WHERE THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE RAGED.
"Look, an aeroplane coming this way!" exclaimed Hanky Panky, pointing
upwards.
"If you glance off yonder," added Josh, "you'll see more than one of the
same. They're hanging over the battle lines, and I guess sending signals
back to tell what the observer notes from his perch away up aloft."
"Just what they're doing, Josh," Rod went on to say, as he stopped for a
brief time to take a look in the direction indicated.
In fact, they could make out as many as half a dozen of the fliers, some
darting about as swift as swallows on the wing, others more stationary,
and evidently with the operators busily engaged transmitting signals.
"There, see that one dropping something white!" cried Hanky Panky;
"chances are he's giving the gunners on his side a tip, so they can get
the range of the German battery, and put it out of action with a
volley."
"And there's going to be something doing pretty soon, or I miss my
guess," added Josh, excitedly; "because there comes a pair of those
Taube machines bent on giving the French ones battle. Rod, we're going
to watch a fight in the sky, don't you see? Whee! but this _is_ the
life, take it from me. I never dreamed I'd be so lucky as to be right on
the lines when a big battle was taking place."
The pair of Taube machines came swiftly along to engage the rival
aeroplanes that had been making so free with the secrets of the German
defences. Evidently the aviators had been ordered to put a stop to the
operations of the French pilots, no matter at what cost to themselves.
"They're shooting at each other now!" cried Josh; "you can see the puffs
of smoke break out every second; and it's different from the bursting of
shrapnel shells all around them."
"Gee! whiz! but this is awfully exciting!" gasped Hanky Panky,
stretching his neck still more in order to follow the swift evolutions
of the rival air machines; "what if one of them has the hard luck to get
his motor smashed by a ball; or his gasoline tank exploded?"
"That'd be a bad thing for the men in the aeroplane, I should say!" Josh
informed him. "They must be all of half a mile high, and a fall would
flatten a poor chump out like a pancake."
"There's one of the Germans turning tail right now and running away!"
called out Hanky Panky; "and the other--why, see how queer that machine
is acting, will you? It keeps turning around like a corkscrew, and seems
to be dropping all the while."
"A good reason, too," snapped Josh. "French guns proved superior to the
Kaiser's, for they did some damage. That Taube is falling! Only for the
skill of the two men aboard it'd be coming down right now like the stick
of a spent rocket, or a meteor aiming to strike the earth."
All of them watched the erratic course of the disabled aeroplane with
the keenest interest. Indeed, the valiant pilot certainly deserved a
great deal of praise for the way in which he manipulated his charge. At
the same time the Taube was going to strike the earth with a severe
blow.
"I wouldn't like to be aboard that poor craft, let me tell you," said
Hanky Panky, as it neared the earth, not far back of the French front;
"the people in it are going to get broken arms or legs, and the machine
will be smashed in pieces."
"Huh! they'll call themselves lucky if it ends at that," snorted Josh;
"some men would have their necks or backs broken; but these German
aviators are a tough lot, I've heard, and can stand a heap of pounding."
Even as they looked the wrecked Taube struck the ground. Some soldiers
had hastened in that direction, and were on the spot almost as soon as
the disabled German machine landed. They could be seen moving about
amidst the wreckage of the aeroplane. Then they appeared carrying
something in their midst.
"They've picked up the occupants of the fallen Taube," said Rod, "and
from the way they carry them the poor chaps must be badly hurt. Yes,
there they've stopped that ambulance coming from the front, and are
getting the wounded birdmen aboard. The French admire bravery, even in a
mortal foe, and you can be sure that those gallant fellows will receive
just as good care as if they were their own men."
He again started to move forward. The field hospital was now close at
hand, and they could expect to be within its borders in a few minutes
more.
Hanky Panky nerved himself for the terrible ordeal he knew was before
him. Both the other lads also shut their lips firmly, so that they might
endure the gruesome sights without feeling faint; for they were not
accustomed to such things, and but boys after all.
Some of those they met eyed them in wonder, doubtless at a loss to know
who the three youngsters were, and what brought them to the battle
lines. No one seemed to think of stopping them and asking questions; it
might be from lack of time.
Whenever Rod noticed some officer near by he gave the regulation salute,
which may have induced the others to believe the boys actually belonged
to some branch of the service; though their khaki uniforms would rather
indicate a connection with the British army just then co-operating with
General Joffre.
The boys had just succeeded in stacking their machines when an
opportunity came that allowed them to render assistance in carrying
several poor fellows into one of the tent shelters. A lorry had arrived,
and there did not seem to be any attendant on hand to help the driver,
who looked around in despair.
"Come along, Josh, and lend a hand here!" exclaimed Rod, equal to any
emergency, as he sprang forward.
Hanky Panky started, but soon held back, unable to bear the sight of the
wounded men who were in the motor truck.
The two boys succeeded in carrying three of them inside the shelter,
where they were placed as comfortably as possible, awaiting the time
when the bustling surgeon, engaged with other cases, could attend to
their hurts. One of them was in a very bad way, having been terribly
injured by a bursting shell. It pierced Rod's sympathetic heart just to
look at his white, blood-specked face. But the black eyes were still
full of fire and animation; and when Rod held a dipper of cold water to
the lips of the soldier of the republic the other drank greedily, and
then thanked him in French.
