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diff --git a/old/53271-0.txt b/old/53271-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a303087..0000000 --- a/old/53271-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5791 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Brighton Boys at Chateau-Thierry, by -James R. Driscoll - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Brighton Boys at Chateau-Thierry - -Author: James R. Driscoll - -Release Date: October 14, 2016 [EBook #53271] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BRIGHTON BOYS AT CHATEAU-THIERRY *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards, John Campbell and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (Images -courtesy of the Digital Library@Villanova University -(http://digital.library.villanova.edu/)) - - - - - - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE - - Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. - - Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been - corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within - the text and consultation of external sources. - - More detail can be found at the end of the book. - - - - - THE BRIGHTON BOYS SERIES - - BY - - LIEUTENANT JAMES R. DRISCOLL - - - THE BRIGHTON BOYS - WITH THE FLYING CORPS - - - THE BRIGHTON BOYS - IN THE TRENCHES - - - THE BRIGHTON BOYS - WITH THE BATTLE FLEET - - - THE BRIGHTON BOYS - IN THE RADIO SERVICE - - - THE BRIGHTON BOYS - WITH THE SUBMARINE - - - THE BRIGHTON BOYS - WITH THE ENGINEERS AT CANTIGNY - - - THE BRIGHTON BOYS - AT CHATEAU-THIERRY - - - THE BRIGHTON BOYS - AT ST. MIHIEL - - - THE BRIGHTON BOYS - IN THE ARGONNE - - - THE BRIGHTON BOYS - IN TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT - - - THE BRIGHTON BOYS - IN THE SUBMARINE TREASURE SHIP - - - - -[Illustration: IT WAS A RACE FOR A FEW SECONDS] - - - - - The BRIGHTON BOYS at - CHATEAU-THIERRY - - BY - LIEUTENANT JAMES R. DRISCOLL - - - ILLUSTRATED - - - THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY - PHILADELPHIA - - - - - Copyright, 1919, by - THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I. OVERHEARD 9 - - II. TRACED 15 - - III. “BANG” 22 - - IV. CAPTURED 29 - - V. REWARDED 40 - - VI. DISSENSION 49 - - VII. GETTING IN 58 - - VIII. IN IT 66 - - IX. REPRISALS 76 - - X. ZEALOUS BILLY 86 - - XI. “GONE WEST” 98 - - XII. TIM 110 - - XIII. WASH 125 - - XIV. SHIFTED 138 - - XV. ON THE WAY 150 - - XVI. YANKS 162 - - XVII. VICTORY 175 - - XVIII. BUSHWHACKING 189 - - XIX. BOURESCHES 204 - - XX. FRIENDS 221 - - XXI. DISTINGUISHED 229 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - IT WAS A RACE FOR A FEW SECONDS _Frontispiece_ - - PAGE - - THE AMBULANCE WAS STOPPED AS THOUGH IT - HAD BUTTED INTO A STONE WALL 74 - - DON CAUGHT HIM BY THE SHOULDER AND - WHIRLED HIM AROUND 152 - - THEY WENT RIGHT TO WORK DISLODGING THE - HUNS FROM THE HOUSES 213 - - - - -The Brighton Boys at Château-Thierry - - - - -CHAPTER I - -OVERHEARD - - -“You’re just plain scared, I guess.” - -“You’re just plain wrong. Anyway, people in glass shanties shouldn’t -throw rocks. I don’t see you trying to play soldier.” The last -speaker, a tall lad who sat nearest the window in the rear seat of -a crowded railroad car seemed exasperated by the uncomplimentary -suggestion of the boy beside him, a short, heavy-set, curly-headed -fellow, who looked even more youthful than his sixteen years. His -handsome face lighted up with a smile when he spoke; evidently there -was but little enmity back of his teasing. - -“If I were a telegraph pole and had your gray hairs, Stapley, you can -bet your number nines I’d be in camp. But they won’t take kids.” - -“That’s right, Richards; they won’t, unless a fellow’s dad signs his -consent. My dad won’t do it. So kindly apologize, will you? My gray -hairs deserve it; I’m a year older than you are, you know. Go on; I’m -listening.” - -“Come off! Anybody can coax his governor not to sign. Honest, now; -don’t you like the idea of getting a bullet--?” - -“Now cut that out. You think you’re some kidder, but it takes an -expert to kid me. Of course I know you’re sore over the lambasting we -gave your team at basket ball. All Brighton is laughing about it yet.” - -“Never get cross over accidents. Couldn’t help it if Terry wasn’t -fit. How about the game before that and the score? Eh?” Richards’ -smile broadened. - -“Well, was I sore?” Stapley challenged. - -“Like a hen after a bath. You couldn’t see anything but red. The same -at the class relay runs and--” - -“I’d hate to say that you and the truth are total strangers,” Stapley -said, quickly. - -“Oh, let her go. I consider the source, as the man said when the -donkey kicked him, ‘The critter didn’t know any bet--.’ Now, what’s -the matter?” - -The boy by the window had suddenly made a sudden downward motion with -one hand and held a finger of the other to his lips, looking most -mysterious. He had previously chanced to lean far forward, a position -which he now maintained for a moment; then he flopped down against -the seat back, quickly taking a pencil and a scrap of paper from -his pocket and beginning to write. In another minute Richards was -scanning what had been written: - - “You know German. So do I--a little, but Dad made me take - Spanish this term. I just caught a word or two from those dubs - ahead that sounded funny. You cock your ear over the back of - the seat and listen some. If you let on you’re mad as blazes at - me and now and then give me a bawling out, I’ll play dumb and - then when you wait for me to reply maybe you can hear a thing - or two they’re saying. We’ve got to bury the hatchet now, for - we are both Americans, first.” - -The younger lad at once did as requested, glancing at the two men -in the seat ahead, who were in earnest conversation, one, evidently -under some excitement, talking quite loudly. He seemed not to think -his voice carried so far above the rumble of a railroad train, or -else they both considered as naught the chance that anyone might -understand the language they were speaking. That the two were -foreigners there could be no doubt; the full whiskered face of one, -and the bent, thin lips of the other denoted, beyond power of words, -the egotistical, would-be-dominating Prussian blood. It was an -argument over ways and means that caused the bearded fellow to become -so vehement. - -The lad, understanding conversational German fairly well because of -his persistent practice at school and the influence of a nurse he -had when small, caught at first but a few words from the whiskered -foreigner; then, when the smooth-faced man began speaking at length -in a voice that could not be plainly heard the boy quickly carried -out the suggestion of his companion. - -Donald Richards took real enjoyment in doing this, and to Clement -Stapley it was an ordeal to accept it without showing more than a -grimace of protest. The two lads had long been far from friendly. -They hailed from the same town, Lofton, perched well up in the -foothills of the Red Deer Mountains, and they had ever been rivals, -since early boyhood, in games, contests of skill, popularity among -their fellows. Clement was the only child of the great man of the -town, the senior Stapley being president of mills that made the place -a spot of some importance on the map. Donald was one of five sons -of the leading physician in the town and, having to paddle his own -canoe against a more active competition, he had naturally become more -self-reliant and shrewd than the half-spoiled son of the rich man. - -When the two entered Brighton they were not admitted to the same -classes, for Don had advanced beyond Clem in learning, even though -younger, but they engaged in contests of skill and strength, and both -become partial leaders of _cliques_ such as naturally form within -classes, and possessed the _esprit de corps_ that is always uppermost -among youths. Clem, tall and manly, with a dignity of manner and -the prestige of his father’s wealth and standing back of him, drew -a certain crowd of followers in the institution, while Don, active -in both brain and muscle far beyond his years and possessing a born -air of leadership, had admirers everywhere. Naturally, as with the -analytical minds of youths being trained to compare and classify, -the relative merits of the two boys were weighed and counted in such -a manner as to wave still harder the red flag of bitter competition -until never a kind word passed between them, but always _repartee_, -often with rancor, once or twice in such anger that they almost came -to blows. - -Now, in the Christmas holidays of 1917-18, the students of old -Brighton, one and all, were departing for their homes. Chancing to go -a little late, Don and Clem found themselves in the same train with -but one unoccupied seat and at once the old-time banter began, with a -question from Don relative to a subject uppermost in the minds of the -youth of the United States: Was Clem going to enlist, and if not, why -not? If the interruption occasioned by the two men in front of the -boys had not occurred, there might have been another serious quarrel. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -TRACED - - -Don’s face was a study as he suddenly left off berating his companion -and listened quite breathlessly to the rising inflections of the -bearded man making answer to his hatchet-faced companion. The boy was -hearing something interesting; that Clem knew, and he waited with -some impatience to find out what it might be. After awhile the two -men in front began to exchange words much too rapidly for Don to get -a clear idea what they were driving at. Presently one of them turned -suddenly and gave the lad a searching, suspicious glance; then with -another word in a low tone the two stopped talking. Don maintained -his position of leaning forward, his face at the back of the seat -ahead for a few minutes, at the same time unmercifully badgering -Clem until the men both turned to see what it was all about and to -put them at ease Don laughed and made a motion with his head toward -his companion, as much as to say he would welcome an audience. This -must have reassured the men a little, though the hatchet-faced fellow -turned quickly and fired a German sentence at the boy. Don was not to -be caught by such a trick; he looked blank and shook his head. - -“You’ll have to say that in United States, mister,” he laughed. The -German turned away, and the two began talking again in so low a tone -that the words were inaudible, especially as at that moment the -train started to glide over newly ballasted tracks and the rumble -was increased. So the two left their seat and walked back in the car -where they got their heads together. - -“Sounds like funny stuff,” Don said hurriedly. “They’re up to -something queer. ‘Whiskers’ said there’d be enough to blow things to -pieces; that’s all I made out. They seemed to mean some building, but -I couldn’t quite catch what.” - -“Great snakes! They’re a couple of dynamiters!” Clem declared. - -“Don’t know, but it looks like it. I have a hunch they’re going to -destroy something or other.” - -“Where?” - -“I couldn’t make out. Don’t think they said where. That was -understood.” - -“When?” - -“Couldn’t tell that, either.” - -“What else did you get?” - -“Not much; nothing. But that’s about enough; isn’t it?” - -“Well, maybe. You know we ought to follow ’em, and see where they get -off, and put somebody on to them. It’s a duty. Likely they’ll change -cars at Upgrove for the city.” - -“Well, even at that we could get back before very late,” Don said. - -“We don’t both have to go. One’s enough. We can draw for it can’t we?” - -“Sure. But we’ve got to hurry. Lofton’s next; about six minutes. -Here, let’s toss up. What’s yours?” - -“Heads. Hold on! The ginks are fixing to get off at Lofton, as sure -as you’re----” - -The sentence was not finished. The full-bearded German got up to -reach for a bundle in the rack above, and the other man lifted a big -satchel from the floor. The men got into the aisle and started for -the forward end. Not until they were out on the platform and the -train almost at a standstill did the boys slip back and into their -overcoats, grab their suit cases and make for the rear end, being -careful to drop off on the side away from the station platform and -then to dodge quickly around a freight car that stood on the siding, -peeping beneath it toward the glimmering lights, for now it had begun -to grow dark. It chanced that only these four male passengers and one -woman got off at Lofton and there was no one waiting for the train, -except the station master; therefore, it became an easy matter to -note the movements of the two men. - -“They’re going out along the track, in a hurry too,” Clem said. - -“Going to cross--yes, there they go,” was Don’s observation. - -“Out the Galaville road. Come on; let’s see where--” - -“I’m going to chuck this suit case in the station.” - -“Here, too. Danny Morgan’s got to wait for the up train.” - -“Turn up your collar and pull down your lid, Clem, so’s to show no -white.” - -“And get a move on, Don; those fellows are in a big hurry.” - -A mutual object quickly brought these lads to a friendly, even -familiar understanding, proved by the use of their first names and -their quick agreement in action. Both noticed it, but they were -either too proud or too much engrossed to refer to it openly. Ahead -of them lay an apparently necessary purpose and they followed it -with the quick determination that belongs to the well balanced, -bright-minded school boy. It could be said of old Brighton that -it put self-reliant energy and pep into its pupils; no youngsters -anywhere could be prouder of the zeal to do and the encouragement -therefor, which spoke volumes for the accomplishments of that student -body, and in athletics, as well as for the many graduates who had -attained high standing in various fields of endeavor. In nothing -was this better shown than by the lads who entered the war and won -distinction. - -It was no light task to follow those hurrying, distant figures on a -darkening winter night, along what soon became a winding, lonely, -tree or thicket-lined by-way. The town ended at the station and only -one house faced the Galaville road beyond for more than half a mile. - -The dim figures could barely be seen far ahead and not wishing to be -observed, the boys kept as near as possible to the edge of the road, -along a fence or an overhanging clay bank on one side. They soon -gained on the men; then, fearing discovery, they fell back. But even -at this they knew that presently they must be seen; it was natural -that these men should look behind them and when crossing a knoll the -lads could not avoid showing against the sky. Then the road began to -descend, and the pursued stopped and stood a moment. - -“Keep right on slowly,” Don’s quicker wits advised. “They’ll smell -a mouse if we stop, too. Come on; they won’t know we don’t live out -this way.” - -Again the men, possibly somewhat reassured and yet not wanting to be -overtaken, hurried on and were soon out of sight around a bend. - -“Wonder if they’ll sneak into the bushes to see who we are,” Clem -queried. - -“No; they’ll only hurry more so as to turn off at a road or path,” -Don argued and he proved to be right. From the bend the two figures -could barely be discerned. To hurry after them would excite -suspicion, but now fair chance come to the boys’ aid. Just beyond, -and evidently unknown to the German-speaking pair, a path led across -a meadow that short cut another sharp bend in the road and this -enabled Clem and Don to gain so much on the men that before the -latter had reached the farm house beyond, the lads were close behind -them, between a double line of willow trees and thus unseen. - -But here the adventure was to end for the time. The boys, -instinctively aware that the men believed they were beyond -observation, now were eager to see which road of a fork beyond would -be followed and they were not greatly surprised when the travelers -turned in at the gate of the farm house and knocked at the door. A -light appeared at the entrance, a large figure loomed in the doorway, -a few words were exchanged in voluble German; then the door closed. - -“They’re friends of Shultz, by jimminy!” Clem exploded. - -“They are, you bet! That big fat slob of a saloon keeper was in the -door,” Don added. - -“Let’s go home. We can look into this further, but later,” Clem -advised and the boys almost reluctantly retraced their steps. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -BANG - - -Christmas festivities at Lofton, like those in nearly every live -town in the United States, were such as to engross the attention of -the youthful population, especially the rehearsing for Christmas Eve -carols. The plans for home enjoyments, the doing up of packages, -procuring and trimming of trees and many other happy duties kept both -boys about their widely separated homes very busy. - -Clem Stapley lived in the mansion on a hill overlooking the town and -the mills. Don Richards dwelt in a big house on the main street. In -the days following--the Sunday and Monday preceding Christmas--the -lads saw each other but once, and then only to exchange a few words. -These had been in effect that if the suspected strangers were up to -any mischief here they would probably defer it until after Christmas, -and now spend the time having a beer-fest with fat old Shultz. Clem -thought more probably that the men had gone away again, or would -soon go, but Don believed otherwise; he had been reading of German -propaganda and plots against munition factories and ships, and with -a mind keen for gathering facts and making deductions, he felt, -half instinctively, that there must be an evil purpose in these men -stopping in this town where the large factory was turning out war -materials for the Government. It was almost with a conscientious -protest that he turned now to the immediate business of Christmas -gaieties. - -And the jolliest day of the year came on with its usual zest and -pleasure, and went quickly by. Late in the afternoon Don and a -younger brother, to try new skates, went out to the pond not far from -the Galaville road and as they were returning, just at dusk, they -observed three men standing on a high knoll just above the road and -looking off toward the town, one pointing, with out-stretched arm, -from time to time. The figures could be clearly seen against the -sky: one, a short fellow, apparently with whiskers, one a slender, -tall chap and the other big, paunchy, heavy-set. It did not require -much imagination to identify them as Shultz and his two guests--the -Germans of the train. - -The boys were evidently not seen. Don commanded his brother to follow -him and kept on the far side of a row of cedar trees until they were -out of sight of the hill. He found himself much disturbed by the -circumstance, trivial as it seemed; and yet, was it trivial? It was -possible that these men were merely out for exercise, or a bit of -novelty; they may have been simply noting the interesting features of -the town, or even contemplating the purchase of farm land near that -of Shultz. - -That night Don went to bed with the subject still uppermost in his -mind to the extent that it was becoming rather tiresome because -barren of results; and beyond any chance of solution. More to relieve -his mind than anything else he managed to get Clement Stapley on the -telephone quite late and told him of seeing the men, half expecting -his partner in the mystery to characterize him as a boob for -considering such a thing of sufficient importance to bother him. To -his surprise Clem appeared tremendously interested and insisted on -their getting together the next morning. Don agreed, hung up and went -to bed. He usually slept like a log, the result of good health and -a clear conscience, he himself declared, and there could be little -doubt of this, but however tightly wrapped in the all-absorbing arms -of slumber, the dulling influence suddenly and entirely relaxed -an hour or so after midnight. Along with a large majority of the -townspeople, according to later evidence, he found himself sitting up -in bed and wondering why the house was trying to do a dance and the -windows to imitate a drum corps. Then came voices from within, some -in alarm, others in quieter comment and the words: - -“Great fury! Is the house coming down?” from Merrill, next to Don in -age. - -“What was that, Dad?” a younger scion questioned. - -“An explosion of some kind; two of them!” This from the doctor. - -“Where ’bouts?” - -“Yes, where do you think it was, Father?” - -“Over on the other side of town; perhaps the mills.” - -“Ooh! Can we go an’ see, Daddy?” This from the baby of the family. - -“No; in the morning. It’s only two o’clock now. Go to sleep.” - -“But you’re going, Father; they may need you,” Donald offered. - -“Yes, and I’ll take you with me.” - -It was the mills. One building with the office in part, had been -utterly wrecked, another had been partly destroyed and one end was on -fire. And while the volunteer department and helpers were valorously -extinguishing the flames another explosion occurred that hurt two men -and flung some others down, Don amongst them. The boy was uninjured, -though the jarring up made him see red. But with a shrewdness beyond -his years he kept silent as to what he suspected and his ears were -keen to catch the talk going on around him. It seemed to be the idea -of one and all that this was the work of German spies. - -Presently, from behind some splintered boxes, they found the -half-unconscious watchman and resuscitated him, getting him to talk. -He had obtained one good look at the miscreants as they ran away. - -Don kept an eye open for Clem and as that youth appeared leaping with -his father, from a big motor car, he was grabbed and pulled aside. - -“Don’t say a word about what we know,” Don whispered. “Here’s a -chance for us to get right up on top of everybody. It was those two, -Clem.” - -“But, look here, Don, Father ought to know--” - -“Sure! And he will, sooner and more satisfactorily than if he put -some of those bum detectives on the job; you know that. They’d kick -around for about a week, but you and I can get busy right now; -to-night. They won’t get here before--” - -“But Father can have those men arrested and then--” - -“Oh, hang it, yes, and give us the go-by! Let’s be the ones to spring -the surprise. Come on; I’m ready to tackle it, when I get a gun -somewhere.” - -The idea appealed to Clement Stapley, for he did not want to be -outdone in daring by his old-time rival. It would never do for Don -to say: “Clem fell down on the job; wasn’t equal to it; hadn’t the -backbone.” He turned to Don: - -“I’m with you! Hold on, I can fix the shooting-iron matter. Wait half -a minute.” Into the debris of the office wreck the lad climbed and -wriggled, and after a moment’s looking about, in the light from the -yard lamp-poles, which had been re-established by some quick-witted -employee, the boy located a shattered desk, pried open a drawer and -drew forth two long-barreled revolvers of the finest make. - -Don, waiting and watching, heard Mr. Stapley say to several men: - -“I have a notion that those fellows will come back. They’ll believe -we think they’ve left for distant parts and that will make them bold. -You see they’ve got reason: the stock mill wasn’t hurt. Riley found -two bombs that hadn’t gone off in there; the fuses had become damp, I -suppose. And that was probably the big game they were after. Probably -they’ll take another chance at it. Well, we’ll put detectives on the -job as soon as possible. Have any of you noticed anyone about; any -strangers whom you could have suspected?” - -There was a general negative to this; then one hand spoke up: - -“How about that fellow Shultz, out beyond the station? He’s a red-hot -German and before we went into the war he was shouting pro-Prussian -stuff till his throat was sore. He’s about the only Hun around here -except old man Havemeyer, and he’s a decent, good citizen and wants -to see the kaiser punched full of holes.” - -“Yes, Havemeyer is all right,” assented Mr. Stapley, “but we will -have to look into the doings of this Shultz.” - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -CAPTURED - - -The destruction from the explosions was not so damaging but that -complete repairs could be made in a few weeks and the work, crowded -into the other buildings, go on without serious interruption. Mr. -Stapley, organizing a crowd of workers on the spot, turned for one -moment to listen to his son. - -“Say, Dad, it would be a fine thing to land the dubs that did this; -wouldn’t it? I have an idea--” - -The president of the Stapley Mills laughed outright. “That you know -the miscreants? Oh, the confidence and the imagination of youth! -Well, go bring them in, my son; bring them right in here!” - -“Well, maybe it’s only a joke, but--but, Dad, if I did--if we did, -would you--?” - -“I’d give you about anything you’d ask for if you even got a clue to -the devils! What do you know--anything?” - -“Tell you later, Dad. Would you--er--let me--enlist?” - -“Yes, even that! Anything! But here now, don’t you go and start -anything rash. Better wait until the detectives and police get on the -job. I’m too busy now to--” - -“All right. See you later, Dad.” - -Slipping away in the darkness, the boys began talking in low tones, -and made for the Galaville road, laying plans as they went. Don -offered the principal suggestions and Clem, lacking definite ideas -of proceeding, was fair enough to comply. They approached the Shultz -farmhouse with keen caution, making a wide detour and coming from -back of the barn. A dog barked near the house and that was the only -sign of life. But there was a method of bestirring the inmates, and -the boys believed that the miscreants would show themselves to render -hasty aid to a fellow countryman in gratitude for the shelter and -care they had received from Shultz. - -Working like beavers the lads gathered a lot of loose cornstalks, -tall straws, and barnyard litter of a most inflammable nature, and -piled it all on the side of the barn opposite the house, and far -enough away to be beyond danger. At half a dozen places almost at -once they set fire to the pile and having selected positions of -ambush they rushed into hiding, Clem behind the barn bridge, Don -crouching in the shadow of the corn-crib. The signal of action was to -be the sudden move of either. - -The plan worked. No one could have turned in and slept at once after -the noise of the explosion in the town, much less these people who, -the lads felt assured, had been expecting it. If the farmhouse -occupants had been in fear of showing themselves they would ignore -that for the few minutes needed for saving the animals in a burning -barn. That they would, on looking out, believe the barn was on fire -there could be no question, as no view from the house could detect -the exact location of the flames. - -A door slammed; there was the sound of excited words, of commands, of -hurrying feet. Could it be possible that only Shultz and his family -would appear on the scene? Had the Germans of the train departed? -Or was it, after all, merely a coincidence that those men had come -here and had talked in the train in a way that led the boys to think -they were up to some such tricks, and that others had caused the -explosion? Might it not have been some workman who was a German -sympathizer? - -Such doubts filled the minds of the young adventurers as they waited, -hidden, and wondering. But they were not long to remain in doubt for -things began to happen. Fat Shultz was not the first to appear, for -three figures rounded the corner of the barn ahead of his puffing -form. - -The dog was fleetest of foot; that half-mongrel dachshund bade fair -to spoil the game for the boys, for he was far more interested in -the presence of strangers than in a bonfire, no matter how high -it blazed. Yaw-cub, or whatever the beast was called, began to -bark at the corn-crib, but the followers of the elongated hound -fortunately paid no attention to this. Close together came the next -in line--Fraülein Shultz and a man, both plainly seen as they came -within the zone of light from the fire. The woman turned the corner -and stopped as though she had bumped against a post, her hands going -to her bosom in relief and for want of breath. The man almost ran -into her; then he let out a German remark, doubtless an oath, and -wheeled about. Surprise number one had relieved, if disgusted, him; -number two, which confronted him before he had taken two retracing -steps, made him lift his arms as if trained in the art. - -“Hands up!” was Don’s order. - -“And be blamed quick about it!” supplemented Clem. - -“And you, too, Shultz!” Don addressed the on-coming and puffing old -saloon keeper. - -“Eh? Vat? Bah! I safe mein barn! I safe mein horses und coos und mein -piks!” - -“Hands up and stop! Your horses and cows and pigs are all safe. Put -your hands up, if you don’t want to get some lead in you!” - -Shultz stopped, but rather at the command or announcement of his more -active wife than because of an order from his captors. His bumptious -self-importance would not permit him to knuckle to anybody, much less -to mere American youths. - -“Huh! Vat? Chust poys, py gollies! Raus mit ’em! Clear oudt! I ring -der necks off bodt! Put down dose pistols! Eh? Vat? Bah!” - -It instantly became evident that something most radical, however -unpleasant, must be done to convince this egotistical German what -young America can do when started. The preparations for war, the -flower of our youth enlisting, the early determination to beat the -Huns had evidently made little impression on this tub of conceited -Prussianism. It was the certain duty of his youthful captors to -impress not only a lesson on Shultz, but to maintain their own -position in the _rôle_ they had chosen to assume. The necessity was -also very apparent of repelling a weighty and sudden charge of the -declared enemy, for Shultz, by reason of his calling, was given to -combatting foes of almost every sort, albeit this must have been a -somewhat new experience. - -It was Don who, as usual, saw first the need of action and improved -upon it. Your trained, competing athlete, boxer, wrestler, leader -of team contests must be as quick with his head as with his hands -and the event of weapons on a possibly tragic mission and against a -really dangerous opponent flabbergasted the boy not a bit. Words, -he saw, were entirely useless; delay might be fatal--to someone, at -least. - -The boy’s revolver barked and spit out its fiery protest over -Shultz’s head; the tongue of flame against the dark