In the Ardennes
After two days' steady tramping Max and Dale arrived at La Roche, a
little town on the Ourthe, well in the broken country of the Ardennes.
They had had no such easy and uneventful journey as they anticipated.
The whole country was in a very unsettled state, the people ready to be
startled and alarmed by every rumour--and they were not few--and viewing
strangers with the utmost suspicion as probably German spies on the
look-out for more victims.
Half the population of the villages passed on the way had gone. Houses
stood unoccupied, with doors wide open, although the furniture of those
who had so lately tenanted them was still within. The whole countryside
bore evidences of a great panic, and some places the more sinister signs
of rough and brutal treatment. Many houses had been burned down and
others had been plundered in a most barbarous manner, property that
could not be carried off having been wantonly destroyed. The fields and
farmlands seemed deserted, as though no one dared to work at a harvest
that was likely to be reaped by the enemies of their country.
The authors of all this mischief were said to be the Uhlans. It appeared
that these formidable horsemen, after the fall of Liege, had spread in
small parties all over the Ardennes and had carried terror and
destruction wherever they went. Their principal motive was, no doubt, to
gather information of the enemy's whereabouts, but, while doing so, they
seemed to throw themselves heart and soul into another task--that of
making their name known and dreaded throughout the length and breadth of
Belgium.
La Roche had so far suffered little. Parties of Uhlans had passed
through from time to time, but they had usually been in a hurry, and had
had no time to do more than seize supplies for themselves and their
horses. This was the kind of place Max and Dale were looking for, and,
finding no troops there at the moment, and none expected, they sought
out (avoiding the hotels) a cafe in the most out-of-the-way spot they
could find, and settled down for a long stay.
At least they hoped it might be a long stay. They had had so busy a time
of late that neither felt any inclination to go out of his way to meet
trouble. If only the enemy would leave them alone, they were prepared to
welcome a long period of peace and tranquillity.
But somehow peace and tranquillity seemed to have turned their backs
upon Max and Dale. Only the second night after their arrival they were
awakened in the middle of the night by the clatter of horses' hoofs upon
the cobbled pavements, loud shouting, and the insistent hammering of
doors.
"Ask the proprietor what's the row, Max," growled Dale sleepily, as he
heard Max get up and look out of the little window of their bedroom.
Max did so, and learned that a strong body of Uhlans had just ridden in
and demanded shelter and supplies.
"Are we in any danger?" he asked.
"I do not think so," the innkeeper replied. "But you must not leave the
town, for they have posted men to intercept all who try to go."
"And what is that for?" cried Max, more perturbed by this than if he had
been told that a house-to-house search for suspected persons was already
being made.
"Why, you must know that the Uhlans are rounding up escaped English and
French soldiers. Everyone knows that. They have been doing so for weeks
past."
"Ah! Of course. And they will not let anyone leave the town to give the
soldiers information of their coming?"
"No, Monsieur. They are making a special effort this time. They have
caught one or two, but the rest seem to grow in numbers, and are getting
more audacious owing to hunger. I have heard that they stopped and
plundered two army wagons full of provisions only a week ago. It is this
that has made the commandant at Marche determined to kill them all this
time."
"Well, I think we will dress, in case they come here and want to search
the house."
"You must not hide here, Monsieur, if that is what you want," replied
the innkeeper quickly. "I could not have that, for if they found anyone
in hiding they would burn the house down."
"What for?" asked Max in some astonishment.
"I know not, but they have done so. No doubt it is to make us all afraid
of harbouring fugitives. But you are a Belgian, Monsieur? You speak like
a Walloon."
"Aye; but I do not want to have aught to do with Uhlans if I can help
it. They so often make mistakes, and then it is too late to explain. I
think we will leave your house, Monsieur, and then you will run no
risks."
Max called Dale, and they put together their very slender belongings and
sallied out into the night. The innkeeper was certainly pleased to see
them go, and gave them as much help in the shape of information as it
was in his power to bestow. He told them, with a warning to them to be
careful to avoid the locality, the general position of the fugitive
soldiers and the villages in which cavalry patrols had lately taken up
their positions.
"It seems to me, Dale," remarked Max, as they left the inn and crept
along in the shadow of the houses towards the little bridge which
spanned the Ourthe, "that in leaving Liege we have jumped out of the
frying-pan into the fire. There we could hide in the lower quarters of
the town and pass as Walloon workmen easily enough, but here we are
strangers, and strangers are always objects of suspicion."
"Yes; we did not bargain for all this chasing around by German cavalry.
However, it will be good fun while it lasts, old man."
"Yes, but how long will it last? Here's the bridge. We can't cross it in
this moonlight; we should be sure to be seen and challenged. We must get
into the river and cross in the shadow of the bridge."
"What's the game, Max? Why cross at all? Why not cut straight away into
the open country?"
