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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..061eccb --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #66577 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/66577) diff --git a/old/66577-0.txt b/old/66577-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 85e2b79..0000000 --- a/old/66577-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5262 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of We Were There at the Normandy Invasion, by -Clayton Knight - -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 -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: We Were There at the Normandy Invasion - -Author: Clayton Knight - -Contributor: Ralph Royce - -Release Date: October 20, 2021 [eBook #66577] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Tim Lindell, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was - produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital - Library.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WE WERE THERE AT THE NORMANDY -INVASION *** - - - - - _WE WERE THERE_ - AT THE - NORMANDY INVASION - -[Illustration: _“The 82nd always wins its battles!” Slim said_] - - - - - _WE WERE THERE_ - AT THE - NORMANDY - INVASION - - Written and Illustrated by - CLAYTON KNIGHT - - _Historical Consultant_: - MAJOR GENERAL RALPH ROYCE - U.S.A.F., RETIRED - - [Illustration] - - GROSSET & DUNLAP - PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK - - - - - © CLAYTON KNIGHT 1956 - - - PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NO. 56-5389 - - _We Were There at the Normandy Invasion_ - - - - -Contents - - - CHAPTER - - I Dangerous Business 3 - - II House-to-House Search 15 - - III Father Duprey’s Plan 26 - - IV Midnight Landing 34 - - V André’s Warning 41 - - VI Victor’s Mission 56 - - VII Tricolor over Ste. Mère 66 - - VIII Prisoners 73 - - IX Victor Disappears 82 - - X “Here Come the Tanks!” 86 - - XI André and the Nazi Pilot 98 - - XII Slim and the Trumpet 104 - - XIII The War from the Air 110 - - XIV Father Duprey’s Story 123 - - XV Battle for St. Sauveur 129 - - XVI André into the Fighting 139 - - XVII Patchou on the Battlefield 146 - - XVIII The Secret Tunnel 153 - - XIX The 82nd Finishes Its Fight 160 - - XX Bastille Day--1944 169 - - - - -Illustrations - - - “The 82nd always wins its battles!” Slim said FRONTISPIECE - - At a signal from the driver he went to the pump 5 - - He opened the door to find a Nazi officer frowning at him 32 - - The squad gathered up grenades, bazookas, and other equipment 70 - - André had learned half of Slim’s pet song 108 - - “My dear boy!” Father Duprey held out his arms 124 - - Marie came up through the old tunnel 156 - - - - - _WE WERE THERE_ - AT THE - NORMANDY INVASION - - - - -CHAPTER ONE - -_Dangerous Business_ - - -Toward sunset on the first day of June, a small black car rattled past -a crossroads sign in a tiny village in northwestern France. The sign -pointed to the near-by town of Sainte Mère Église, about two miles -farther inland. The coast of the English Channel was nearly three miles -back in the other direction. - -Behind the wheel of the car sat a thin, anxious Frenchman. Hunched -beside him was a young, blond Englishman. The younger man was shabbily -dressed, and most of the lower part of his face was covered by a -bandage. - -The car pulled up and stopped in front of a house with a weather-beaten -sign on it which read: - - PIERRE GAGNON _Gas Tobacco Chocolate_ - -A lone gas pump stood between the house and the highway. Beyond the -house lay Pierre Gagnon’s farm. - -The driver waited a moment and then honked three times sharply. Almost -immediately the door opened. A dark-haired boy of about twelve came out. - -The man behind the wheel asked, “Is your father here?” - -The boy nodded and politely explained, “If you want gas I can work the -pump.” - -The driver frowned nervously and repeated, “Get your father.” - -From the direction of Ste. Mère Église three German soldiers came -in sight, their heavy tread echoing in the stillness of the drowsy -village. Both men in the car and the boy glanced at them. When the boy -did not move, the driver spoke more sharply, “Your father, bring him -here.” - -The boy turned and disappeared through the door. - -The driver and his passenger waited. The younger man slid low in his -seat, his back toward the approaching soldiers. - -Chatting among themselves, the Germans paid no attention to the car -nor to a girl of fifteen who had come to the house door. Behind her -stood her father, Pierre Gagnon, a burly man with a thick mustache, and -rumpled country clothes. - -He brushed past the girl, and at a signal from the driver, went to the -pump. The driver left his seat and bent close to speak to him. - -[Illustration: _At a signal from the driver he went to the pump_] - -Pierre Gagnon listened carefully, then swung around and went back to -the girl in the doorway. - -“Marie,” he whispered, “they want us to hide this fellow, another -downed flyer, for two or three days.” - -The girl studied the youth slumped low in the front seat. She thought, -“He looks like all the airmen who are shot down over France--the -worried eyes, the peasant clothes that don’t fit, the bandages.” - -“Who is the driver?” she asked. “Has he the right password?” - -“Yes,” her father replied. “And he asks us to hide this English pilot -till the Maquis can find a way to get him over the border into Spain. -Do you think we can do it?” - - * * * * * - -In Normandy, that part of France which thrusts northward into the -English Channel, apple trees were in bloom. Warm, soft breezes played -across the green fields, over the thick hedgerows, and through the -orchards. - -But in this beautiful spring of 1944 the people of Normandy could not -enjoy what they saw. They could only hear the tramp of German boots -over their land. Nazi armies had occupied France, and for the last -two years German camps had been set up over the countryside. French -property had been seized, and Nazi officers told the people exactly -what they could and could not do. - -The town of Ste. Mère Église sits almost in the middle of what is -called the Cherbourg Peninsula. Most of the Norman people are farmers -or dairymen. Some are fishermen, but the Nazis would not let them fish. -Instead, the Germans set up barriers along the shore to prevent boats -from landing. And they lined the coast with huge guns. Also, the fields -were spiked with posts and barbed wire to keep American and British -gliders from landing. - -For many months, the French people had been expecting British and -American armies to come in a great invasion that would drive the Nazis -out. But their hopes had always failed. No troops had come to liberate -them, and the Normans felt glum and often angry. More than anything -else they wanted to be free. - -The only thing they could do was to cause all possible trouble for -the Nazis secretly. Those who banded together in “Underground” or -Resistance groups were called Maquis. If a Maquis was caught by the -Germans he was very likely to be shot. - -Nevertheless, many French ran the risk of being detected helping the -British and Americans. Even very young men and girls operated in the -secret Underground. - -The Nazis tried to watch everyone, but sometimes the most -innocent-looking car on the road was being used to trick them, even in -the quietest village. - -It was happening