background of the -night was enough to command any minion of the Old Scratch, and Shultz -proved no exception to this. The other chap, whose whiskered face the -lads had recognized instantly, acted more wisely, hoping, no doubt, -for some moment to arrive where strategy or surprise might count. - -“Vat? Eh? Py shoose, you shoot me? Veil, no, you shoot me nod! I vas -holt mein hands up so, und shtop poinding dot peestol! Uh! It might -vent off!” - -“It will sure go off and through your fat gizzard if you don’t turn -round and head for the road and town! Both of you, now march!” - -Don issued this order, then he turned to Mrs. Shultz who had suddenly -lifted her voice in a loud lament, much resembling a screech. - -“Now, listen, please: Your man must be all right; all we want him for -is to tell about this other fellow. Don’t worry; he’ll be back right -soon. Say, Clem, you explain to her; I guess she’s going crazy.” - -This was pretty close to the facts, although long association with -the hard knocks of a troubled existence had saved her from going -crazy now. But, woman-like, she must fly to the defense of her -man, even though, German-like, she was his slave. She was making -a vehement protest of some kind, largely by rushing to Shultz and -trying to reach her arms around his ample waist; she may have meant -to carry him off bodily and protect or hide him, but she fell short -in estimating his avoirdupois. - -Clem gently pulled the woman back and again reassured her; by -insisting about twenty times that it was all right and that she need -not worry he managed at last to get her a little calmer and then Don -ordered the men forward. - -But now the bearded fellow had something to say and it was in the -best of English, without a trace of foreign accent. He did not offer -to lower his arms. - -“I suppose, young gentlemen, this is some kind of a holiday prank; is -it not? A schoolboy pleasantry, though rather a severe one, but being -once young myself I can sympathize with the exuberance of youth. When -you see fit to end this, permit us both and this poor woman to enter -the house. I am quite ill and we have all lost much sleep of late. Be -then so kind as to--.” - -“We can imagine that you have indeed lost much sleep and you will -probably lose more!” Don was sarcastic. “But we didn’t come here to -parley. If this is a schoolboy joke it’s sure enough a hefty one; all -you’ve got to do is to fall in with it and do as you’re told. The -next time this gun cracks it’s going to be right straight at one of -your carcasses, by cracky, and you’ve going to get hurt! So, hit the -road out yonder for town and hit it lively! Get moving, or I’m going -to pull this trigger the way she’s pointing. Now then, go on!” - -“But, my boy, you have no right to thus threaten and order us about. -You do not appear like bandits; surely you can mean us no harm and we -have done nothing--” - -“But we think you have,” put in Clem, which was not altogether -diplomatic, if it seemed best not to put this man on his guard. Don -saw the drift that matters would soon take and parleying was not in -order. - -“Say, Dutch, listen: You’re wrong; we are bandits and this is a real -hold-up; see? If you’re not the party we want you can hustle back -here again, quick.” - -Shultz put in his inflated oar: - -“Bah! You do not vant me. No! I vill not go mit you!” - -“Oh, yes you will, or get a lot of lead in you,” Don asserted. - -“We surely wish you to do just as we say,” Clem added. Perhaps it was -growing a little hard for him to keep up his courage, but not so with -Don; the more that youth was confronted with difficulties, the more -determined he became and he was now about as mad as a June hornet. - -“Go on out into the road and head for town and no more shenanigan! -In two seconds more I’m going to begin shooting and I’d rather kill -somebody right now than get a million dollars.” - -“Now, just a minute, young gentleman.” The bearded man’s voice was -most appealing. “If this is a hold-up and you want money, why then, I -can gladly--” The fellow’s hand went into his hip pocket and he edged -toward Don. - -“Back up! Say, by thunder I’m just going to kill you, anyhow!” was -Don’s reply and upon the instant he almost had to make good his word, -for the man leaped right at him, with a snarl resembling that of -an angry cat. But the boy was ready and even quicker; dropping the -muzzle of his weapon a little he fired and dodged aside at the same -time. The man stumbled and fell upon the frozen ground; he floundered -a little; then sat up. - -“You back up, too, Shultz, or you’ll get it! Now, then, Clem, hunt -a wheelbarrow and we’ll just cart this chap to town, anyway. You -and Shultz can take turns. Hurry, Clem; there must be one around -somewhere. Go into the house, Mrs. Shultz; we won’t hurt your husband -if he doesn’t get gay.” - - - - -CHAPTER V - -REWARDED - - -The procession that wound out of the gate, down the road, over the -railroad tracks, past the station, into and along the main street a -little way, then down the broad cross street to the mills was indeed -a queer one; naturally one to draw the attention of a crowd, if there -had been anyone on the street so early in the morning to see it. -Those who were up and about, who had not gone back to bed after the -explosion, had stayed at the mill to join in the well-paid-for work -of rehabilitation, or to stand around and discuss the crime. - -When the slow-moving caravan arrived, after a toilsome trip with many -stops for rest, Clem having been the motive power all the way for -the squeaking, one-wheeled vehicle, the crowd at the mill paused to -observe and consider this rather startling performance. Christmas -night was one long to be remembered in Lofton. - -“Hi! Here comes the circus, the elephant in the lead!” announced -Jimmy West, a wit among the mill hands, as he caught sight of the -outline of the approaching group. Shultz marched ahead; then came the -wheel-barrow and Clem; then Don, his revolver ever ready. - -“Ah, what--what have you here? What does this mean, my son?” Mr. -Stapley queried. - -“Fer goodness’ sake, hit’s Dutchy Shultz an’ another feller, thet -them there boys hez brung in!” remarked an ancient citizen. - -“Dis vas von outrache, py gollies! I vill nod--” - -“Shut up, Shultz, I told you, or you’ll get plugged yet!” Don -threatened. The crowd did not embarrass him. - -“We think this is your dynamiter, Dad,” Clem stated, calmly. He had -had time to compose himself. - -“Eh? What makes you think so?” - -“Got a lot of reasons, Dad; a lot of evidence against this fellow.” - -“So? But what’s the matter with him?” - -“Donald shot him. He isn’t much hurt, I guess. But we don’t know. We -just brought them along.” - -“Hey, Mr. Strang, here, evidently, is a job for you! And we’d better -have Doctor Richards here again.” - -The town constable clambered out from among the wreckage of the -office building where he had been searching for clues and approached. -Amid the buzz of remarks and questions he paused long enough to -consider and then to become somewhat nettled at what appeared like -high-handed proceedings beyond his authority. - -“What’s this? You kids make an arrest? Took a lot on yourselves, I’m -thinkin’. Eh? Shot this fellow? Hello! You Shultz? Huh! This looks -like pretty darned bold business to me. Put down that gun, young -fellow!” This to Don. - -“You go and sit down will you? Maybe you think I’ve had no use for -this.” Don was still seeing red, but with all of his wits working. -“Mr. Stapley, you get busy on this; you’re most interested. This -gink,” indicating the constable, “couldn’t catch a mudturtle that had -robbed a hen roost in the middle of the day. There’s just one thing -to do: bring the watchman here.” - -“Put up that gun, I tell you!” ordered Strang, starting toward Don. - -“If you want to fill an early grave you get gay with me now!” Don -said, backing off around the crowd. Mr Stapley interposed. - -“Put up your pistol, Donald. We’ll take care of this matter now.” - -“But, Mr. Stapley, Shultz will get away! He and Strang are old -cronies. Many a jag Strang got in Shultz’s place when he had his -saloon; everybody knows that.” This caused a general laugh. - -“Let him alone, Strang. Perhaps these boys have done us a big -service.” - -“Well, if you think maybe we’ve got the wrong men, just get the -watchman here,” Don reiterated. - -“Davis went home and to bed,” announced a bystander. - -“Well, we can wake him; we’ll wheel these fellows over there and let -him see this one,” Don insisted. - -Mr. Stapley issued several rapid orders; a big mill hand, grinning, -brought up the wheelbarrow and began trundling it and its human -freight down the street again. Two others, with a piece of stout -twine, noosed Shultz’s hands behind him and had him helpless in a -moment; then handed him over to Strang, who really would not have -dared to be false to his trust. Don, beneath a lamp and before -Strang, emptied the cartridges out of his revolver; then handed his -weapon to Clem, who also unloaded his gun, and the boys quickly -followed on to the watchman’s abode. - -The ceremony there was as dramatic as could have been wished by the -most excitement-loving onlooker. Davis was brought down to the door -and he took a look at the two Germans under a bright light. He paused -long enough to make his assertion emphatic, pointing his finger and -appearing so sure that no one could have doubted him. - -“I didn’t see Shultz an’ I would have knowed him, anyway; he ain’t no -stranger to nary one in this here town. But I did see that man! He’s -one o’ them that run from the office buildin’ acrosst the yard just -before the bomb went off. That feller an’ another one--a long, thin -cuss without any whiskers--they must ’a’ set their fuses too short -an’ was scared, because they skinned out awful quick. Then the thing -went off an’ the one near where I was a second later, an’ it fixed me -so’s I didn’t know nothin’.” - -“You think that this man--” began Mr. Stapley, indicating the -wheelbarrow’s passenger who had said no word, but only sat hugging -his leg and looking very pale. - -“Yes sir, Mr. Stapley, that there feller is one o’ the two men I -seen. I’m as sure of it as I am that the sun riz yest’day mornin’! -I’ll take a bunch of oaths on it ez big ez the mill prop’ty! Knowed -him soon’s I seen him.” - -“Thank you, Davis. Go back to bed and I hope you’re better--” - -A cheer, at first uncertain, then growing in volume and intent, -interrupted the mill president. - -“Hurrah for the kids!” it began; then; “That’s the stuff!” “Sure they -turned the trick!” “Them kids is some fellers!” and: “Whoop ’em up!” -Both boys were caught up on the shoulders of the crowd and passing -Strang someone shouted: - -“Say, Constable, you ain’t got a blamed thing t’ say, so shut up!” - -“Ben, you and Phil get this fellow down to the mill hospital and stay -with him,” ordered Mr. Stapley. “The doctor will be here any minute. -Mr. Strang, hold on to Shultz; he was giving these men asylum and we -all know his sentiments. Better lock him up and we’ll work the legal -proceedings tomorrow. As for the boys, I won’t stand for any action -to be taken against them, unless the district attorney insists, and -I don’t believe he will. They may have exceeded their rights, but you -see the result. Good-night, Strang. Come on, men; we’ll go back to -work. You boys had better go home and get some sleep; you both need -it. We’ll talk the whole matter over tomorrow.” - -But when the morrow came, a little late in the morning, the talk was -prefaced by a bit of news. A few hours before the bearded German had -eluded his jailors just long enough to swallow a dose of poison and -he had died in half a minute and almost without a tremor. Prussic -acid, Doctor Richards said, and added that the wound inflicted by -Don’s bullet was a mere flesh scratch in the leg and had only caused -a temporary paralysis, largely imaginary. In the darkness the boy had -aimed to hit the fellow just above the knee. - -They were all at the Stapley mansion, most comfortably seated. The -president of the mills and the doctor were old friends, knowing -nothing of the long feud between the lads here in the town and at -Brighton, and now pleased that the boys had acted together. - -“We want to know the whole story; just how it all happened and all -that you did; eh, Doc?” Mr. Stapley demanded. - -Between them the boys managed to make a complete narrative, though -the latter part of it--the taking of the two Germans and the -shooting--Clem told, after much cross-questioning. Mr Stapley then -commented: - -“It’s pretty easy to grasp the merits of this, Doc. My son’s part -has been anything but that which a proud father could be ashamed of -and I’m glad the boy has shown so much nerve and spunk. But it is -your son, Donald here, who has really carried the thing through. -That boy’s going to be a regular young Napoleon one of these days, -Doc, you may be sure! Better give his scrapping ability all the -development possible.” - -“Oh, now, Mr. Stapley, I didn’t do any more than Clem did. He was -right there on the job. Why, he wheeled the wheelbarrow and he--” - -“Oh, very good indeed! A rather hard task! But something of a -laborer’s job wasn’t it? You seem to have done--” - -“‘Comparisons are odious,’ Stapley. There’s glory enough in this to -go round,” suggested the doctor. - -“Sure, sure, but nevertheless we’ve got to discriminate when the -rewards are forthcoming. Our company is greatly indebted to these -boys and so is the country. That fellow might have gotten off and -have done a lot more damage, probably to us. Now we’ve got only one -rascal to hunt down. It is wonderful, I must say, very, for boys to -have carried this out as you did. Clem, you deserve high praise for -getting on to those fellows in the train. But now look here son, the -strategy of the actual capture and the nervy manner in which it was -carried out seems to have depended mostly upon Donald and I want you -to act with me in this matter. The company will reward this act with -five hundred dollars and, my boy, in this case I want it all to go -to Donald. You shall reap your reward otherwise; I’ll see to that in -various ways. Of course you’re willing?” - -“I’m not willing!” spoke up Don and his father shook his head. Clem -gazed straight before him with a solemn, hurt expression. - -“It must be as I wish,” Mr Stapley insisted. “We shall consent to no -other arrangement. Doc, I’ll send the check to you to bank for your -boy, and Donald, I want to thank you for your splendid action in this -affair.” - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -DISSENSION - - -The end of the holiday week approached and on the day after New -Year’s there would be again a general migration of eager youths, all -over the broad land, into the outstretched arms of alma mater. But -competing fiercely with all the institutions of learning, a mightier -need beckoned the physically able, for there was work to do to make -the “world safe for democracy.” - -Clement Stapley and Donald Richards heard the call and stopped to -consider it. They knew old Brighton was ready to welcome back her -knights of brain and brawn, but even more insistently they were -aware that far greater institutions controlled by the United States -Government were also eager to welcome the same brain and brawn. -The Red Cross beckoned them, the Emergency Aid and the Y. M. C. A. -wanted the help of strong and willing hands; bigger still loomed the -Government itself, with its demands for men, but with a more urgent -need. Surely Old Brighton could wait and so could their own desire -for learning; at such a time as this the country, all the world -indeed, blocked some of its wheels of progress to permit other wheels -to turn the faster, to roll along helpfully, determinedly, to reach -the hilltop of peace at the end of the fierce journey. - -Don sat down to the breakfast table on Monday morning with four -younger boys, his brothers, all hungry and noisy. The mother of the -Richards boys had long been dead; the aunt, their father’s maiden -sister, who presided over the household, had departed a few minutes -before upon some important errand, leaving the interior to the tender -mercies of the wild bunch who seemed bent on having an especially -merry time, for they believed the doctor had gone to attend an urgent -case. - -Don was the only one of the group who appeared in no mood to raise -a rumpus; he busily applied himself to satisfying his very healthy -appetite and only switched off at necessary intervals in the attempt -to enforce peace and to defend himself against the tussling twins, -who would rather scrap than eat. The other two, one older and -one younger, but almost the huskiest of the brothers, insisted on -having a hand in these athletic performances. And then there came an -unpleasant surprise. - -Jim and Jake, the twins, in an effort to compel the surrender of a -buttered buckwheat cake, toppled over on Merrill, the second son, -who in turn flung them against Ernest. That wily youngster was more -than equal to such occasions; he dodged out of his chair and when -the struggling twins tumbled across his seat he twisted the corner -of the tablecloth about the neck of one, quickly wrecking things, -as the wrestlers fell to the floor. Don made a wide grab at several -things at once, but finding his attempt futile he turned, tore the -tusslers apart and sent them sprawling to opposite corners; then he -gave Ernest a crack with open hand, which caused that youngster being -the baby of the family, to bawl loudly. - -Just at that instant Dr. Richards hurriedly entered the room, for he -had just been fixing his auto runabout and now came back for a bite -to eat. - -The sight that confronted the busy man was enough to exasperate a -saint. He saw Donald in the midst of the mêlée and jumped at a too -hasty conclusion. A man usually of few words, often over-lenient and -generally just, he now, let his temper run away with his judgment and -his tongue. Grabbing two dried buckwheat cakes that had, by merest -chance, remained on the edge of the table, he turned back toward the -door. - -“You are setting your younger brothers anything but a good example, -Donald! We have less of this sort of thing when you’re away. If -you carry on this way at Brighton I should think you’d soon be in -disgrace. You ought to be a little older and join the army; the -discipline there would do you good. A nice breakfast this is!” he -added as he began, moodily, to eat. - -Don was too proud and too loyal to the joint offenders to explain. -It seemed enough for him to know that he was not to blame, that the -scolding was not merited and his father would soon find this out. An -idea had quickly entered his head. - -“I can manage to get into the war, Father, if you’ll sign an -application paper.” - -“Well, I’ll see about it--haven’t time now.” - -“Yes, I think you have. Better sign before we wreck the house, or -set fire to it. Here’s the document. Write on the last line, at the -bottom.” - -Doctor Richards seized the paper that Don shoved at him, but hardly -glanced at it. “I suppose you feel mightily independent since you got -that five hundred dollars. Well, going will probably do you good.” -With that the man of many duties drew forth his fountain pen, placed -the paper against the door-jamb, and quickly wrote his name. “Let me -know later just what you intend doing; I will help you all I can. But -if you like school best, better go back, perhaps.” The doctor stepped -out of the room, the front door slammed, there was the chug of a -motor and the boys were again left to themselves. - -The twins and Ernest sneaked away; Merrill turned to Don, whom he -really loved and admired. - -“Say, that was rotten! And for me and those kids to let you take -that, too! You bet I’ll tell Dad all about it when he comes back.” - -“Well, all right, if you want to; but not now. Not one word before -I get off, which will be this afternoon probably. I really can’t -blame Father much; it was tough for him to miss a decent breakfast -and he has a lot to put up with from us kids--with all he does for -us! But he won’t be bothered with me for a while and if I get over -there maybe he will never again be bothered with me. Well, I’ll see -you later, Mel, and let you know. I’m off to see Clem Stapley now; -perhaps he will be going, too.” - -But on his way Don stopped at the Army and Red Cross recruiting -station, in the same busy office, being received with much gusto, -both because of his recent heroic conduct in landing the German agent -and of his frank engaging manner. He had much to say, found much to -learn and got what he was after. Then he climbed the hill toward the -Stapley mansion. Clem was at the garage, helping the chauffeur tinker -with a crippled motor. - -“Hello, old man!” shouted Don, but he noticed that the older lad -hardly turned his head. He seemed much interested in his task. “Well, -what’s the good word?” continued the visitor. “Anything new?” - -“Don’t know a thing,” answered Clem, without looking up. - -“Well, things are coming my way,” Don said. - -“Yes, I notice,” Clem agreed, with a sneer on his face, “and you’re -not dodging them very hard, either.” - -“I was speaking of Government duties,” Don offered, ill at ease. -He had been satisfied that the old ill feeling had been completely -patched up, between Clem and himself, by the heroic episode through -which they had just passed, for his own feeling was friendly. But -surely Clem’s manner was cool, even more curt than before. However, -in the last remark the older lad showed some interest. - -“How do you mean, ‘Government duties’?” he asked. - -“I’ve just joined the Red Cross ambulance service, Clem. Leave -tonight. Thought you’d like to know--” - -“I enlisted with the Marines two days ago,” Clem announced rather -coolly. - -“Good for you! Hurrah! When do you go? We might--” - -But Clem, who had turned back to work on the car said curtly: - -“When I get ready. In a few days, perhaps.” - -“No chance, then, for us to get away together?” - -“None in the least.” - -“Well, I’m glad you got in. Of course you had no trouble. Your father -gave his--” - -“Look here, Richards!” Clem turned toward the younger boy almost -savagely. “I don’t see that you need to concern yourself with what -I’ve done, or doing. As for Dad, you ought to be satisfied after what -you got out of the company.” - -“Oh! So that’s what’s the matter with you, eh? Sore about that; are -you? Well, you know I wanted to divide; I wanted to be fair to you. -It was not my--” - -“I didn’t see you breaking any bones in an effort to be fair.” - -“If you say I didn’t want to be fair, that I was entirely satisfied -in taking all that money, then, Stapley, you lie!” - -“Say, before I’ll take much of that from you I’ll punch your head!” - -“So? Well, the nose is right here when you want to punch it. Come -and punch it! But you won’t punch anything. You think you’re some -fighter. Come on and punch once; just once!” - -Clem was no coward and he possessed the cool judgment of a capable -boxer. Moreover, he was taller, with a longer reach than Don. But he -had to reckon with superior weight, probably greater strength and -what counts more than all else--an indomitable spirit. Long brooding -over what he considered an injustice on Don’s part in accepting all -the reward for arresting the Germans, and for permitting others to -give him more of the credit for personal bravery had made young -Stapley more of an enemy than he had ever been. - -How the fight would have ended was not to be known, however, for -though Clem would have struck Don, he was prevented by the chauffeur -who was by no means to be lightly reckoned with. - -“Gwan, now, Clement, me boy! An’ you, too, young feller! I’ll mop up -the floor here with both o’ you if you begin scratchin’ an’ bitin’! -What would Mr. Stapley, me boss, say to me if I let you chaw each -other up? Gwan, young feller!”--this to Don. “An’ you come here, -Clement, an’ I’ll show you the true insides o’ this critter, from -piston head to crank shaft.” - -Don took this for both good advice and a logically sound invitation -and turned on his heel. But he could not help feeling sorry that -again Clem Stapley and himself were “at outs”. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -GETTING IN - - -Camps and training schools, learning how and drilling. This was the -lot of Young America in the latter days of the year 1917 and in the -earlier months of the succeeding year, a year long to be remembered -and to cut a mighty figure in the history of the United States. - -Bloody are the annals of this year of 1918, severe the sacrifices -that led the nation into its tragic paths of glory, but so noble and -just has been the purpose behind our act of war and so humane our -conduct that the whole sane world has applauded. All honor to the -fighters first and all praise to the men and the women, young and -old, who aided and encouraged the fighters with abundant humanity at -home and on the field of strife. - -We think of war and see its tragedies mostly through the eyes of -the military, but to some of the unarmed participants have come the -bitterest experiences and the opportunities for the bravest deeds. - -Donald Richards, late student at old Brighton and now Red Cross -ambulance driver, too young to enlist as a soldier, but nevertheless -keen for action and to do his bit and his best, at once so interested -his superiors that after he had fully qualified they quickly placed -him where his craving for thrills and work worth while should be -amply satisfied. In February, after a month of training he sailed -across the big pond in a transport laden with troops and met no -mishaps on the way. - -Three weeks after landing in France the boy found himself in the -midst of military activities and the most urgent hospital work. He -was clad to his own satisfaction, mostly at his own expense, in -khaki. He had become a capable mechanic on automobiles, was well -practised in roughing it, in picking his way in strange country, -and above all in the fine art of running, with wounded passengers, -swiftly and smoothly over rough roads. - -First as an assistant driver, then with a car of his own and a -helper, he had been assigned to duty along the great highway leading -from Paris to Amiens. Like many others in the area of military -activity, this road had been well built, rock-ballasted and hammered -hard with normal travel, in the days before the world war, but -now, from the wheels of great munition trucks and motor lorries, -the wear and tear of marching feet and from little care after long -rains, it had been soaked into a sticky mass, with a continuation -of holes and ruts, puddles and upheavals. A cross-road led from the -Amiens highway straight east toward the battle front and into the -wide territory of France held by the enemy. The German front line -was not more than seven miles from the evacuation hospitals on this -cross-road. These centers of mercy were where the badly wounded were -sent for quick, emergency operations, which saved many lives. Between -these evacuation hospitals and the Red Cross base hospital in an old -château a few miles outside of Paris and also near the Amiens road -the comparatively few Red Cross cars and the score or more of Army -ambulances plied almost continuously when there was anything doing at -the front. And for the most part there was something doing. - -From the twenty-first of March, when the terrific drive of the Huns -carried them nearly to Amiens, and during which time they occupied -Montdidier, until the middle of June, there was pretty constant -shelling and scrapping throughout this area. The great German -offensive began in March, only a few days before Donald Richards -started to run his own ambulance, so that almost his first duties -were most urgent and strenuous. - -“Whatever the Doctor, Major Little, in command up there, tells you to -do, do it,” was the order the boy received from the chief at the base -hospital, “but your regular duty is to bring the wounded from the -evacuation hospitals, or from the dressing stations to us, when so -ordered. Of course, we don’t want to subject our men to the danger of -going up to the lines any more than is absolutely necessary, and we -surely do not want you to get hurt, my boy, but this war and the call -of duty must be heeded first. Either the surgeons at the dressing -stations or Major Little and his assistants at the cross-roads -hospitals will tell you where to take the wounded. Critical cases are -first operated on at the evacuation hospitals so as to save time, but -shell shock, slight wounds, men not very seriously gassed, and merely -sick men are brought here direct from the field. Hence it will be -best for you, if there are no wounded to be brought away from the -evacuation hospitals, to go to the dressing stations or into a battle -area, to get the wounded in your car anyway you can. For the most -part they will be brought to you by stretcher bearers; of course, -some will come themselves. I see you have on your steel helmet. Wear -it regularly. - -“You must prepare yourself for some horrible sights, my boy. Above -all things, no matter how much you may be scared, and you will be, -don’t lose your nerve. No one, especially at your age, can be blamed -for being somewhat flabbergasted under fire, while seeing men killed, -maimed, blown to bits by shells, and all that sort of thing, but you -must try to overcome this. And be sure to have your gas-mask always -handy. - -“Now then, have everything in tiptop shape according to our methods; -you had better take a hot bath, wear clean under-clothing and brush -your teeth. Get a good meal and be sure to take a lot of chocolate -with you give out where needed. You should also have extra blankets -in case you get hurt, or your car crippled and you have to sleep out. -The weather is moderating now and I think it will continue so, but -there will be cold rains. Now then, be off in an hour and good luck -to you!” - -From such a general order, Don saw clearly enough that he would be -his own boss a great deal of the time, and that much of his most -important work must be carried on according to his own judgment. -The boy of sixteen, who had never really engaged in anything more -strenuous than mere sport, except the arresting of the German -spy back home, was now brought face to face with the duties and -responsibilities that were fully man-size. - -Don prepared himself quickly for any undertaking that might be -before him. He made everything ready as the chief had suggested. He -insisted also that the same be done by his helper, Billy Mearns, a -city-bred young man who was just now getting familiar with handling -and