"Wrong direction. The innkeeper was so careful that we should get away
from the district on which the Uhlans were closing in that he told me
exactly where it was. And that's where we are going, of course. We can't
let these Germans make a grand sweep of English and French fugitive
soldiers without at least giving them warning, can we, old man?"
"You beggar!" cried Dale, with a note of admiration in his voice. "No,
of course not. Won't it be jolly if we find some English soldiers, and
manage to pilot them away to a safe place?"
"Not bad. Now here we are; climb over this wall, and lower yourself into
the bed of the river. Then creep along in the shadow of the wall until
you reach the shadow of the bridge. Then we can cross, and shall stand a
good chance of getting away. Most of the Germans are quartered on this
side of the town."
Max and Dale were by this time experts in eluding observation, and had
no great difficulty in getting out of the town without raising an alarm.
Once well away, they strode at a good pace straight across country
towards the wooded region south-west of the town, where the fugitives
were popularly supposed to be. They knew that by their action they would
be placing themselves inside the zone about to be swept by converging
bodies of Uhlans, and that all persons found there, who could not give a
good account of themselves, would almost certainly be shot or speared
out of hand. But they took no heed of that, for the thought that some
members of the gallant little English army which had, they knew, from
the gossip of the countryside, fought so splendidly against overwhelming
odds might be caught unsuspecting, and probably killed, made them ready
to face even greater risks than that. Besides, they had, in their many
successful encounters with the Germans in Liege, gained a self-reliance
and confidence in themselves that made them look upon the affair as one
by no means certain to go against them.
An hour or two after daybreak Max and Dale had reached the woods in
which the fugitives were said to be, and were slowly traversing them,
keeping a sharp look-out on all sides. The trouble, they now realized,
was how to get in touch with them. It was highly probable that they
would keep out of sight, and avoid contact with everybody they were not
forced to have dealings with in the way of purchasing or begging food.
Fortunately the difficulty was solved very suddenly and unexpectedly.
"'Alt!" came a hoarse command just as they were about to enter a
somewhat thick belt of timber well supplied with undergrowth.
Simultaneously a rifle protruded from the bushes right in front of them,
and a wild, famished-looking face followed it.
Max and Dale stopped dead.
"What d'ye want poking about 'ere?" the man demanded in Cockney English
in a surly tone. "I don't understand your lingo, but say something, or
I'll let go."
The man had a fierce and reckless look, and fingered his rifle as though
ready enough to keep his word. Hastily Max replied:
"It's all right; we're friends. Put down your gun, there's a good
fellow."
[Illustration: "IT'S ALL RIGHT; WE'RE FRIENDS"]
"Huh! Friends--eh? Fust I've seen for many a long day. 'Ere, boys,
'ere's a Johnny wot speaks English says he's a friend--in this
outlandish place."
In response to this summons, five other men pushed through the
undergrowth and confronted Max and Dale. Four of them were English
soldiers and one was a Scot--that much could be seen at a glance,
although their uniforms were in such a state of muddiness and rags that
little of the original colour or cut remained. Nine other soldiers, who
were equally clearly Frenchmen, joined them, attracted by the sense that
something was going on, although they did not understand the language.
These fifteen men apparently formed the whole of the band, so far as Max
could see, and seemed on very good terms with one another. All the men
wore side-arms, although only five or six rifles were to be seen among
the lot.
A man wearing corporal's stripes pressed forward, shoved the Cockney
soldier aside, and planted himself straight in front of Max with his
hands on his hips.
"Who are you?" he demanded at once. "And what do you here?"
"We are two Englishmen--at least I'm half English--and we have come to
warn you that the Uhlans are after you."
"That's nothing new, lad. The Uhlans have been after us these three
weeks past, but they haven't caught us yet."
"Aye, but it's a special beat this time," replied Max, and Dale
emphasized his words. "They've brought in a lot more men, and are
determined to make an end of you. There is a tale going about that you
have looted two wagons full of stores, and it is that, they say, that
has so upset the Germans."
There was a burst of laughter from the English soldiers at the mention
of the wagons, and the Frenchmen joined in as soon as one of the others
demonstrated by signs eked out by one or two words what the laughter was
about.
"I dare say," remarked the Corporal, grinning. "I dare say it did upset
them a bit. We got enough food to last us a week, four German rifles,
two hundred rounds of ammunition, and had the best bonfire since Guy
Fawkes Day. And I fancy we shall upset them worse than that before we've
done, lad, if only we can get hold of some more food. We're starving,
and that's the long and short of it."
His comrades murmured assent, and certainly they all, including the
Frenchmen, looked wolfish enough. Max and Dale had a little food with
them, and this they promptly brought out and handed round. It provided
about two mouthfuls for each of the band, but was accepted and disposed
of with eager alacrity.
