THE WHITE FLAG OF SURRENDER
The Germans sent up a triumphant shout as they saw the tank go over,
and a large detachment came rushing out of the woods. But by the time
they had advanced a few yards, Frank and his squad grabbed their
rifles, and, crouching behind what shelter they could find, sent a
volley of bullets into the enemy ranks.
It was a critical position for the little group of Americans. The enemy
at that special point outnumbered them, and military prudence would
have dictated a retreat. But their fighting blood was up and their
rifles still held several bullets each. They would at least empty these
into the enemy ranks before they fell back. Then, too, there was the
corporal, who had as yet given no sign of consciousness. The boys could
not think of leaving him to be captured by the foe.
Moreover, the position was an important one, as was shown by the
frantic eagerness of the Germans to regain it. All things considered,
Frank determined to hold the ground to the death.
“They’ll have to pay dearly for this place if they get it,” he muttered
between his clenched teeth as he disposed his little band to the best
advantage. “Don’t waste your bullets, boys. Take aim and make every one
of them tell.”
“Righto,” responded Tom, as cool as a cucumber, as he took careful aim
and saw a German throw up his hands and fall. “There’s one less to
bother about.”
The others followed his example, and their bullets did stern execution,
so much so that the Germans had an impression that they were faced by a
much larger detachment than was really there. They hesitated and sought
shelter behind trees while their officers conferred.
“Heinie thinks he’s bitten off more than he can chew,” chuckled Billy,
as the little squad took advantage of the respite to reload their
rifles.
“I guess the whole German army has had that impression for some time,”
laughed Tom.
“Don’t kid yourselves,” warned Frank. “This is only a breathing spell.
This position may come high, but they have to have it, and you’ll see
them coming on again in a minute.”
The words had scarcely fallen from his lips before the Germans
appeared, with all their losses made up by the addition of new units,
and came rushing toward them with an officer at their head, waving his
revolver.
“Something new for Heinie,” muttered Frank, as his eye ran along the
stock of his rifle. “The officers usually send their men forward while
they themselves stay in the rear.”
His rifle spoke and the officer plunged forward to the ground.
“Good shooting,” commended Billy, as a bullet from his gun also found
its mark.
But this time the Germans were bound on winning through, and they came
on with determination. The distance between the two forces lessened to
a hundred feet, then to eighty, then to fifty. The Army Boys pumped
lead into the enemy ranks as fast as their fingers could pull the
trigger and the German loss was heavy, but still they kept on.
“Fix bayonets,” commanded Frank, his eyes blazing, as the line got
within thirty feet of him. “When I give the word, follow me.”
Another moment passed.
“Forward!” shouted Frank, and the next instant he sprang forward with
leveled bayonet, with his devoted little band close on his heels.
There was a shout and a volley from the Germans and two of Frank’s men
fell wounded, but the rest kept on and in another second they were in
the midst of the German ranks and giving them the bayonet.
Stabbing and hacking, they hewed their way into the mass. And just at
that moment there was a great cheer behind them and a company of the
old Thirty-seventh with Captain Baker at their head came pounding along
and threw themselves into the fight.
The tables had turned and turned with a vengeance, and now it was the
Germans who were outnumbered. They were already disconcerted by the
savageness of Frank’s attack and the coming of the new foe threw them
into a panic. They put up a show of resistance, but this soon vanished,
and they broke and fled, pursued by the Americans who did not pause in
the work until they had rounded up the greater portion of the fleeing
enemy as prisoners.
The captain congratulated Frank and his comrades warmly for their
gallant stand, but there was little time for talk, for much remained
to be done. The prisoners were sent to the rear and the wounded were
gathered up and taken away to an advanced dressing station. The
corporal, they were glad to be told, was not fatally wounded, although
he would probably be in the hospital for a couple of weeks.
“That means that he’s probably fired his last shot at a Hun,” remarked
Frank. “By the time he comes out it will be all over but the shouting.”
“Come out of your dream,” said Tom, who could never see what he thought
was a bubble without a desire to stick a pin in it. “We’re a long way
yet from the Rhine.”
“But we’re getting nearer all the time,” chimed in Billy. “I’ll bet
we’ll be sailing on it before Christmas.”
“And listening to the Lorelei singing,” grinned Frank.
“Yes,” laughed Billy, “but it’ll be a different song from the one
she’s used to. Instead of _Die Wacht am Rhein_ she’ll be singing the
Marseillaise and the Star Spangled Banner. I’ll bet she’s practicing up
on it now so as to be ready for us.”
“I don’t know what brand of dope you fellows are using,” protested Tom,
“but whatever it is I’d advise you to change it.”
But his comrades were better prophets than Tom was willing to admit,
for that very night Frank had an interview with Colonel Pavet that
changed his hopes into a certainty.
The colonel was coming out of headquarters when he recognized Frank,
who was on sentry duty near by. The colonel came to Frank at once with
his usual cordial greeting.
“I suppose you have heard the news,” he said.
“No,” said Frank. “What is it Colonel?”
“The German delegates are coming to meet Marshal Foch,” smiled the
French officer, whose exultation appeared in his tones.
“Good!” said Frank delightedly. “They ought to be coming on their
knees.”
“Well, it amounts to that,” laughed the French colonel. “It means
nothing less than surrender. They have been the first to cry quits.
They asked your President to intercede with the Allies for them, and
he told them that they would have to apply to Marshal Foch for terms.