repairing a motor car. - -Presently they started. The little truck, new, smooth-running and -responsive, delighted the boy. His first duties as helper had been -in a rattletrap machine, which ran only when it felt like it and in -which they carried convalescents from the base hospitals to a place -with terraced gardens and verandas two hundred miles farther south. - -Don’s new duties exhilarated him and as he turned his car northward -he could have said, with Macduff, when that warrior sought to meet -Macbeth, the master war-maker: “That way the noise is. Tyrant show -thy face!” for, boy-like, yet with a thorough understanding of the -situation, secretly desirous of taking some part--he did not know -what--in fighting, he had smuggled a sporting rifle into his car, and -he carried a long-barreled revolver in a holster on his hip. - -“You see,” he confided to Billy Mearns--they called each other by -their first names almost from the moment of meeting--“we don’t -know what we are up against, and I hope I may be hanged, drawn and -quartered, as the old pirates used to say, if I let any blamed Hun -sneak around me without trying to see if he is bullet-proof.” - -“Right-o!” agreed Mearns. “But, for goodness’ sake, don’t get too -anxious and take some of our Yanks for Heinies! If you do and I’m -along, me for wading the Atlantic right back home! They’d do worse -than draw and quarter us; mebbe they’d even pull out our hair or -tweak our noses.” - -“Pshaw! Anybody who couldn’t tell a Hun, day or night, ought to -have--” - -“His nose examined, eh? Oh, you sauerkraut and onions!” - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -IN IT - - -Ploof! Ploof! Bang! P-ssst, wam! Zing, zing, zing! T-r-r-r-r-r--rip! -Ploooof! Something of this nature, if it can at all be conveyed by -words, came in waves, roars and spasms of sound to the ears of Don -and Billy, as their ambulance truck traversed part of the five or -six miles of cross-road between the evacuation hospitals near the -Amiens road, not twenty miles south of that shell-torn town, and the -front line of the Allied army where American troops, newly arrived -from training camps, were brigaded with the French soldiers; that -is, a number of regiments of one nation were included with those of -the other in the same sector, sometimes companies, even platoons, of -Americans and French fighting side by side against the savage attacks -of an enemy far superior in numbers. - -“We’ve just sent a dozen or more to your people down there--nearly -all light cases--but there’s been some sort of a scrap over toward -the southeast. You can’t find a road, for the enemy holds that, but -you can turn in across the fields to your right, or follow an old -farm road; one of our men did so yesterday. It is just beyond, where -some reserves are digging in by the edge of a ruined farm; both the -house and barn have been struck by shells or sky bombs. If you can go -any farther from there you’ll have to ask your way, but probably the -P. C. beyond won’t let you go on. There are two dressing stations to -the west of some woods on a low hill; that will be still farther to -your right as you follow the new trail. Go to it!” - -This was the all-too-brief order Don received from Major Little, -the hospital-chief when the lads reached the broad tents on the -cross-road early one morning. Without further words Don leaped into -his car and glided on along the narrow road for about two miles; then -he began dodging shell holes, one here that involved half of the -wheel tracks, another, farther on, which took in all of the road and -had been partly filled and partly bridged with timbers from an old -building near. Beyond this, small shell-holes had torn up the once -smooth surface here and there. After the ambulance had traversed -another mile, at the best speed possible over such a highway, it -overtook a string of ammunition trucks going into position, ready -for progress or retreat. Dodging around these and avoiding other -shell-holes was difficult for the half mile on to where the artillery -had debouched. Once, not two hundred feet ahead, a big shell came -over with a swish and snarl and landed in the field near the road, -sending up a cloud of sod, dirt and stones and sprinkling the -ambulance and its drivers with bits of gravel. One sizable stone -landed on the hood with a whang and bounced against the windshield -just hard enough to crack it, exactly in line with Billy Mearns’ face. - -“Pal, we seem to be under fire,” remarked Don, and Billy, with a -grunt of relief, replied: - -“Yes, and if that glass hadn’t been there I’d have bitten that stone -in half to show I didn’t care whether it came this way or not. But -say, if we’d been just where that shell landed we would have had to -sing Tosti’s ‘Good-bye.’ They’re rude things, aren’t they, the way -they mess up the landscape?” - -Don glanced at his smiling companion. A fellow who could take such -matters so calmly, and jest over them, was a lad after his own heart. - -The sound of fighting came to the boys now with increasing fury. -They were not experienced enough to tell whether it was a regular -battle, or merely a skirmish. Anyway, it was lively enough for an -introduction to green hands far from home. - -They came to where the reserve regiment was digging in. Some of them -camped in the open, with a few little canopy tents spread. A few -fires were burning. A few officers stood or squatted around talking -and laughing. Sentries were pacing up and down. A sentinel stood in -the road and faced about toward them, but when he saw the Red Cross -on the front and side of the car and had scanned the faces of the -drivers he asked no questions but let them pass. Don slowed up enough -to hear him say: - -“All right. Go find ’em, bo! There’s some down there.” - -“Going to give your friends, the Limburgers, a warm reception after -while?” Billy called back and the soldier nodded briskly, smiling and -waving his hand. - -Turning sharply and dashing along the old farm road between greening -fields, the little car gained a slight crest and, uncertain for the -moment which way to turn, Don stopped her. Billy leaned out and -looked around. - -“Over there are the woods the Major spoke about,” he said. - -“Sure is. We can cross this meadow, I guess.” - -“Ooh! Hold on a bit, and look up, Don!” - -Two airplanes were circling overhead. The boys could see a black -Maltese cross on the under side and near the end of each wing of -one plane; the other bore a broad tri-colored circle in similar -positions. The two soaring, roaring, vulture-like things were -approaching each other, suddenly little jets of white smoke burst -from each and long streaks of pale light, like miniature lightning, -shot from each flying-machine to the other. - -“A Hun plane and a Britisher! It’s a fight!” Don remarked excitedly. -“See, they’re the illuminated bullets to tell just where they’re -shooting, like squirting a hose. Watch ’em, Billy; watch ’em! Oh, by -cracky!” - -“Watch them? Do you think I’m taking a nap? Oooh! Look at that -gasoline swallow dive! And bring up, too!” The German plane had -done this to try to get around under the tail of its opponent before -the other could turn, but its calculation went amiss. The Englishman -instantly made a quick swerve around and then dived straight at his -enemy, sending a stream of bullets ahead, and as the boche had by -this time turned around and was coming back toward him, it looked -terribly like there would be a collision. - -But not so. The superior maneuvering of the Britisher was too much -for his antagonist--the Hun plane swerved to the left, went on -straight for a moment, then began to tilt a little sidewise and to -spin slowly. As it sank it pitched from side to side, following a -spiral course, thus imitating perfectly the fall of a dead leaf; so -perfectly, indeed, that as it neared the earth and was not checked -nor righted it became evident that the engine had stopped and that -the airman could not control the plane. Then, when not more than -fifty feet above the ground it suddenly tilted over forward and -crashed to the ground in the field, about an eighth of a mile beyond -the boys. - -Looking aloft, then, Don and Billy saw the victorious English plane -going straight away at high speed toward the enemy’s lines and -rising higher in air at every second. - -“Work cut out for us right ahead there,” Don remarked, as he settled -back in his seat and began to speed up his motor. “We didn’t think -that our first ‘_blessé_’ would be a Hun, did we?” - -“No. What’s a ‘_blessé_’?” - -“Why, I think that’s what the French call a wounded man. I hear them -using it that way.” - -“I know a little French, but very little; I hadn’t heard that -expression before. Many of these war-time French words bother me -muchly. Look out; another shell-hole! Say, this must be a regular -farm.” - -They saw the house standing in a clump of trees. The roadway led -straight past it; with increased speed the ambulance flew by and in a -little while came to the fallen airplane. - -The winged intruder, ‘winged’ also as a flying game bird is by the -accurate fire of a sportsman, lay twisted, beyond repair, its wings, -uprights and stays crushed and broken. Almost beneath the flattened -wheels on the other side, crumpled up on the ground, lay the -unconscious airman. He had either leaped at the last moment, landing -almost where the airplane had, or he had been jarred from his seat by -the impact. - -The boys were out of the car and beside him at once. Observing that -he still breathed, they gently turned him over, trying to find where -he was injured; then they saw a mass of clotted blood on his shoulder -and discovered the bullet hole. - -First Aid was in order. Don ran to the ambulance and returned with -a kit. Billy followed to unfasten a stretcher and a blanket. With -utmost care, yet moving swiftly, though both lads were admittedly -nervous over their first case, they got him on the stretcher, removed -his upper garments, bathed the wound, plugged it with antiseptic -gauze and then, covering him with the blanket, slid the stretcher -into the car. - -What next to do? There was room for two or three more; why return -with but one? And just beyond here lay the dressing stations, which -they could reach in less than two minutes. Don made up his mind -quickly and drove the car farther down the narrow farm road and over -another field--a pasture. Half way across and toward them, four -men were walking in single file. The boys had just made out that -these were stretcher-bearers when suddenly the men stopped, ducked -down and the foremost one raised his arm signaling for the car to -stop. The next instant they were hidden from view by a fountain -of earth between them and the ambulance and not over seventy-five -feet from the car. The earth shook with the tremendous concussion -of the explosion. It was one of the largest shells. The ambulance -was stopped as though it had butted into a stone wall; Don felt a -mass of glass fly against him and the car lifted partly up and swung -aside. When he regained his senses and could see about him through -the settling cloud of dust, he discovered that the car had been flung -crosswise, that the windshield was smashed, and that the top was bent -back, and very much askew. Billy, not having a grip on a steering -wheel, as Don had, and having partly risen, was now on his back on -the bottom of the car, behind the seat, his long legs sticking out -over the back. He regained his normal position only by turning a back -somersault and climbing forward. That the lads were not hurt was -almost a miracle. - -[Illustration: THE AMBULANCE WAS STOPPED AS THOUGH IT HAD BUTTED INTO -A STONE WALL.] - -But strangest of all was the fact that the tail doors had been -blown open, the stretcher lifted out on the ground as neatly as -though human hands had done it and looking back Don saw the German -airman, shocked into consciousness, sitting up and gazing at him. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -REPRISALS - - -“Billy, you aren’t kilt entirely, eh? Well, then, hop out and crank -her; maybe that volcano didn’t stall her. We’ll turn round, if she -runs, and hunt for those stretcher chaps; guess we can find ’em. Say, -I’ll bet they’re sorry they saw us coming.” - -“No, for here they come again! It could not have reached them. Oooh, -but wasn’t it a daisy? For about one second I longed to be back in -the good, old United States. Hah! Wait till I spin her. There she -goes as fine as a hand organ!” - -Don backed and turned the car; then the lads went to the German. - -“Well, Fritz, feel better?” Don asked, speaking English. - -No answer; a blank stare. Billy comprehended and at once got some -fun out of the incident. It was a funereal affair that didn’t have a -humorous side for him. He held his spread hand, palm down, over his -head, moved it about like the flying of an airplane, pointed to it -and to the Hun with his other finger; then making the hand take a big -drop through the air and double up on the ground again pointed to the -airman. The latter understood at once and scowled at his combined -rescuers and captors; then flopped back on the stretcher. The boys -restored him to his place in the car and turned to meet the men -from the dressing-station. They all looked fagged out, tired beyond -endurance. As a matter of fact, they were to keep on many more hours -longer. Their conversation was brief, but to the point. - -“Red Cross? Get these men back as quickly as you can and return at -once. We are in an _abri_ there by the woods. Tell Major Little that -the lieutenant wants more ambulances right away. We have eleven -wounded; two ‘going West.’” - -“All right, I’ll put the juice to her, Sergeant?” Don saw the three -bent stripes on the man’s sleeve. The four shifted the wounded, one -of whom was unconscious, to the unfolded white stretchers of the car, -strapped them down, folded their own brown army stretchers and turned -back. - -“What does he mean by ‘going West’?” Billy whispered, as they got -under way. - -“Dying,” replied Don. “Guess it’s an Indian phrase--‘toward the -setting sun.’ Poor chaps!” - -“O my! I’m afraid one of these,” Billy pointed his thumb over his -shoulder, “won’t stay ‘East’ long. I hope he does, but you see, I -really ought to study medicine. I get hunches about that sort of -thing, you know.” - -They flew over the even ground, and moved slowly over the rough. -Again in the farm road they were swiftly passing the house when a cry -from one of their passengers arrested their attention. It was a cry -for water. - -Don pressed down his brake and turned to Billy. “That canteen--” he -began. - -“I think that a real cold drink,” suggested the young man, “would do -more good. Oughtn’t they to have a well here? Suppose I see.” - -“We’ll both go and get a pull, too; then bring some back. Come on!” -Don said. - -The quaint little half-stone domicile, in the very midst of this -shell-torn area, faced directly east; the rear was, therefore, away -and thus somewhat sheltered from the enemy’s lines. There had been a -French or American dressing station in the front room, but a German -77-m. shell had come along and demolished the wall and a portion of -the interior. The boys quickly passed under the newly leafing fruit -trees, where bird arrivals were singing, and reached the rear of the -house. Here, in the mellowing spring-time warmth, an old woman and an -old man were sitting; the one on the door step, the other, upon an -ancient stone seat, leaning his head on his cane. By the side of the -old woman’s knee a little child of about four years gazed up at the -visitors with wide-open, blue eyes. - -Don, knowing no French and forgetting that Billy knew a little, -resorted to pantomime. He made a cup of his hand and lifted it to -his lips; the old man pronounced the word water very distinctly and -pointed to a well-sweep among the shrubbery. While Don drew forth -a moss-covered bucket of water that looked sparkling, Billy was -recalling his school-day language and getting information. Yes, the -old couple were trusting in the mercy of a Higher Power; if it were -His will to take them, well and good, but they hoped it would be -quick and without suffering. Rather than leave their lifetime abode, -where they had always known comfort and happiness, they would risk -the present dangers, which they hardly seemed to realize. They would -dare almost anything rather than wander to strange regions. - -And here was little Marie, happy with her grandparents, though her -father had died in the war and her mother from grief and illness -soon after. Well, the good General Foch, now that he had been made -commander of all the armies, would soon chase the wicked boches away. -The French would fight on forever, and so would the good English. And -then the Americans were coming, they said. Were the young men English? - -American! “_Vive l’ Amerique!_” Ah, it was good to see them. And how -soon, oh, how soon would the great army arrive and rid France, dear, -suffering, half-destroyed France, from the wicked, hateful boches? -“_A bas les boches!_” - -Don had taken water to the wounded men, two of whom received it -eagerly; the other lay in a stupor. The passengers, the boy now saw, -were two Frenchman, besides the German airman. - -“Come on, Billy!” Don called, and shaking hands with the old people -and lifting the child for a kiss, hastened away. As he leaped into -the machine and Billy ran to the front end, grasping the crank, they -heard again, now not high overhead, the roar of a flying motor and -there came an airplane, marked with the black Maltese cross, sailing -across their road and very nearly over them. - -“I guess he can see our Red Cross sign,” Billy said, but Don, having -heard many stories, was taking no chances; he started and flew -swiftly down the road. Blam! Something exploded far behind them -and to one side of the road. Again, within a few seconds, another -detonation, much nearer, came to their ears. Billy was craning his -neck out of the side of the car. - -“He’s after us! Would you think it? I suspect he’ll get us, too, -unless we beat him out to the soldiers. They’ve got anti-aircraft -guns, haven’t they, Don?” - -“Sure, and he’s got to go some. Just watch us!” - -It was a race for a few seconds, though the airman must have been -wary, flying low as he did. He could not gain on the car, and soon, -with a long sweep, he was turning back, flying now even lower. Where -were the Allied airmen? Not one in sight! As Don neared the main -road again and reached the little hillock he slowed up, on hearing -the crack of light artillery in the fields. The anti-aircraft guns -had got busy and the Hun had reason to keep his distance. But if he -was foiled in his attempt to wreck an Allied Red Cross ambulance he -surely meant to find some prey for his perverted desire to destroy. -He had seen the place from where the ambulance had started as he -approached; certainly there must be a dressing station in the little -farm house. - -Billy, looking back then, saw it. The murderous Hun flew lower still -over the spot of peacefulness and beauty; if he had any sense of -pastoral loveliness, hate and the German desire for mastery had -drowned it all. Something falling straight down from the airplane -passed exactly over the little stone and frame dwelling and then a -great column of flame, of black and gray smoke, of stones and bits -of splintered wood leaped upward and sunk to earth again. A cloud of -smoke and dust drifted away in the wind. - -“Oh, Don! The house, the old people, the little girl!” said Billy -with a sob, and Don, clamping down his brakes, gazed at his -companion. It was the first time he had seen him with anything -different from a smile on his gentle face, even when danger was -literally heaped up in front of them. But now the young man’s soft -eyes had a horror in them and a gray pallor had taken the place of -the pink, almost girlish complexion. - -Don looked back and saw the holocaust wrought by the Hun. - -“That--that murderous devil!” he exclaimed. - -The wounded airman in the car turn his face toward Don and made a -remark in German, probably not expecting it to be understood. Don -replied in German: - -“One of your airmen has blown up the little farmhouse where we got -the drink! No doubt the good people are killed!” - -“But it is war and a good hit is to be praised. Besides, these -degenerate French--” - -Don turned on the fellow with the glare of an angry wildcat; in his -excitement his German mostly gave way to English. - -“What’s that? _You teufel! You_ say that! And when we are treating -you decently? Well, we shall just fix you, you--!” - -“Oooh, Don! Look, look!” - -The airman had once more turned about, evidently to fly back over -his work of destruction to feast his eyes on its completeness. Then -he met his Waterloo. The long swerves took him beyond and near the -woods, where a French 75, aimed by a cool-headed American gunner -barked upward just once. With a burst of flame the airplane pitched -to the earth. The brutal driver, who refused to respect an ambulance, -a supposed dressing station, or the modest home of non-combatants, -was probably strapped on his seat and unable to extricate himself -went down to the most horrible of deaths. - -“Ah, he got his, all righty!” Don shouted; then turning: “And here’s -another who’s going to get his! Billy, this Hun, this skunk here, is -praising the act of that devil! We’ll just dump him out and let him -lie here and suffer and bleed to death. Come on; give a hand!” - -“No, no, Don! You can’t mean that. It would not be humane.” - -“Humane? I’d be humane to a dog, a cat, a worm even, I hope, but not -to a thing like this. Come--!” - -“‘As they should do unto you’, Don. I know this is war and he’s a -Hun, but it’s all the more of an excuse that he is only partly -human; he doesn’t know any better and he has feelings, some. Let’s -go on, Don, please, now.” Don leaped to his seat with Billy and they -continued on their way. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -ZEALOUS BILLY - - -Major Little ordered the German airman turned over to an army -ambulance where he would be disposed of as a wounded man and -prisoner. To Don the surgeon said, after hearing the boy’s message: - -“Yes, we have had the same over the wire, but could hardly get it. -Hurry back, then. I’ll send two others after you. Phoned for them -an hour ago. Look out for gas shells; they may be sending them over -soon. Listen for the warning gongs from our trenches and the gurgling -sound of the shells themselves--you’ll know it. Or you may see the -fumes drifting your way in certain lights; after the explosion, -sometimes, you can see them very plainly. You can generally smell the -fumes in the open before they come near enough to injure you--then on -with your masks! By the way,” the Major lowered his voice, “is that -helper of yours on the job?” - -“Yes, sir; you may be sure he is! As cool and not afraid as they make -’em.” Don was glad of this chance to praise Billy. His regard for -the youth was hardly less than a strong love for his pal. The doctor -seemed surprised. - -“I would hardly have thought that,” he admitted,--“a gentle kind of -a boy. But that kind often fools you. Even girls themselves--some of -our demurest nurses are the bravest under fire. Well, I’m glad you -like him. Now, you must make a quick get-away!” - -Bon and Billy boarded their little car again, and just as they were -turning around, two other ambulances dashed up. The first one was a -light army truck, manned by members of the regular corps of the army -service. The other bore the Red Cross and it looked like a higher -grade of car than that commonly in use by that organization. Don was -swinging into the road and just caught sight of the driver and helper -in this last car. But as he glanced at the side face of the former -a rush of partial recognition mixed with an undefined feeling of -hostility swept over him. Where had he seen that face before? There -were not many persons he remembered unpleasantly. He had been in one -or two student rows with ruffians, who had fared badly as a rule and -the boys at Old Brighton had it in for a disagreeable fellow who was -even opposed to their speaking above a whisper when they passed his -place in the town. The face he had just seen was not one of these. -Well, there was more big work cut out ahead and he would think over -this question later. Yet the matter kept returning to his mind in -spite of the battle sounds and sights, among which they soon came at -close quarters. - -“I can’t understand one thing:” Billy remarked, as they sped on. -“Why is the shooting so at random? Just look at the shells that have -landed all around us, in the fields, in the roads, almost everywhere, -doing no real damage, except to stir up the ground, hitting hardly -anyone. It looks like fool business to me.” - -“And when you think how much one of these shells costs and how -much must be paid for a hundred rounds of cartridges fired by a -machine-gun, no wonder they say that it costs a good many thousands -of dollars for every man that gets hit,” Don offered. - -“Well, if it costs so much I wish they’d save those that come -my way. I’d just as lief treat even the Huns more economically!” -declared Billy. - -Don had to laugh, though at the moment they were approaching again -the old farm house, now torn to pieces, where the Hun airman had -dropped his bomb but an hour before. Billy also noticed it and asked -Don to stop. - -“Couldn’t we go in and see, Don? It will be solemn enough, but we can -be sure they’re all--they’re not suffering.” - -The boys alighted and rounded the house once more, stepping over -broken bits of stone and mortar and twisted framing. Billy was ahead -and he took but one glance and turned about. - -“Beyond doubt. They had at least their wish not to suffer.” He -uttered the words like a funeral benediction, and followed Don back. -As they were about to emerge from the trellised gateway the other Red -Cross ambulance shot by, the occupants, no doubt, supposing those in -the boys’ car had stopped here for a drink. Again Don caught sight of -the driver of that car. Instantly it came to the boy who the fellow -must be. The recognition was quite complete--and startling. - -Don stood in the road, looking after the speeding car. Billy’s -thoughts were upon other matters. The ambulance ran on until almost -out of sight. Then suddenly, instead of turning across toward the -dressing station at the western edge of the woods, it veered to the -east across fields and ran down a slope to a clump of bushes and low -trees where it stopped. The boy wondered if there could a dressing -station at that spot. - -“Don, if you can go on just this once without me, I’d like to stay -and bury that poor old couple and the little girl. It seems horrible -to let them lie there, exposed, uncared for, as though they had no -friends. What do you say?” - -“All right, Billy you stay. I can make the trip alone. They’ll help -me with the _blessés_ at the station and at the hospital too. If -anything does happen to me--should I get hit--you couldn’t help much -until you got the hang of running over such roads. And say, Billy, -you can do something else: when you hear a car going back take a peep -and if it’s those fellows that just went by, observe them, will you? -If you see them coming, go out and stop them and ask who they are, -you can let on you’re making a report. I’m just curious. Tell you -why later. G’bye! I’ll stop for you on the next trip down.” - -Don dashed on, reached the dressing station without mishap, took on -two wounded _poilus_ and one Yank; they sped back. - -Billy quickly found a garden spade an went to work with all his might -so as to complete his gruesome task. The ground was soft beneath -a wide-spreading apple tree just showing signs of blossoming; a -sweet-voiced bird sang the while in the branches above, and this was -the only requiem the old couple and the little child should know, as, -wrapped carefully in sheets rescued from the destroyed house, they -filled the one grave. - -The tender-hearted youth’s eyes were wet while he labored for the -poor souls who deserved a better burial than this. When the grave -was filled he made a rude cross of boards and wrote on it a simple -inscription, a tribute from his own gentle heart. - -This was the best the boy could do. The little bird still sang its -cheery ditty overhead. He turned away with a sigh and said, half -aloud: - -“I wonder what Father would think of me now. He wouldn’t believe it -possible of his youngest boy he used to call ‘a silly, girl-like -thing.’ I couldn’t blame him then, but now--well, he’ll change his -mind about me if I go back--that is, _if_ I get back.” - -Then Billy heard a car approaching and slipped out front to take a -look, as Don had requested. It was the army ambulance returning. But -where was the other Red Cross ambulance? - -Well, Don would not be here again for perhaps half an hour yet. -There would be time to slip along the road and get a glimpse of the -other car. Then he might give his pal even more information than he -expected. - -The clump of bushes was not more than three hundred yards from the -farm road and if there was a dressing station there Billy would find -it out--the information might be of value. To keep out of sight of -Hun airmen, should they fly overhead, the youth followed close to -the line of low evergreen trees that skirted the road and when he -reached the end of these but stood still within their welcome shadow, -he gazed across at the clump. In all this section of land north of -the distant woods and between where the American regiment in reserve -on the cross-road was stationed, there were no troops. Evidently -it was not a spot where the Huns could break through because of the -strongly entrenched positions of the Allies facing them. There had -been some Hun raids and some Allied counter-attacks, platoons of -Americans fighting beside the French--hence the wounded. But the -Germans had not succeeded in pushing their line any farther than the -western outskirts of the small village of Cantigney, another half -mile east of this ground. Here had come to an end the German drive -around Montdidier, a part of the Amiens offensive during the early -spring, which is called the first great drive of 1918. The effort to -take Amiens, a few miles to the north, was to meet defeat about two -weeks later. And meanwhile the great armies intrenched themselves, -crouching like lions at bay. They almost ceaselessly growled with -their numerous artillery and every little while kept up the clawing -and biting through local raids and counter-attacks, adding constantly -to the wounded and the dead. - -It was strange, Billy thought, if there should be a dressing station -here. He had been told that the stream, the south fork of the Avre, -bent here to the west and that the German positions followed the -river at this point. Therefore, while the Allied reinforcement was -stronger against attack, the Huns had made themselves stronger also, -to match their opponents and the local fights were all the fiercer, -therefore making the wide expanse of low land sloping toward the -stream subject to continual bombardment from higher and overplaced -shot and shell. It was across this area that the ambulances were -forced to travel from the dressing stations in the shelter of the -hillside woods beyond. That was dangerous enough without the further -exposure of a dressing station, even in a well covered _abri_, or -dugout, to this zone of flying shells. - -But what could the men with this ambulance be about for such a length -of time, when they were probably sent to the other dressing station -to bring away the wounded? Surely they had met with some urgent call -here. Billy pondered. Might he not go over and aid them? - -He started on a swift trot and had covered more than half the -distance in less than half a minute when a thing occurred that made -him drop to a walk, watching, wondering. Out of a thicket a tiny puff -of white smoke rose in jets, as though measured by time; two close -together, then four, then two, then six, then one, then six again and -2-6-6-3-2-6-4-4-2-6-3 and so on for another half minute. By that time -Billy had stopped. Was it mere instinct that made him dodge back of a -wide bush and peer through its budding branches? - -Again the funny little jets of white smoke. Why were they doing -this--these Red Cross men? There was the ambulance itself, in plain -sight, by the edge of the thicket and, moreover, a Red Cross sign had -been raised on a pole above the low trees. - -Billy’s eyes rapidly scanned the surroundings. A line of trees on -the slope toward the south shut off the thicket from the view of the -woods and the low ground here could not well be seen by the reserves -back on the cross-road. It seemed a place that might be well chosen -for isolation, if desired. And high in air, far over the enemy’s -trenches, a Hun observation balloon could be plainly seen against the -white, cumulus clouds. - -Billy gazed at this object long and keenly. He could distinctly -discern the basket beneath it; he could detect a certain movement of -something white going up and down, up and down several times and then -a pause; then several times again. While this was going on the puffs -of white smoke from the thicket were not forthcoming. Then, when the -white thing at the balloon ceased to move, the puffs began again. - -What did all this mean? Could there be any connection between the -thicket and the balloon--the little puffs of white smoke and the -movements of that white thing by the basket in the sky? - -Well, he was going to find out, anyway. There seemed to be nothing -else he could do that would straighten out the mystery in his own -mind. And so he again trotted forward direct toward the thicket, -still watching the balloon. Suddenly he grasped the truth. There -were two upward sweeps of white in the sky and instantly the little -puffs ceased again. The two men, wheeling about, their heads above -the bushes, saw Billy and began to beckon him. Fearless, probably -without any misgivings regarding himself, he went on to join them. -One pointed to the balloon and said something about it and Billy -gazed at it again, entirely off his guard. Suddenly he ceased to -see anything; he only tossed his arms feebly in air and sunk to the -ground in a crumpled heap. In front of him the long, thin-faced, -narrow-eyed driver of the car seized again a queer looking instrument -and began quickly to shoot up more of the little smoke puffs. Back of -the fallen youth stood the helper, holding a heavy iron rod in his -hand. He made a quick, excited remark to the driver in German. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -“GONE WEST” - - -Once again along the farm road came Don’s ambulance. It reached the -old farm house and stopped. He called loudly for Billy Mearns. There -was no answer and Don rose in his seat to go and look for his pal, -and to witness the good work he had done here. Always alert, he -glanced about. He had not met the other Red Cross ambulance again. -Was it still in the low ground by the thicket? - -It was, and the men there were moving about. Don stood watching them -for a moment. He saw a slender figure, one that he surely recognized -as that of Billy Mearns, crossing the field toward the thicket. He -saw two men within the clump and when Billy reached the bushes and -passed among them Don saw one of the men lift his arm as if he were -pointing. - -Then, for an instant, Don’s heart seemed to stand still, for he saw -the other man who had been in the clump of bushes raise his arm, -holding some sort of weapon and strike the slender figure down. - -The army ambulance at this moment was also coming along the farm -house lane. The driver and helper had been watching the German -observation balloon and its strange movements. When they reached the -high knoll they, too, stopped to see if this might mean signaling to -the enemy. The American driver’s helper was a _poilu_ who had been -wounded at the first battle of the Marne in 1914 and long experience -in the ways of the Huns had taught him to be suspicious of everything -unusual. He knew that the means of communication between a captive -balloon and the divisional commander was by telephone and such -signaling as this must be to those that a wire could not reach. In -broken English he shouted excitedly: - -“Behold! Zat ess eet, in ze booshes zere, over ze field! Puff, puff, -puff; behold! We have heem, _m’sieu’_! An we capture heem now purty -queek; right off, eh?” - -The Yank was about to send the car forward again when his companion -stopped him with another exclamation which made it worth while -pausing a moment longer for a better view. - -“Ha, look! Zee balloon, eet seegnal ze enemy, _m’sieu’_! Ha, he come! -He come queek; he go fast! Ha! Somesing doing now!” The Frenchman -had caught this last expression from his American friend. “An eet -ees ze _Croix Rouge_ car, ze other wan. He but young boy. An’ he -fire; ha, he too has--what you say? catched on to ze seegnalers. But, -_m’sieu’_, will not they reseest heem?” - -The two were on their feet now, gazing with all eyes, excited. So -they remained for some time--the Yank with clenched fists, the -_poilu_ rubbing his hands together. Then, as if at a signal, they -both dropped into their seats and the ambulance rushed again along -the by-way. Halt an hour later, with but one wounded man and a Red -Cross driver, unhurt, sitting beside him, the army ambulance drew up -to the evacuation hospital tent. In answer to the curt query of the -Major, the driver excused himself for bringing in only one man. - -“You see, sir, we thought it was no more than fair, after what they -had both done--discovered those Heinies inside our lines signaling to -the boche balloon and it signaling back to them. This fellow inside -that got his must have landed on ’em first, afoot, and they did him -up. Then the young chap, he went ’em one better and I never seen a -prettier fight. We seen it from the little hill.” - -“Did the German spies get away?” asked the surgeon. - -“Only one did, and I think he’ll get stopped. They must have seen it -from the woods. He made a run fer his car and jumped into it; it’s -the speediest thing ever, I reckon. He was out of sight quicker’n a -scared cootie, going for the woods. But the kid he got the other one; -the one, he says, that hit the pink-cheeked lad.” - -“How did he get him?” - -“Shot him. Let him have it like Pete the Plugger would ’a’ done. -Yes, sir! The kid’s car run right along to about fifty yards of the -bushes where they was hid and the kid jumped out; right off they -began shootin’ at him and he pulls a gun out of his Red Cross car as -calm and as deliberate as if he was after prairie chicken and knowed -he was goin’ to get ’em, and commenced shootin’. They skinned for -their car and one of ’em gets in and gets her goin’, but the other -one he turns round to take another shot at the kid who was kneelin’ -down and lettin’ ’em have it proper and the feller keels over and the -one in the car he skids off. I reckon the kid he jest about filled -that there car full of lead, but the feller he got away, though if he -wasn’t hurt it’s a wonder!” - -“The lad is sure one scrapper, eh?” The surgeon was much tickled and -slapped his leg at the realistic narrative of the ambulancier. - -“He is, Major; all of that!” continued the soldier. “For a kid, or -for a veteran, for that matter, he is some boy with a gun! And he -showed pluck, too, when we got there. You see, we seen and heard them -Hun gas shells comin’ over--that there Hun balloon give the range, I -reckon--and we heard the gongs, too, but we reckoned the kid, bein’ -so excited over the fight, didn’t get on to it, so the only thing to -do was to get there right quick and you bet we did! Here was this -one dead Hun with the Red Cross on his sleeve--the feller that the -kid shot--and in the bushes was the kid bendin’ over the feller what -them Huns had knocked in the head, and the gas from two busted shells -a sneakin’ up on ’em lively. We had on our masks and we started to -grab him and get him away. He hadn’t saw us ner heard us come and he -turned round on me with a drawed pistol, so’s I thought it was all -off sure. But the kid knowed us and didn’t shoot. We yelled ‘gas’ at -him and what did he do? Run to his car off there and get his mask? -Never a bit of it! He jest sez to us: ‘help me with this feller to my -car,’ he sez. ‘I’ve got two masks there, his’n and mine’ he sez. So I -sez: ‘this way’s quicker; make tracks fer our car, young feller!’ and -I picked up the insensible feller and run with him to our car and the -kid follered, and we got away from the gas. The kid he begged us to -get here quick, or his pal might die and so that’s why we come back -with only one.” - -“Well, all right; excused, of course,” said the Major. - -“Now we’re off, back up there, Major, and we’ll try to make up fer--” - -“It isn’t lost time, or it wouldn’t be if we could save that lad’s -life. Well, anyway--but you’d better wait a moment and I’ll get the -kid, as you call him--Richards--to go back with you and get his car.” - -The chief entered the tent and wended his way quickly down the long -aisle, between the rows of brown cots, many of which held wounded -men, he stopped here and there for a word of encouragement, of -advice, or to answer a question. Reaching the farther end he stood -for a moment, looking down at a white-faced figure lying very inert -beneath the blanket and at another sitting, with his face in his -hands, beside the cot. A woman nurse, rather young, with wonderfully -gentle eyes, passed softly and whispered to the Major. - -“He feels it terribly; we don’t often see such grief, though he is -not of the loud weeping kind.” - -The Major nodded and, stooping forward, laid his hand on the shoulder -of the figure in the chair. - -“Come, Richards. No use sitting here; there is much to do; much. -Getting away on duty will make you feel better.” - -Don looked up with a face that was drawn with sorrow. - -“But, Doctor, suppose he comes to and asks for me? You are sure that -he can’t get well?” - -The doctor assented by a nod. “He cannot recover,” was his brief -remark, uttered more feelingly than usual with this man of long, -hard experience. Then he added with his usual attention to duty on -his mind: - -“He may become conscious later on. I’ll let you know. After you get -your car and bring in the next bunch you must run down to your base -and report. They must assign you another helper. I have sent your -description of the German signal man to headquarters and to the P. C. -at the front of the woods section--I think they’ll get him. And I’ll -send a note by you, telling what good work you did.” - -With the idea uppermost that it was his first duty to play the part -of a good soldier in the work he had enlisted to do, Don got up to -join the army ambulance. Two hours later, in his own car and at its -best speed, he was returning from the Red Cross base. The man beside -him began to think himself most unlucky to have been assigned to -duty with this dare-devil of a driver, who spoke hardly a word and -seemed not to care if they were presently piled in a heap and both -killed. Around, past and in between lorries, trucks, ambulances, big -guns being hauled to the front and marching men they dashed. When the -evacuation hospital was again reached the young driver left the car -with but a word to the new man, requesting him to wait, and was gone -a long half hour. - -“He has asked for you,” said the nurse to Don. “His mind seems to be -clear and he is not suffering, but the shock was too great. It has -caused some immediate heart trouble and with the loss of blood--the -Major can explain. Go right over and speak to the poor boy.” - -Don did so, almost in despair, but he was determined not to show it. -Billy must get well; if there was anything in his thinking so, then -he must be given every chance. And so Don met his pal with a smile. - -“Hello, Billy! Feeling better? Soon be all right, I--” - -“No, no! Don, the--nurse told me all about it, what you did and what -you did for me, too. Don--we--we have only known each other--how -long, Don?” - -“Why, three whole days, Billy. But we’ll know each other al---” - -“Listen, Don. I know. Don’t try to fool me. No use. West--I’m -going--West. Pretty soon, too. A message, to my father and mother -and brother, Don. Will you write it? I got the nurse to write this -to introduce you to them, and to bid them good-bye. Then I only -want you to write him a letter about me--a little. Can you tell -them, Don, that I was not a coward--that I was not very much afraid -that--I tried to do my duty? Don’t tell them a lie--but--but if you -could truthfully say something like that it will please them. Do you -understand?” - -Don could not trust his voice, but he nodded his head with very -evident determination and, unlike anything he had ever done before, -placed his hand over that of Billy’s and held it. It was not a -boylike act, but it seemed as though they were no longer boys, but -creatures of profound and heart-stirring sentiment. The soft, droning -voice of the dying youth ceased a little; then began again with -halting, sometimes difficult speech. - -“Father will be pleased, Don, and know he will do as I request. -But you are not to open and read the note the nurse wrote for me. -You told me, Don--it was the first day--that you would like to go -to college when you get through Prep, but that your father could -never afford it with so many other boys to raise and educate. But if -someone who cared a lot for you, compelled you to accept the money, -then you would, Don, wouldn’t you? Please, please, say yes, Don--if -we have been friends. That’s good--good. Tell me, Don--what school do -you go to--now--when--you go--at home?” - -“Brighton.” Don just managed to pronounce the word. - -“Don! Brighton! Oh--you didn’t tell me that before. Brighton--was my -school, too, Don. Class of--1915. And you--Don--too! Well the good -old school will have reason to be proud--of you!” - -“Of you--of you, Billy!” - -“Perhaps so, if--if I could have--lived--gone on doing things--tried -to be--Don, ask the nurse to come here--or the--Major. I guess--I -guess--” - -The boy’s face had suddenly grown whiter, if that were possible, and -a deathly pallor came over it. Don went quickly to do as Billy asked. -The nurse came to the bedside of the young man. She bent over him for -what seemed a long while--a minute or more. Then she turned to Don. - -“Going,” she said. “He called your name again. Perhaps he can hear -you.” The nurse made way. - -“Billy, dear Billy, I--I’m here,” Don said, his lips close to his -pal’s ear. A faint smile came over the patient’s face and then it -became rigid. With a light heart Billy Mearns “went West.” - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -TIM - - -Don Richards’ new helper on the Red Cross ambulance was an -under-sized, red-headed Irishman by the name of Tim Casey. He was -a month or two short of nineteen winters and, as he expressed it, -an undetermined number of summers, but judging by the bleached-out -color of his hair, which he assured Don was originally as black as a -nigger’s pocket, there must have been a long siege of sunny months. -County Kerry was his birthplace and his native village was noted for -its big men, his own father being almost a walking church steeple -and his numerous brothers all six-footers. Tim was the only short -one--“the runt in the litter,” he called himself. - -“But if yez are proper anxious to know an’ ye look loike ye couldn’t -survive the day out wid not knowin’ all o’ me fam’ly histhry, Oi’ll -tell yez this: Phw’at was left out o’ me body was put in me head, do -yez moind? for by the holy Saint Macherel, Oi’m the smartest o’ the -bunch. Me faither’s poorer than whin he was born, an’ me brithers -couldn’t foind pennies if they growed on the grass. But me? Faith, if -wan o’ these here boche zizzers don’t have me name wrote on it, thin -whin the war’s over Oi’m goin’ to America an’ make a million pounds, -loike me friend Mike McCarty did!” - -“Good for you! That’s nearly five million dollars. Hope you get it,” -said Don. - -“Thanks. Could yez lend me phw’at they call two francs, now, to git -us both some sweet, brown, mushy things, loike candy, but diff’runt? -It’s me own treat, now.” - -“Chocolate? Sure. Here you are. You can get them at the Y. M. C. A. -hut in an _abri_ back of the woods and near our dressing station,” -Don informed him, and a little later the two lads were enjoying -mouthfuls of very satisfying sweetness, as they waited for more -wounded to be brought out to them. And as they waited Don turned to a -sentry to ask some questions. The sentry was glad to impart: - -“The P. C. came over a little while ago and I heard him tell the -medical sergeant, here in the doorway, that they had a message from -the evacuation hospital about a Hun in a Red Cross ambulance getting -away around the woods here. The man I relieved said he saw the fellow -go past, and he went a whizzing, but he didn’t question him; nobody -does anything with the Red Cross on it. The P. C. said that they -hadn’t seen hide nor hair of the man, nor the ambulance, since and -they think he must have been heading for another sector. He can rip -off his red crosses there and let on he’s something else important. -They do those stunts. But if he’s caught, it’s good-night for him!” - -Don was keenly disappointed. He had sent some very well directed -bullets straight after the escaping car, but they must have hit the -sides at an angle and glanced off. However cold-blooded and murderous -it appeared thus to shoot down a man, even a declared and vicious -enemy, the boy had done this deed against one who had murdered his -dear pal, Billy Mearns. Moreover, Don had wanted to write to his -father and to Mr. Stapley, at home, that the escaped man who had -helped to blow up the mills had been discovered and accounted for. -Don felt sure that this fake Red Cross driver and spy was the same -man--the narrow-eyed, tall individual that he and Clem Stapley had -spotted and listened to on the train coming from Brighton, more than -three months ago. - -Now that the German spy had escaped again, he would surely turn -up somewhere else and do more harm. Like his bearded confederate -at Lofton, he could probably speak English and American English -perfectly, and no doubt he knew French also, for these spies were of -that sort--sharp-witted, brainy, learned scoundrels! - -“He will try, yes, no doubt, but it will amount to very little. What -can he do?” replied the sentinel to whom Don made his pessimistic -remark. - -“Are yez on to this?” said Tim Casey. “The Limburgers are a very -smart bunch, yis; in many ways, yiz; but, me b’y, they’re awful -stupid, do yez see? These here Huns are loike parrots. They’re windy -imitators, ye see, but bad ’cess to thim, they got no real sense. -They don’t know just phw’at they want. A parrot, me b’y, is always -hollerin’ fer a cracker, but did yez iver see it eat wan? Ye did not.” - -“By which you mean to say--” began Don. - -“Thot the dumb Dutch will do somethin’ crazy sooner er later an’ -hang hisself. They jist natchally go round with a rope ready. An -look phw’at they’re doin’ in this war. Preparin’ the thickest koind -of a rope an’ makin’ it good an’ tight around their fool necks be -desthroyin’ iv’rything they come acrost so that whin they have t’ pay -they can’t do it!” - -It might seem to one not familiar with the risks of battle that -the work of an army or Red Cross ambulance driver must have been -intolerably monotonous. But such an idea is very far from the truth. -No two journeys afield were alike and so varied was the work and so -soul-stirring the sights and sounds of two great armies facing each -other, with bared fangs, that the part of any kind of an actor in the -war become a terribly real experience. - -There was no monotony in this thing for Don Richards, nor doubtless, -for any other ambulance driver in France during the great war, and -our hero could affirm this, especially when a shell, making a direct -hit, carried away all the latter part of his ambulance and burst on -the ground beyond, not forty feet away. Tim and Don were dragged one -way by the impact, a hundredth of a second later tossed, in a heap in -the other direction clear of motor and front wheels, upon a friendly -bit of mud and left to wonder whether the world had come to an end -completely, or was only just beginning to. And yet the boys came -through without a scratch worth mentioning. - -Tim Casey worried Don not a little in always being slow with his gas -mask. The boy told his helper that it would serve him right some -time if he got a sore throat from the gas. But the Irishman laughed; -he was really not afraid of anything normal, and abnormal things he -treated with a sort of lenient bluff, cursing them soundly in his -soft Irish brogue and dodging them because it was the habit to do so. - -“The sthinkin’ stuff is as vile as the dirthy Huns thot sind it over, -an’ if Oi had the villain thot invinted it Oi’d maul the face off -him, I wud!” - -“But suppose he were a big fellow, like some of these Huns are?” Don -asked in jest, to tease his companion. - -“Big er little, it don’t matter,” replied Tim. “It ain’t the soize -of a mon thot counts; it’s the spirit of him,” which Don was glad -to admit. And he sized up the little Irishman as one having a large -spirit when it came to a scrap. - -And there was the movement of men, of guns big and little, -of airplanes; there were aerial battles, bombings, raids and -counter-attacks, which were seen but little by the ambulance drivers, -but the immediate results were realistic enough. Tim Casey found a -remark or two that fitted every occasion and he declared one fight -even bloodier than an Irish holiday. - -“Ah, me b’y, if the bloody gobs in this here scrap had only had -clubs--shillalahs--phw’at wud they done to each ither? If Oi was the -ginral of this outfit, b’gorry, Oi’d sthart out a raidin’ party of -all Irish from County Kerry, give ’em shillalahs an’ the war’d be -over the next day! The kaiser wud call it inhuman, of coorse, an’ -right he’d be, but we’d win jist the same.” - -“Now, what could clubs do against guns?” Don laughed. “They’d have -you all shot dead before you got near enough to soak them.” - -“An wud they? Thin, me b’y, how come they to use bayonets? Tell me -thot.” - -“Its a thing I can’t understand and I guess I never will; unless it’s -after the ammunition on both sides gives out that they use them. -Maybe if they’d do away with ammunition in wars shillalahs would be -handier than guns and worse than bayonets.” - -“Oi’ll write the C. and C. about thot same,” said Tim. - -But whatever frightful atrocities and science had done to make this -war a horror beyond the conception of those who could not witness it, -the most terrible of all was the Hun bombing of hospitals. There was, -as with many other things indulged in by the Germans, nothing gained -by these acts--nothing but deeper exasperation and determination on -the part of those who were forced to fight the Hun. He saw others -through his own shade of yellow and imagined that he could frighten -his foes and lessen their morale that way--but it produced exactly -the opposite effect. - -The cross-roads evacuation hospital tents back of the Montdidier -front suffered from German airmen, not many days after the great -German push for Amiens had been stopped. Plainly an act of hatred, -this bombing gained nothing for the Huns. They had lost thousands of -men in killed, wounded and prisoners and wanted the Allies to suffer -still more. - -Don and Tim had received but one wounded man from the dressing -station back of the woods on the hill. Looking for additional -wounded, who might be struggling in, they had run around the northern -edge of the woods and a half-mile farther on, near the front line -trenches, when a military policeman rode out from an old orchard and -stopped them. - -“Too much noise from that motor of yours and the Heinies are very -wide awake,” he said. “They’ll spot you and be pretty likely to get -you.” - -“We hadn’t seen any Hun fliers and we thought they might be generally -keeping quiet,” Don said. - -“They are quiet just now, but I reckon it’s just before a storm,” -said the M. P. “That’s the way it usually is. If they suddenly start -to put down a barrage before a drive or a raid you’ll be in for it. -You know a good many of the bullets fly high and pretty nearly half -of them ricochet. You fellows can’t get back of a tree as I and my -horse can. Better go back.” - -Tim, who was driving the car, having now become rather proficient at -it, had a word to say, as usual. - -“R-right you are, me b’y! We was jist calculatin’ if they sint some -whizzers over to ketch ’em in these here dish pans; do ye see?” And -Tim tapped his helmet. “We’re lookin’ fer sowineers, we are.” - -“Oh, yes, you’d stop ’em! If a 122-shell would be coming right for -that topknot of yours it would veer off and go on, hoping to draw -blood where none was already flowing.” - -“Faith, an’ how did yez iver git in the sarvice? Ye’re color blind; -me mither dyed me hair blue; can’t ye see it? to offset me too -cheerful disposition.” - -“If you told me it was green I might believe you. But on the top of -the green it’s all rufus, Mike, all rufus.” - -“Well, misther bobby, it’s all right fer yez. But it’s a fightin’ -color; ain’t it?” - -“I believe that! But come now, lads; you’d better beat it while your -skins are whole.” - -Tim began turning the car. “Sure an’ ye loike t’ give orders. An’ -Oi’ll be tellin’ yez this; if a shell comes your way an’ mixes wid -yer anatomy, er yez git overcome wid hard wor-r-rk sett in’ on thot -plug all day ye’ll be hopeful glad t’ see us comin’. So long!” - -Not many minutes later the boys reached the hospital and out came the -Major in his long, white blouse. When the _brancardiers_ had carried -the wounded man into the X-ray tent, the chief had a word to say to -the _ambulanciers_ gathered by the roadside. - -“Hold yourselves in readiness, boys; we have orders to evacuate at -once; get every man that we can let go out of here and be ready -to pull up stakes at a moment’s notice. That’ll be if the Germans -succeed in advancing. It is believed they are getting ready to make -another push. So, as soon as we list our cases fully as to condition -and treatment, in half an hour’s time, we shall ask you to go get -busy. You had better line up along the road. Those cases in the -first three cars you will report and they’ll go on through to the -convalescent bases, as ordered by the Red Cross commission assistant; -the others will go to the nearest Red Cross base. Now, then, stand -ready boys, and tune up your motors till we call on you for the -stretcher work. We haven’t enough _brancardiers_ to do it quickly.” -The Major re-entered the tent. - -Don turned to a fellow-driver and was making a remark when Tim pulled -his sleeve. - -“Do yez hear thot coffee grinder comin’?” - -From a distance there was the hum of a motor high in air. As it grew -louder, it was easily recognized as a double motor--the unmistakable -sound, never in tune, that giant twin propellers make. - -“Sounds like a bombing plane. Ours or the Huns’?” queried a driver, -gazing aloft. The bunch were all doing that now, as a matter of -habit. One chap was squinting through a field glass. - -“There she comes out of that cloud! Pretty high up. Say, it’s a -Heinie! What’s he up to? Guns can’t reach him at that elevation, but -_his_ bombs can reach the earth.” - -“Going to worry them reserves, I reckon. Where’s the Frog-eaters? -They’ll chase him home if they go up.” - -There seemed to be no French birdmen around and the German was -evidently taking advantage of this. He was coming on straight over -the hospital and lessening his height every second. In thirty seconds -he had come down to half the distance from the earth and began to -sweep about in a circle, or like a gigantic figure eight, much as a -great, bloodthirsty hawk does when scanning the earth below for its -prey. - -Suddenly, from beneath the airplane the watchers saw something long -and gray which seemed to poise a moment under the airplane, then drop -and gain momentum every fraction of a second, and fall like a plummet -straight for the hospital tent. The watchers, all experienced, knew -well what it was, but any cry of warning was lost in the explosion -that followed not a hundred feet beyond the tent. - -“The dirty spalpeen!” Don heard Tim shout. “Come down here wanst an’ -thin do it! Gin’ral,”--Tim insisted upon calling Don that--“he’ll -make surer the next time! Come, there’s wor-rk inside!” - -There was. Don caught a glimpse of two _ambulanciers_ diving under -their cars, of another running somewhere else, evidently for shelter. -The boy’s ears welcomed the sharp crack, crack of field pieces and -he knew the anti-aircraft were demonstrating their readiness. He got -one more glimpse of the Hun plane over the roof of the tent and saw -another gray thing descending. Then he was inside. - -When Don had looked in not two hours before he noted that at least -three-fourths of the cots were occupied, the convalescents walking -slowly about, or seated in little groups, talking; the nurses were -busily engaged. The sad sounds pervading the place were horribly -depressing to him. He could not long endure the labored breathing of -those who were passing over the Great Divide, the persistent coughing -of the severely gassed, the sight of shell-shocked men, who, without -a scratch, cowered and stared about like crazy people, the moaning of -those who suffered and the smell of anesthetics. - -But now all was changed. The scene was beyond description. Don was -awake to his duty and eager for it. There must be strong wills and -hands to aid and reassure these helpless fellows. The doctors and -nurses, frightened but heroic, could not do it all. - -With a sound like the rending of a thousand taut cords a hole was -torn in the tent roof, the interior was filled with streaks of flame -and smoke and flying objects, a choking odor filled the air with -stinging fumes and through it all came groans, screams and curses -in a hideous melody. Wounded men some with limbs in splints, some -half covered with bandages, leaped or tumbled out of their cots, and -sought imagined shelter anywhere. Some limped or crawled outside. -Some lay still and prayed aloud. Another bomb fell that was a second -clean miss of the main tent, though it struck the corner of the -medical supplies tent and scattered the Major’s personal effects -beyond recovery. Two other bombs came down in quick succession, one -in the road beyond, cutting a hind tire, lifting the top off of the -last ambulance in the line and knocking down two sentries. The fifth -bomb went wild and did no harm. Those who still had their eyes on the -murderous thing aloft saw it turn eastward and rise beyond the reach -of the guns. - -There was much work of a very serious nature during the next few -hours and then a night of running back and forth. The first streaks -of a murky dawn witnessed the evacuation hospital nearly empty and -ready for new cases. Two lads in a rain-soaked and mud-bespattered -ambulance, carrying a cheerful soldier whose only need was a week of -rest, stopped by the roadside on the way to Paris--and, with their -passenger’s consent, rolled up in blankets on floor and seat to sleep -the sleep of the just fagged. