THE LOSS OF THEIR MACHINES IN BATTLE
When the camp was reached it presented an entirely different scene.
The tents had been loaded into wagons. The kitchen was stored away in
one of the vans specially designed for field purposes, and the first
detachment had already started on the march toward the north.
After asking permission, Alfred mounted his machine and sped away after
the troops, and soon overhauled them. With considerable difficulty he
worked his way through the marching troops, and when he had cleared the
train put on full speed.
He hoped to be able to reach the great camp before nightfall, and as it
was now nearly four o'clock he knew it would not take more than an hour
to reach it. A kilometer beyond, the road parted, one branch going to
the right and the other to the left.
A peasant near by told him that either road would take him to
Neerwinden, but that the better road was to the right. He did not
hesitate, and was off without further questionings.
In twenty minutes he came to a stream and crossing the well-built
stone bridge which spanned it approached a little village that lay
beyond. The town, like many others throughout Belgium, was distributed
out along little lanes, which shot out at all angles, and it was not
surprising that Alfred should become confused, and lose his way.
To add to the confusion there was great excitement in the village. Men
were running to and fro. Women were holding their children, and looking
pale. Alfred stopped.
"What is the trouble, Monsieur?" he asked as a man slowly moved along,
quite in contrast with the people who formed the excited crowd.
"Trouble? Don't you know the Germans are beyond, and that all the roads
are patrolled. They will be here any moment now."
This was an ominous warning, and he was glad he had stopped to inquire,
otherwise he might have been a prisoner by this time. Then he reflected
that Colonel Neerden ought to know this at once, so he ran his machine
forward and, mounting it, turned it toward the bridge.
"Stop, stop," cried a dozen voices. Some waved their hands to indicate
that he should turn back, but for some reason or other Alfred
determined to recross the bridge. Then he heard what appeared to be a
rifle shot, and something struck the machine.
He was now determined not to stop, as the bridge was less than two
hundred feet away. He had not looked back, but now that he saw the
stone walls which formed the sides of the bridge he cast his eyes
over his shoulder, and riding through the village were a dozen German
cavalrymen, with their carbines at their shoulders, all aiming at him.
You may well imagine that it was a thrilling thing for him to know that
he was being hunted down and shot at. The bridge was finally reached
and to his great relief was built out at an angle to the road on which
the pursuers were following him.
Long before he had reached the bridge the machine was at full speed and
as he emerged from the other side a dozen or more shots rang out; but
he did not stop, or slacken his pace. He knew the friendly troops were
coming toward him, so he went forward with the Germans behind him.
The welcome sight of the dust in the road beyond was appreciated now.
As he dashed forward he held up his hand, and shouted to the advancing
patrol: "The Germans are coming." On and on he went, and as each body
of troops passed he cried the same warning.
Beyond was the Colonel and his staff, and toward him Alfred rushed
the machine. "I met the Germans at the village beyond the bridge. The
forward part of the column saw me and are going forward," he explained.
This information galvanized the officers into action and orders to
clear the way went forward at once. Alfred turned his machine to
follow, but after going a few hundred feet the power ceased, and in
spite of all he could do the machine refused to move.
Several men kindly came to his assistance, and the trouble was soon
apparent. "You have no petrol," said one of them.
"That is strange. I was told there was enough for a whole day's run,
and I have not----"
"Ah! but there is a hole in the tank. Yes, two of them. See!"
"They were made by German bullets," said another.
"Look at the seat," said the first speaker. "You had a close call, my
boy."
Alfred looked at the damage ruefully. "What shall I do?" he asked.
"We'll fix that up in short order," replied the man who made the
examination and discovered the trouble. He was an expert motorcycle
man, and this was an opportunity for him to be of service. He
approached the commanding officer of his company and explained the
situation, and was detailed to effect the repairs at once.
The tool box of the machine was opened, and the rolls of tape taken out.
"Now watch me, my boy. Let me show you how to make a temporary repair,
in cases of this kind."
The tank had been perforated by two shots, which went entirely through,
thus causing four perforations. As the machine had the type of tank
which rested vertically between the fork, it was obvious that, since
the lowest perforation was not at the bottom, there was still enough
petrol left to enable Pierre to reach the command before the remaining
portion was used up.
"First, take these patches, and put cement around the edges, and apply
them over the holes. Then wind the tape around the tank and over the
patches, just as I am doing, and be sure to stretch the tape well.
There; now we must get some strong cord, or twine, and wind that over
the tape. You will find that absolutely tight, and will hold the petrol
for a time."
"Well, will it leak at all if it is put on right?", asked Alfred.
"In time the petrol will eat up, or dissolve the rubber, so that proper
repairs should be made as soon as possible," he was informed.
"Now that it is fixed where can I get some petrol? I forgot all about
that," said Alfred.
"Well, I didn't," said the workman.
Alfred stared at him. "Do you know where to get some?"
"Certainly; they have plenty in the kitchen wagon."