Ah, _mon ami_, that was a bitter pill for the Germans to swallow. But
they swallowed it. The Marshal replied to them that they would have to
come to his headquarters and he would tell them the terms on which he
would grant their plea. So the Germans have appointed a commission to
visit the Marshal and they are on their way now. They will reach our
lines in an hour or two and then they will be taken in charge by French
officers, blindfolded and conveyed to the Marshal’s presence.”
“And where is that?” asked Frank.
“Ah, that is a military secret,” smiled the colonel, shaking his finger
in mock reproof. “The Germans would have been very glad if they had
been able to find that out during the war. But they’ll find it out soon
enough now,” he added with a laugh.
“I’d give a good deal to see the interview,” said Frank.
“It would indeed be something to remember,” agreed the colonel. “I
would give some years of my life if I could have that privilege myself.
But I ought not to complain, for I at least will be able to see the
opening scene of the great world play.”
“How is that?” asked Frank with great interest.
“My regiment will be in charge of that part of the French line where
the German delegates will first appear on their visit to the Marshal,”
replied the colonel. “Their route has been planned out for them. The
pleasant duty will devolve on me of having them blindfolded and then
sending them on their journey under French escort. I am on my way back
to my regiment now in order to have everything in readiness.”
“For a moment I could almost wish that I were in your regiment,”
laughed Frank.
“And I would only be too delighted if you were,” returned the colonel.
“The regiment holds no braver man. But wait a moment,” he said, as a
thought struck him. “I will see what arrangements I may be able to
make.”
He went inside headquarters again and after a few moments returned.
“I shall need a messenger,” he said, “to bring back certain details
to your commander. I had at first intended to entrust that work to
my orderly, but what you said gave me a new idea. I have asked your
commander to let me take you with me for that purpose and he has
readily agreed. You will be relieved from guard duty and you can take
my orderly’s horse and come along with me. My regiment is not a great
way from yours, as our lines nearly touch, and you can be back in your
quarters by midnight.”
“Thank you a thousand times!” said Frank joyfully. “You have put me
under a great obligation.”
“A mere trifle,” replied the colonel, waving the thanks aside. “I can
never forget that I owe my life to you. You can join me here in a few
minutes and we will go on.”
The sergeant of the guard came up shortly and relieved Frank, who
hurried to his dugout to make some hasty preparations and tell his
friends of his good fortune. They were overjoyed.
“Lucky dog,” remarked Billy, giving him a resounding thump on the
shoulder. “I only wish that the colonel needed three messengers instead
of one so that we could all go along.”
“If you fell overboard, you wouldn’t get wet,” chaffed Tom. “Give my
best regards to the Heinies when you see them and tell them how sorry I
am that they’ve got to eat crow.”
“I won’t forget,” laughed Frank, as he shook hands hurriedly and
hastened off.
He found the colonel waiting for him. In a moment Frank had mounted the
orderly’s horse and he and the colonel rode off together.
“By the way,” remarked the colonel, in the course of the conversation
that ensued as they rode side by side, “I heard from Andre two days
ago, and he said that things were not progressing as favorably as he
could hope in regard to the De Latour property. Quite unexpectedly
additional obstacles have come up. I was not going to bother you about
this, for I knew you would be greatly worried. But the war has changed
many things, and things in law are not so easy to adjust as they were.
I am still hoping that all will come out right in the end. He, however,
expects that he will be able to have the title perfected before
Christmas, which is now less than two months off. I know the delay is
exasperating, but that is to be expected in all legal affairs. I thank
the stars,” he added with a smile, “that I was made a soldier instead
of a lawyer.”
“I agree with you,” returned Frank, “and yet we couldn’t very well
do without them, and I am very thankful to your brother as well as
yourself for the kindness you have shown in trying to secure my
mother’s rights.”
Frank tried to speak lightly but he was forced to heave a heavy sigh.
There had been so many delays in the past! Would his mother ever be
able to prove her claim to that property and really take possession of
it?
In a little while they had reached the French lines.
“You see,” smiled the colonel, “that I was right when I said it would
be a race between us to see who would get first to Sedan. We’ve kept
pretty well up with you, although your task has been far the harder.
Oh, you Americans! I’m glad that you’re our friends instead of our
enemies as I should hate to have to face your soldiers in the field.”
“We’ll never meet except as brothers in arms,” returned Frank. “That’s
what Washington and Lafayette were, and our nations have been the
closest of friends ever since. The greatest republic of the old world
and the greatest of the new have always stood and will always stand for
liberty and civilization.”
They soon reached the colonel’s quarters, and the latter then confided
Frank to the charge of a young lieutenant, with instructions that he
should be given refreshments and be treated with every courtesy and
attention. The young fellow was of about the same age as Frank, and was
delighted to find that the latter spoke French almost as perfectly as
himself. They were soon chatting together like old friends.
Throughout the regiment there was an attitude of solemnity and
expectation. The men had been told of what was coming and it had
thrilled them with a feeling too deep for words. They stood at rest
in the darkness, and few words were interchanged. Each was realizing
that the end of the four years of agony was in sight. France and her
Allies had won their fight. The brutal, beastly power that had sought
to drench the world in tears and blood and sow it with graves had
been brought to its knees. Right had conquered. Men could stand erect
instead of crouching as slaves. The would-be oppressor, cowed and
cringing, had come to beg for mercy.
Suddenly at a turn of the road a stream of light flashed out, and there
was a stir in the ranks. The light came nearer, and it could be seen
that it came from a large automobile that was rapidly approaching.
Other cars followed and the landscape was flooded with light.
But the thing that thrilled Frank to the marrow was this:
_Over every car floated a white flag._