"Can't you purchase food from the peasants?" asked Max in some surprise.
"We did while our money lasted, though it was risky enough. Now we have
to beg it of the people, and what with that and the fear they are in
from the Germans if they give us any help, we fare badly. If you can get
us a good square meal apiece we shall be more grateful to you than we
are for warning us against the Uhlans. We don't fear them half as much
as we do starvation."
"We have money and will get you food, but not here. You must get ready
for a forced march of a dozen miles across the railway between Recogne
and Bastogne. The Uhlans are assembling all round the loop made by the
railway and the Ourthe."
The corporal--his name was Shaw--consulted with his comrades for a
moment or two, and then replied:
"All right, lad. You seem straight enough, and we will make tracks as
you suggest. If you speak French, tell these Frenchies here what's
afoot, and ask them if they're game for another spree. We are not going
to cross a railway without leaving a memento or two of our visit, I can
tell you."
Max in a few words explained the situation to the Frenchmen. Though they
hailed from all parts of France, he had no difficulty in making himself
understood, and they eagerly fell in with the plan already agreed upon
by their English comrades. This accomplished, Max and Dale put
themselves at the head of the band, more in virtue of their knowledge of
the language of the country than of their powers as guides, and in
single file and very cautiously they set out.
Max was agreeably surprised at the way the men moved, taking advantage
of every bit of cover afforded by the trees and undergrowth, and, when
in the open, of every fold in the ground. They had clearly made good use
of the weeks they had spent in eluding pursuit, and had become in their
way very fair backwoodsmen. This accomplishment was worth any amount of
fighting power at that moment, and increased threefold their chances of
escape from the armed circle closing in upon them.
During the march, Max and Dale, at every opportunity, increased their
knowledge of the men with whom they had now practically thrown in their
lot. The British soldiers had been stragglers from the army which had
been pushed up to Mons, and had subsequently retreated before the
overwhelming odds hurled against it at the express command of the German
Emperor. The object had been annihilation rather than defeat, in order,
no doubt, to fill the people of Britain with discouragement and make
them reluctant to venture another force on the Continent. Everyone knows
how the Emperor's legions failed in their intention, and at what a heavy
cost, and there is no need to dilate upon it here. Corporal Shaw had
been wounded and left behind during the retreat. He had managed to drag
himself to the house of a Belgian peasant woman, who had nursed him
quickly back to health. Then he had said farewell and made for the
Belgian coast at Ostend. He had been constantly headed off, and at last
found himself in the Ardennes with several comrades picked up here and
there on the way.
Their stories were much like his. Some had been wounded, and others had
dropped behind in the retreat totally exhausted, or so sore of foot that
they were unable to move another step. The Frenchmen had been picked up
for the most part in one body. They had been engaged in a running fight
with some German infantry, and the British soldiers, drawn irresistibly
to the spot by the sound of firing, had joined in the little battle with
good effect, enabling their French comrades to get away with only the
loss of two of their number. These had fallen wounded, and it was
asserted in the most positive manner that the German soldiers had been
seen to smash them to death with the butt-ends of their rifles the
moment they came upon them. Such an episode as this did not improve the
feelings of either the British or French soldiers towards their German
foes, and went far to explain to Max and Dale the keenness and zest of
the men for yet other encounters, notwithstanding that their foes now
had all the points of the play so strongly in their favour.
In their turn Max and Dale told the story of their fight against the
Germans; how they had waged an industrial, but equally open, war upon
them, and had inflicted damage that had had a high moral as well as
material effect. The story was not without its effect even upon men who
understood most the warfare of bullet and bayonet, and Max and his
friend were viewed with an increased respect as men of action as well as
interpreters and guides.
One thing struck Max forcibly in the little band of which he had to all
intents and purposes now become a member, and that was the fine spirit
of discipline and camaraderie among them. Corporal Shaw was the only
non-commissioned officer present, and the French soldiers accepted his
lead as unhesitatingly as their British comrades. All food obtained was
rationed out equally, and turns were taken with the carrying of the
half-dozen rifles.
In spite of the careful and rapid way in which the retreat from the
dangerous neighbourhood of the former haunts of the band was carried
out, it seemed that they were not to escape unscathed. In crossing a
road, little more than a track, about four miles from the railway, they
must have been seen by a German soldier, himself unseen, on the
look-out, for they heard a loud shout of warning, and almost immediately
after the tramping of horses' hoofs as though a body of cavalrymen were
hastily mounting.
"Guns to the rear!" ordered Corporal Shaw curtly, and the six men
carrying rifles, three British and three French, dropped to the rear of
the little party and spread out in open order on either side of the line
of retreat.
"If they're cavalry hadn't we better retreat through the most broken
country we can find?" enquired Max suggestively.