Alfred might have thought of that, but he couldn't think of everything.
Where was the kitchen wagon?
It was coming up, and Alfred applied to the officer in charge of the
commissary department for a supply, and after some questioning the
permission was granted. In a few minutes more the boy was supplied and
was under way.
The command went forward with a rush and was now well along on the
road to the bridge, but before Alfred had time to go any distance he
heard a volley, followed by the rattle of musketry. The battle was on
and he hastened to the front.
Two field pieces were with the regiment, and those were hurriedly drawn
to the front by the dogs, and mounted, so that they cleared the road in
short order. The Uhlans tried, ineffectively, to destroy the bridge,
but the advance column was too far ahead for them and they slowly
retreated down the road.
And now Alfred saw the first results of the running fight. Numbers had
been killed at the first onslaught, and many more wounded. The Germans
did not attempt to relieve their wounded, but the improvised hospital
wagons were brought into service, and the wounded, Germans and Belgians
alike, were gathered up and given first relief.
Thus, for three kilometers, the fight raged, and when the railway line
was reached the enemy had disappeared, as it was learned that the
commandant at the camp had sent out a large detachment to relieve the
two regiments which had thus been on outpost duty, and which had been
recalled by the commanding officer.
When Alfred reached the camp he was delighted to find Ralph there, and
he reported to the commanding officer at once. Ralph, while he did not
run into danger, as had Alfred, nevertheless rendered most efficient
service during the day.
But the camp of the morning had undergone a great change. Everything
which could be loaded on the trains was already under way, and hundreds
of wagons were still in the camp and stretched along the road in the
direction of St. Trond.
During the night news came that Tongres had been captured after a hard
fight. That would mean serious business at St. Trond, whither they were
now going.
They had little sleep that night. Much of the time the boys were
hurrying thither and thither, delivering messages which gave the
disposition of the forces, the delivery of the various things required
by the fighting forces and the special orders to the different officers.
The breaking up of a camp is a wonderful transformation of materials.
It must not only be completely disorganized, but every article, and
each unit, must be so arranged that it will be handy and ready for
immediate use the next morning, or in the evening.
At four o'clock in the morning the whole camp, or what remained of it,
was in motion. The last infantry force to leave had a rear guard of
cavalry, although the boys were well in the lead, with the commanding
officer.
St. Trond was reached, just as the reports came in that the German
forces were below the town, and that the first conflict had taken place.
The boys were interested to learn that their force was to go direct
to the field, south of St. Trond. They arrived there at one o'clock
in the afternoon and the kitchen wagons were soon in readiness for a
hurried meal.
Firing was going on along one of the main roads leading south. They
were in position on a road which paralleled the main highway to Tongres
and it was obvious that the main force of the enemy was making its way
along that route.
The boys were with Roland when the real battle began. To their right,
on a slight elevation and artfully concealed, was a battery of three
guns and a little farther to the right was the other part of the
battery.
"Do you know anything of the number of Germans that are coming up?"
asked Ralph.
"No, but it is reported that over 100,000 men are now on this side of
the frontier and more coming on each day. It is probable there are
twenty thousand men directly ahead of us. They are approaching from the
direction of Vise, and from Huy as well, while the main force is coming
direct from Liège."
"How many men have we to oppose them?" asked Alfred.
"Probably twelve thousand; but we shall give a good account of
ourselves. We do not expect to drive them back, but our mission will be
to hold them in check as long as possible."
They moved over to headquarters, where their place was, but before they
reached it the battery began to speak. The boys looked to the south,
but could not see the enemy anywhere. They looked at Roland.
"Where are the Germans?" asked Alfred.
"Probably two miles beyond," was the reply.
"Why do they commence so soon?" inquired Ralph.
"The object is to throw an enemy into confusion as early as possible in
an engagement, and endeavor to prevent formations of the troops."
"Do these guns carry that far?" inquired Alfred.
"Yes; they are now sending shrapnel; when----"
Roland's voice was submerged by a terrific explosion not a hundred
feet away, and when they had time to recover they saw three men on
the ground, lying quite still, while a half dozen or more were on the
ground, and turning and twisting about. Then came several groans, and
then the second explosion, like the first, but farther to the right.
The boys' face blanched. They did not know which way to go nor what
to do. Then something happened which entirely changed their feelings.
The two lines of infantry, lying behind the fences, not a hundred feet
ahead, began to fire, setting up a terrific din which was punctuated by
the shots from the batteries.
Then a new battery on their left began to take part, then another, but
during all this time the infantry were pouring out a steady stream
of hail. The boys stood petrified, at first, but the great din, the
terrible confusion of sounds, the scattering debris, which appeared to
fall about them, the staggering men, who were reeling about; all these
things began to act like a tonic to them.
The greater the noise and confusion, the braver they became.
Alfred tried to speak, but his voice had a peculiar sound to him.