now. Marie Gagnon nodded to her father. “Bring him -in,” she whispered. “I’ll get the room in the attic ready.” - -“One moment,” her father said. “I’ll send André out of the way first. -What he doesn’t know he won’t chatter about.” - -He shouted through the door, “André. Come here.” - -There was a clatter of heavy shoes and the boy reappeared. - -“Son,” his father said sternly, “have you taken the eggs to old Schmidt -yet?” - -André hesitated and shook his head. “No--my bicycle--I could not get -the chain fixed.” - -His sister snorted at him. “You are getting soft. It won’t hurt you to -walk. The eggs are on the kitchen table.” - -André thought, “Sisters!” But a look at his father’s face sent him back -for the eggs. - -As he turned down the road toward Ste. Mère Église his father went back -to the gas pump. André had not gone far when Patchou, his dog, caught -up with him. The puppy gave him a playful nudge as if to say, “I’m -sorry to be late, but I had to give that car a good, long sniff.” - -After walking less than a mile, André turned off and came to a group -of camouflaged barracks. Inside the high wire fence, narrow buildings -stood in long rows. A German sentry, his rifle held loosely, guarded -the gate. He grinned at the boy and waved him inside. - -As André entered, a Frenchman pedaling by on an ancient bicycle shouted -to him, but a burst of Patchou’s barking drowned out the greeting. - -André went around a large group of military vehicles and mobile guns -parked under a protecting netted screen. Then he followed a winding -path up to one of the barracks. - -Patchou, prancing ahead of him, leaped playfully at a middle-aged -German soldier seated on a bench outside, puffing on his pipe. - -Gently pushing off the excited dog, the German saw André and called, -“Aha! It’s young Herr Gagnon.” He tapped the ashes from his pipe and -then added, “You have brought Papa Schmidt some more eggs, no?” - -André held out the package. The German placed it on the bench and -carefully unknotted the big handkerchief the boy had brought. - -Schmidt exclaimed when he saw the contents. “_Ach!_ and cheese, too.” -He held the cheese to his nose and inhaled deeply. “That’s goot. You -are a fine boy, André Gagnon.” With a twinkling smile, he added, -“Almost as goot as my own Otto. - -“Look, I show you.” He reached into the pocket of his tunic. “Just -today a letter came from my home in Osnabrück--and pictures.” Pointing -to one, he said, “That’s my Otto. He’s like you, no?” - -André studied the snapshot of a boy about his own age but with light, -almost white hair, frowning into the sun. - -A little embarrassed, André could only say, “He wears funny clothes.” - -The German chuckled. “If he could see you, he’d think yours were -comical too.” - -Glancing at the letter in his hand, he sighed. “_Ach!_ but they are -having it bad in Osnabrück. The Englisher and the Americaner planes -they bomb, bomb, bomb our town. Part of my home is gone. My wife and -boy say they get no sleep.” - -Almost to himself he muttered, “When will the war end?” Then, turning -to the boy, he said sadly, “_Ach_, how do you know, any more than me? -We smile, eh, while we can ... and enjoy the sunshine.” - -Patchou had wandered off to one of the other barracks and started a -fight with one of the camp dogs. André called over his shoulder, “I’ll -be back again in a day or two,” and ran to separate the two animals. - -By the time he and Patchou reached home, the last twilight had faded. -The house was dark, for blackout curtains were drawn across the -windows. - -Inside, his sister sat hunched alone in the wide, stone-floored -kitchen, listening to music from a forbidden radio. - -“Where’s Papa?” André asked. - -Marie looked annoyed. “He’s gone off with Victor Lescot. That Raoul -Cotein is making trouble again. Now he says our cows broke into his -pasture. What an old weasel he is! Even the Germans behave better.” - -Later, with supper over, she paused suddenly, and raised her hand for -André to be silent. - -Breaking the stillness, the weird wail of air-raid sirens rose far away. - -Marie looked tired. And there was fear in her eyes when she heard the -sirens, which meant that another air raid was beginning. - -“_Again_ tonight,” she sighed, “and so early. It is not yet ten -o’clock.” - -She went to the kitchen window and made sure the black curtains let no -light through. - -“You run upstairs, André, and see that the curtains there are tight. -And stay with Mother,” she ordered. - -Mme. Gagnon had been ill for several weeks. Now she lay in her big bed -upstairs, nearly asleep. - -She opened her eyes as the sirens died away and then began again. - -“Well, son,” she said, “did you eat a good supper?” - -André nodded. - -A little wind from the sea had sprung up, and somewhere a loose board -rattled. Also, there was a noise in the attic. “Must be a rat,” André -said to himself, and decided to take Patchou up there tomorrow. “He’ll -have some fun catching that little thief,” he thought. - -His mother was roused again by the drone of plane engines coming in -high overhead. Their lofty beating made the air tremble. Antiaircraft -guns in near-by Ste. Mère Église began to boom. Their hollow _wumpf, -wumpf_, added to the din of the sirens. - -In a slight lull, Mme. Gagnon asked, “Is your father home? I do not -like him to be away when there is an air raid.” - -André shook his head and raised his voice above the racket. “He’s out -with Victor. Marie says Raoul Cotein is trying to stir up trouble -again.” - -He wanted his mother to think of something other than the air raid, so -he laughed and added, “Marie says Raoul is a weasel.” - -Raoul Cotein’s mischief-making was a village joke. - -Mme. Gagnon sighed. “I wish your father would come home,” she said. -“The bombing might be bad.” - -“Don’t worry,” André said wisely. “These are English planes. The -Americans only come in the daytime. You know, Maman, there aren’t any -big guns and bridges and war factories close to us here.” - -But bombs were dropping, though at a distance. Several minutes later, -the coastal guns were still firing, but the sound of the engines had -begun to die away. - -“Listen,” said Mme. Gagnon in a relieved voice. “You were right, André, -they dropped no bombs on us.” - -André heard his sister’s footsteps on the stairs. Then he thought he -heard the creak of the attic door. Presently she came bustling into the -room, carrying a small tray with a pot of chocolate and a cup. - -Cheerfully, she said, “There, Maman, they’ve gone. Let’s hope we get no -more planes tonight. Here,” pouring the chocolate, “drink this and try -to get back to sleep.” - -Her dark skirts swished around her knees as she fluffed up her mother’s -pillows and tucked in the coverlet. - -Downstairs the front door opened and they heard Pierre Gagnon calling, -“Marie!” - -Then someone spoke in another voice. - -“Shh-h,” whispered Marie. “There is someone with Papa.” - -Her father was saying loudly, “Yes, Herr Kapitan, I’m all right. No, -no, it is not necessary for you to come in.” - -Before Marie and André reached the head of the stairs, the outside door -was slammed, bolted, and the stranger had gone. - -The light from the hall lamp fell on their father as he turned to face -the stairs. - -Across one of his cheeks stretched a deep red gash. - - - - -CHAPTER TWO - -_House-to-House Search_ - - -As the light fell across the wound on her father’s face Marie cried