Corporal Shaw nodded and led the way in the direction indicated. The
noise of the pursuing cavalry drew nearer, and the Corporal turned
suddenly to Max: "Do you lead the retreat, lad. You know where we're
bound better than I do. Keep only just in front of the men with the
guns--we're going to give them a fight for their money."
The retreat was being made along a narrow track through rough and broken
country overgrown with short, thick undergrowth. Looking back, Max saw
that the six men with guns had disappeared, and the only men in sight
were the bunch he was himself leading, and three or four a few yards in
his rear. But the six men were not far off, and now and again he caught
a glimpse of one or other of them in the woods on either side of the
line of retreat of the main body.
Suddenly the Uhlans crashed through the thickets and came into sight
only a hundred yards away. There were about a score of them, and they
caught sight of the fugitives at the same moment as the latter caught
sight of them. They gave a fierce yell of delight, and, at a harsh
order, put spurs to their horses, grasped their lances, and rode
helter-skelter over the bushes towards the straggling body of unarmed
men in front of them. The nearest men, conspicuous among whom was the
Scot in full war paint, quickened their pace to catch up to Max and the
party in front.
"They love to spear a Scot," remarked Shaw in an undertone to Max,
coolly indicating the main decoy and the wild eagerness with which the
Uhlans charged down upon their unarmed foe.
Sixty yards, fifty yards, then forty, and still the enemy closed down
upon their quarry. Then Shaw raised his voice and shouted:
"Now, boys, give it them!"
Although he had been expecting it, the answering blaze of fire from the
bushes on both flanks of the charging horsemen took even Max somewhat by
surprise. Three horses fell in a bunch, and two turned tail and dashed
back riderless the way they had come. Again, in a second or two, a
scattering discharge came from the bushes; more men fell, and the
remainder, their nerves obviously shaken by the unexpected attack,
turned their horses' heads and rode madly away.
Five men, apparently dead, were left behind, among them the young
officer in command, and three more lay wounded.
"Get their rifles and ammunition," ordered Corporal Shaw, and the
unarmed men darted back and secured rifles and ammunition with an
eagerness which showed how irksome they felt their inability to join in
any fight that might be going. Seven rifles, six lances, and a revolver
were secured, but all the lances except two were thrown away almost
immediately as useless. The two retained were broken off half-way down
the hafts, and their captors, two of the French soldiers, grinning with
delight, sloped arms with them and fell in with their comrades fully
satisfied with their share of the spoils.
"Not a bad business that," remarked Shaw coolly. "We have nearly enough
rifles now, and ammunition for a regular battle. And it can come as soon
as it likes. I'm fair sick of dodging these Germans."
"'Ear, 'ear!" chimed in the Londoner, whose name was Peck. "Give me a
bit of cover, a packet of cigarettes, and a hundred rounds, and I'll die
happy--eh, Corp?"
"Shut up, Peck, and get a move on," growled Shaw testily. "Did you find
any grub?" he added. "I saw you going through their haversacks."
"Aye, enough to give us all a snack at our next 'alt," replied Peck,
giving a knowing wink and pointing to his own bulging haversack and
those of two pleased-looking Frenchmen close at his heels. "And no need,
I presoom, to mention a matter of a few cigarettes the orfizer had to
dispose of--cheap?" And he displayed the end of a large packet of
cigarettes which he had been careful to take charge of himself.
"Forward--single file," commanded Shaw, and the band resumed its
interrupted march towards the Bastogne railway.
"What d'ye think of 'em, Dale?" asked Max presently, indicating with a
gesture the rest of the miscellaneous band of which they themselves now
formed a part.
"A game lot; we shall see some fun presently," replied Dale in tones of
deepest satisfaction. "They're just about ready for anything, from a
Uhlan patrol to an army corps."
"Ye--es," replied Max with much less assurance. "We shall certainly see
things. What I'm afraid of is that it won't last long. We came to the
Ardennes for a rest--not to commit suicide, you remember."
"I don't feel as though I want any more rest, Max," replied Dale, still
eyeing his new comrades with delighted satisfaction. "Be a sport and
join in the fun, there's a good fellow."
"I'm ready enough to join in," replied Max, smiling. "What I don't
approve of is the reckless way they go about things. This fight with the
Uhlans will bring all the rest of them buzzing about our ears, and then
it will be one last struggle and all over."
Dale shrugged his shoulders. "What could we have done?" he said. "The
Uhlans caught us up, and we had to fight."
"We could have dispersed, and rejoined one another later at a rendezvous
agreed upon. But never mind, we're in with them for the moment, only I
can't forget that we have still some work left to us at Liege, and work
more important than livening up the Uhlans in the Ardennes." Dale made
no reply. Possibly he thought it useless to argue with Max on the
subject of Liege, and for some time they marched along in silence.
Presently the band arrived within about half a mile of the railway line,
and Max and Corporal Shaw went on ahead to reconnoitre.