THE TAKING OF THE GERMAN TRENCHES.
That was too much for Josh to stand. He had been at the point of
rebellion before, and this was the "last straw that broke the camel's
back." He snatched the glasses from the trembling hand of his comrade
almost rudely, though perhaps Josh did not mean it that way, only he was
fearfully excited.
Of course Rod could see something of what was transpiring, even without
the aid of the binoculars, though they were bound to be a great help. He
had immediately turned his gaze upon the spot indicated, and discovered
that what Hanky Panky called out was true.
A great mass of men clad in the regulation French uniform came rushing
forward from the left quarter. Guns were fast starting up here, there,
everywhere, to rain a perfect hail of shells on the German line, so as
to prevent the defenders from springing forward to meet the new attack.
At the same time those Frenchmen lying concealed in front also sprang to
do their part of the work. The air was rent with shouts from thousands
of throats, though the tattoo of the guns became so insistent that even
this sounded faintly, as rain might on the roof between thunder-claps.
Riveted to the spot with the wonder of the spectacle, which they had
never dreamed would fall to their vision, the three boys stood there,
unable to speak a single word. Indeed, with all that frightful noise
going on speech was next door to folly, and they wisely held their
breath.
The Germans had anticipated just such an assault, no doubt, for it was
along their flank that they had been so industriously throwing up new
entrenchments at the time Rod and his chums first sighted them.
They had not been given sufficient time, however, to get more than half
prepared when the mighty blow fell. Those enthusiastic Frenchmen,
realizing that they had Von Kluck's army finally on the run, did not
mean to lose any of their advantage by unnecessary delay. They could not
be held in, even had their officers wished to attempt such a thing. Rod
indeed was reminded of the impetuous charge of hounds, once they were
released from the leash.
It was all very plain to Rod, who was a boy with a long head. He knew
that when the vast German host had advanced so steadily toward Paris,
sweeping everything out of their path with such apparent ease, they had
certainly brought along with them many great siege guns, with which to
batter down the forts defending the city.
Some of these were the famous forty-two centimetre guns which had proved
at Liege and Namur that no modern fort could hold out against the
enormous weight of metal they were capable of dropping, almost
vertically, on the works, from a distance of many miles.
Then when the sudden alteration came about in the plans of Von Kluck,
and his army turned aside from Paris so as to save its exposed flank,
the one thought in the mind of the general was to save those wonderful
guns, without which all his work would be for naught.
It was for this purpose that these desperate rearguard actions were
being undertaken by the retreating Germans. Some of the big guns were
drawn by traction engines, and their progress even over good roads must
necessarily be very slow. To enable them to be transported to the
positions already prepared along the Aisne River, looking to a possible
retreat, the victorious French had to be kept at bay.
So tens of thousands of Teutons must fall during those bitter days in
order that the Krupp guns might be saved to the cause. Manfully they
stood up to their task. There was not a sign of wavering as they met the
furious charge of the French, who seemed determined on thrusting the
enemy out of their newly made trenches at the point of the bayonet.
Josh, remembering how he had felt a brief time before, presently gave a
sigh and reluctantly handed the glasses over to Rod. The latter gladly
received them, and without a second's delay proceeded to glue his eyes
to the smaller end.
It was like a living picture of other battles that Rod remembered
seeing, done in colors; but the realization that this was the
_real_ thing he now gazed on so entranced thrilled him again and
again.
Backed by every gun that could be brought to bear upon the German front,
the living stream of blue and red-clad French soldiers, men of the line,
zouaves, chasseurs and all, plunged madly along. Little they recked that
many fell by the way under the storm of missiles that belched from the
hostile trenches; the lines closed over the gaps almost mechanically,
and only the figures that dotted the field after their passage told of
the terrible price with which the action was accompanied.
Now they were close up to the trenches, and some even leaping over the
redoubt, to grapple hand to hand with those who so desperately defended
it.
