They trudged along for a time in silence, though both of them kept eyes
and ears open so that they might not lose any portion of the remarkable
war panorama by which they were surrounded.
As they overtook and passed other fugitives from the threatened
village, Amos found himself still pitying the poor souls once again
cast out upon the cold world.
“I wish we could help them,” he said to his chum, “but of course that’s
out of the question. We’re like the ‘babes in the woods’ ourselves. But
by now we must be about the end of the string. The road looks clear
ahead.”
“And I was just thinking,” added Jack, “we hadn’t left the village any
too soon for our health.”
He made a suggestive movement with his hand when saying this, and Amos
guessed the meaning.
“Do you really think the battle has reached there so soon?” he asked as
he stood and listened to the clamor that welled up from their rear.
“Yes,” said Jack; “from the sound of spattering rifle firing I think
the retreating British have taken advantage of the houses. Every stone
cottage will shelter a dozen or so. And as the pursuing Germans come
along with a rush they’ll be met by a murderous fire.”
“Then just as our good old friend the burgomaster said, it will spell
the finish of the village,” sighed Amos; and apparently his chum caught
his meaning in spite of the dreadful din, for he went on to follow up
the thought.
“Yes, the Germans will turn their guns on the place if they meet with a
set-back there, and make it a howling wilderness.”
“Those poor women and youngsters,” groaned Amos.
“It is tough luck,” added Jack, drawing a long breath, “but only the
fortune of war. We’ll see lots more of it before we’re through, I’m
afraid. But by now it strikes me we ought to be meeting the first of
the British reinforcements coming forward to fill the gap and stem the
retreat.”
“Jack, just as you were saying that I caught a new sound--anyhow it
came from a new direction. When there was a little lull in all that
roar of guns I thought I heard the trample of horses’ hoofs and the
rumble of hurrying artillery.”
“You hit the bull’s-eye that time, Amos, for there they come.”
Both boys felt their hearts beat with a quickened vigor as around a
bend in the Belgian road came galloping horses drawing a field piece.
After it appeared a caisson with ammunition, and then other portions of
the battery in quick succession.
“Let’s get out of the way, because they’ll need the whole road,” said
Jack.
“But what can one battery do against all those heavy German guns?”
Amos asked, as the leading horses drew near.
“Oh! this is only a beginning,” he was immediately told by his
companion. “I’ve no doubt for a mile and more back the road is solid
with them, all hurrying to the front. And tens of thousands of troops
must be headed in the same direction, though perhaps they’ll take to
the fields, and leave the roads to the artillery. Now watch, and give
the boys a salute as they go past.”
They stood with their hats in their hands, and as the first field piece
went rumbling by both boys gave a yell, at the same time waving their
headgear.
The grim-looking gunners returned the cheer. Their bronzed faces had an
eager look, as though they scented the battle smoke from afar, and were
wild to get busy.
So they kept streaming past, battery after battery, the officers
shouting their commands, for every one undoubtedly knew exactly where
he was expected to take up a position so as to effectually check the
fierce drive that the German hosts had started.
“There, across the field, you can see them coming,” called out Jack,
after they had waved their hats until their arms were weary.
“The troops, as sure as anything, and on the double-quick at that!”
exclaimed Amos, again thrilled by the sight of the khaki-clad legion
that had suddenly burst into view on the full run, with bayonets
gleaming wickedly, and every man apparently a part of a well-drilled
machine.
“Look, look, Jack, there’s a regiment of Highlanders in their bare
legs, tartans and kilts!” exclaimed Amos. “How fierce they look, Jack!
I don’t wonder that they nearly always carry everything before them.
I’d want to turn tail and run if I saw those boys heading for me. But
what is the matter with them all that we don’t hear the bagpipes; and,
Jack, where are those English cheers we’ve heard so much about?”
“Just give them time,” he was told; “they need all their wind right now
for running. When they strike the line of the Kaiser’s men they’ll do
their shouting.”
“Still they come along, thousands and thousands of them, as if there
was no end to the reserves. What a splendid lot of men they are. It’s
terrible to think of the homes that will never see many of them again.”
“Look closer, Amos, for I really believe those strapping fellows are
Canadians!”
“Yes, I can see the maple leaf on that flag, Jack. And they look as if
they could hardly be kept from whooping it up right now.”