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -WASH - - -“My boy, I want to commend you, for your aid when they bombed us last -week. Haven’t had a chance to before. If all of the fellows had been -as cool and as helpful as you and that little, red-headed Irishman -we would have had less trouble straightening things out. I see he is -running his own car now. Who is your helper?” So spoke Major Little, -when he came out of the operating room to get a breath of fresh air, -and said to Don. - -“I guess I’ll get a colored chap, if I get any,” the boy replied. “A -lot of new cars have come over and they want men. I can get along -alone. Some of the fellows do.” - -“Better to have company. Helps the _morale_. Gives a chance of aid -if one fellow gets hit. Better all round. It is the policy of the -service; but we can’t always get what we want.” - -“Glad you didn’t have to move after all, Doctor.” - -“No, but the expectation now is that the move will come farther -north--against the British. Or it may be to the south. If so, some of -you fellows will have to be transferred to that sector and it will -give us a little rest here.” - -“I guess you won’t be sorry, sir. You have worked hard.” - -“Yes, pretty hard--right along. We of the Medical Department and of -the Red Cross got into it before our fighters did. But the time has -come now.” - -“I’d like to see some of our boys get busy in a big way. I wish I -could have joined the army.” - -“Your work is fully as important--and daring--and useful. And, -remember this, it is far more humane. You’ve no right to feel -dissatisfied.” - -“I’m not, Major--not a bit of it. You may count on me! Are there any -more _blessés_ to go down now?” - -The Americans had begun to take part in the fighting. They had begun -to do things in a small way, but this seemed to cause very little -stir in France, except among those who had knowledge of the sterling -character of the boys from the United States. The French commonly -knew nothing actually. They saw nothing to make them think they were -any more than a staunch-looking lot of fellows, many of whom needed -a lot of drilling in modern warfare before they could hope to turn -the tide of battle. There had been little evidence, so far, of this -aid materializing, and even the most optimistic _poilus_ had begun to -doubt and to question. They had become a trifle fed up on American -promises and they now wondered if the Yanks really meant to fight in -a large way, or had come over only to skirmish and to bolster up the -courage of the Allies by remaining in reserve. - -True, the Americans had done a little commendable fighting, aided -by the British and the French. Brigaded with the “Tommies” they had -taken some hard knocks above Amiens. Brigaded with the French they -had helped hold the Germans around Montdidier, but what could they do -on a large scale that would really count? Were they actually going to -be a factor in war? - -Well, these questions were to be answered shortly, but would the -result allay all doubt in the minds of all the anxious ones? The -Americans were arriving upon the field of battle in rapidly -increasing numbers. They had come across three thousand miles of -water in spite of the German submarines. Was it like those vigorous -inhabitants of the greatest country on earth, to hold back now in the -great contest? - -Spring had arrived. It was past the middle of April. The grass was -newly green. The fruit trees were coming into blossom and the foliage -was beginning to bud. The birds were singing everywhere, even amidst -the desolate scenes of battle. Except where the shells and shrapnel -of the opposing armies had torn the ground and battered the forests, -there was the peacefulness over all and beauty of the new life of the -season. Even now not far back from the fighting front of the Allies, -some daring tillers of the soil were making ready to plant their -crops. - -But alternating with the days of balmy stillness came the rains--days -and days when the whole face of nature was like a vast mop, soaked -to fullness, dripping and cold. And when it rained it did nothing -but rain. It had become almost an icy drizzle on the twentieth and -the soldiers in the trenches, those bivouacking in the open and the -homeless refugees who had fled before the German advance, were -correspondingly miserable. It was, as in the winter months, a time -for greatcoats, dry footwear, if such were possible, and the making -of fires wherever fuel was to be had. - -Don Richards was ready with every handy means to meet the intolerable -weather conditions, and his new helper, Washington White, the -blackest darky and one of the best natured that ever exposed a -wide row of ivories. Washington fairly hugged himself because luck -had thrown him in with a lad who had camped and roughed it through -wild country and knew nearly every trick of out-of-door life, from -vacation experiences with his Boy Scout troop, and from camping out -with the Brighton biology class. - -“Wha--wha--what we gwine tuh du now, Mist’ Donal’? Ain’t a-gwine tuh -stay yer; is we? In all dis slop o’ mud?” - -“Just that!” Don replied. “No more mud here than everywhere else. -I guess the whole world is one big puddle by the way things look, -except perhaps the Desert of Sahara or the American bad lands. This -is as good a spot to put up in for the night as anywhere that I know -of--in this part of the earth, anyhow.” - -“But wha’s de matter wif gwine on back tuh de hospital?” - -“No place there. You know they’ve asked us to give up our quarters -for a while to some new nurses just come over, and we’ve got to be -polite to the ladies. The orders have been all along that if we were -empty and night shut down on us on the road, to bunk anywhere and go -on in the morning, with that much time gained. Every minute counts -these days. Get the matches under the seat there, will you? And -there’s a bottle of coal-oil wrapped in a rag by the tool box. Reach -down that camp hatchet.” - -“But, lawsee, Mist’ Donal’, we’d be somewhar’s en’ a roof en’ have -lights en’ a wahm meal---” - -“Say, forget it! Haven’t we got the roof of the car? And haven’t -we got a light,” pointing to the one lighted lamp of the car, “and -as for a warm meal--oh, boy! I’ll make you think you’re at the -Waldorf-Astoria when I get to frying this good old American bacon and -these French eggs. You ought to be doing it, really, but the next -time’ll be your turn. Now then, chase around for some wood!” - -“B-r-r-r! Dis road’s awful dahk en’ de wood’ll be all wet’s a wet -hen, en’ say, Mist’ Donal’, wid all dem sojers kickin’ de bucket back -yondah en’ off dere in dem trenches en’ de amberlances chasin’ back -en’ fo’th wid deaders--say, lawsee, Ah’s plum scairt ’bout projectin’ -roun’ dis--” - -“Aw, go on, you superstitious simp! The wood won’t be wet inside if -it isn’t rotten. Don’t be a coward. Why, boy, you tell me you’re not -going to be afraid of bullets and shells and bombs and gas. Aren’t -they worse than people already dead? You make me tired. Go chase--!” - -“But shells is jes’ shells en’ bullets is jes’ bullets en’ all dat, -but dese yere deaders may be ghos’ses. Lawsee, man! Ef one o’ dem -t’ings ’d rise up en’ grab yo’--ooh!” - -“Say, you weren’t cut out for this kind of work, Wash. What are you -going to do when we’ve got to haul some dead people, or when some -poor chap dies on the way in? I’ve had three do that with me so far -and it may happen right along. See here, if you want to stay with me -you’ve got to be sensible and brave. There’s no such thing as ghosts -and the only thing about a dead person is that it’s awful to think -they’ve had to be killed. Are you going after--?” - -“Yes, suh; yes, suh! Ah’ll git de wood, ef dere is any. Ah reckon Ah -ain’t so much scairt as Ah let on! Ah reckon Ah ain’t.” - -“You’d better not be scared at anything if you want to stay with -this outfit. This is no coward’s job, Washington. And say, with that -name of yours, now, you oughtn’t to be afraid of the whole German -army, even if they were all dead. George Washington wasn’t afraid of -anything. Is your first name George?” - -“Ah reckon ’tis, but Ah doan’ know fo’ shuah. Mah mammy allus jes’ -call me Wash er Washington. No, suh, dat man Ah’s name fo’ wasn’t no -coward. Ah’ll git de wood, but Ah’ll take de hatchet.” - -But Wash had become more reconciled to a camp in a soggy field by the -time he had set his teeth into the bacon, several boxes of which, -with other good things, filled a grub box in the car. Then, warmed by -a fire that roared in spite of the drizzling rain and mist, and later -rolled in a thick army blanket on the bottom of the ambulance, the -darky’s snores soon gave evidence that ghosts were haunting him no -longer. - -The morning dawned with lifting mists and a breeze that was making -a counterdrive to chase away the enemy clouds in order to let the -peaceful sunlight through. Don, while lighting the fire, planning the -breakfast and prodding Wash to get up and cook it, felt much better -for the change. - -“Hump yourself, you lazy snorefest you, and just look at the battle -going on out here!” - -That had the effect of hastily arousing Wash. Not even the promise of -a crap game is dearer to one of his kind than a scrap of this sort. - -“Whar-whar’s de fight? Ah doan’ heah no shootin’!” - -“See those Hun clouds?” enthused Don. “Well, that west wind comes -straight from good old America and it’s making the boches hustle.” - -“Lawsee! Ah reckon you-all’s done got ’em! Wha-whar’s dat bacon en’ -dem aigs. Yo’ jes’ watch me git up one breakfas’ dat’ll fetch roun’ -yo’ senses! Golly! Heah dat?” - -They both heard. A rumbling noise coming rapidly nearer along the -road. Wash thought it might be the Germans, but Don assured him that -was impossible. The Americans were on the job now. There was further -evidence of this at hand, for out of the dispelling mists came a -yellow touring car closely followed by a gigantic khaki-colored -lorry, or camion. Right back of that another and another, and more, -and still more until the road was filled, farther than the eye could -see, with the steadily moving line. Each big vehicle was filled with -soldiers. - -Don had seen a crest on the leading touring car. He knew this bunch -of men, for it had been whispered from mouth to mouth at the Red -Cross base hospital that the marines were on their way from westward -training camps. - -“Our engineers up there with General Carney showed the Huns what kind -of stuff the Americans are made of,” one official had said. “Trust -the marines for driving that down the Germans throats--when they get -at it!” - -That was it: when they got at it. But when were they to get at it? -Was French official red tape in the way, or was it that the British -and French generals feared to trust the untried Americans too far? -Must a desperate need arise to make an actual test of the Americans? - -The boys stood by their car, waving their hats at the men in passing, -and many a wave of arms they got back. Many a good-natured jibe was -exchanged between the lorries and the ambulance. - -“Hurrah! Go to it, you blood drinkers!” shouted Don. - -“That’s the stuff, buddy! It’s sauerkraut in Berlin for us before -we’re done!” - -“We’re goin’ to give Fritzy fits!” roared another marine. - -“How do you like cruising on land?” asked Don of another carload. - -“Can’t see much difference between this country now and the good, old -ocean!” was the rejoinder. - -“One’s as wet as the other!” - -“An’ ye can’t drink either of ’em!” shouted a third. - -“Oh, look at the coon!” called a private in another camion. - -“Say, nig, lost, ain’t yu? I reckon yu ol’ mammy’s jes’ cryin’ huh -eyes out fo’ huh little Alabama coon!” - -“Huh! Ah reckon yu-all frum down Souf, too; eh, soljah man?” yelled -Wash. - -“I am that! Georgia! But everything goes just the same over here!” - -“Say, a darky! Wonder these Frog-eaters haven’t got him in a cage! -rarity over here!” The fourth camion contingent were impressed. - -“Well, I bet our Red Cross friend there has to eat his share of hog -fat and hoe cake!” - -This went on for a good three-quarters of an hour until the last -lorry had passed. Then the lads turned to a hasty breakfast. - -“They’re the marines, Wash; the Fifth and Sixth Regiments. You know -they have a slogan in the Navy: ‘a marine never retreats’.” - -“In de Navy. What dem sojahs doin’ in de Navy?” - -“They’re the soldiers attached to battle-ships. They fight on land -when needed, and I guess they’re going to be needed here!” - -“Did yu-all know enny of ’em pussonel, Mist’ Donal’? Ah seed yo’ -lookin’ lak yo’ was gwine ter call a feller in one o’ de las’ cars be -name, en’ he look at yo’ so’t o’ queeah, too.” - -“Yes, I happen to know one of them, Wash. You are some observer. He’s -a chap from my home town. His name’s Clement Stapley. He joined the -marines before I left home. But I hardly think he knew me, Wash.” - -“Yes, Ah t’ink he done knowed yo’, frum de look awn his face. But -mebbe he wa’n’t quite shuah. Why’n’t yu-all holler at him en’ pass -de time o’ day an’ yell how he is?” - -“Oh, well, you see, we were not such very good friends, and I was -afraid he might still feel sore at me. Maybe I’ll get a chance to see -him again. Well, come on; we’ve got to be going. There’s a lot of -work ahead.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -SHIFTED - - -The battle sector southeast of Amiens and around Mondidier became -quiet during the latter part of April and early May, and, true to -Major Little’s predictions, he and the force under him had not much -to do. There was still some local fighting. It would not be modern -warfare without. Each side sought almost constantly to harass the -other and to impress its enemy with its power and readiness. Still, -there were a few casualties, so that the dressing stations, and -operating room in the evacuation hospital were not idle, and a few -ambulances were making almost continuous trips up and down the -well-traveled highway. - -Not far back of the road from Paris to Amiens the newly-begun -American graveyard, with its regular cross-headboards, had grown -somewhat. Its mounds were often decorated with roses, field poppies -and wild flowers laid on them by the tenderhearted natives, mostly -children. It was such sights, together with those of the ruined -homes and shell-torn cities within reach of the German guns, that -made the beholder pause and wonder how it was that humankind could -permit war and its horrors. - -The so-called second German drive of 1918 had been launched along -the river Lys against Ypres and toward the Channel ports in early -April. But it had proved a failure. The firm stand of the British -wore out and finally stopped the Huns. Then, more and more furious -at these repeated checks, the German High Command, with Hindenburg -and Ludendorff at the head, shifted their offensive toward the south. -If the British lion could not be separated from his ally, the French -eagle, and slain at once then perhaps a supreme effort would gain the -road to Paris. The threatened destruction of that city would surely -bring victory to Germany and thus enable the kaiser to impose “peace -at any price” upon the Allies. - -Therefore, on the last day of April began the strengthening of the -German line from Noyon to Rheims and a consequent push around Noyon. -But the Huns made no progress and once more gnashed their teeth in -preparation for a desperate onslaught. It was planned that this -should break through at the long coveted points nearest their first -objective, the city of Paris. - -Just as the storm broke along the Oise and the Marne rivers, there -came a surprise to the British, French and Germans. To the Huns it -was like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky. - -The Americans, under French direction, backed by French artillery, -went over the top from hastily dug trenches, and made a -counter-attack at Cantigny, which threw the enemy back nearly a mile. -The Yanks, at the end of May, still held their positions, against the -Huns most violent attacks. - -Coming up the Paris-Amiens road on a bright morning--the first day -of June--Don and Wash, carrying additional supplies for the dressing -stations back of Cantigny, met a long line of yellow American -lorries--no new thing now, but fraught with deep significance. - -“The marines again, Wash--our marines--going south. I bet they’re -ordered into the fight. You heard what the assistant to our -commissioner said to Surgeon-Major Brown: ‘There’s likely to be -some hard work stopping the Heinies on the road out there east of -Paris’--the road” Don explained, the Major said “to a place they call -Rheims. The Huns have got as far as the river Marne, and that’s where -they were in 1914. But I’ll bet they don’t get much farther--not if -our boys are going into it!” - -“Is dey enny cullud sojahs in de fight?” asked Wash. - -“I guess not right at this place, but I think there are, somewhere -along the line. Someone told me so--a regiment or more of them.” - -“Well, den, what dey wants tuh do is jes’ give ’em some razzors ’en -say tu ’em: ‘Look-a-yer, yo’ niggahs, dese yer Germans ain’t no real -white folks--dat is real qual’ty--dey is jes’ po’ whites ’en no -’count ’en dey hates niggahs. Now den, go in ’en carve ’em up!’ Sho, -man, dey wouldn’t be no German army in ’bout fo’ minutes.” - -“Why, that’s right, Wash! Great idea! I’m going to see General -Pershing about that. Or, say, how would it do to tell those colored -soldiers that every Heinie’s a brother to a ’possum, or that a -great big flock of fat chickens is roosting low over in the German -trenches! Wouldn’t they drop down on those Huns and scare ’em to -death?” - -“Aw, gwan, you’s kiddin’ me, yo’ is! Say, ain’t we gwine tuh stop -somewhar’s ’en see dese marines go by an’ holler at ’em lak we -done--?” - -“No, indeed. We’ve got to go on and get back,” said Don. “Orders are -to report near LaFerté, to a French officer. The evacuation hospitals -down there are all French, I guess. And now all the army down there -is French, too, I expect, so we’ll bring in their wounded mostly. But -if our boys--” - -“Does dese yer Frenchers all yell an’ hollah when dey’s hurt bad?” -Wash asked. So far he had seen but two of them, both seriously -wounded, and they had done a good deal of groaning and calling for -water. But the question went unanswered, for just at the moment the -ambulance was compelled to veer off nearly into the ditch in order to -dodge a broken-down car and the ever passing lorries, the negro being -bounced almost off his seat. - -“Ah doan keer whar we goes tu from yere, jes’ so’s we git somewhar’s -whar de sun shines lak hit do now fo’ a little while. Ah suttenly -doan lak dis puddle bizness what we has mos’ de time sense Ah ben in -dis yere France. Hit sure am some wet country. Now dis day ain’ so -bad, so Ah’ll jes’ tap wood--” and he rapped himself on the head. - -The round trip completed, Don and Wash at the base hospital, -re-stocked their car for any emergency. They started out on a new -road, coming up with the tail end of the marines in their big -camions--passing them, one by one. The way led east, then south and -east again, passing first through the town of Senlis, then around the -little city of Meaux, then away on a splendid road toward Rheims. -Before reaching the objective beyond the town of LaFerté, the road -crossed the beautiful Marne, called a river, though Don regarded it -merely a big creek, as it would be called in America. - -Oh and ever on, rumbled the camions, the yellow lorries with the -marines, and Don expected again to catch sight of Clem Stapley. -However, it was not these fighting men that most interested him, for -on this Rheims road the boy saw for the first time what he would -probably never see again--refugees, fleeing from the German army. - -It was a sight never to be forgotten--one to wring pity out of -the most stony-hearted, to sober the most waggish, to sadden the -gentler-minded as hardly even death, or the suffering of the wounded -could do. Driven from their homes, fearing the wrath of the invader, -expecting only to return and find all their property destroyed, -except the little they could carry away, given over to pillage, or -the flames. They trudged along, embittered by injustice, powerless -to protest, stolid or weeping, but all of one mind. They sought only -a place of safety from the Huns. They were mostly afoot; many old -men, the younger and middle-aged women and the stronger boys and -girls were the beasts of burden, carrying or drawing great loads in -makeshift carts, or light wagons, the more fortunate having horse or -cow, or perhaps donkey or dog, harnessed to help. On these loads rode -the smaller children and the very aged. - -Even the soldiers, singing and laughing as they went on to battle, -some of them to death or lifelong suffering, and as gay as if nothing -but a picnic lay before them, ceased their music and raillery, when -they saw the first of these refugees. - -The French medical officer at the evacuation hospital near LaFerté -spoke enough English to make himself understood by the American -Red Cross ambulance drivers, half a dozen of whom had reported to -duty before Don arrived on the scene. These fellows greeted him -exuberantly and all stood in a row ready to receive orders. - -“One of ze dressed staisheon ess more veree far up ze road at zee -feets of one hill, _m’sieu’_. Eet is maybe one kilo from zee enemy -at ze Château-Thierry. Go where eet is and carry all ze wound’ you -can to bring heem _par-ici_. Then we operate and dispose, _m’sieurs_. -_Allons!_” - -The ambulances raced away in a string, Don leading. Then began again -the experiences of near approach to the battle line, hearing the -almost constant rattle of small arms and the hardly less continuous -roar of larger guns, seeing the shattered buildings and trees and -shell-holes in the most unexpected places. The military police were -on duty along the roads. Military messengers were hurrying back and -forth. _Brancardiers_ were crossing and re-crossing the fields, with -their stretchers empty or laden. Field artillery was moving forward -to position. Troops were going in to engage the enemy, or coming out -to rest and others waiting in reserve. Ammunition carriers lugged -forward their heavy loads. Food for the men in battle was being -prepared in hastily set-up kitchens. Sometimes a shell exploded and -punctuated the tremendous activity. - -“Now then, Wash, mind your eye. We’ve got to get in where, any -minute, we may run into a big bang and go up a mile high, or maybe -get buried alive or dead under about a ton of earth. Here’s where it -is you’ve been saying you’d like to get--right in among the fighters. -So be prepared for the worst!” - -“Ah ain’t ezakly ready fo’ no sech carryin’s on ez dis,” the darky -remarked, rolling his ivory eye-balls until Don thought the pupils -would go out of sight and stay there. “How--how long we gotta stay -yere an’ what’s de mattah wiv me jes’ droppin’ off ’bout dis place -’en waitin’ twill yu-all gits back from in yondah? Kaint see how Ah’s -gwine be much use nohow.” - -“You stay right on this car!” ordered Don. “What did you come for? -When you get hit, then it’s time to talk about quitting. From your -color I didn’t believe you had a single streak of yellow in you.” - -Wash stared hard at Don for a moment. A big, whizzing shell, with a -noise like that made by a nail when thrown through the air, passed -over, not very far away, and exploded with a horrible rending sound, -but the negro only shook himself and then grinned. Presently he -replied to his companion: - -“An’ Ah ain’t yaller, neither! No, sah! En’ yu-all ain’t gwine tuh -have no call tuh say Ah is yaller. No, sah! Ah’s gwine tuh stay on -dis job ontil de yearth jes’ fade away an’ kingdom come, Ah is. -Scairt? Is Ah? Yu jes’ watch me! An’ ef Ah’s gotta git hit, why Ah -jes’ gits hit an’ Ah reckon Ah kin stan’ it ez well ez a yuther o’ -them niggahs a-fightin’, or any white man, either! Yes, sah!” - -And that was all there was to it. Wash meant what he said. Not -another whimper did Don hear from him, no matter what their duties -were, nor how fast the shells flew. The darky was on the job to prove -that he was all one solid color, figuratively as well as literally, -even if his name was White. And it became certain that there was no -pallor in his liver to indicate his name. - -The boys’ first trip close to the battle lines near Château-Thierry -resulted in their return with three Frenchmen, one dying and beyond -possible help, and two others wounded. Don and Wash had reached the -crest of a hill on the road running southwest into LaFerté when they -came upon a Red Cross ambulance which had been disabled. Don pulled -up a moment to ask if he could briefly give aid, thinking to tow the -other car in, if necessary. It was not the custom for a car loaded -with _blessés_ to spend any time on the road, if it could be avoided. - -A weazen little man, with a foreign face, replied to the boy, in good -English: - -“Can you lend us a heavy wrench? We have only one and a light one. We -need two to take off a bolt.” - -Don produced the desired tool from his box and turned to hand it -to the little fellow. At the same instant the voice of someone on -the other side of the crippled car called quite loud and in French, -presumably a command to the little man. The latter made answer as if -in protest. Then he handed the wrench back to Don. - -“We can obtain another. We should not keep you. Thanks.” - -“No, use it,” Don insisted. “I must give my wounded some water and -see if they are comfortable. It will not take you long.” - -The little man ran quickly to his car and dived beneath it. Don, -influenced partly by curiosity and partly by instinct, walked past -the front end and on to the other side of the disabled car. A man -there, whose voice he had heard--glared at him for a moment, then -turned away, rounding the rear end of the car and keeping his back to -Don. This fellow was tall, thin, with a narrow face and contracted -eyes. He was dressed in khaki, with the white band and Red Cross on -his arm. - -The boy stood pondering but a moment. He knew where he had seen this -man before and under what circumstances. Evidently Don also was -recognized. Without a word the youth retraced his steps. He knew very -well from what exact spot he could draw his rifle and he knew also -that Wash knew how to handle a gun and that he would glory in doing -so where any kind of heroics were to be pulled off. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -ON THE WAY - - -“Wash, listen: You know how to use this. Magazine’s full. You’re to -use it--just when I tell you, or maybe before. There’s a chap around -that’s got to go along with us, Wash, and there’s a cord in the -tool-box to tie him with. Mind you don’t shoot me! Lie low till I -shout.” - -Don went back to the crippled car. - -“Well, does it work? Got it out?” he asked of the little man and -received a muffled reply from beneath the _chassis_. Don walked -around the mudguard past the rear end, and looked along the other -side. No one was in sight. Had the tall man slipped into the car? He -would find out. - -“Nice car you have here--don’t see many as fine in the service,” he -remarked to the man beneath. Again a muffled reply. One can hardly -give attention to needless questions and wrestle with a refractory -bolt. “How is she fitted inside?” Don queried, putting one hand on -the latch of the full-length doors and the other on the butt of his -revolver in its holster. But the doors were fastened on the inside. - -“Don’t open those doors! Don’t try to, for the love of God!” -yelled the small man, from the ground and instantly his wrinkled -face emerged, followed by his wiry little body. “We’re loaded with -explosives for mines and they’ll go off. Keep away from it!” Whether -this was true or not and whether the fellow really felt frightened -or was pretending, he certainly assumed it well. Don involuntarily -backed away from the car. - -“Oh, but that was a narrow escape! We’d all be sky-high if--” he -began again, but the boy quickly regained his nerve. - -“Well, tell me, how does it carry them; stand the jolt? And how are -you going to unload it? Looks to me as if you’re kidding. But I don’t -see any joke in it.” - -“Kidding? Indeed I’m not, man! But I can’t stop now--” - -“Oh, yes you will, too! My business is more important right now than -yours. I want to see inside and I’m going to. You come here and open -these doors for me!” - -“What? Trying to act smart, ain’t you?” The little man was about to -turn back to his work, but Don caught him by the shoulder, whirled -him around and he gazed into the muzzle of the boy’s revolver. - -“S-s-say, what you--?” - -“Open those doors! There’s a fellow in there that’s going back with -us. He’s in there and I want him! Come on, open that door and be -quick about it. Wash, bore a hole in this fellow if he makes a break!” - -“S-say, put down that pistol! I haven’t done anything to you. Listen -to reason: there ain’t anyone in there. The man who was here--some -fellow I don’t know went up the road. Guess he’s a Frenchman.” - -“I guess he is--_not_!” said Don. “I know him; saw him before in the -United States and up here near Montdidier. Come, open up or chase him -out!” - -“I tell you there’s explosives--” - -“Bosh! Think I’m green; don’t you? Before I have to tell you again to -open those doors I’m going to blow the lock off ’em. Now, get busy!” - -[Illustration: DON CAUGHT HIM BY THE SHOULDER AND WHIRLED HIM AROUND.] - -The weazen little man was most deliberate. Coming around to the rear -end of the ambulance, he reached up to the door latch. But this -action was a bluff--the boy felt sure of that. The lad didn’t feel -like carrying out his threat. To shoot through the doors might kill -someone and he didn’t want to kill. At most it was desirable to -inflict only a wound. Surely there must be a way to win out here and -Don had already learned to depend on the power of his shooting-iron. -He had every inch of his nerve with him at this moment. - -“Can’t open it, eh? Can’t? Well, I’ll show you how then.” He walked -quickly to the car and taking the revolver by the chamber in his left -hand--not a thing a wise gunman would do at any time, under stress of -threatening circumstances he caught the lower corner of one door that -was warped enough to gap at the bottom, and, with a wrench he tore -off the frail fastening. The doors flew open. - -The next instant Don was tumbling on the ground, struggling to rise. -He felt a determination to fight, and hold this man still uppermost -in his mind, in spite of a heavy blow over the head from within the -car. Where was his weapon? Why could he not instantly regain his -feet? Was that the noise of the crippled car getting away? Where was -Wash? Why did he not shoot? - -Then there was a period of unconsciousness until, a few minutes -later, he did get to his feet to stare into the frightened eyes of -Washington White. - -“Oh, by cracky, they hit me and--they’re gone! Wash, Wash, why didn’t -you shoot ’em? Why didn’t you--?” - -“Shoot nuthin’! Man, man, how come yo’ lef’ de barrel plum empty? Dey -wuz no ca’tridge in de barrel. Ah cocked her ’en pulled de trigger -’en cocked her again ’en pulled ’en she wouldn’t go off nohow ’en by -de time Ah projecated whar de troble was, dem fellahs wuz a flyin’ -down de road lak Ol’ Man Scratch wuz a huntin’ ’em. But ’tain’t so -much Ah keer ef dey is gone so’s yu ain’ daid.” - -“Well, I care!” Don was clearly regaining his senses. “But it was my -fault, Wash. I never thought to pump a cartridge into the barrel, -and what a fool I was to pull that door open and not be ready. That -villain was laying for me and, say, their car wasn’t crippled much, -either.” - -In the roadway, where the disabled car had stood, lay two -monkey-wrenches and a small bolt which probably had pivoted a brake -rod. At the rate of speed that car had started to gain, there would -probably be no use for brakes! - -“We’ve got to get back and report this fellow,” Don said, returning -his rifle to its case, and the revolver to its holster on his belt. -“We’ve got only about twenty minutes’ run yet, I think. Say, I feel -like ten fools to let those devils get away. Keep your eye open for -an M. P. on the road.” - -But not more than five minutes elapsed before the boys sighted a big -touring car, with half a dozen khaki-clad men in it, tearing along -toward them. Don stopped and signaled to the soldiers to do the same. -They dashed up with screeching brakes, and Don stared. In the front -seat, with the driver sat Clem Stapley. - -All ill feeling in Don’s mind was swept aside by the business at -hand. Its nature and the comradeship that natives of the same distant -country in a foreign land and in a common cause naturally abolish -personal ill feeling. So he shouted: - -“Hello, Clem! Say, fellows, there are two spies right ahead; they -just--” - -“In a Red Cross car?” asked a man on the rear seat; he was an M. P. -“We’re looking for them. Got word at the French evacuation hospital. -Two did you say?” - -“Yes, and they’re getting away at a lively rate. Clem, one of them is -the same German we saw in the train; the one that got away after they -blew up the mills, over home. I’ve seen him before, too, north of -here. He--” - -“Sure he’s a German?” asked the M. P. Clem had said no word and -seemed to wish to avoid acknowledging Don. The M. P. turned to Clem. - -“Say, Corp, if you know this spy we’d better be getting on. That’s -the orders. The P. C. told you to get these fellows.” - -Corporal Stapley turned slowly to reply. “Ask you informant here how -he came to discover these Germans.” - -“Ask him yourself,” retorted the M. P. - -“Look here, Clem, don’t be a fool--twice!” Don blurted, angrily. -“This is big business and allows for no petty child’s play.” - -“How did you get on to them?” Clem deigned to ask, then. And Don -briefly related the adventure with the two signalers back of the -Mondidier front and then told of the incident just past. - -“Couldn’t hold them,” remarked Clem. “Fool trick. I guess you’re -better when you’ve got another that’s some account backing you. Let -them get away! Fierce! Poor work!” - -“Hey, yo’ white fellah, hit ain’t so!” Wash put in, angrily. “Yu -ain’t in yo’ right min’, Ah reckon. Wha’d yu done ef yu’d ben thar?” - -Clem paid no attention, but asked another question. “Did they scare -you very much?” - -Don, though hurt at his townsman’s words, decided to let them pass; -he merely waved his hand up the road, but Wash was more than game. - -“Mah boss ain’t gittin’ scairt at nuthin’, yo’ white fellah! Ah bet -yu can’t scare him. Dis yer same German spy fit wif mah boss up yon -furder no’th an’ mah boss jes’ up en’ kilt dis German man’s pardner, -kilt him daid! Major Little of the evac. horspittle he done tol’ me -’bout hit. Dey ain’t no po’ white German what kin scare mah boss!” - -“Thank you, Wash. But this gentleman won’t believe--” - -“Well, you sassy nigger, how then did this spy get away?” - -“Come, come, Corporal! This looks silly to me. Let us be going on, or -that spy will get away from us.” - -“Good luck to you, Mister Policeman,” said Don, and started his car -again. - -Don and Wash put in the rest of the day overhauling the ambulance. -Early in the evening they were again on the road to Château-Thierry -and witnessing a sight most depressing. - -The French were in retreat--constantly falling back. The retirement -was orderly. There was no rout, no apparent hurrying and, from the -din of battle ahead, it was plain that every foot of advance that -the enemy made was bitterly contested. Yet the Huns were gaining, as -they had been for five days and for nearly thirty miles, encompassing -an area of six hundred square miles in this drive. Success seemed -to be written on their banners in this, the greatest effort of all. -Thus they forced a deep wedge into the Allied line, the farthermost -point of which had reached the town of Château-Thierry. And in the -succeeding days what more would they gain? - -Back, and farther back were swept the French, and the Huns were -elated. The blue-and-red clad troops who had fought them so savagely -were now no match for the vast numbers of chosen shock troops. Was -there no means by which the boches could be checked? - -“By cracky, Wash, it looks as if these French had pretty nearly -enough of it! I don’t believe they have, though. But if they keep on -coming this way we’ll have to look sharp, or we’ll run into a lot of -Huns.” - -“Ah doan, want tuh run into no sich!” declared Wash. “Dey eats -sauerkraut an’ dis yere what dey calls limberburg cheese--an’ oxcuse -_me_!” - -Beyond LaFerté the boys met platoons, companies, regiments, even -battalions, or at least remnants of them, and all along the line more -than a mile each side of Château-Thierry the falling back was certain -and regular. - -Then, suddenly, almost as though dropped from the sky, came the -Americans. From long distances in the rear and without stopping to -rest from their arduous journey, the Yanks eagerly faced the Huns, -and foremost among these cheerful, singing, jesting troops from -overseas were the marines, leaving their train of parked lorries not -far from LaFerté and coming up on foot. - -The German High Command had received intelligence of the French -handing the defense of this line nearest Paris over to the Yanks, -and the word had come to the invaders: “Go through these untrained -Americans like a knife through cheese!” It is said that this was -General Ludendorff’s pet phrase. - -The Americans took up their positions along the southern bank of the -Marne and beyond in the hills. Then night came on. The enemy was too -confident of a sweeping victory on the morrow to give serious thought -to night attacks. Beyond a few minor skirmishes and some artillery -firing, the hours of darkness passed uneventfully. - -That night Don and Wash slept in their car, not far from the -Château-Thierry road and within a short distance of some American -regulars placed in reserve. Seeing the boys’ fire, a few officers -came over to talk. They were much interested in Don, and amused at -Wash and his lingo. They also were free with certain information and -opinions. One first-lieutenant who had most to say remarked: - -“Well, we’ve got a job on our hands tomorrow, but we’ll do it! These -Frenchies are good fellows and good scrappers, but they have to -follow fixed methods of fighting. This is not the American way. I say -hang this trench business, pot shots, grenades, flares, sniping and -all that!” - -“Like to have a little of it kind of Indian fashion, eh?” suggested -Don. - -“That’s it, my boy! Go right after them--rifle, bayonet and pistol!” - -“I hear our commander told the generalissimo that we wanted to fight -this in our own way,” offered a young second-lieutenant. - -“That’s right. As soon as Foch said we might try, Pershing told him -we could stop the Heinies, but we didn’t want to follow the methods -commonly in use. We wanted to go at them American fashion. So, those -are the orders. And, believe me, we’ll stop them all right!” - -“Pretty sure of it?” queried Don. - -“Certain, my boy; certain! How do you feel about it, Rastus!” - -“Ah feels dis a-way ’bout hit:” answered Wash. “Whichaway a white man -wants tuh fight Ah sez let him fight an’ same way wif a niggah. Some -goes at it wif fis’ en’ some wif a razzor, but fo’ me lemme butt wif -mah haid. Ah kin put mah weight back o’ dis ol’ bean o’ mine en’ make -a dant in a grin’ stone wif it!” - -“Say, Rastus, go butt a Hun!” - -“Show me one, boss; show me one! A ain’t seed one yit what wants tuh -fight. Ah on’y heerd tell of ’em.” - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -YANKS - - -“Ask Corporal Stapley to report here, Sergeant.” A bluff Irishman, -late of the regular army and now attached to the marines for his -experience, saluted his Captain and turned to obey. A few minutes -later he returned with the non-com. - -“What luck, Stapley?” asked the Captain. - -“Couldn’t find them, sir,” was the reply. - -“That’s bad. Made every effort, I suppose.” - -“We did, indeed. Jennings, of the Police, was with us and we scoured -around thoroughly. A Red Cross ambulance is pretty easy to spot and -we landed half a dozen, but they were all O. K.” - -“Haven’t the least idea where those fellows could have gone?” - -“Not the least. Case of mysterious disappearance. We thought they -might have gone back to the base and we telephoned there to be on the -lookout for them, and you may wager they are. We called from LaFerté -again later, but they hadn’t seen them. Jennings ’phoned both the -Meaux and Paris police to be on the watch.” - -“Unfortunate. Well, you did all you could. Say, a little more -personally: I see, by the records, that you are a Brighton Academy -boy; is that right?” - -“I am; class of 1919, but I don’t know what year we’ll get through -now.” - -“Well, let us hope it is not deferred. Then college, eh?” - -“I guess so.” - -“Brighton is a fine school. It was my prep. school, too. I liked it -immensely. Good teachers, good courses, fine halls, splendid library, -superb athletic field.” - -“I’m awfully glad to know you went there, Captain. A good many of -our fellows are over here, or were in the service somewhere. There’s -Herb Whitcomb--he’s up in Flanders, or was--and Roy Flynn, invalided -home, I believe. Some of the fellows are with the flying force--two -of my class, Jimmy Hill and Dick Mann. Three of the older fellows, -two classes ahead of me, went into the navy. Ted Wainwright and Jack -Harris did, too, and are on a submarine. Old Brighton did its share!” - -“Yes, and I heard of another from the school; he’s a Red Cross -ambulance driver; forget his name now. Only a youngster, but doing -some great work. A yarn went around our camp about his landing on a -couple of German spies and killing one of them. They said the boy had -his own sporting rifle. Must be some plucky kid! Know him?” - -“Perhaps I do,” evaded Clem. - -“Well, what I wanted to say is this: We go into action in the -morning. The advance will be in formation by platoons. The units -will keep together at first, but what will happen later, how much we -shall become separated, no one can tell. I am going to keep an eye -on you. If anything happens I’ll do all in my power And I’m going -to ask you, as an old Brighton boy, to do the same for me. Somehow, -you know I feel as though it might be--that is, you see, there will -be hard fighting and a great number of casualties and we must all do -our best. We’ve got to make good and we shall. But some of us--I’m -afraid a good many of us--won’t come out of it--won’t live to see the -result. Here’s my card, Stapley--my home address. My wife would like -to know if--you understand.” - -“Yes, I understand, Captain. You may trust me.” - -“Thank you, Stapley. Hope you get along well at old Brighton when you -get back. Good luck! Taps will sound in about half an hour. Sorry you -didn’t find those spies. They may turn up yet.” - -The young corporal left the spot and went to where his own platoon -was bivouacked. The men, officers and all, slept scattered on the -ground, to avoid casualties from stray shells. Each man had a blanket -and poncho and though the temperature was low for June, the nights -being chilly, it ideal camping weather for men long hardened to it. -Some of the toughest fellows had no more than thrown a corner of -the blanket across their shoulders, sleeping in their clothes and -removing only their shoes. It was the order to do this, as marching -feet need an airing and, better, a dabble in cool water. A little -stream ran near by and one might safely wager, where it emptied into -the Marne, the water that night ran black with the soil of France. - -Morning dawned clear and breezy. Shortly after reveille, a messenger -arrived from the American headquarters and another from the French -Field Staff. Half an hour later the two regiments of marines, moving -like one man, were marching straight across country a little to the -northwest of Château-Thierry. It was the intention to drive the Huns -out of their threatening positions in the hills where they were -concentrating troops and artillery, mostly machine-gun units. A -brigade also of the Third Division U. S. Regulars, moved forward at -nearly the same time in support of the marines, if needed. - -No prettier sight could be imagined than those long lines of -soldiers, over two thousand in number, sweeping forward. They -had been called “the Matchless Marines” and by another equally -expressive, though homelier name, “the Leathernecks.” Picked men, -every one of them chosen with regard to his athletic and probable -fighting ability, they could but live up to the standards set for -them by their predecessors in the same force, adhering always to the -maxims that “the marines never retreat” and that “they hold what -they’ve got.” - -The peeping sun shone upon their brown uniforms and glistened on -their bayoneted guns, as they moved through waving grass and over -fields of yellowing grain. There was no sound of drum or fife. No -band played martial music--that is not the custom when a modern army -goes against the enemy--but here and there along those steady, triple -lines could be heard laughter, snatches of song, the voice of some -wag bantering his fellows. - -The orders to the commanding general of the division ran something -like this: Rout the enemy from the village of Bouresches. Break up -the machine-gun and artillery positions in Belleau Woods and if -possible capture Hill No. 165. Consolidate positions at these points -and south of the village of Torcy and hold them. - -It was evident that the commander-in-chief depended fully on “the -Leathernecks” and felt confident that they would do as ordered, -although they had before them a large undertaking. It was known that -the Germans had two divisions of picked troops at this point, with -still another division in reserve. - -There was double reason for this confidence. The Americans had -already been performing most creditably within the sector about -Château-Thierry. A few days before a strong detachment of American -regular troops had withstood an attack of the enemy at Veuilly Wood, -nine miles north of the Marne, and had driven them back. The day -following a detachment of machine gunners had held the approaches -to the bridges across the Marne, connecting the north and the south -towns of Château-Thierry itself and prevented the Huns from crossing, -while a battalion of Americans, supporting French artillery that was -pounding the Huns in the northern end of the town, captured and wiped -out more than their number of Germans who had managed to gain the -south bank by pontoons. On the same day the Third and Twenty-eighth -Divisions of U. S. regulars, commanded by a French officer, had -defeated the enemy in his attempt to make a crossing of the Marne at -Jaulgonne, a few miles east of Château-Thierry, and had driven him -back to his former positions. But all these battles, relatively small -actions in themselves, had been fought according to European methods, -and had been directed by French generals and aided by French infantry -and artillery. - -The action now about to take place was to be that of the Americans -alone, under American staff direction, and the boys were going into -it tickled with the idea of being allowed in their own way to get a -whack at the Huns. - -Corporal Stapley, as he trudged along with his squad, thought of a -good many things of a rather solemn nature, though not once did he -permit a hint of this to bother his fellows. The next in line was a -wag named Giddings, but Clem noted that the youth was very quiet now, -and that his face was pale. With a laugh Clem turned to the fellow: -“Say, Gid, it’s a fine day for this little picnic.” - -“Wonder when the strawberries and ice cream will be served,” Giddings -remarked and Clem knew that no matter how the young man really felt -he was game. The corporal glanced down the line; there were other -pale faces and set lips, but there were also smiles and laughter. One -man struck up a song, with words and music _ad libitum_: - - “Where do we go from here, boys, - Where do we go from here? - To punch the Hun - Like a son-of-a-gun. - It’ll be some fun - To make him run - And get his bun - And take his mon. - Oh, hi, yi, that’s where we’ll go from here!” - -Some joined in. Laughter broke out down the line. One chap began to -whistle the Sailor’s Hornpipe and another, in a deep bass voice, -tried to put impromptu words to it, after the manner of the popular -version concerning “de debbil,” but without much poetic success: - - “Did you ever see the Heinie - With his skin all black and spiny - A-diggin’ in the trenches - With his big toe nail?” - -And another laugh followed, but it was cut short by a shell which -tore through the air only a little above the heads of the men, and -exploded not a hundred feet behind the last line. It was immediately -followed by a second that landed about the same distance from the -front of the first line and ricocheted, turning and twisting, then -lying still--not ten steps ahead of the line. There was a little -squirming, and two fellows were obliged to step almost over the -menacing thing. Pulling down their steel helmets and lowering their -heads, they veered apart, while some arms went up in front of faces -and eyes. But the shell proved a “dud.” Had it exploded it would -doubtless have sent half a dozen boys to the graveyard and the -hospital. - -“One back and one front and the next one--” - -“A clean miss!” shouted Clem. - -The words were no more than said when his prediction came true. The -shell went high and wide. But that which immediately followed was -of a far more deadly character than shells. Shrapnel and whiz-bangs -could not cover the ground, but it seemed as though the rain of -machine-gun bullets that suddenly swept down from the thickets and -rocks of the great hillside which loomed ahead must reach every inch -of space. - -“Double quick! Charge!” came the order, echoed from mouth to mouth by -under-officers and still, like one man, that khaki-clad host went at -it on the run. Every man saw that the more quickly the work was done -the better chances he and his fellows had for surviving that leaden -hail. - -“Smash ’em! Tear ’em to pieces!” Clem found himself yelling again and -again and he heard similar shouts on all sides of him. - -“Give ’em ballyhoo!” howled young Giddings. - -And they did--if that expresses something like annihilation! Before -the Huns could do more than fire a round or two from a score of -well-placed machine-guns on the hillside the marines, like waves of -avenging devils, were upon them with a fury that those long-practised -death-dealers of the Fatherland had not before experienced and -totally unprepared for. They were used to seeing their accurate -shooting from such an array of fire-spitters stop their enemies and -drive them back but no such result was in evidence now. - -Many of the Huns broke and ran, some tried to hide, some threw up -their hands and shouted: “Kamerad! Kamerad!” A few stuck to their -guns until overpowered, and died fighting. Many, threatened with -the bayonet, surrendered at once. And the marines went yelling -on, overtaking the fleeing Germans, stabbing to death, shooting -or clubbing with rifles those who still resisted. Breaking up the -machine-gun nests, they rounded up the prisoners until the hillside -was entirely in American hands. Then the Yanks halted and sought -shelter from the German artillery which now began to throw shells -upon the eastern and northern side of the hill from enemy positions -beyond. On the southwestern slope, where they were out of danger from -this fire, the victorious regiments re-formed for further duty, -bringing in all scattered units and trying to count the cost. - -The taking of the hill had not been entirely one-sided, except in the -matter of a victory. The machine-gunners had been placed in position -to hold this strategic bit of ground and to make it hot for those who -attempted to take it from them, and they were past masters at that -sort of thing. The reception they gave the marines exacted a heavy -toll. - -Following fast upon the heels of the men from overseas came the -wonderfully efficient American Red Cross. Ambulances rushed across -the fields, many of carrying capacity only, a few fitted up for field -dressing stations. Doctors and nurses, braving the enemy shells, -attended the most urgent cases only, sending the majority back to the -newly established evacuation hospitals which had, within two days, -supplanted those of the overtaxed French, or to the bases that also -had moved nearer this fighting front. - -And so everywhere on the hillside up which the marines had so -gloriously charged, the _brancardiers_ moved with their stretchers, -rapidly bringing away the wounded, whether friend or foe. And the -officers who were still on duty went about among the men, detailing -squads here and there for burial duty and to help and comfort their -unfortunate companions. It was the work of a little more than two -hours. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -VICTORY - - -Clem Stapley stood leaning on his rifle gazing far away over the -green fields and woodlands of that beautiful, rolling country, -not unlike his own homeland. The boy’s thoughts were filled with -memories, the reaction from the strenuous experiences of the minutes -just past caused him to sway a little on his feet. His company’s -second-lieutenant, passing near, turned and look into the boy’s pale -face. - -“Hurt eh? Can you walk? Better get back--” - -“No, sir. No! Only a trifle. A scratch on the arm; spent bullet went -up my sleeve like one of those black ants. I shook it out.” - -“Let me see,” ordered the officer. Clem bared his arm and showed a -long white and blue welt from wrist to elbow. On the fleshy part the -skin had broken, and blood was trickling down. - -“Go get it bandaged.” - -“I can do it, if someone--” - -“Help him, Terry. Get his jacket and shirt off. Use a little iodine. -You’ll be all right.” - -“Are we going on, sir, soon?” Clem asked. - -“Very soon. To the village over the next rise, about three miles from -here. Bouresches they call it.” - -“I want to find my squad and tell them about poor Giddings. Have you -seen my Captain?” - -“Dead. At the bottom of the hill. Lieutenant Wells, too. I am in -command now. Was Giddings--?” - -“Yes. Went down while he was getting off a joke about a Hun who was -yelling for mercy. When we turned to let some others of a gun crew -have it--they had their gun trained on us--a brute fired at Giddings -at about five steps. But I got the skunk with the bayonet and then -Davidson and I went on and got two of the other gun-crew. The others -of both crews surrendered; Jones’ squad, coming up, took them in. -Then I got hit.” - -A bugle call echoed sweetly along the slope. A sergeant came running -up the hill, calling right and left to officers. He passed the -lieutenant and Clem. - -“Orders from the General. Form quick in place in the road due south -of the hill. Headquarters down there now. Enemy attack from the east. -We are to hold support positions.” - -Again and again the bugle call sounded from the road. There was -some lively running about and falling in. Then once more, in broken -formations, the marines descended and under rapid orders lined up, -partly along this old road, behind a low bank, and somewhat sheltered -by a row of trees. Some of the regulars came up and formed beyond, -in the same line. The rest were held in reserve farther back. At the -left some regiments of French infantry stretched the line, making -a front of about two miles. Fully half a mile to the east a French -division occupied the first line facing the enemy positions. - -Corporal Clem’s arm hurt considerably. A member of his squad had -treated and bandaged it with materials out of a first aid kit. But -the wound was becoming more and more painful, and his arm began to -stiffen. He could not understand why he should feel sick at the -stomach and hungry at the same time. The “Leathernecks” had not -eaten since breakfast, and it was now well on in the afternoon. - -Clem looked about him, for misery loves company. There were wide gaps -in the line, though that was anything but comforting. It was horribly -depressing to think that some of these cronies, jolly good fellows -all, would now be dumped under the sod, and that others were never -more to walk, nor to know the joy of health. Perhaps some would never -see nor hear again. Many less seriously injured would bear scars all -their lives. - -Martin there, formerly next in line to Giddings, and now next to -Clem, had his head elaborately done up in two-inch bandages. Replying -to a question he said, jovially: - -“When I get back to God’s country, I am going to take this old pan -of a hat, hang it up in the prettiest place in the best room in -the house and keep it covered with fresh flowers. Why? The darned -old thing saved my life. I wouldn’t ’a’ had any bean left if this -inverted wash basin thing hadn’t been covering it.” - -“Poor Giddings always had a pick at his helmet,” remarked Clem. “He -used to say that just a hat wasn’t much good and that what a man -wants in this war is a suit of armor made out of stove plates. In his -case he was about right.” - -“But wrong in mine,” said Martin. - -“Say, what’s doing, Sarge?” asked a private of the non-com in the -next squad, who now stood next to Clem in the line-up. - -“The Heinies are going to make a push here, I believe,” was the -answer. - -“When?” - -“Pretty soon. Guess we’ll hear the barrage laid down first. But maybe -they think they’re strong enough to rush us without that.” - -“Hope they do. It’s more lively. I don’t like them barrages. Make -me think o’ my old uncle across the pond. He’s one o’ those bear -hunters. Sez he’d a heap rather fight a bear than a hive o’ bees; you -can see the bear.” - -“Right-o! Here, too! You can stick a bayonet into a Hun, but you -can’t even dodge these here mowin’-machine bullets.” - -“Listen, fellows!” Clem held up his hand. - -A distant shot, another, several, a dozen, a thousand, crack, bang, -boom, as though all the Fourth of July celebrations that ever had -been and ever would be had been turned loose at once. - -“She’s on, boys! And there’ll be a lot of ricocheting bullets coming -this far--so look out for them!” So spoke the lieutenant, now -commander of Clem’s company, as he walked up and down the line. - -The sergeant next to Clem turned to the officer. - -“Do you think the Frogeaters can hold them, lieutenant?” - -“Doubt it. They say the Huns outnumber them three to one. And they -mean to drive right through to the Compiègne road. So it’s up to us -to stop them, I guess.” - -“We’ll try hard, lieutenant,” Clem offered. - -Within twenty minutes the roar of the barrage ceased as suddenly -as it began. Then came a lull, followed by the rattle of small -arms which, at the distance, sounded much like a lot of youngsters -cracking hickory nuts. Within half an hour after this the expected -happened. For the tired and greatly outnumbered French, fighting -savagely, had failed to stem the Hun tide and began to give way -before it. Some retreated a little too late and