffaws the men grabbed hold of the blanket and sent the
captive spinning aloft. Two, three times he rose and fell, and upon the
last was still in the blanket. Apparently the men who held the blanket
had not noticed this, however, for they were preparing to toss him aloft
again. But Hal had detected the lad's condition. He decided it was time
for some one to interfere, and as no one else apparently was ready to
call a halt on the proceeding, he determined to take a hand himself.
Quickly he shed his overcoat and then tossed off his jacket and passed
them to Chester.
"Hold 'em!" he said, and sprang forward.
At the edge of the circle he halted and gazed at the big Frenchman, who
had chanced to turn in his direction.
"Let the boy go," he said. "Can't you see that he is unconscious?"
The big Frenchman grinned at him. When Hal had taken off his coat, he had
removed all signs of his rank and the soldier had no means of knowing he
was an officer.
"One more toss," said the Frenchman.
Hal stepped close to him.
"The boy is unconscious," said the Frenchman, and added: "Then we'll
take you."
He nodded to the others in signal that it was time to toss; but before he
could move, Hal had seized him by the wrist and whirled him around.
"You heard me," the lad said quietly. "I meant what I said."
He gave the Frenchman's arm a quick twist and the man dropped his hold on
the blanket. The Frenchman's hold on the blanket released, the lad upon
it tumbled to the ground, where he lay still. Instantly several others
bent over and gave their attention to bringing him to. The man whom Hal
had confronted turned on him angrily.
"What do you mean by that?" he demanded.
"I told you to let the boy alone and I meant it," said Hal quietly.
For answer the Frenchman struck at him. Hal dodged the blow and stepped
back. He would have avoided a fight if possible. But the Frenchman
stepped after him and struck again. Again Hal dodged and the blow passed
harmlessly over his head. The lad struck out quickly with his right and
caught the Frenchman a hard blow upon the side of the neck. Big man
though he was, the Frenchman toppled over. Hal walked back to where he
had left Chester, donned his coat and the two moved away.
Behind them, as the big Frenchman staggered to his feet there was a howl
of merriment. The Frenchman shook a fist angrily at Hal's back.