"Let us go over to headquarters," said Ralph to Alfred. "We may be
wanted there," and as he spoke they saw Roland coming out of the
General's tent.
Roland beckoned to Ralph as he said: "These are your first orders; see
that they are delivered to the officer in command of the forces on the
main road."
Ralph was off in an instant. He could not follow the road, as he had
to go nearly a half mile across the fields, but he set his course at a
safe distance behind the firing line. More than once in that first ride
on the battle field he saw the shots as they dug in the earth about him
and noticed the explosion of the shells.
It was an exciting ride, and it stimulated him as nothing before had
ever done in all his experiences. When he reached the headquarters of
the commanding officer, who held the main road, he knew that some great
movement was on foot.
He could see immense bodies of their own troops moving back, and the
headquarters of the officer was even then being moved back a half mile
so as to be partly outside of the firing range. But the Germans were
coming on, and he could see men falling all about him.
Ambulances were at work, gathering up the moving figures, as they
writhed on the ground. Men were staggering about, some delirious,
others trying to staunch wounds in their arms, legs or bodies, and more
than once he saw one comrade, although wounded, trying to check the
flow of blood, or bind up the wounds of another.
But the more he saw the less these things seemed to affect him. The
orderly from headquarters beckoned to him, and placing a message in his
hands Ralph was off to deliver the reply.
Before he could reach headquarters he saw that another route would be
necessary, as the enemy seemed to be not a quarter of a mile away. New
formations were being made by the Belgians, and it was clear they were
being driven back.
It seemed that every avenue of cross country travel was closed to him,
as men were moving north from all points. As a mass of soldiers rushed
from one position to the next behind they would turn and deliver a
volley or two before retreating. Above it all was the continual hail of
the shot and shell on every hand.
When Ralph reached a hedge that was impenetrable he would enlist the
sympathy of some of the men, and they would either carry the machine
over the thick brush or cut a way through.
It took him less than ten minutes to make the trip across, in
delivering his first message, but he was more than a half hour in
getting back, and when he arrived at headquarters he found it over a
mile to the rear of the original position.
He reported to the commander at once, but before he had time to make
any inquiries another message was thrust into his hands, and this time
he was sent to the west.
Again attempting to make his way across the fields he was met by a
retreating regiment which was slowly falling back. He then made his way
along a hedge toward the north, and struck across the fields again.
Beyond was the firing line, and the men there must know the location of
their commanding officer, so he speeded in that direction.
There, ahead of him, and coming out of the woods, was a regiment of
infantry. At the edge of the wood, to the left, was a light field
battery which poured a deadly fire into the Belgians, and Ralph
involuntarily slackened the speed of the machine.
Then something happened to him. It was as though he had been struck a
stunning blow, although he felt scarcely any pain. When he recovered he
was seated on the ground, and scattered about him were the pieces of
his machine. He could not comprehend it for a moment. Then he moved his
body. He seemed natural and comfortable, but what had happened to his
machine?
Then, for the first time, he noticed that there were men about him,
some wounded, others dead. One young man who was near him had a wound
in his leg which he was treating by wrapping a handkerchief around it.
"What has happened?" asked Ralph, as he looked at the man and then at
the scene about him.
"A shell burst over there and it got both of us. Are you much hurt?"
"I have no pain," replied Ralph.
"Only stunned, perhaps," he replied in a mere matter of fact way. "Was
that your machine?" he inquired.
"Yes; I was carrying orders from headquarters," answered Ralph.
"Rather risky business, I should say," he answered.
"Are you hurt much?" asked Ralph.
"Well, not much compared with some about here. Say, could you help me
over to the hedge?" he asked.
Ralph was up in an instant. He looked over himself, just as a person
would make an examination of an object to see if it had been injured.
When the young man was safely landed at the thick hedge, Ralph thought
of his duty. "I must be going," he said.
"Where are you bound?" asked the wounded man.
"To see the commanding officer. I must deliver my orders," said Ralph.
"That is right," he answered. "Go to the north for a half kilometer,
and cross to the west at the large stone house. I know these parts
well."
Ralph did not mind the falling shots or the screaming shells so much
now as he had at first. The message must be delivered, so he struggled
across the field and met the men who were slowly moving back on the
road.
"Where is the officer in command?" asked Ralph as he reached the first
of the troops.
"Beyond a short distance," was the only answer.
He fairly flew down the road, and had the satisfaction of handing the
message to the officer, who glanced at Ralph.
"How did you get across?" he asked.
"On my machine; but it was wrecked by a shell in the field below the
stone house," said Ralph.
"Weren't you hurt?" he inquired.
"No, but it stunned me for a time," remarked Ralph.
"I must congratulate you on your bravery and determination," said the
officer. "But you were hurt," he added, as he approached Ralph. "See
the blood at your left hand."
Ralph was startled, at first. He felt no pain, but there was blood
flowing out of his left sleeve.
"Oh! I remember now; that is only the old wound reopened," he
explained, so the surgeon was called in at once.