"It may be the last drink I shall ever want," he told Rod complacently,
"but I rejoice to know I have lived to see the day when a French army
has made the German beast turn tail and run. My father died before Paris
many years ago, and I have prayed for this glorious day to come. I am
satisfied. I have done my duty to France."
It made a powerful impression on both the boys. Such bravery and
devotion to country could hardly fail to do otherwise. Secretly they
hoped the valiant soldier might survive his terrible injuries, and live
to see the day when victory crowned the tri-color of France, which he
adored.
The busy surgeon now found a chance to pay attention to the later
victims of German bullets and bursting shells and bombs. At the same
time he started a conversation with Rod, the latter being the only one
of the boys who could speak French.
Presently Rod turned again to Josh to say:
"Here's a streak of luck for us, Josh. Just as soon as he's through with
the case he's now working on, the gentleman, Dr. Gervaise, is going to
loan us his binoculars. He also says there is a slight elevation twenty
yards back of this shelter, from the top of which we can get a pretty
fair view of the battle lines. From what he tells me I figure we'll be
just in good time to witness something that is going to take place
before long."
Of course this pleased Josh exceedingly, because it was a field-glass he
had been yearning for ever since they found themselves within touch of
the field of battle. He even tried to assist the wearied army surgeon as
best he might, for Josh had an abundance of nerve, and could accustom
himself to almost any sight if he had a motive controlling his actions.
Presently, armed with the Lemaire binoculars, Rod led the way out of the
temporary shelter under which the victims of the fierce fighting could
be shielded from the hot September sun while the principle of "first aid
to the injured" was being applied.
Hanky Panky was lingering near by, watching some of the interesting
sights, and evidently finding it a difficult thing to retain a firm grip
on himself. He greeted the reappearance of his chums with eagerness.
Perhaps he even hoped that they meant to quit the confines of the field
hospital, and depart to other regions. At sight of the field-glasses
which Rod waved at him Hanky understood, however, just why they were
hurrying toward that elevation close by; and he trotted at their heels
as an obedient little spaniel might have done.
Once they reached the summit of the rise it was found that the French
surgeon had not overstated the fact when saying that a very good view of
the battle lines could be obtained from this point. Rod took a look and
then handed the glasses over to Josh, knowing how eager the other was to
see at close range what was going on over where the big guns were
thundering so fiercely--where also the French lay in hiding, ready to
again charge desperately upon the German trenches when the word to
advance was given. The ground between the hostile armies was covered
with the fallen. Josh shivered as he contemplated the terrible
spectacle. It would doubtless haunt him for many a day and night to
come. He looked everywhere, not even omitting to glance upward so as to
see what the flying birdmen might be doing; then he handed the
binoculars over to Hanky Panky, who received them eagerly, despite his
sensation of horror.
When Hanky Panky leveled the glasses at the distant line of hastily
thrown up German trenches the first thing he saw was what seemed to be
an innumerable army of men in drab working feverishly to strengthen
their defences.
Already they had tasted of the new-born French enthusiasm, and could
anticipate that much more of the same sort was bound to break loose.
Long years had those fiery Gauls been hugging to their hearts the
thought of revenge for the humiliation suffered away back in '71, when
their beloved Paris echoed to the tramp of the victorious Teutonic
hosts.
They began to believe the day had dawned at last when the shame of their
fathers could be wiped out, and the tables turned on the hated foe.
How Hanky Panky did turn from one point to another and "soak" it all in,
as Josh remarked aside to Rod, impatiently waiting for a second chance
to observe what was going on over there beyond the windrows of the dead.
It seemed as though Hanky Panky could not tear his eyes away from the
amazing sight which fairly fascinated him. As though held in the grip of
a nightmare the boy was staring and muttering to himself. Sometimes his
words signified wonder and awe; then again there was an underlying vein
of compassion in what Hanky Panky said; for his heart was greatly
touched by the sight of all this terrible misery. He could see some of
the forms on the late battlefield moving. He realized that men in
anguish must be calling out for a drink of cooling water so as to quench
their burning thirst. Others were doubtless suffering all sorts of
tortures from the wounds they had received.
To be sure the hospital attendants were doing everything they could to
gather up the wounded. Men bearing the sacred Red Cross, from both the
French and the German sides, were moving about, searching for those in
whom life still remained. Vehicles could also be seen in places,
receiving some of these victims, while the men with stretchers stumbled
about carrying their groaning burdens to the rear.
Yes, Hanky Panky would never forget what he saw that day, though he
lived to a ripe old age, for it was burned upon his memory indelibly.
Josh, getting impatient, was just about to demand the binoculars when
the other uttered a sudden cry that gave them a new thrill:
"Oh! see what's going to happen now, will you, fellows?" was the burden
of his announcement; "there's a new French army hurrying up to attack
them on the flank; and they've given the signal for a general advance.
Great snakes! but it's going to be an _aw_ful sight when they come
to close grips!"