A DESPERATE VENTURE
"The Huns will get a surprise party if they try to cross that bridge,"
remarked Billy with a grin, as the boys were talking over the present
situation.
"I don't see why we don't blow it up right away," said Bart. "Then the
Germans would have to rely on pontoons and what we would do to them
would be a crime."
"Our officers know what they're about," objected Frank. "We might want
that bridge to go across on ourselves if things take the right turn.
So it's just as well to have it handy. If there's any blowing up to
do, we can do it later just as well as now. And it's just as well to
have it go skyward when it's crowded with Germans as when it's empty.
Get me?"
"I get you, all right," replied Bart. "But suppose something should go
wrong when the time came to blow it up?"
"That would be something else again," laughed Frank. "But I guess
there isn't much danger Of that. Just one little pressure of a
button--and--zowie!"
Just then Frank caught sight of his friend, Colonel Pavet, coming
toward him and went forward to meet the French officer.
The colonel's greeting was a very cordial one.
"I'm glad to see that you've come safely so far through this fierce
fighting," he said.
"Fierce is the right word," answered Frank smilingly.
"I was at Verdun," went on the colonel, "and I thought at the time that
nothing could be more ferocious than the fighting there. But this has
been much worse."
"We've got a pretty stiff proposition right now in holding this
bridge," observed Frank.
"Indeed you have," agreed the colonel, "and it is a compliment to the
American forces that the defense of such an important position has been
entrusted to them. Oh, you Americans! Where would we have been
without your aid? And your fighting qualities! You grow men on your
side of the ocean, Monsieur Sheldon."
"The superb fighting of the French has been an inspiration to us,"
replied Frank warmly.
"To come to personal matters," went on the colonel, "I have heard more
in detail from my brother Andre about your mother's property. He has
traced the butler--Martel is his name--in the official records, and has
found that he was taken prisoner in an attack several months ago. He
was very anxious to cross-examine him on some testimony he had given
previously. It seems that Martel had testified that he had witnessed
the execution of a later will than that in which the property was left
to your mother. You can easily see how unfortunate that might be if it
could be proved. Andre has a suspicion that cross-examination might
show Martel's testimony to be false."
"It is too bad that the man is a prisoner," said Frank anxiously.
"There is more to be told," went on the colonel gravely. "I myself
have put investigations on foot through the Swiss Red Cross. They were
able to find out from German prison records that Martel died recently."
Frank started back visibly perturbed.
"Died!" he echoed. "Then his statement about the will stands
uncontradicted."
"As far as he is concerned, yes," replied the colonel soberly. "I am
bitterly disappointed, and I know that Andre will be, too, for he has
made a very strong point of disproving that special testimony. But we
will not remit our efforts in the least, _mon ami_. Be assured of
that. I will let you know when I have any further news," and with a
friendly wave of the hand the colonel passed on.
"What's the matter, Frank?" asked Billy as he went slowly back to his
friends. "You look as jolly as a crutch."
"I'm no hypocrite, then," answered Frank soberly, "for that's exactly
how I feel."
He told his chums of what the colonel had said, and they were sincere
in their expressions of sympathy.
"I don't care a button about it for myself," explained Frank, "but I
hate to have to tell my mother about it. She has little enough to make
her happy nowadays, and I know how badly she will feel about this."
All that day the artillery kept up a ceaseless fire and the Germans did
not venture on the bridge. But great activity was observed among them,
and Dick Lever, who was leader of the aviation detachment that was
operating in that sector, brought the news that evening that they were
preparing pontoons and other small boats with which they would probably
attempt a crossing at points that were not so well guarded.
"Your officers over here want to keep their eyes peeled," he remarked
to the Army Boys after he had just made his report at division
headquarters. "Those Heinies have made up their minds to get across
this river by hook or crook. They figure that with the open country
behind you they'll have a good chance to throw you back if they can
only get a footing on this side."
"Don't you worry about our officers," replied Frank with a conviction
that had been deepened by the skilful leadership the American troops
had had so far in the drive. "It'll be as hard to find them napping as
it is to catch a weasel asleep."
"I know they're good stuff," agreed Dick, "but we're all human, you
know."
"All except the boches," grunted Billy. "They're inhuman."
"We've had plenty of proofs of that," laughed Dick. "They like to
think they're superhuman, but we're teaching them differently."
"Seen anything of Will Stone lately?" asked Frank.
"Ran across him about a week ago," replied Dick. "He's fighting about
ten miles north of here, where the country's suitable for tank work.
He's doing some great fighting, too."
"I don't need to be told that," replied Frank. "That fellow would
rather fight than eat."
"Well, so long, fellows," said Dick, as he rose to his feet. "Keep a
sharp eye on those boches across the river."