out -sharply. - -From the bedroom Mme. Gagnon called, “Marie, what’s wrong?” - -André ran back to her side. “Papa’s hurt,” he said, and then added -hastily, “but not badly.” - -“But there were no bombs,” Mme. Gagnon exclaimed. - -Pierre himself had lunged up the stairs and now burst into the bedroom -sputtering, “Don’t excite yourself, Maman. All is well. No harm is -done. That _cochon_!” - -“Ah,” his wife cried. “So, it _was_ Raoul Cotein!” - -“Who else but that son of Satan?” Gagnon’s eyes snapped fiercely. He -was red and breathing furiously, and flung himself into a chair beside -the bed. - -“I contain myself,” he said firmly, clamping both great hands on his -knees like thunderclaps. - -“No, Papa,” André grasped his arm, “do not contain yourself yet. Tell -us what has happened.” - -“Marie,” said Mme. Gagnon, “run get some hot water and clean Papa’s -cut.” - -Marie clattered quickly down the stairs and Mme. Gagnon went on, “Now, -Pierre, you get yourself slashed and perhaps poisoned over a cow. I -thought you had more sense.” - -The farmer stiffened. “It was _not_ about a cow! Raoul sent for me -only as an excuse. Ask Victor. He also was there. At once Raoul began -to scream so loud, if it were not for the guns booming they could have -heard him in Ste. Mère.” - -“Then what--?” began Mme. Gagnon impatiently. - -“Then,” cried Pierre, “he began to shout charges against me.” He swept -out both arms. “Against all of us.” - -Pierre swallowed angrily. “He accused me,” he said, “of being a -collaborator of the Nazis! He accuses us all--you, Marie, André--of -working hand in glove with them. It seems that only this evening he saw -André, here, entering the German camp.” - -There it was--the black word, _collaborator_, he who helps the enemy! -It meant someone hated by all Frenchmen, more, perhaps, than the enemy. - -“But Papa,” André cried angrily, “poor old Schmidt! He is not an enemy.” - -Pierre shook his head. “He is. We have only been giving him a few eggs -and a little cheese because he is a tired old man. But Raoul can make -it sound wrong if he wants to.” - -[Illustration] - -Mme. Gagnon nodded encouragement. She thought of the many Allied flyers -this brave, shaggy man had secretly helped to escape from the Nazis at -the risk of his life. And of the boy in the attic. She glanced at her -son, who, so far, knew nothing about his father’s and sister’s work in -the Underground. - -“I grew very angry when he called me a collaborator,” Pierre went on. -“How could I let anyone say such a thing to me? I punched Raoul and -he came back at me like a bull. We fell down, and my face struck the -stone wall. The result is not pretty, perhaps?” - -“Why did that German captain come home with you?” André burst out. “Did -he get in the fight with Raoul?” - -Gagnon snorted. “Not in the fight. Unfortunately he came along just as -Raoul picked up a stick and started for me. Victor was yelling at both -of us, and suddenly we saw the German coming. Naturally we all shut our -mouths like clams. Frenchmen do not fight Frenchmen in front of the -Nazis--not even Raoul.” - -“Perhaps there will be no more to it,” said Mme. Gagnon soothingly. - -“If they do not send soldiers to snoop around the house,” Pierre -grunted, “we need not worry.” - -Marie returned, breathless, with a basin of water and clean cloths. Her -father sat on the edge of the bed, repeating the story, while the cut -was cleaned and gently covered with ointment. - -“Your face feels better, Pierre?” Mme. Gagnon asked. “Good. Now we must -all sleep.” - -A few minutes later the house was dark. Everywhere, from the kitchen -where André snuggled into his goosedown-soft, curtained bed, to the -attic, there was the sound of quiet breathing. And in the attic the -English boy turned restlessly on his narrow cot. - -Before dawn the household roused to the day’s duties. It was not long -before they heard news. The weary, older German soldiers were being -removed. War-toughened young Nazis were going to take over the district. - -Before the new troops had been in camp two days, proclamations that put -stricter limits on freedom were posted everywhere. - -A curfew was ordered. People must not leave their houses between ten in -the evening and five in the morning. This did not bother André since he -usually went to bed well before ten. - -A sad little good-by note from Papa Schmidt reached him. It thanked the -family warmly for their kindness and ended: “Be a goot boy. Someday I -bring my Otto to see you. _Auf Wiederzehen._” - -André noticed that the German camp was a changed place. The new -regiment had chained vicious police dogs inside the wire fence. And -André was horrified when he heard that stray dogs belonging to the -village people had been shot. - -He tied Patchou safely in the farmyard at the rear of the house, and -kept an eye on him. - -Then came another dreaded order: - - ALL ARTICLES OF BRASS OR COPPER MUST BE SURRENDERED BY THE CIVILIAN - POPULATION. A HOUSE-TO-HOUSE SEARCH WILL BE MADE. - -André’s most prized possession was a gleaming brass trumpet which he -had learned to play with some skill. It was not only dear to him, but -the only really precious thing he owned. “I must hide it in some very, -very safe place,” he thought. - -Also, the coming search would be very dangerous to the rest of the -family. If the Germans came they would surely find the flyer in their -attic. And if an enemy pilot were found in their house they would all -be shot. - -Marie and her father had been watching for the Maquis operator to come -for the flyer, according to plan. But for some reason he had not yet -appeared. - -“Those Maquis! They are wasting their time in some café, enjoying -themselves, probably,” Mme. Gagnon said irritably. - -But Pierre replied, “No. Not the Maquis. There is some good reason why -the operator has not yet been able to get here.” - -It was not until June 4th, just before curfew time, that a Maquis -messenger slipped into the Gagnon house. - -He said he could not come before because the new Nazi garrison had sent -patrols everywhere. - -The plans of the Underground had all been changed. Pierre and Marie, he -said, must keep the flyer where he was until new arrangements to spirit -him away could be made. - -That evening Marie and her father huddled in the dark little parlor to -talk over their situation. - -Marie whispered wildly, “What _shall_ we do if the Nazis come here? -They will go to the attic too.” - -Pierre shrugged, scowling. “We must find some way. We always have -before.” - -But, more than an hour later, they still had no idea what to do. - -“There’s no other way,” whispered M. Gagnon at last, “but to go ask -Father Duprey to offer some idea. He must be taken into the secret.” - -Marie nodded. - -The night was dark and rain began to fall. - -Her father yawned. “I’ll go see Father Duprey tomorrow, first thing,” -he said. “Now off to bed with you.” - -They rose, and stood tensely, startled by a creak on the stairs and -soft, padding footsteps outside the door. - -The door opened and André stood there, clutching his boots and his -trumpet. - -“Heavens, André, you frightened us,” Marie snapped. “We thought you -were in bed long ago.” - -His father asked gruffly, “Where are you going at this hour?” - -The boy moved nervously. “Papa,” he blurted, “why didn’t you tell me -that man was hiding in the attic?” - -Pierre and his daughter exchanged quick glances. Pierre put a hand -protectingly on his son’s shoulder. “We thought it might save trouble -if you didn’t know,” he said. “But now it’s done.” - -“But why shouldn’t I know?” André demanded stubbornly. “He’s the man -with the bandage who came in the car a few days ago, isn’t he? I talked -to him. And I like him.” - -“You must be sure not to give us away,” André’s father ordered sternly. -“Say nothing about this man to anyone. Do you understand?” - -André promised, and he laid his trumpet beside the lamp. “I found him -up there when I went to the attic to get this. I must bury it outside -somewhere before the Nazis come snooping around.” Then he gasped. “But -won’t they find Ronald?” - -His father said, “Your sister and I are looking out for him. Now, about -this trumpet...?” - -The horn _had_ to be hidden before another morning. - -“I’ll bury it near the fence beside the lane,” André whispered as he -edged out into the stormy darkness. - -An eerie stillness hung heavy on Marie and her father when André had -gone. - -After a few moments Marie whispered nervously, “I don’t think I can -sleep until this is settled, Papa. Don’t you think you could slip out -and see Father Duprey tonight?” - -Pierre frowned. “What about this cursed curfew? I do not want to be -caught. However, it will not be my first night job for the Underground.” - -He slipped on his coat, pulled his cap low, and eased himself -noiselessly out of the house. - -Marie sat alone, her eyes on the clock. - -Her heart jumped a beat when an approaching patrol car whizzed down the -road. It passed the house. Again the dark silence. - -The back door opened and André returned, his boots caked high with mud. -When he asked, “Where’s Papa?” she said, “He has gone out. Ask no more -questions and go to bed.” - -“I will wait for Papa,” he replied firmly, and perched on the edge of a -chair, studying his sister’s face. - -He had felt excitement growing among the others in the house. Now it -belonged to him, too. - -They listened for outside noises through the sounds of the storm. André -said, “Ronald Pitt’s a fighter pilot, Marie. Did you know that? - -“I never talked to one before,” he continued. “He told me his Spitfire -plane got hit, late one evening, and he parachuted down into a wood. -The Germans didn’t find him. He’s been hiding in the fields and towns -for two weeks.” - -Marie nodded. “He’s one of the lucky ones--so far.” - -André chattered softly on. “Those bandages were a fake, weren’t they? -He wasn’t really hurt. Somebody painted his jaw with iodine and put on -those bandages so he wouldn’t have to talk to any Germans.” - -Her eyes on the clock, Marie said, “Shush now.” - -André broke the next few minutes of silence with, “Ronald comes from -Nottingham, like Robin Hood--” - -But Marie hissed, “Shh-h!” still more sharply, and rose to listen at -the door. - -At a rap outside, she unfastened the lock. - -Pierre slipped inside. His tired face had lighted up, and Marie smiled. -“Father Duprey will help us!” she cried eagerly. - -Pierre motioned to the stairs and said, “We go talk to Maman quickly. -Come, Marie. You, André, clothes off and into bed. Lamps out, Marie.” - -At Mme. Gagnon’s bedside a candle flickered. Pierre and Marie drew -close beside the pillow. - -“The Nazis have already begun to search houses on the other road,” -Pierre whispered rapidly. “They are still a long way from us, but we -can’t lose any time. Father Duprey has a plan. It is this. He will -arrange with the hospital at St. Sauveur le Vicomte tomorrow for you -to go there in an ambulance to have treatments. And we will hide the -English flyer inside the ambulance.” - -At a frightened look from Mme. Gagnon, he went on hurriedly, “Marie -will ride with you, and Father Duprey will sit up with the driver. -He thinks if we make a big parade of it the Germans will not be so -suspicious.” - -“But St. Sauveur is beyond Ste. Mère Église ... so far away,” whispered -Mme. Gagnon. - -“But that is good, Maman,” Marie protested. - -“It is the nut of the whole idea!” Pierre’s voice rose excitedly. “St. -Sauveur is out of this district, and you will be safely away from these -new Nazi troops. Some Maquis will meet us near the hospital. They will -spirit our flyer out of the ambulance and hide him until he can be -moved on. It is a good plan, Maman?” - -“I do not like it,” she protested. - - - - -CHAPTER THREE - -_Father Duprey’s Plan_ - - -Even next morning when Father Duprey arrived to go over the plan again, -Mme. Gagnon was still protesting uneasily. - -Father Duprey clasped his hands, beaming. “Think of the good that will -come to all.” - -Marie’s mother nodded her head doubtfully. - -The next step after preparing Mme. Gagnon for her role was to instruct -the flyer in his part. - -Leaving Marie on watch downstairs, Pierre and the priest, trailed by -André, clumped up the dark staircase to the attic. - -Ronald Pitt listened to them quietly and shrugged when Father Duprey -asked, “You agree, my son? It is a good scheme, you think?” - -“Well, I’m in your hands,” the young Englishman replied. “But I’d -certainly feel foul if I got you into trouble. Of course, I’m willing -to take any kind of chance. The sooner I get back to my squadron the -better. I think you can guess what’s up in England. It’s my bet the -invasion is coming any day now.” - -“It can’t come too soon,” Pierre said eagerly. - -Soon after that, work on the farm began as on an ordinary day. In spite -of the Gagnons’ desire to appear untroubled, however, they paused often -to listen and look around them. - -Rumors of the Nazi search party reached them from all sides. The -village women trundled from house to house bemoaning the loss of their -copper cooking pots. - -At two o’clock that afternoon the priest’s housekeeper brought a -package. A message said that all arrangements had been completed. At -exactly four o’clock the ambulance would arrive before Pierre’s house. -Mme. Gagnon was to be ready to leave instantly. The party must arrive -at a point near the hospital at _exactly_ five o’clock. - -Marie packed clothes for her mother and laid out her own best dress. -Even though she would be returning that same evening, she also prepared -a small lunch basket. The hospital was only about eighteen miles away, -but food might be difficult to find and expensive to buy. - -André was given the job of coaching Ronald Pitt. He climbed the attic -stairs filled with excitement but also full of laughter. For the -disguise that Father Duprey had chosen for the flyer was a nun’s -outfit of clothing. - -When the young Englishman had put on the long, full, black robe, André -stood back and studied him, his eyes dancing. And from under the -starched headdress that framed his narrow face the flyer’s blue eyes -danced just as gaily. - -André said, “You make a pretty nun.” And grinning, he finished, “I did -not think Spitfire pilots were so _chic_.” - -Then recalling the serious instructions his father had given him for -Ronald, he repeated them. “Be ready to come downstairs just before four -o’clock. Get into the ambulance quickly, right after they put Maman’s -stretcher in. The family will try to surround you. The driver is a -Maquis and he’s used to this kind of business. - -“Now,” André finished, “my father says to be sure you don’t leave -anything behind you for the Germans to find. And Marie will come in a -few minutes to put the cot and all this stuff away.” - -“Splendid.” Ronald looked down at the