Brave though they were, the French had been so decimated in their mad
rush that it seemed as though there could not be enough of them left to
overcome the resistance of the defenders of the works.
It was while Rod was filled with this sense of anxiety that he noticed
something calculated to arouse new hope; for somehow he found himself in
sympathy with the French soldiers, perhaps because they had been the
under dog in the other war, when their fair country was overrun by
Bismarck's armies.
The wise French commander-in-chief, possibly General Joffre himself, had
seen to it that reserves were on hand to take up the fight after the
first line had hewn a way into the hostile trenches. Yes, there they
came along like a serried mass, or the waters bursting from a vast
reservoir after the dam has been broken.
He saw the living wave strike the first embankment and pass over. He
knew what terrible work must be going on beyond that thrown-up earth,
for in bayonet work the French have ever been without a rival. He pitied
the Germans who were trying to hold the first line of trenches so
valiantly, for they would mostly be either killed, wounded, or taken
prisoner.
The French guns still roared unceasingly, though that part of the great
Marne battle was already as good as won. Now their exploding missiles
were being hurled further on, so as to add to the perplexities of the
hurriedly retreating Germans, making for the next line of trenches,
which in turn would doubtless be just as stubbornly defended.
Josh it was now who used the glasses. As a rule Josh had always been
reckoned a generous fellow, sharing alike with his friends; but to-day a
spirit of greed possessed him. There was Hanky Panky, who really shrank
from such scenes as a battle--why bother paying any attention to him
when there was only a single pair of binoculars to go around?
Indeed, Hanky Panky made no further claim on the precious glasses;
evidently he had seen enough and more than enough as it was, to satisfy
his ambition. He was staring toward those figures dotting the new field,
and his lips kept moving as though he might be uttering words of
commiseration, though of course what he said could not be heard above
the universal clamor that continued with unabated vigor.
Gradually, though, the racket began to slacken, as though word had gone
forth that the pursuit of the retiring foe must be temporarily
abandoned. Victory had perched on the banner of the defenders of the
soil; the lilies of France had swept proudly over the trenches of the
foe; still further back from the imperiled capital had the host of Von
Kluck been pushed, but all gained at a terrible cost.
So the guns began to cease firing. New positions must now be taken up so
as to continue the good work. Everywhere the Germans would be pressed
back and back until possibly the ardent French believed they would be
forced to retreat to the Rhine.
And now new features began to appear upon the field that had so lately
been the scene of a fearful engagement. Batches of dejected looking
prisoners were being convoyed to the rear, stout-looking young fellows
as a rule; for in the early months of the great war the German army
consisted of the pick of the whole empire, every soldier being an almost
perfect specimen of physical manhood. Later on, when havoc had been made
in their ranks by continuous engagements, younger and older reserves
would begin to make their appearance to fill the gaps.
Then again did the French Red Cross attendants with their handy
stretchers begin to reap the harvest of the battle. Of Germans there
were none, for since their side had been compelled to retreat so hastily
most of their hospital corps had accompanied them, leaving to the
victors the double task of caring for the wounded of both armies.
When Rod, again with the glasses, saw how the French attendants did not
discriminate in favor of their own men, but took them just as they came,
a German even before a Frenchman, he realized the spirit of brotherly
love that really exists between the common people of all countries, even
though by force of circumstances they may be compelled to face each
other in deadly carnage for the faults of politicians or kings.
Well, it was all over now, but the binding up of wounds and the sad
burial of the many who had fallen. The invaders had been pushed still
further back, and their hopes of taking Paris received an apparently
fatal blow.
"Josh, you can never again say that you haven't seen a real battle,"
remarked Rod, as they made their way back toward the shelter where the
almost exhausted surgeon, aided by his assistants, would now have to
start in afresh with the incoming of another batch of cases needing
immediate attention.
"I'm satisfied," replied Josh in a suppressed manner; "and between us
both, Rod, I want to own up that I hope I'll never have another chance
to look on such a terrible sight; though remember, I wouldn't have
missed it for a whole lot."