these were quickly -surrounded and taken prisoner, to suffer tortures in German detention -camps for many a long day. The wounded were hurried to the rear. As -the dressing stations to the extreme right of the support line became -congested those set up in sheltered positions directly behind the -hill were called on for duty. Then the many ambulances of the United -States army, French army and American Red Cross dashed through the -line of marines, and around the base of the hill. - -It was at once a solemn and a cheering sight. However horrible this -war of science and ingenuity had become, it reacted in greater -humanity than has ever been known. - -The sound of an automobile horn in front caused Clem to look up and -he was almost face to face with Don Richards. The younger lad was -about to look away, but he quickly chose to salute his townsman. The -corporal nodded stiffly as Don passed on. - -The sound of rifle fire interspersed with the cloth-ripping noise of -machine-guns and the detonation of heavier artillery, began to come -nearer. A company of French infantry, marching in perfect order, -but in quick time, appeared in the distance. It wheeled sharply and -passed to the south, around the extreme right of the Americans. -In a few minutes it was followed by other and larger contingents, -a regiment in part, with great gaps in its ranks, a battalion -of machine gunners, each squad with its wicked _mitrailleuse_, -ammunition handcarts, more infantry and still more until very soon -they had thinned out to scattered and broken units, often without -officers. Many of these came up and passed through the American lines. - -The expressions on the faces of these French soldiers told of varied -emotions. Some were morose, angry, or despairing. Others laughed -and jested. Some smiled and wore an air of undying confidence. Clem -had learned too little French so far to understand their rapid -utterances, but the lieutenant stood near him, talking with a French -subaltern who spoke excellent English and who began to question -the retreating soldiers. There was a nasal babble and then the -translation, with some remarks, to the lieutenant. Clem easily caught -much of it. - -“He says the enemy was too strong for them; that there must be half a -million men. But I think that an exaggeration.” - -“This fellow says that the enemy came at them, swarming like ants. It -is no use, he says, to try to check them now; they are irresistible.” - -“This man declares that they are many, but they are not overwhelming, -and that if the retreat had not been ordered we could have held the -enemy awhile.” - -“He says that it is no use to try to stop them--they come like a -tidal wave.” - -“This fellow hopes you Americans may stop them.” - -“He says if there had only been a few more of us we could have -stopped them.” - -“Here is one who insists that Paris is doomed, and all is lost. But, -you see, his companion was killed by his side.” - -The officers moved rapidly away and then, almost suddenly, there was -an end of the retreating French. The ambulances also had ceased in -their errands of mercy over the ground ahead. A strange hush fell -upon everything but the forces of nature. The breeze toyed with the -wheat. Birds sang blithely; across the fields a cow was lowing, a -poor creature, perhaps that a farmer who had suddenly vacated his -home before the oncoming Huns, had failed to drive along toward the -west. - -The lieutenant passed along the line again, speaking to his men. He -was a young man, tall, with fine square shoulders, a firm jaw and a -pleasant voice--every inch a soldier. He paused a moment and said to -Clem: - -“Your arm is better now? Well, try to think it is. You’ll need it. -I hope it won’t interfere with your sleep tonight.” Then to the -sergeant, in answer to a question: “Yes, they’re coming; re-forming -first. There are enough of them to make us sit up and take notice. -Three divisions to our one and a half. I don’t think any of us will -take a nap during the next hour or so. But, remember, we’ve got to -give them all there is in us! Keep cautioning your men to shoot low, -to keep their heads, see their hind-sights, and try to hit what -they aim at. It will be just like target practice, boys; only more -so. Every time you score means that’s one less chance of your being -scored on.” - -Anticipation often goes reality “one better,” to use a -betting phrase. The waiting for the expected battle was most -irksome--nerve-racking to some. It cannot be a joyful thing to -contemplate the killing of human beings, even though they are bent -on killing. Upon such occasions minutes drag by like hours. It is an -actual relief when the end of the suspense is at hand. - -Clem glanced at his wrist watch--it was 4:45. The enemy could be -seen now in the distance, advancing steadily. They were coming on in -mass formation straight across the waving wheat that the retreating -French had avoided trampling down. The Huns gloried in this -destruction. They were going to make this place a shambles with dying -and dead when they should occupy this region. They would turn it into -a desert of burned homes, felled trees, girdled orchards, ruined -villages and looted factories--as all the territory they had thus far -occupied had been desolated. - -“Cut loose, boys! The range is nearly flat. Don’t fire too high. Now, -then, every man for himself!” Thus ran the orders along the line and -the crack of the rifles this time meant more to the advancing Germans -than ever before. The French subaltern, sent to observe the behavior -of the Americans went into ecstasies after the manner of his race. -With eyes sticking out so far that there was danger of his butting -into something and knocking them off, he watched the “Leathernecks” -in long-range rifle action awhile; then he hurried back to his staff. -Shortly he was back again with some higher officers of the French -supporting line, and their enthusiasm was unbounded. The subaltern -translated liberally: - -“_Voila!_ Your men shoot! _Sacre!_ They are deliberate! They see -their sights! They hit the mark! The Huns stop--they waver! Ah, -they come on again! True they are brave men! And they obey their -officers--also brave men! But behold again! The front rank is down, -gone! What say you? Yes, wiped out! And still they come again? Ah -now, it is too much. They lose all if they remain. Behold, they -break! They retreat! They hide in the wheat! They creep away!” - -“Cut that wheat all to pieces, boys! Don’t let any of them get away!” -ordered the lieutenant, repeating a common order and it was just what -the marines were doing. - -Clem, with a hot gun, turned a moment to speak to the officer. “Are -our machine-gun crews at work?” he asked. - -“Yes, over there by that clump of trees. I never saw those lads do -better work. I think those Huns have about enough. We win!” - -“Any of our boys hurt?” asked the sergeant. - -“A machine-gun crew of the enemy concentrated on one part of our -right and did some damage,” said the officer. “Two of their shrapnel -burst among the doughboys to the south, I hear. Otherwise, I -believe--” - -“Nobody got hit here,” asserted the sergeant. - -“They didn’t think it worth while to lay down a second barrage and -their infantry hardly fired a shot,” laughed the officer. - -“Got badly fooled,” said the sergeant. “Why don’t we go after them -now?” - -“I suppose our commander thinks they’re whipped enough and there are -Hun batteries to the east of the hill that must be dislodged first. -Hello, another air scrap is going to be pulled off!” - -Five German planes were coming along, pretty low and in line, their -evident intention being to seek revenge by bombing the line of -“Leathernecks.” But four French battle-planes swept over to meet -them, one fellow swooping low to cheer the marines for their splendid -work. Two German fighting machines were high overhead in support of -the big bombing planes. - -The French and American light fieldpieces got busy and made it so hot -for the foremost plane that it turned and retreated, trying to come -back higher up. But by that time the French planes had driven the -others back, sending one down in flames behind the German lines. The -guns turned their attention to smashing a German battery going into -position beyond the wheat field and performed this duty admirably, -dismounting all of the three German guns and killing every man with -them. The Hun battle-planes, refusing to fight and retreating, had -given two of the French planes a chance to signal the range to Allied -batteries. - -The day was fast coming to a close. When the marines and their -supporters had broken ranks and bivouacked for the night Corporal -Stapley went to the commanding officer of his company and asked if he -might go over to the hill and visit the captain’s grave. - -“He was an old Brighton boy and that is my school,” Clem said, “and -he asked me if I would tell his wife, if anything happened to him. I -thought I should like to write her--all that she would care to know.” - -“Go ahead, Stapley; that’s a noble purpose. I’ll give you a note to -enclose, saying how much we appreciated him and how bravely he met -his fate. Take one of the men with you--some fellow that specially -liked the captain. Get back at dark.” - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -BUSHWHACKING - - -It was half a mile back to the southern side of the hill where the -bloody engagement of the morning had taken place and a like distance -to the little plot of ground in the corner of a field where some of -the American dead were buried. Clem and Private Martin easily found -the captain’s resting-place. - -Some sappers were still at work, and a slightly wounded staff-officer -of the marines had been detailed to keep record of the burials. One -fellow, his identification number and all papers about his person -missing, had not been recognized nor interred. On the way back Clem -glanced down at this unfortunate. - -“It’s poor Giddings!” he exclaimed. - -“What? Not that joker in your company?” protested the officer. - -Clem nodded; Martin confirmed this. The lads helped to lower their -comrade into his grave and stood with bowed heads during the brief -reading of the burial service. Then they went into the field near by -and made two wreaths of poppies and daisies to hang on the wooden -crosses over Giddings and the captain. - -The shadows were growing long; the two “Leathernecks” had quite a -distance to travel in the return to camp. For a little way their road -lay along the foot of the hill around which a well beaten track had -been made by motor cars and artillery. Now and then they were met by -ambulances plying between the dressing station west of the hill and -of the last battle-field where the marines and regulars had repulsed -the German advance. Some of the cars detoured part way up the -hillside by a farm lane, on the slopes to seek further for wounded -that might have been overlooked. - -The driver of a passing ambulance, returning from the dressing -station, offered to give the boys a lift and they accepted gladly. -They ran on for less than a fourth of a mile when something got out -of order with a spark plug which they stopped to replace, just beyond -the lane turning up the hill. - -“Be only a moment,” the driver said. “I’ll get you fellows right by -your camp in ten minutes.” - -“Plenty of time!” both said and, while Martin aided the driver a -little, Clem walked to an opening in the thicket and gazed up to -where, in the morning, he had seen such bloody work with rifle, -pistol and bayonet. - -Another ambulance came along the road. It seemed to Clem that he had -heard the motor start somewhere back under the hill, though there -could be nothing strange in that. There was an unusually large Red -Cross in its patch of white on the side of the long, low car, and -the machine glided along as though it possessed great motive force -but was held down in speed. Two men were in the seat. When the car -reached the lane it swung in and, without apparent slowing, ascended -the grade, stopping about half way up. A few yards beyond it was an -army ambulance, its driver walking away across the slope. - -Clem’s very brief glance at the driver of the Red Cross car had -caused him to start and wonder. He hardly knew why he gazed after -the car with an unpleasant feeling, and then, in order to watch its -movements, crossed the road and swung himself up on a branch of a low -tree. - -There were no other cars on the hill and apparently no other people, -but the army ambulance man. Clem was cogitating: - -“Now, can’t I think where? What had Don Richards said only yesterday? -Spies? But would they dare again to come here boldly and--” his -thoughts were cut short. - -A man got down from the long, low car and quickly went to the other -machine. He paused and looked about for a moment, then raised the -hood and seemed to be working rapidly. He put down the hood and -returned. Then the Red Cross car moved on rapidly up the hill to -the far end of the lane, where it turned across pasture ground and -veered about among the rocks and thickets, stopping presently on the -south-east slope. - -“Fire and flinders! It is--it is!” exclaimed Clem. “They wouldn’t -dare to go so far east and expose themselves to the guns unless the -Huns knew and approved of it.” - -The boy dropped to the ground and, taking pad and pencil from his -pocket, wrote the following: - - “I beg leave to report that I have this moment discovered the - Hun spies we were after yesterday. They have gone to the - eastern side of Hill 165, probably to signal the German lines, - as reported before. I also saw them disable an army ambulance. - Fearing to fail in their arrest, and confident that I can - accomplish this with the aid of the ambulance man on the hill, - I take the liberty of delaying my return to post. Will report - as soon as possible. - - CLEMENT STAPLEY, Corporal.” - -This sheet he folded, addressed, and handed to his companion, Martin. -The ambulance had a new spark plug and was ready to start. - -“Give this to the lieutenant as soon as you get in,” Clem said. “Now, -please don’t ask any questions. I’m on an expedition the captain -ordered yesterday and the lieutenant knows about it. You might tell -him I said so. And, by the way, got any extra cartridges for your -pistol? I might need them. I left mine in my kit. Will pay you back -when I get back.” - -“Maybe I could help you,” began Martin, but Clem backed off. - -“No; I can handle this. Nothing much. When I come in I think you’ll -see me bringing some Heinies along--pretty soon, too.” - -Clem alone, hurried up the hill by the lane. He had but one purpose. -His mind was singularly free from any thought of strategy as he -went straight to the seat of the trouble. He meant simply to arrest -these men and prove their guilt afterward. He reached the army -ambulance and saw the driver returning with a wounded man’s arm over -his shoulder. This soldier could walk, but he had been shot through -the shoulder and had lain unconscious for a time in a shell hole, -where he was overlooked. Clem recognized him as a member of his own -company. The man smiled and tried to salute. - -“Driver, I’ll help this man along. I think when you look at your -engine you’ll find something wrong with it. I saw it done--from the -road down yonder.” - -The driver raised his engine hood. “Well, I should say! Look at that; -will you? Every plug wire cut away and gone and the plugs smashed. Do -you know who did this?” - -“I think I can introduce you to the parties responsible. They’re -right up there on the hill now,” Clem replied; then turned to the -wounded soldier. “We want to get you in right away and--” - -“You let me rest here a bit, Corp. I won’t be any worse off and you -go and get those devils. I bet they’re Heinies, drat ’em! I’d like -to know some more of them are going the long road, even if I go the -same.” - -“You’re going to be all right, man.” - -“Not on your life, Corp. Never. A fellow always knows when he’s got -his for good and all!” - -“Don’t believe it,” said Clem. “We’ll take you to the dressing -station in that car of theirs shortly, unless another ambulance comes -up here. Then you’d better go with it. Now, then, Mr. Driver, you -look pretty husky. Feel like having a scrap?” - -“I could cut the heart out of the weasel that disabled my car! That -is if it was just ‘rough-house.’ I expect he’s got a gun with him.” - -“Likely enough--haven’t you?” asked Clem. - -“Why yes--in the car--army pistol. But I guess I’m not much at using -it. I’m better with a knife. It’s either the gun or me, but I can’t -hit a barn door up against it. I can shoot with a real gun, though. -I’ve hunted and shot deer.” - -“Well, then, bo, all you’ve got to do,” suggested the wounded man, -“is to chase back to that shell hole and get my rifle. She’s there; -I forgot to fetch her. And she’s a dandy old pill-slinger, too, -believe me.” - -Ten minutes later the two young fellows went up to the end of the -lane and turned sharply to the right, as Clem had seen the suspected -Red Cross car do. It was now growing dusk, though the boys could -easily make their way across the field. Clem had noticed a bunch of -trees taller than those around on the edge of the woods below the -summit of the hill, and that the top of one of these trees was partly -cut off and hanging: the work of a shell. It was beyond this spot -that the spies’ car had stopped. - -“We’re getting there,” whispered the driver. “The Heinies are liable -to send some whiz-bangs over here any time.” - -“I hardly think so while that fellow is here,” Clem said. “We’ll see -if I’m not right pretty soon. We’ll have to risk it, anyway.” - -“Go ahead; I’ve risked more than that more than once.” - -“What is your name?” - -“Duncan. I’m from Maine. What’s yours?” - -“Stapley. Marines. I’m from Pennsylvania. Go easy now; we’re getting -up near the place and they’ll likely be watching out for somebody. -Let’s wait until it’s a little darker, then sneak up. I have a hunch -those chaps are on this side signaling information to their friends -over east.” - -The darkness grew thicker and gave way to night. The watchers had -found shelter, both against possible German shells or discovery, -behind a boulder where they crouched for several minutes. No shells -came that way, though the booming of cannon not very far away to the -east and northeast showed that the Huns were awake and replying to -the constant cannonading of the French and Americans. All around the -boys it was as quiet as any night in early summer. Once, overhead, -they heard the call of a night bird and once the twitter of some -small feathered citizen disturbed in its slumbers in a thicket. There -was the squeak of a mouse or shrew beneath the turf almost at their -feet. In a whisper that could not have been heard twenty feet away -Clem told his companion what he suspected, from his recollection of -the doubtful ambulance driver’s face and from Don Richards’ brief -account of the signaling near Montdidier. After what Clem had seen -here and the injury to the army ambulance, there was enough to -satisfy Duncan that they had Hun spies to deal with. - -“I’m going to get up and take a look round,” he said. “Going to be -an old dead tree; it’s a trick we Indians pull off to fool moose. -You see I’ve got a little Indian blood in me. Fact. Proud of it.” -And with that Duncan crawled up on the boulder and slowly stood up, -his arms extended crookedly, one held higher than the other. Thus he -remained for several minutes. Then he came down, even more slowly. - -“Say, pard, you’ve got the dope. They’re up there all right, about -two hundred yards, and they’re signaling. There’s a light going up -and down, bull’s eye, turned away, but I could see the reflection on -a rock.” - -“Well, we’re here to stop that and get those fellows,” said Clem. -“Shall we rush them?” - -“No, no! We’d only give them a fine chance to bore us full of holes. -They don’t want to be surprised, you can bet. But we can stalk them, -as we do bear on high ground, and work the bird call so as to make -them think nobody’s around in our direction. Are you on?” - -“I am! Say, I guess you are Indian all right. You lead off--and I’ll -follow and do just as you do, as near as I can.” - -“Only be careful where you put your hands and knees. Don’t crack any -sticks nor roll any stones. Ready?” - -Clem wondered at first whether the method would prove successful. -It loomed up like a large undertaking, considering the distance. -Would it not be better to just march right up on the spies and trade -gun-fire with them, if need be? But the farther the boys progressed -the more Clem became convinced that this was the only means of -surprising the enemy. The nature of the ground was such that any one -walking boldly up could have been seen first by the spies, and held -up or shot. Fortunate, indeed, was it that this fellow Duncan was on -the hill. Truly a wonderful chap when it came to this sort of thing. - -Slowly they went, on hands and knees, for another fifty feet or -more, stopping every little while to listen, and Duncan made a soft -twittering sound exactly like the little bird in the thicket below. -Presently he rose cautiously to take a look and get the bearings, -after which he turned and put his lips to Clem’s ear. - -“Man on watch about a hundred feet from us, sitting on a rock. He -don’t look this way. I think I’d better edge off a little and work -around so as to come up on the other chap, and you work up nearer -this one, behind the thicket. When I yell he’ll turn and then you’ve -got him. Wait till I yell.” - -There is little doubt that this plan would work out well. The German -mind can not cope in matters of woodcraft and ambush with that of an -American backwoodsman. Duncan wormed himself away and Clem could not -detect a sound made in his progress. Hardly more than fifteen minutes -would be required for him to gain his object, but in less than five -minutes a whistle sounded up the hill. The watcher ran that way and -there was the buzz of a self-starter and the whir of a motor. Before -the bushwhackers had time to collect their senses the long car, with -its lights on, was running back across the field. - -Duncan joined Clem. “Rotten luck! But glad you didn’t shoot. And say, -they’ve got to go slow over and around those rocks. Can’t we head -’em off if we go down the hill straight toward the foot of the lane? -How’re your legs?” - -“I’m with you!” announced Clem, and together, with the easy, -long-stepping lope of the runner trained in the woods, the two set -off, leaping over the obstacles in their way, dodging around boulders -and thicket patches, and making good time in spite of the uneven -ground. - -But they had not covered a third of the distance and had several -hundred yards yet to go when they saw that the chase was hopeless. -The car had made far better time than they had believed possible and -when it reached the head of the lane it turned and shot like an arrow -down the hill. - -The boys stopped and gazed in bitter disappointment after the -retreating foemen. - -“I wish we had sailed into them up yonder,” Clem said. - -“Gettin’ shot ourselves would have been worse than this,” Duncan -argued. - -“Say, look, they’ve stopped! About where your car is!” Clem -exclaimed. “Maybe we can--” - -Duncan raised the army rifle as though to bring it into position for -firing. “If it wasn’t so blamed dark I could get ’em,” he declared. -“Anyway, I can make a try.” But Clem stopped him. - -“Hold on, man! You may hit the wounded man there!” - -“Blazes! Never thought of it. Can’t risk that. Couldn’t stop ’em, -anyhow; not in a million shots, with only their lights to shoot at.” - -“There they go on again. We’re licked this time,” Clem said, -mournfully. “Come on; let’s get back to the lane. I’ll help you make -that poor chap comfortable. Then I’ll go down and try to get another -ambulance. I’ve got to get back to camp pretty soon. Say, it’s going -to be tough to have to admit we couldn’t arrest those spies. It’s -what I stayed out for and sent word to the lieutenant that I could -do. He’ll be sore, and Martin will rub it into me for a month. Say, -those spies have put out their lights now.” - -Duncan mumbled something about their running on with lights out to -avoid being recognized. He hoped they’d run into a shell hole and -break their blamed necks. The young down-east woodsman was grievously -put out not to avenge himself on the men who damaged his ambulance. - -Not another word was exchanged between the two youths while they were -crossing the open ground to the lane. They reached and turned down -the well-worn road a little above the ambulance. - -“He’s asleep, I guess,” Clem said, glancing at the soldier lying on -the cot that Duncan had spread for him. The _ambulancier_ went over -and stooped down to look at or speak to the wounded man. Then he -straightened up with a jerk and stepped back. Though his nerves were -of steel after the many bitter experiences following battles, raids, -artillery fire and gas attacks, he must have had a sharp prod at -the sight that met him. It is one thing to see men killed, maimed, -blown to pieces in fair fighting, but quite another thing to find one -foully murdered outside of the area of fighting. - -“Killed!--stabbed! They’ve killed him! Those--those devils!” His -voice was thick with rage. - -Clem could only weakly repeat part of this--it was too horrible for -mere words. Instinctively they both turned to gaze down the lane -again toward where the spies had fled. And suddenly, from the bottom -of the hill, the two bright lights of an approaching ambulance glared -at them ominously. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -BOURESCHES - - -Staplely and Duncan with their weapons ready, waited, crouching. -In their agitation they had not observed other ambulances coming -along the road at the foot of the hill and they did not doubt that -the spies, seeing no light and not suspecting the return of the -_ambulancier_ whose car they had broken and whose passenger they -had killed, might be returning perhaps to lie in wait for him. They -seemed to be having things all their own way of late so why should -they not try to accomplish more? - -The glaring lights came nearer. The throbbing motor had easily the -better of hills such as this. The seekers of a just revenge tried to -see who was on the driver’s seat behind the lights--a difficult thing -to do. A voice caused their weapons to lower. - -“Reckon dis de place t’ stop. One amberlance done quit gittin’ all -het up, heah. Yu kin turn her roun’ easy by backin’ into de fiel’ a -ways, lessen yu hits a groun’hawg hole er sumpin’.” - -“No groundhogs in this country, Wash. We might hit a rock, though. -Hello, you fellows! Are you stuck?” This last addressed to Duncan and -Stapley who had risen and come forward. - -If Clem felt any bitterness toward Don he did not think of it now; -there was too much else to occupy his mind. But Don, leaping to the -ground instantly, seemed not to know him. Duncan knew Don and at once -began to relate their experiences. - -“And you mean to say you fellows couldn’t stop them? Let them get -away up yonder and murder this poor helpless soldier on the way! And -only yesterday this fellow,” with a bend of his head he referred to -Clem, “rubbed it into me because--” - -“Well, that--that was dif--” began Clem. - -“Not a bit of it! But why parley? Duncan, you and I can get busy. -Those fellows are down there yet, in the road just west of the lane. -They’re doing something to their car. That’s twice I’ve run into them -fixing it, but I didn’t know them this time. Wash, confound you, were -you asleep? Why didn’t you tell me--?” - -“Sleep yuse’f! How’s I know--?” - -“Cut the comedy! Come on, if you’re sure that was the spies,” Clem -said. - -“Hold on! You’re not in this and they’ll be there awhile, you can -bet,” said Don. “You fellows slipped up in your attempt and this is -my job. There’s one way to get those chaps and that only, Duncan. -Listen to me--Wash, you get in back and lie low. We two will get in -on the front seat. We’ll dim the lights and then go along singing and -let on we’re half tipsy until we get right up to them. I’ll stop and -ask them for a drink and you turn the bull’s-eye on them and if it’s -the spies we’ll act quick; see?” - -“I’m going with you,” said Clem. - -“Not in my car,” Don retorted. But Clem walked to Don’s ambulance and -jumped in. - -“We can scrap afterwards, Richards; not now. Come on--three are -better than two.” - -“That’s so,” asserted Duncan. - -The plan was carried out as laid down. With all their science and -suspicions those Hun spies had no idea of any such thing being -pulled off. Though three half-drunk Yankees were an unusual sight, -especially in an ambulance, it was nothing to bother about. To humor -them and let them go on was a simple matter. - -“Oh, we won’t go home till evenin’!” sang Clem. - -“Till mornin’, you blamed fool! D-don’t ye know the words?” Don -shouted, tickled to give Clem a dig. “Aw, dry up an’ let me sing -it! Thish-a-way it goes: Oh, we won’t get home till mornin’, till -broad-s-say--.” - -With a grinding of brakes the ambulance came to a sudden stop, almost -even with the long, low car by the roadside. “S-say,” continued Don, -“any--you blokes got a drink? One good service man to another; eh, -friend? Just a little nip--you fellers are Red Cross, ain’t you? Eh? -Les’ see--. Hands up! Both of you, quick! One move and you’re dead -men! Out, fellows, and put a rope on them!” - -One of the spies, the weazen fellow, began to protest in excellent -English: - -“What do you mean by this? We haven’t done anything to--.” But Duncan -snatched up a clump of grass roots and shoved it into the fellow’s -mouth. The other man cowered back and tried at first to keep his -face away from the electric bull’s-eye Clem threw on them. Through -Duncan’s dexterity with strong twine taken from Don’s toolbox, both -men had their arms tied behind them in a jiffy so that they winced -with the pain. - -“Do you fellows think this is funny? Let us loose, at once! We have -no time for jokes!” demanded the taller one, gazing at Don’s revolver -in a manner that showed he knew it was no joke. - -“But you had time to play one of your kind of jokes on that poor -wounded soldier up on the hill,” Clem returned and the thin face of -the spy grew ghastly white. “We haven’t been up on the hill,” he -asserted--but another wad of grass-roots stopped his talk also. Don -took the bull’s-eye from Clem and threw it into the tall man’s face. - -“Well, Stapley, I guess you know him; don’t you?” - -“The fellow on the train, sure enough,” Clem said. - -“Wonderful!” said Don. “You do have a lucid flash now and then.” But -before Clem could reply Don began to enlighten the spy: - -“I guess you remember us back there in America. We got off at Lofton, -too. We got your cronies, Shultz and the whiskered chap, and I got -your pard up near Montdidier.” - -Of course the man could make no reply. Don continued: - -“Duncan, you can run my car, I guess. You take these nice chaps into -camp. In about half an hour they’ll face a firing squad.” - -But Duncan shook his head. “What’s in me has got to come out. I’m -an ambulance driver and working to save people--ours and theirs, -too--but that don’t say I don’t just love gettin’ square more’n -anything else on this green earth! I told the corporal here I have -a little Indian in me. I have a heap and it’s reached high mark -right now. It might get the corporal in trouble and it may get me in -trouble, but I reckon you’re out of it, Richards. No matter; what -I want is to be the firing squad that fixes these blood-smeared -polecats. But I don’t want to do it with a gun. You just leave it to -me. I’m goin’ to take ’em over here in this field an’ stick a knife -into--” - -“No, Duncan, you are not going to do anything of the kind!” Don -said in horror. “I won’t consent to this being anything irregular. -You may go along and see them shot, if you want to, but you can’t -knife them. Hold on there! Put that knife up, or I’m going to shoot -it out of your fingers. It would just about break my heart to hurt -you, old man, because I know you’re good stuff, but don’t try that -thing. Come, you’ve got more white blood in you than Indian and don’t -imitate these Huns.” - -Duncan stood looking earnestly at Don while he spoke. Then, without a -word, he put his long-bladed claspknife into his pocket. - -“You take my car, because it’s surer than this one, and get these -chaps where they’ll do no more harm. I’ll run their car and I’ll have -them send out for yours and fix it. I hope they’ll let you get into -the squad that does the shooting.” - -“I don’t like to deprive you of your own car,” Duncan said. It was -easy to see that the fellow was true-blue, even if an act of savagery -made his blood boil with desire for personal revenge. - -“Your errand is more important than mine,” Don continued. “Besides, -I’m glad, for Stapley and I would be sure to scrap on the way. I’d -have to rub it in about his letting these men get away on the hill. -And Stapley can’t take anything from me good-naturedly. He can -explain to you later what he thinks of me. I know already and I don’t -care a hoot. Come, Wash, climb out of there! We’ve got to see if we -can make this ramshackle ambulance travel. So long, Duncan.” - -The military court gave the spies short shrift. Duncan was one of the -firing squad that did quick executions. The army _ambulancier_ then -went his way. Before morning he was again driving his own ambulance -and Don Richards’ car had been turned over to him and the grinning -Wash. Work on Hill 165 had been finished. - -“The marines are going to try to take Bouresches and Belleau Wood -to-day, I hear,” Don said to Duncan, as they met on the road. - -“I wish I was in that bunch of real men,” Duncan replied and passed -on. That was the last Don ever saw of the brave fellow, for Duncan -was shifted north of the Oise River where another Hun drive seemed -imminent, as they were short of ambulances in that sector. - -Don’s orders were to run in close to the American fighting forces -without too grave risk, and if there was an advance, to keep pretty -near to it, as there would necessarily be many casualties. As the -Germans had learned already to recognize the Yanks as their most -formidable foes, they were sending some of their best troops to stop -them. - -The Red Cross was showing splendid efficiency now. From stretcher -bearers to dressing stations, from its own evacuation hospitals to -ideally equipped bases and convalescent camps, it was the model for -all things humane in warfare. Eager were its men and women in doing -their share of the arduous and dangerous work, and proud, indeed, -those who were identified in any way with its glorious efforts. - -“Drive the enemy from Bouresches and Belleau Wood!” was the order -from headquarters. Again, as one man, the marines went forward. The -Huns must be taught that their advance at the Château-Thierry front -was at an end. - -“Pound the enemy’s lines in Bouresches!” came the order to the -artillery as a forerunner of the charge of the marines, and the -artillery pounded. Across the grain and flowering fields marched the -soldiers, advancing in thin lines, one after the other, the marines -in the center and on either flank a battalion of doughboys, regulars -of the United States army. This was the good old training in American -fighting methods: Advance on a run and lie down, advance and lie -down, the front rank shooting all the while, and when these fellows, -who must bear the brunt of the strong defense that the enemy was -making, were thinned out reinforcements were rushed from the rear to -fill up the broken ranks. - -[Illustration: THEY WENT RIGHT TO WORK DISLODGING THE HUNS FROM THE -HOUSES.] - -In every conceivable point of shelter, from every thicket, bit -of woodland, hollow or knoll around the village there were enemy -machine-gun units, with here and there larger calibre quick-firing -fieldpieces, sending a perfect hail of lead and iron across the -fields at those ever-advancing boys in khaki. - -But it mattered little to the boys in khaki how fast and furious came -this death-dealing rain of bullets, for they kept right on into the -village, and they went right to work dislodging the Huns from the -houses, using rifle, hand-grenades, bayonets and pistols. The enemy -sought every means of protection; they fortified themselves behind -walls which the American artillery had left standing, or behind -piles of débris the shelling had made. They poked their rifles and -machine-guns out of windows, and cellar-entrances, and down from roof -tops. They made street barriers of parts of ruined buildings, and -thus contested every inch of ground until the Americans were upon -them and when they could no longer fight, they surrendered. Some ran -away while some went down fighting, for they had been told it was -better to die than to be taken prisoner by the cruel Americans. - -When the village of Bouresches was clean of Huns, their artillery -made it hot for the conquerors. So marines and the doughboys found it -their turn to seek shelter. They did this so well that after hours of -shelling they had hardly lost another man. - -Meanwhile, the troops not needed to defend the village from -counter-attacks of the enemy, rapidly re-formed and turned to make -the first assault on Belleau Wood, a hill crowned with a jungle of -trees and thickets. This stronghold of the enemy had for three days -proved impregnable. After the artillery had hammered it a while, -tearing to pieces half the trees on its southern edge, a reorganized -regiment of marines made a final charge, yelling like Indians, and -gained the crest. Then they swept through the forest, broke up the -enemy machine-gun nests and drove nearly double their number of Huns -out of the place. This was the bloodiest hand-to-hand fighting, for -they had to use the bayonet almost exclusively. Even at this game the -Americans proved themselves superior to the enemy, not only man to -man, but when fighting in formation. Necessarily it was a scattering -fight, but it illustrated the personal valor and intelligence of the -Yanks. - -Thus, on June 11, 1918, the German strongholds at and near -Château-Thierry sector were captured, and their line pushed back -over three miles. Never again were the Huns to advance, but always -to retreat until the war ended. They had, as it were, run against a -stone wall from the top of which now floated the Stars and Stripes. - -Corporal Stapley had been among those to charge into and capture -Bouresches. He had, of course, been in the ranks with his platoon, -dashing forward, dropping on the ground, hearing the bullets sing -above and around him; then going on again, blinded to everything -but the mad desire to come up with those machine-gun nests and to -destroy the men and guns which were trying so hard to destroy him -and his comrades. And reach the positions of the gun nests they did. -But as some of Stapley’s squad charged a group of six Huns pivoting -a gun around and working frantically with the mechanism, Clem was -aware that only three other men were with him. He dimly remembered -seeing one or two of them fall, and fail to get up again. But there -was no time to think of this now. With bayonets leveled, his comrades -followed their fleet-footed corporal and were upon the boches before -they could shoot. “Kamerad!” called out one fellow, lifting high his -hands, and the others, throwing down their weapons, followed suit. -Another marine squad followed without an officer. Clem took command -of this also. - -“Two of you hold this bunch here! Kill them if they get gay! Come -on--the rest of you!” - -They ran on. The houses of the village were close at hand and in -among these they went. Two of the men had originally qualified as -grenade-throwers. Clem told them to blow up anything that looked like -a gun nest. The others were to use rifle, bayonet and pistol only. -It was necessary to shout these orders above the rattle of guns and -yells of the charging marines on every side. The words were hardly -out of Clem’s mouth before the long, jacketed barrel of a machine-gun -was poked out of a cellar entrance on the street not fifty feet ahead -of them and the fire began to streak from its muzzle toward a group -of marines coming down a cross street. One of Clem’s new men lighted -his grenade, dashed forward, bowled it over-hand with a skill that -would have done credit to an expert cricketer. A mass of dust, dirt -and mangled objects blew out of the cellar and that gun nest was no -more. The little squad rushed on. Opposite a square stone building -from a window of which came a burst of flame and a ripping sound. -Clem saw some steps to the right which might lead to this nest. He -shouted to his men and leaped forward. At the top step he glanced -about. Three of his squad lay on the ground. Two were following him. -The heavy door was fastened. Clem drew back the butt of his gun to -break the lock, but one of the others fired into it, and as they -threw their bodies against the door it burst open. - -Within a large room, like an inn parlor, two Huns were working the -machine-gun and a third met them with leveled rifle. Before Clem -could fire one of his men threw his weapon like a Zulu his spear -and the bayonet transfixed the Hun, who sank with a gasp. The other -marines were upon the two gunners before they had time even to shout -“Kamerad!” Freeing their bayonet points all three turned to leave the -building when a lone marine jumped in, shouting: - -“Gun nest on the roof!” - -“Get ’em!” shouted Clem, who was dimly aware that the man was Martin, -of his own squad. - -They found a stairway. Dashing up this and along a hall, they climbed -another flight where they saw a ladder leading to an open trap door. - -“I can fix ’em!” cried the remaining grenade man who had a rifle -also. He handed the weapon to Clem, ran up the ladder, lighted his -fuse and tossed it out on the roof. The explosion brought down -plaster within and filled the place with dust; Clem saw the body of a -man fall past the window. The grenade man was knocked off the ladder -by his own bomb, but he landed on his feet. The four men dashed down -to the street, and as they ran along, a Hun from behind a broken wall -hurled a grenade at them. Clem leaped to dodge it and two of his men -ducked and fell flat, but poor Martin, looking away, caught the full -force of the explosion at his feet. They saw him lifted up, twisted -about and fall in a broken heap, his clothing half torn from his -body. They knew their friend’s death had been instantaneous. Clem -was pushed back as by a great wind. The two other men were rolled -over and over. One of them looked up from where he lay and saw the -Hun grinning at them. He jumped up and leveled his gun, but the Hun -dodged back and they only had a glimpse of him lighting another -grenade. With all the speed at his command Clem made for the wall, -and with a leap cleared it. He came down on the fellow with both -feet, at the same time stabbing downward with his bayonet. He felt -the mass beneath his feet quiver and sink inert. Then Stapley started -to climb back over the wall and found himself pushed back by his -other two men who followed him over. Seven Germans coming along the -street, had seen the three marines and started toward them, firing. -The three Americans gave them such a warm reception that two of the -Huns dropped in their tracks and the other five turned and fled. - -“After ’em, boys!” shouted Clem, and the three chased along a narrow -street to the eastern edge of the town where the Germans turned a -corner and came face to face with a full platoon of Americans who -took them prisoner. - -The lieutenant in charge of this unit took great pleasure in the -sight of five Germans being pursued by three Americans. As the little -squad came up, he asked Clem to report action and casualties. - -“Orders now are to report southwest of the village. Battalion will -reform. Fall in with us.” - -Clem was glad of this. Though such fighting was intoxicating while it -lasted, it was sickening business after all. He had had enough of it. -He was glad he had done his duty--glad the town had been won and if -there were enough men left to hold the place, but a rest wouldn’t go -badly. Still, if there was to be more of such work, he was ready. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -FRIENDS - - -Ambulancier Donald Richards, with Washington White beside him, but -without his usual grin, drove his much battered car down the military -road and across the scarlet-flowered fields in the direction of the -battle sounds. From a rise of ground he could see advancing lines -of men, some distance apart, moving rapidly for a short space and -dropping on the ground; then arising and going forward to repeat -the movement--all this carried out with wonderful precision. At one -moment there were a thousand men thus spread out, moving swiftly. At -the next moment they were all prone on the ground, in perfect unison. - -Don understood this perfectly. He had witnessed the same tactics a -few days before in the charge on Bouresches and they had won. But the -attempt to win Belleau Wood had been frustrated for three days by the -terrible machine-fire which greeted the determined Americans. Would -it be possible to attain their object this time before they were all -killed? - -For he could see also, all over the field behind the charging -soldiers, many men who had fallen. In spots the ground was strewn -with bodies of the wounded and dead. As he gazed, horror-stricken yet -fascinated by the spectacle, he could discern the thinning out of the -charging lines, as they swept forward. - -“We’ve got to get right down there, Wash, and bring some of those -fellows out,” Don said. - -“Down whar? On de groun’ whar dem sojers is kilt? Say, Mist’ Donal’, -yu done that-a-way t’other day en’ yu-all knows how dis amberlance -looked when hit come out. En’ yu kin see now how she looked. En’ hit -wa’n’t no foolishness of ours dat we didn’t get sent to Kingdom Come. -En’ ’tain’t always dese yer po’ white Heinies is gwine miss us. Boun’ -tu git it some time.” - -“Oh, forget it, Wash! You always think we’re going to get hurt. You -see we haven’t been hurt yet and that’s as good as just starting out.” - -On the ambulance went, dodging shell-holes, running around natural -obstacles, rapidly nearing the ground across which the marines had -charged not five minutes before. The boys overtook a light, active -fellow, on foot and trotting, though now with lagging steps, and Don -knew him for a messenger. Don slowed down and asked the lad to hop -in for a lift. But this was only for a fourth of a mile, for they -then soon came well within the edge of the zone of flying bullets and -shells. Here they met the first _brancardiers_ with a wounded man, so -the ambulance came to a stop. Without a word the runner leaped out -and dashed on. Don and Wash were filled with admiration for these -nervy fellows, who seemed to have no thought of danger in carrying -messages to officers in the field. Right here another runner came to -Don. - -“Captain Baston says tell you there are five men, all badly wounded, -in a shell hole--over there, near those poplar trees--and they ought -to be got out. It won’t do to carry them far, he said. Got the nerve -to make it?” - -Did he have the nerve? He saw that this first case was not a bad one -and could stand a little jolting. He told the _brancardiers_ to load -on their man and hop in. Then he turned his car across in line with -the German fire. - -“I kin wait heah twill yuh come back. Yu ain’t got no special use fo’ -me,” Wash began, but this time only a look from Don ended the negro’s -protest. In three minutes he had reached the shell-hole by the trees. -Half a dozen direct or ricocheting machine-gun bullets had hit the -ambulance, but had done no more damage than to add to the holes and -dents already in its sturdy sides. - -It was the work of but a few minutes for the two _brancardiers_ with -their one stretcher, and Don and Wash with another, to get most of -the wounded fellows into the ambulance, while shells and smaller -calibre missiles flew and struck all round them. The last poor chap -was suffering with a wound in the leg. Entirely out of his mind he -fought against being moved, so Wash went back with the bearers to -hold the soldier on the stretcher. As they started back, Don, who had -been glancing at his carburetor, began to lower the hood over his -motor. - -The sound of an approaching shell; nothing can describe it; the long -swish of a carriage whip, the rush of water at high pressure from -the nozzle of a hose, the wind singing past a kite string--these -might barely suggest it. Hearing it once it is never forgotten. Don -looked when he noticed it; one must do that when it is near, though. -Trying to dodge a shell is as useless as ducking at lightning. -Then came the thud of the projectile and the almost simultaneous -explosion. The boy’s eyes, just above the hood, had been upon the -approaching stretcher. The next instant the group of four--the -_brancardiers_, Wash and the raving man--had ceased to exist amidst -a furious upheaval of flame and earth and stones. Innumerable flying -pieces struck the engine hood and Don’s helmet. The wounded men were -protected by the sides of the ambulance. - -Don walked slowly over and looked down at the hole made by the shell; -he glanced around at the torn and twisted bodies flung twenty feet -away. Something like a sob choked him as he recognized the black face -of his helper. Don had almost compelled him to come within this area -of awful danger, else the poor fellow would have been living now. -Flinging a suggestion of salt water from his eyes, the boy leaped to -his seat and addressed the wounded men behind him: - -“Where was the nearest dressing station set up?” - -“Back of that low hill to the left,” a weak voice directed, and the -car shot forward. - -“Get ’em in here! You bring in the biggest loads, so keep at it!” -said the field-surgeon. “Others of your crowd are getting them back -to the evacuation hospital all right. Go to it, boy!” - -And again Don went flying toward the fighting front, toward the level -fields filled with crimson flowers, waving grass or ripening grain, -stretched south and west from Belleau Wood. - -Up the slopes of the hill he could now see the indomitable marines, -still charging, overcoming all opposition, destroying the machine-gun -nests, bayoneting the gunners, and defeating every attempt of the -enemy to check their attack. On into the fields--to the very foot -of the hill--Don drove his car, looking to the right and left for -_blessés_. The bullets, as never before, sung around him, threshing -out the grass and grain, and tearing up the blood-red poppies. - -Here also the stretcher-bearers were more than busy. Two, with a -wounded man, came running to Don. Another wounded man crawled and -dragged himself toward the car, until the boy saw and helped him. The -soldier could speak only in halting accents. - -“There’s one--our corporal--down back--bush. Helped -me--water--canteen. Fainted, then--good fellow--get him.” - -Don, fishing in his pockets for his ammonia spirits and grabbing a -water bottle, ran to the spot designated, a hundred feet away. The -marine lay on his stomach, his face hidden in the crook of his left -arm. Evidently he had come to. The other arm lay limp on the grass. A -clot of blood stained the clothing on his left side. - -“_Ambulancier_ here. I’ll help you, or get a stretcher if you -can’t--” Don began, stooping to lift the fellow. The wounded man -twisted about, raised his head and once again Don Richards and -Clement Stapley gazed into each other’s eyes. But the look of -defiance was gone. - -“Clem, poor chap, are you hurt much? Where?” - -“Arm busted, Don. Side cut a little. Flesh wound, I think. If it’s -worse, tell mother and dad.” - -“I don’t believe it’s bad, Clem. Don’t you think it! We’ll see that -it isn’t. My car--” - -“I can walk to it, perhaps. Legs O. K. Use gun as crutch.” - -“No; I’ll help you; carry you, if need be. Get your good arm over my -shoulder.” - -“That’ll bring you on the side where the bullets--” - -“Well, what of that? I don’t--” - -“No, you don’t care, but I do, Don. If I get another it’s only -one--but you--” - -“Never mind! Come on. You know I always have my way. Your arm around -my neck.” - -With painful laboriousness the two began to walk across. They had -gone a dozen feet when Clem heard the sound of a bullet striking -flesh. He had heard it too often not to know it. But Don did not -hear it. He only sank to the ground. Clem struggled to maintain his -footing but fell beside him. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -DISTINGUISHED - - -“Not killed, are you, Don?” - -No answer. - -“Done for! And just when we had become friends,” Clem murmured. But -upon the instant an arm that he had been unconsciously lying across -gave a twitch. Clem lifted himself and looked into the other boy’s -face. - -“Hey, Don! You’re not dead, are you?” - -Don Richards opened his eyes. “If I am, it’s right comfortable, -except something’s the matter with my shoulder. Was I hit? Oh yes; -sure, I know. I came over to help you; didn’t I? Then I got mine. -Head feels queer. Must have gone to sleep. Knocked out, eh?” - -“Something like that. But, glory, I’m glad you weren’t killed! I -thought you were.” - -“The Huns haven’t got a real bullet with my number on it. This was -only a fake one made of corn pith. Say, let’s make the ambulance and -get out of here.” - -It was now a still slower and sorrier procession than before, but -pluck and mutual helpfulness got the two boys over most of the way -until _brancardiers_ came to them. One of these latter could drive a -car, and he offered to run the ambulance to the dressing station. - -Two hours later the two boys, both swathed in bandages, lay on -adjoining cots, following operations. Two days later the big, roomy -Red Cross base, with its abundant light, comforts, attentive nurses -and absence of flies, received them. As they left the evacuation tent -for this delightful place, Major Little, still on duty, said to Don: - -“I always believed you’d get hit, my boy. You took too much risk. -Came pretty near ending you. Just missed the lung by about one inch. -But you’ll be all right and so will your friend, the corporal, here. -Well, I want to say your work has been admirable and I think they -will have something to say about that at the base. Good-bye and good -luck!” - -And at the base they did have something to say about it, but not -alone to Don. A month later some French and American officers -visited the hospital and they came direct to the easy chairs occupied -by Clem and Don on the wide veranda of the old château which had been -turned into a convalescent ward. - -The American general spoke first, taking the right hand of each lad. - -“Well, I suppose you two young scamps know what we do over here to -show our appreciation, eh?” - -Both boys were silent and much embarrassed. - -“Well, one American way, like that of the British, is to mention -names in dispatches. You fellows won’t object to that when you hear -what is going to be said of you. Corporal, there has been no braver -part taken than that by you in the charge on the Bois de Belleau. -And we have it that you did some fine work in Bouresches, and on -Hill 165. And you--Master Red Cross driver--we have heard some great -stories of you. But better than dispatches will be the Medals of -Honor for both of you. Here is another matter: We have received data -about the arrest of some spies. This, it seems, started back in -the States and ended here. Well, that was notably fine work--fine -work! But our friend here, _Monsieur le Général_ Marcier, also has -something to say.” - -Mister the General, twirling his pointed mustache with a beaming -smile, spoke what he had to say quite briefly and it was just as -well that he did so, between very bad English and very nasal French, -rapidly delivered, the boys could hardly get head or tail of it. They -did, however, both get the well-known words at the end of the speech. -These delightful syllables were _Croix de Guerre_. And then again the -American commander spoke: - -“It is by just such lads as you have proved yourselves to be that the -enemy was stopped and turned back at Château-Thierry. And by many -such as you this war will soon be won. You boys will be invalided -home and sent across shortly. Be as good citizens as you have been -brave men here. Good-bye and good luck!” - -The officers went their way, making welcome little speeches to -others. Don leaned over and slapped his friend gently on the back. - -“Medal of Honor! and the _Croix de Guerre_!” - - - - - * * * * * - * * * * * - - - - -A PENNANT-WINNER IN BOYS’ BOOKS! - - Hugh S. Fullerton’s Great Books - - The Jimmy Kirkland Series - of Baseball Stories - - By HUGH S. FULLERTON - - America’s Greatest Baseball Writer. Author of - “Touching Second,” Etc. - -[Illustration] - -Combining his literary skill with his unsurpassed knowledge of -baseball from every angle--especially from a boy’s angle--Mr. -Fullerton has written a new series of baseball stories for boys, -which will be seized with devouring interest by every youthful -admirer of the game. While the narrative is predominant in these -books, Mr. Fullerton has encompassed a large amount of practical -baseball instruction for boys; and, what is of greater value, he has -shown the importance of manliness, sportsmanship and clean living to -any boy who desires to excel in baseball or any other sport. These -books are bound to sell wherever they are seen by boys or parents. -Handsomely illustrated and bound. 12mo. Cloth. New and original cover -design. - -JIMMY KIRKLAND OF THE SHASTA BOYS’ TEAM - -JIMMY KIRKLAND OF THE CASCADE COLLEGE TEAM - -JIMMY KIRKLAND AND A PLOT FOR A PENNANT - -Sold Singly or in Boxed Sets - -Price per volume, 75 cents - - THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO., _Publishers_ - WINSTON BUILDING PHILADELPHIA - - - - -The Big Series of Boys’ Books for 1918 - - - THE BRIGHTON BOYS SERIES - - By Lieutenant James R. 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This new binding will give -the work a wider use, for in this convenient form the objection -to carrying the ordinary bound book is entirely overcome. This -convenient style also contains “HURLBUT’S BIBLE LESSONS FOR BOYS AND -GIRLS,” a system of questions and answers, based on the stories in -the book, by which the Old Testament story can be taught in a year, -and the New Testament story can be taught in a year. This edition -also contains 17 Maps printed in colors, covering the geography of -the Old Testament and of the New Testament. - -These additional features are not included in the Cloth bound book, -but are only to be obtained in the new Flexible Morocco style. - -Cloth, extra Price, $2.50 - - THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO., _Publishers_ - WINSTON BUILDING PHILADELPHIA - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE - - Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. - - The original text had large drop-capitals at the start of each - chapter, and omitted the initial quotation mark in an opening - sentence of a conversation. That missing quotation mark has been - inserted in this etext. - - Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been - corrected after careful comparison with other occurrences within - the text and consultation of external sources. - - Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, - and inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained. For example, - shell hole, shell-hole; farm house, farmhouse; boylike, boy-like; - jailors; combatting; intrenched. - - Pg 53, ‘mightly independent’ replaced by ‘mightily independent’. - Pg 54, ‘will be going, to’ replaced by ‘will be going, too’. - Pg 56, ‘to he satisfied’ replaced by ‘to be satisfied’. - Pg 59, ‘amply satisified’ replaced by ‘amply satisfied’. - Pg 71, ‘not checked not’ replaced by ‘not checked nor’. - Pg 76, ‘handorgan’ replaced by ‘hand organ’. - Pg 82, ‘muderous Hun’ replaced by ‘murderous Hun’. - Pg 95, ‘cumulous clouds’ replaced by ‘cumulus clouds’. - Pg 96, ‘the while thing’ replaced by ‘the white thing’. - Pg 102, ‘fer a veteran’ replaced by ‘for a veteran’. - Pg 108, ‘and you--Don’ replaced by ‘And you--Don’. - Pg 114, ‘the work an so’ replaced by ‘the work and so’. - Pg 116, ‘They’s have you’ replaced by ‘They’d have you’. - Pg 123, ‘hideous meledy’ replaced by ‘hideous melody’. - Pg 125, ‘and said Don’ replaced by ‘and said to Don’. - Pg 135, ‘camion contigent’ replaced by ‘camion contingent’. - Pg 141, ‘real while folks’ replaced by ‘real white folks’. - Pg 151, ‘does it carry then’ replaced by ‘does it carry them’. - Pg 158, ‘the day everhauling’ replaced by ‘the day overhauling’. - Pg 159, ‘certain and reggular’ replaced by ‘certain and regular’. - Pg 166, ‘though homlier’ replaced by ‘though homelier’. - Pg 171, ‘similiar shouts’ replaced by ‘similar shouts’. - Pg 211, ‘short shift’ replaced by ‘short shrift’. - Pg 219, ‘jumped up an’ replaced by ‘jumped up and’. - Pg 232, ‘well-know words’ replaced by ‘well-known words’. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Brighton Boys at Chateau-Thierry, by -James R. 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