boy. “I’d hate to see _my_ young -brother exposed to all this danger you’re so cheerful about. Well, -now I must practice a bit.” He took a sedate turn between the cot and -the window, grinning at the French boy. And he practiced sitting down -demurely. - -It had been raining gustily all day but stopped about three, and the -wind dropped. - -For some time the village had been quiet--the Nazi squad busy among -outlying farms. - -As four o’clock neared, Mme. Gagnon was upstairs, dressed and wrapped -in a shawl, ready to be hurried onto the stretcher. - -In the shuttered little parlor, a dark-robed figure stood in the shadow -beside the hallway door. - -André stood watch at a window on the road, and his father and Marie -paced the stone-floored kitchen. - -Then, electrically, the silence was broken by the rumble of an -approaching car. André drew the curtain aside a little. - -At his stifled cry Marie and her father rushed to the window. - -A German army truck crammed with armed soldiers was slowing up on the -road. And at that same moment, from the opposite direction, the closed -black ambulance rolled up to the Gagnon door. - -Almost before the ambulance had braked to a stop Father Duprey’s tall, -erect figure swung down from the front seat, and Pierre rushed to admit -him. The driver immediately began to back the long vehicle close to the -door. - -Marie cried softly, “Heavens, Father, what a calamity! The Nazis! What -can we do?” - -“We can act sensible,” said Father Duprey, “and waste no time moaning -about what we can’t help. Those men are evidently going to search the -Julliard farm next door before they come here. Let the driver in with -the stretcher, daughter, so we lose no time getting Mme. Gagnon away.” - -The driver sidled in and M. Gagnon seized the stretcher. The two men -hurried up the stairs. - -A few seconds later the creaking steps warned André that his mother was -being carried down. He signaled Ronald to be ready for his dash. - -“Now,” said Father Duprey to Marie, “sob a little, but not enough to -draw much attention.” - -André held the door while the little procession puffed and brushed -through. Mme. Gagnon was lifted easily in through the ambulance door. -And a moment later, Ronald, clutching his awkward bundle of skirts as -naturally as he could, climbed in and crouched beside the stretcher. -His face was hidden by the width of his headdress, and he bent gently -over the sick woman. - -“It is all going like clockwork, madame,” he whispered. “Don’t be -frightened.” - -“I--I’m afraid,” murmured Mme. Gagnon, “more for Pierre, for Marie and -André....” - -Standing by the road, Pierre looked with mounting anxiety at the -soldiers prowling through the farm next door. They were not spending -much time there. - -In all his later life André never forgot the next few minutes. - -Mme. Gagnon called, “Pierre! Pierre, please come with me.” - -And just then Raoul Cotein bicycled briskly up, shouting, “_Mon Dieu_, -Gagnon, what are you up to now?” - -He set his bicycle against the wall and stared into the open end of the -ambulance. - -“What’s the trouble here?” he demanded loudly as his eyes rolled toward -the strange nun. - -“Get on with your business, Raoul,” M. Gagnon ordered. “My wife is ill, -as you well know, and you are not needed here.” - -Father Duprey’s black eyes were traveling swiftly from the hunched -figures in the dimness of the ambulance to the Germans only two or -three hundred yards away. - -André boosted Marie in beside her mother, and M. Gagnon closed the door -upon them. Father Duprey said calmly, “You may as well come along, -Pierre. It will comfort your wife. I’ll see that you and Marie get home -tonight.” - -“But André--” Pierre whispered. - -André tugged at his arm. “Go. Go, Papa,” he urged. “I can take care of -everything--only go.” - -Down the road, the Nazis were piling back into their truck and the -starter whined. - -[Illustration: _He opened the door to find a Nazi officer frowning at -him_] - -Father Duprey seized Pierre’s arm and whipped him swiftly forward and -up to the seat in front. - -He had no more than slid into the seat himself when the Maquis driver -rocked the old ambulance into action with a crash of gears. The machine -swayed into a turn and roared away toward Ste. Mère Église. - -André watched it go for a long minute. - -The German army truck started, but halted a little distance off, and -the sharp voice of the officer giving commands drifted toward them. - -Raoul Cotein shifted his feet. “Uh--I have things to do,” he cried -suddenly. He flung a leg over his bicycle, and peddling furiously, was -soon gone. - -André moved idly toward the house. Once through his own door, the boy -trotted quickly into the kitchen. - -He untied his dog and put him in the dimly lit cow barn. As he snapped -the door fastening, he spoke warningly, “Not a sound out of you, -Patchou. Remember!” - -He got back into the house just in time to answer a loud thumping -at the front door. He opened it to find a Nazi officer and several -hard-faced soldiers frowning down at him. - - - - -CHAPTER FOUR - -_Midnight Landing_ - - -André stepped quickly aside as, without a word, the Germans tramped in. - -Three of them were ordered upstairs while the others set to work poking -into every cupboard and drawer on the first floor. When they had -emptied the kitchen of its copper they trooped off to the outbuildings. - -André waited uncertainly in the hallway at first. Later, he edged his -way to the farmyard door and anxiously watched the search through the -barns. Not until he saw that none of the men went toward the lane where -his trumpet was buried did he begin to breathe easily. - -At last, the officer came from the loft over the cow barn, shouting to -his men to return to the truck. - -He strode into the kitchen and asked André, “Your father and -mother--where are they?” - -“They are all gone to the hospital with my mother, who is sick,” André -explained. - -“Well, then, when your father returns,” the officer snapped, “tell him -I am putting men with machine guns in that loft overlooking the road. -And advise him that it will do no good to protest.” - -André’s heart sank. What would the family do with a lot of Nazis -underfoot? Did they suspect that the Gagnons had been working with the -Underground? - -Now, for the first time, he felt desperately alone. He nodded silently. - -When the Germans had gone--with his mother’s copper kettles--André ran -back to the barn. Patchou lay in his dark corner under a manger, as -quiet as a mouse. - -“Come into the house, Patchou,” he said. “We’ll have to keep you there -now.” - -For an hour or so André went about doing his father’s chores and his -own. The heavy, low-lying clouds began breaking a little. - -He had just finished milking the cows when the German truck returned -with a dozen rough-looking gunners and the sharp-faced officer. Machine -guns were unloaded and hauled up the stone loft steps. - -Some time later the officer and some of the men piled into the truck -and drove away. - -“They must have left at least six up there,” André said to himself. -He must go up the road later, and warn his father and Marie about the -hidden gunners. - -[Illustration] - -He opened the front window so that he might be warned of an approaching -car. - -André ate the cold supper Marie had left under a cloth for him. The -minutes dragged by. By nine o’clock there had been no sign of his -father