Both boys displayed additional excitement. It almost seemed as though
they might be looking upon fellow Americans, such is the bond existing
between the two neighboring countries that for more than a hundred
years have lived in amity, with not even a fort or blockhouse along the
three thousand miles of boundary line.
“I warrant you, Amos, a lot of those fellows have come from the ranches
in the Northwest Territory. Yes, some of them run as though they might
be more at home on the back of a horse than afoot. Perhaps I know a
number of the boys, for I spent a time on a Saskatchewan cattle ranch.”
The thought caused Jack to follow the passage of the hurrying Canadian
regiment with intense interest. They were, however, too far away for
him to have recognized any familiar faces. Besides, in the trappings
of a soldier a man would look quite different from the cowboy in
sheepskins or leather “chaps” as Jack had known him.
Finally the rear guard turned up. Long before the last of the artillery
train had passed by the boys had seen that some of the batteries left
the road a little further on, making for certain advantageous points
where they could commence to hurl their death-dealing projectiles with
profit.
“Shall we go on again?” asked Amos.
“Yes, because where we happen to be just now the land is low and flat,
and we can see absolutely nothing,” replied Jack.
“I really believe you’re still hankering to glimpse the fighting,” Amos
ventured to say.
“I think I know of a good chance,” the other told him, “and to begin
with we’ll leave the road right here. Follow me, Amos.”
Of course Amos did, for he placed the greatest confidence in his chum’s
judgment.
“Things seem to be going on hotter than ever all along the line,” he
was saying as he kept alongside the other.
“It’s going to be a terrible day, and the surgeons of the Red Cross
will be kept busy every minute of the time,” Jack remarked, as they
hurried along.
Amos had noticed that they were not passing over the fields where the
onrushing British reserves had crossed, since Jack had for some reason
chosen the other side of the road.
As yet Amos had not guessed what his chum had in view, and when his
curiosity had reached a certain pitch he could hold in no longer.
“What’s the idea, Jack?” he asked.
“There’s some sort of mansion close by, which has a tower on the roof,
and the idea struck me we might get a bird’s-eye view of what’s going
on if we chose to climb up there.”
“But perhaps the owner might seriously object, Jack.”
“Don’t let that bother you, Amos,” he was told. “The great German army
stormed through here on the road to Paris. When it was pushed back
by slow degrees in this section nothing worth taking was left. If it
couldn’t be used up or carried away to the Rhine country ten chances to
one it was destroyed, so that the enemy couldn’t have any benefit of
it.”
“Then you think this estate is a ruin, do you?”
“You’ll soon see for yourself what happens when an invading army passes
through a hostile country, for here we are at the place.”
As Jack said this he pointed ahead. Signs of destruction and vandalism
could be seen the very first thing. The stone fence that surrounded the
property had been thrown down in numerous places. Even trees had been
chopped down to afford fire wood for the camp, or else because they
were supposed to interfere with the efficiency of quick-firing guns
that at one time had been planted on the roof or in the tower of the
building.
As the boys advanced they were shocked at the picture of devastation
they saw all around them. Close to the walls of the house all manner
of costly furniture and valuable china ornaments had been ruthlessly
smashed.
“It’s worse than a country fire over in the States,” remarked Amos.
“Why do you suppose they did this thing?”
“Probably to keep the enemy from getting any benefit out of all this
stuff,” explained Jack, “or perhaps just to strike terror to the hearts
of all well-to-do Belgians who declined to welcome the invaders with
open arms.”
“But the house is partly wrecked, too, Jack.”
“Yes, you can see it’s been bombarded,” the other admitted, “and
several shells tore holes right through the walls. One knocked off that
corner; another made this great gap in the ground when it burst. Limbs
were torn from the trees too. And, taken in all, I’d say it must have
been pretty warm in this section about that time.”
“Shall we risk climbing up to the tower?” asked Amos.
“Why not? The house doesn’t look as though it would crumble and
collapse. It would stand another bombardment, I reckon,” and as he
spoke Jack boldly led the way through the open doorway.
The interior was a sad wreck. Piles of plaster lay on the floors,
and several rooms looked as though it might be dangerous to try and
pass through them. Amos glanced this way and that with something of
a shiver. It was as though he half anticipated making some sort of
gruesome discovery amidst those telltale rubbish heaps.
Fortunately, nothing of the kind happened, and after climbing
laboriously for a short time the two boys finally managed to reach the
cupola or tower, where they immediately found themselves amply repaid
for all their trouble with a wonderful panoramic view.