"Trust us," replied Frank. "They'll never get over here."
The aviator's warning had been heeded by the officers, and detachments
were stationed at places along the river above and below the main
bridge.
Suddenly one morning, a whole fleet of boats, large and small, shot out
at the same instant from the enemy side of the river. They were loaded
with men and machine guns, and the evident plan was to get a footing on
the American side which could be held until reinforcements could be
hurried over and make the footing secure.
At the same time a tremendous gunfire strove to protect the crossing
and clear the banks at the points where the boats were planning to land.
Before the American guns could get the range on the rapidly moving
targets, the boats were halfway across the river, and the rowers were
pulling like mad. One boat after another was struck and the occupants
thrown into the river. But the Germans had allowed for the loss of
some of the boats, and were perfectly resigned to lose them, provided a
certain percentage of all could effect a crossing.
"Let them get here," muttered Frank, who, with Bart and Billy, was
among the force which had been assigned to that point where the passage
was being attempted. "They'll never get back again."
The surviving boats drew closer to the shore. The men on the boats
were using their machine guns, and the banks were swept by a rain of
bullets. More of the boats went down under the return fire, but a full
dozen of them finally struck the shore. The crews jumped out in the
shallow water and commenced to wade ashore.
But they were doomed men. With a yell the American boys swept down
upon them. Frank and his comrades rushed into the water, and there was
a battle that must have resembled those of the old Vikings. Back and
forth the combatants struggled, shooting, hacking, swinging their gun
butts. Some of them, locked in a death grip, went down together in the
water that was taking on a reddish tinge. Others floated away on the
stream. Others of the enemy, seeing that the fight was going against
them, leaped back into the boats and strove desperately to push out
into the river. But Frank leaped at the bow of one boat and held it,
while Bart and Billy with their comrades did the same to others.
In a few minutes the fight was over. It had been a hot one while it
lasted. Several of the Americans had been killed and quite a number
wounded, but their loss had been largely exceeded by that of the enemy.
Not a boat got back, and all who had not been killed remained as
prisoners in American hands.
While the action was in progress, another fleet of equal size had
started out. This had been designed to reinforce the first party if it
had succeeded in gaining a footing. But the utter collapse of the
first effort had taught the enemy that the bank was too strongly held
and they stopped in midstream and rowed back.
"Even a Heinie can see through a milestone when there's a hole in it,"
commented Billy, as he watched the enemy retreating.
"It's a pity they don't keep on," said Bart. "I'm just getting my
blood up."
"First bit of marine fighting we've done yet," laughed Frank. "We can
say now that we belong to both branches of the service."
"All we need now is a fight in the air to make the thing complete,"
said Bart, "and we came pretty near to that, too, when we were with
Dick that time in his bombing machine."
With their boat plan thwarted, the German commanders now centered all
their attention on the bridge. One or two surprise attacks at night
were detected and driven back, but the enemy did not give up.
At dusk on the day following the fight in the stream they made the
great attack. True to their tactics, they apparently took no account
of the lives of their men. The taking of the bridge was bound to
result in tremendous slaughter. Every foot of it was swept by the
American guns. But the enemy leaders had determined that the bridge
must be taken, no matter how high a price they paid for the taking. It
was easier for the leaders to reach this conclusion since it was the
men who would pay the price rather than themselves.
A tremendous artillery fire paved the way for the operation. Then,
just as twilight was gathering, a strong body of enemy troops, marching
in heavy columns, attempted to storm the bridge.
Beyond the first ranks could be seen other columns standing in reserve.
The great climax was approaching. The German command at that point had
determined to stake everything on one throw.
On they came to the death awaiting them. The American artillery and
machine guns swept the bridge with a withering fire. The front ranks
melted away like mist.
But their places were filled with others and still others, despite the
frightful slaughter. The American machine guns got too hot to handle
from their unceasing fire.
And still the German horde kept crowding forward as though their
reserves were inexhaustible. It was known that they had been heavily
reinforced of late and that they largely outnumbered the American
troops opposed to them. Over the dead bodies of their comrades which
strewed the bridge they were creeping nearer, urged by the irresistible
pressure from behind. Considering the disparity of forces, it was
sound tactics to destroy the bridge before the foremost ranks could get
a footing on the side where their overwhelming numbers would begin to
tell.
The American commander gave the order to blow up the bridge. But when
the button was pressed that should have sent the electric current into
the powder mine there was no response.
Several times the pressure was repeated and still no explosion
followed. A hasty consultation ensued between the leaders who were
standing close by the place where the Army Boys were fighting.
"The electric wires must have been cut by the enemy's fire," Frank
heard one of them say.
Cut! Then all the elaborate plans for blowing up the bridge had come
to naught. And that apparently inexhaustible gray force was getting
nearer and nearer!