and sister, and no word. For a while he sat on the floor beside -his dog. Tomorrow was June 6th--Patchou’s first birthday. André -hoped Marie would keep her promise to bring back some sort of toy to -celebrate the occasion. - -When the clock struck ten he went out into the deepening twilight to -stare into the gloom toward Ste. Mère. What if the Nazis had opened -the ambulance and found Ronald? Perhaps the Maquis had failed to meet -them.... He tried not to think of such things. - -Now it was eleven o’clock and long past time to go to bed. From several -directions there was strong antiaircraft firing, and the echo of bombs. - -In spite of the curfew order, André began to walk stealthily down the -road. Those Nazi gunners might open fire on any vehicle bringing his -family home. - -Halting, listening, he picked his way to a bend of the highway. After a -little while he began to realize how tired he was. - -Drowsily he looked for a sheltered spot in the hedge, and sank down -among the ferns and the tall grass. The rich smell of earth and spring -growth rose around him. A few fields away a horse whinnied, and -from far in the distance came the long, high-fluted note of a train -whistle.... - -Some time later he awoke with a start, and wondered where he was and -how long he had slept. All around him hung thick, velvety blackness. - -Something had wakened him. It was the sirens and fire alarms in Ste. -Mère. - -And then he heard the planes. - -Drumming overhead, throbbing so that the earth shook under his feet, he -heard them coming. - -Then he saw them. A brilliant moon outlined their wings. - -He ran across the road and struggling through a hedge, scrambled -quickly up the tallest of a clump of trees. - -And now he saw that the planes were coming in from the west, lower than -he had ever seen them fly. They were twin-motored, scooping below the -clouds to right and left, filling the sky. - -They were bombing Normandy! Ste. Mère! Perhaps a bomb would drop on -him--NOW! - -The din of the German guns was incessant, and the roar of the plane -engines was deafening. He must descend and find a ditch. His arms -ached, but he could not let go. He had climbed as high as there were -limbs to support him, and now he clung to the solid trunk. - -He noticed one particular plane coming directly toward him. It was -etched sharply against a luminous patch of cloud, and he could clearly -see the three white stripes that banded each wing. - -As he watched, he saw the open door at the rear of the fuselage, and -instantly something dark dropped from it. Then another dark blob and -another. - -Expecting the whistle of bombs, he shut his eyes, pressed his face into -the rough bark, and prayed.... - -After a few seconds he opened his eyes. - -Other than the guns and the throttled beat of the engines, there had -been no sound. No bombs were exploding. - -André threw his head back and glanced quickly skyward. In the -moonlight, speckled in every direction across the sky, hung hundreds -of mushroom shapes that were floating gently earthward as silently as -apple petals. - -Suddenly he saw that they were parachutes! - -And below nearly every one, a soldier swung. From the lowest he could -make out the jut of rifles. - - - - -CHAPTER FIVE - -_André’s Warning_ - - -Clinging to his uncertain perch, for the first few seconds André felt -stunned. Could this be his own Normandy sky? He watched the flicker of -moonlight here and there on the parachutes drifting down through the -scudding clouds. - -“The Invasion!” he thought. - -He had turned to stare across at his father’s barn in the distance, -wondering about the Nazi machine gunners, when the tree beside him was -torn by a crashing of branches. His heart leaped into his throat. The -topmost branches were entwined by a great, pale, crumpled parachute. -And, dangling from the shroud lines, hung a figure that swung like a -pendulum. - -In the meadow beyond, other dark shapes were pelting into the hayfield, -their chutes collapsing around them like punctured balloons. - -The noise was spreading. Isolated shots and short bursts of machine-gun -fire drummed, stopped, and drummed again. From the far-off German -camp near Ste. Mère came the wail of a Klaxon horn. And there was -the distant growl and whine of speeding motors. The echo of distant -explosions increased. - -High overhead, planes whose cargo had been dropped, droned away toward -England. And everywhere antiaircraft fire was spitting even more -frantically. - -Who were these men dangling from parachutes? If they had started the -Invasion, all Maquis ought to help them. “Then that means me, too,” -André thought. - -He braced his foot in the crotch of the tree, lowered the other to feel -his way down. - -He dropped to another branch--and it snapped! - -Just then the moon sailed from under a cloud and touched him as -brightly as a searchlight. - -A hoarse cry came from a few feet away. “Look out! Sniper in that tree!” - -André saw the glint of the gun barrel swinging up toward him. - -But a louder voice from the man dangling in the tree shouted, “_Hold -it._ Hold it, Slim. It’s just a kid. I can see him. Don’t shoot. Say, -somebody come over here and cut me down.” - -[Illustration] - -André’s stiffened body relaxed, and he began to feel his way among -the dim branches. Several men had gathered at the foot of the tree, -whispering, and one of them lifted his voice angrily. “What’s a kid -doin’ in a tree this time of night? Something funny here.” - -“Okay. _Okay._ We’ll find out. But get me down before this harness cuts -me in two.” - -André called, “Don’t shoot me. I’m coming down. I want to help.” - -He slithered more quickly now from limb to limb, and jumped. Instantly -a flashlight blinded him, and a drawling voice said, “Well, what d’ya -know! A little shrimp!” - -The flashlight had been turned to the ground. As soon as his eyes had -grown accustomed to it, André gaped at the men. Never had he seen such -frightening figures: torn uniforms, faces blackened with soot, each -one bristling with every kind of small arm and grenade, topped off by -helmets festooned with leafy twigs. - -He gasped in amazement. “Are you Americans?” - -The most tattered of the men grinned. “Sure. Who you expecting? Say, -how come you’re talking English?” - -“My sister and I learned a lot of English from Father Duprey,” André -replied, “just in case.” - -“Case of what?” demanded the suspicious one. - -“To help you when you came,” said André. “But sir, shouldn’t we get -that man up there out of the tree?” - -“It’s about time!” came from the branches near by. - -André shinnied quickly up above the dangling trooper and disentangled -the chute. A moment later the chutist was on the ground, unstrapping -his Tommy gun. - -A stocky, bristling soldier had been looking out over the highway -uneasily. Now he said, “Say, Slim, we gotta get movin’. We’re supposed -to get to the causeways across the flooded part. Give ’em the signal, -Risso.” - -Softly then, André heard a little rasping cricket-sound that was -repeated almost at once from the meadow. - -More helmeted men crept up to the group. They said, “Hi, Sarge, what -now?” - -The stocky sergeant had been studying the darkened scene around him. -Now he said, “We’re too far inland.” He looked down at André. “Listen, -kid. You really mean you want to help us Americans--you aren’t up to no -tricks?” - -André frowned. “I’ve been waiting to help for a long time. It is my -country here.” - -The sergeant’s face softened a little. “Okay, I believe you. But -listen. Where’s your folks?” - -“My family has gone away,” André explained. “But they’ll be home soon. -What do you want me to do?” - -“You just tell us how far it is to the nearest road across that -lagoon--” - -André interrupted excitedly, “First, I must tell you, there are at -least six Nazis in our barn. They have machine guns trained on the -road. I’ll show you the way around the back wall. You could catch them -from behind.” - -The sergeant stiffened. “You, Slim, stay here with the kid, out of -range--and both of you _keep down_,” he ordered. - -Several shapes moved quietly off into the black field. - -André looked up at the gray shape of the lean, rangy fellow slouched -against a tree. The soldier held his Tommy gun easily. A thumb was -hooked in the belt festooned with grenades, and a wicked-looking sheath -knife was strapped to his leg. - -André cleared his throat and asked, “Slim--is this the--Invasion?” - -The paratrooper smiled. “Well, son,” he drawled, “it’s a start, anyhow. -Quite a parcel of us has been dropped from Heaven, and I reckon -there’ll be an awful lot more tomorrow when the gliders get in. All I -know is, son, I’m a long, long way from Pecos, Texas.” - -After that, for a moment, André thought the man was going to sleep. -Presently he noticed that the trooper’s face was half turned away and -that he was listening intently. - -A dog barked, and André cried softly, “That’s my Patchou. The men must -be coming into our farmyard.” - -Suddenly, an explosion of shots, grenades, and hoarse shouts came from -the direction of the house. - -“Got ’em,” sighed Slim. “They’re good, our boys are. Especially at that -sneaky stuff. Better keep down there. Might be bullets flyin’ ’round. I -_do not_ like flyin’ bullets.” - -As the racket continued, the two stretched out among the ferns. “May’s -well rest,” Slim murmured drowsily. “Doubt if there’s gonna be much -time from now on.” - -A few moments later there was a crackling in the hedge, from a -direction away from the farm. - -Slim shot into action like a snake, Tommy gun aimed, body tense. The -faint sounds continued. After a moment Slim called, “Halt! You out -there. Stay where you are.” - -A gusty sigh came through the undergrowth, and then a voice. “You from -the 505th?” - -Slim kept his gun steady and answered, “Check. Who’re you?” - -There was a soft groan. “Captain Dobie.” - -Slim stared at the man pushing toward them, then sprang forward. - -“You hurt, sir?” He helped the officer to get to his feet and took his -arm. With André on the other side, they helped him stagger into the -shadow of a tree. - -“We thought we’d lost you sure, Cap’n,” Slim said sympathetically. - -“Broke my leg when I landed on a stone wall, I guess,” the officer said -fretfully. He stared around him and asked, “What’s happening? We should -start toward the coast--we’re much too far in.” - -Slim nodded. “I know. But Sergeant Weller’s cleanin’ out a machine-gun -nest in the barn yonder. He’ll be back with six or seven men shortly. -They must have finished over there by now. Some Nazis was in this kid’s -barn.” Slim directed a long thumb at André, and added, “He’s puny, but -he’s real sharp.” - -In spite of the fact that he was evidently in great pain, the captain -managed to smile at the boy. - -Slim had helped him to sit down, braced against the tree. André saw -that he was watching--Slim, André himself, the road, the meadow. And he -was listening to the distant noises--for the return of his men. - -“Should be nearly a hundred men in these meadows right here,” the -captain said. “We’ve got to get our parachuted equipment together. As -soon as you can, send someone for gear I saw drop near where I came -down. One lot’s caught in a tree--right across that open space. We need -those bazookas quick. German tanks are likely to be coming along any -minute.” - -“This kid might be able to tell us somethin’ about the Nazis around -these parts,” Slim said. - -“There’s a Nazi camp half a mile down the road,” André replied eagerly. -“And another big one near Ste. Mère Église, if you know where that is.” - -[Illustration] - -Captain Dobie nodded and turned his head to catch the sound of a motor. -“That car’s coming this way fast!” - -André was startled by the smooth swiftness with which Slim and his -captain acted then. Thrusting his Tommy gun into the captain’s -outstretched hand without a word, Slim detached a grenade from the -cluster at his belt. He slipped into a tense, waiting position closer -to the road. - -The captain ordered, “Down flat!” and André obeyed. - -The roar of the approaching car grew loud. Slim called softly, over his -shoulder, “Nazi staff car,” and raised his arm. - -The explosion and the repeated crack of the Tommy gun beside him shook -the ground under André. As another grenade followed the first and took -effect, Captain Dobie said, “That’s one car won’t stop the freeing of -France.” - -Slim crossed the road and returned to report solemnly, “Okay, sir.” - -The captain nodded, then glanced quickly to one side as a voice said, -“Good work, Slim.” - -“Oh, it’s you, Sergeant!” the captain exclaimed in relief. - -“Captain,” Weller said. “We were worried about you. What you got there?” - -“A broken leg, I think, worse luck,” Captain Dobie explained angrily. -“If you see a medic, send him back here. But you men get going now. If -we don’t pick up that dropped ammunition and equipment soon, we may -be in for trouble. Meanwhile, have you seen any place I can use for a -command post around here?” - -“You can use my father’s house,” André offered eagerly. “My father, -he’s a part of the Resistance, so it’s all right.” - -The captain turned to Weller. - -“Yes, sir. Solid stone, handy to the road, plenty of room, barns. No -bomb damage,” the sergeant reported, and added, “Nobody but this kid -home, since we cleaned out the loft.” - -“Yes?” The captain looked sharply around at the boy. “How’s that?” - -André explained quickly. “And my father and Marie should have come back -by now,” he finished. - -The captain shook his head. “Not from St. Sauveur, they won’t. Not -tonight. Our men must have all the roads beyond Ste. Mère blocked off.” - -While a couple of men watched the road, others were sent to retrieve -the dropped weapons. Sergeant Weller examined the captain’s injury. He -found that a bone was cracked above the ankle. A shot of morphine from -a first-aid kit was given Captain Dobie to ease the pain. Then splints -were found, and the leg bound with strips of torn parachute silk. - -Halfway through this, Weller paused suddenly and said to André, “By the -way, son, you better tie up that hound of yours. He doesn’t seem to -know Americans are his friends, by the way he lit into my only pair of -britches.” - -The little party moved slowly toward the Gagnon house, helping the -half-crippled captain. - -Pale moonlight glowed on the windows and against dark walls. When André -saw the front door ajar, he cried happily, “They must have come home -while I was asleep.” - -“’Fraid not,” the sergeant corrected. “We went through the whole -house--André. Want to know how I got your name?” Weller grinned. “Read -Marie’s note about your supper on the kitchen table.” - -Immediately inside the house, the sergeant said crisply, “This room -okay, Captain? I guess it’s a sort of store during peacetime. I’ll get -you a table and somethin’ to sit on, pronto.” - -André had run to light candles and draw the blackout curtains. Then -he dragged his mother’s best velvet chair from the parlor for Captain -Dobie, and brought cushions to prop up his leg. - -Captain Dobie spread maps on the table before him, but paused to study -the boy. - -André looked into his kind, thoughtful face and asked, “Do you think my -father and sister will be all right, sir? It would be awful....” - -The captain nodded. “Nobody’d let them start out from St. Sauveur -tonight, son. They’ll be all right.” - -But André’s worry was not so easily talked away. The thud of bombs and -firing inland was too continuous. - -He heard a whine and rushed into the kitchen to a wet, pawing welcome -from Patchou. He tugged at the familiar warm fur and when Patchou had -calmed down, brought him a bowl of milk. Then, with a warning to be -quiet, he chained the dog to the fireplace grate. - -At the front of the house he found that a strange, businesslike -disorder was mounting. - -Just inside the door, bazookas, mortars, and ammunition of all sorts -were being pulled from “drop” bundles. Bulky, helmeted soldiers were -coming in from everywhere, receiving quick orders from the captain, -and clanking off in groups. Captain Dobie sent out a messenger for a -walkie-talkie, to make contact with his commanding colonel. - -At one moment, everyone around the captain paused warily as the roar of -a low-flying plane shook the walls. Sergeant Weller and André darted -out to the doorway and stared up at the U. S. markings. As the plane -sped by, a shower of paper cascaded over the town. - -“That’s one of our Flying Fortresses dropping leaflets, telling the -Frenchies to scatter ’n stay off the roads.” Weller shrugged. “That -means you, too, boy, y’know.” - -For the next thirty minutes André sat and watched while dirty, hot men -clumped in and out on errands that made no sense to him. Some had been -wounded. Many, hurt in the jump, were being treated both by medics and -some of the village people. Slim pushed his way into the room, looking -leaner and sootier than ever--all his drowsiness gone. - -André listened to his report. More troops were needed at once toward -the causeways. Glider troops had landed, but the Germans were putting -up a fierce fight. The Americans wanted all the reinforcements they -could get rushed up fast. - -Captain Dobie turned to Weller. “Okay, Sergeant, take _all_ these men. -It’s our job to wipe out those bridgeheads!” When Weller hesitated, he -snapped, “What’re you waiting for?” - -The sergeant blinked. “And leave you here alone, sir?” - -“We’ve _got_ to get those bridgeheads. Move!” Captain Dobie pounded the -table. “Orders!” - -Sergeant Weller turned on his heel, shouted commands to round up all -the men, and left. - -But just outside the door he jerked Slim aside. “You stay,” he ordered. -“I’m not gonna leave the cap’n here alone with a broken leg. What would -he do if some Nazis came along?” - -“You’ll get me courtmartialed yet, Sarge,” Slim objected. - -“If you don’t beat me to it. Stay out of sight.” - -The sergeant barked a command, and guns and men moved away through the -mud. - -It was nearly full daylight now. When André turned back into the house -he saw by the clock that it was quarter to six. - -What would his family say if they knew he had not been to bed at all? -He wondered sleepily whether to lie down quietly in a corner. - -The captain was looking at his watch. - -André had taken a step toward him when the house was shaken under a -dreadful blast of sound. - -The sound rose, and he realized it came from the sea. Under the thud of -heavy shelling and bombing, objects on the walls and tables danced. - -The captain looked up from his watch and smiled. - -“They’re right on time,” he said. - -Puzzled, André asked, “Who is, monsieur?” - -“This is the _real_ Invasion, son, coming in now. This is what General -Eisenhower has been planning for two years. Hundreds of thousands of -men, tens of thousands of tanks, bulldozers, and trucks are moving -in--_now_, in over four thousand ships. The Navy’s shelling the coast. -We just came in ahead by parachute to get ready for them.” - -André found himself too excited to say anything. - -The captain spoke again, above the din. - -“You see why we have to clear the enemy out of those bridgeheads? To -let the men landing on the beaches come through. As soon as the Navy -finishes this shelling, British, Canadian, and American troops will be -landing on sixty miles of beach from here to the River Orne!” - - - - -CHAPTER SIX - -_Victor’s Mission_ - - -Remembering the rolling crashes of the worst thunderstorm he had ever -heard, André thought it had been nothing compared to this noise. - -He braced himself by the door frame and looked toward the sea. A pall -of dense, black smoke was drifting inland, blotting out the newly risen -sun. Fires flared over the tree tops. - -He saw Slim grinning back at him from behind a thick lilac bush. - -On the other side of the road, the Lescots’ front door opened. Victor, -in nightcap and corduroy pants drawn over a blue nightshirt, darted -out, picked up one of the dropped leaflets, and shot back into the -house. - -From other houses people ran out and raced away into the fields. - -Bombers darted in and out of the curtain of smoke. A barn less than a -mile away broke into flames. - -Through a lull in the battle sounds André heard the outraged moo of a -cow. - -“Poor old beasts,” André thought, “they must be scared to death. I’ll -go talk to them, and milk.” - -He looked again for Slim and saw that he had turned his back to the -fury of the coast and was staring toward Ste. Mère. As André stepped -out Slim whirled and shouted, “Tell the cap’n--two Nazi tanks comin’ -this way!” - -But André had already heard the ominous clank of the tanks. Even -through the battle sounds their threat rang out--a new danger. - -As Slim raced toward him, André broke into a run for the house, -shouting, “TANKS, mon Capitaine. Nazi tanks coming!” - -Captain Dobie had risen and stumbled a step toward the window. - -“Blast it!” he shouted. “Help me, Cimino.” - -André then saw a new man in the room--a soldier with a walkie-talkie, -who must have arrived by way of the farmyard. - -Slim plunged through the door and snatched up a bazooka from the pile -of arms in the hall. Cimino, the walkie-talkie operator, slipped out -of the straps holding the instrument. He flung himself toward Slim to -serve as second man on the bazooka. - -“Help me to the window, André,” Captain Dobie ordered, picking up a -Tommy gun. “Then stay out of range. - -“Slim,” he barked, “fire at the front drive sprocket and the gas tanks, -center, low. You can’t penetrate that forward armor, remember.” - -[Illustration] - -The bazooka muzzle thrust out the window, Slim knelt in tense firing -position. Cimino stood ready to reload. - -The captain braced himself at the second window, Tommy gun leveled. -André heard the rumble of the tanks draw nearer. - -The explosion of fire from the windows and the fierce back-flash of the -bazooka joined with the grinding screech of shattered metal, outside. -Then came the hollow scraping of steel on steel. - -Over Slim’s head André had seen the first tank’s turret. Then the -second tank tottered over the first. And like a huge apple peel, a -tremendous snakelike steel tread whipped through the air. - -“Good,” snapped Captain Dobie. “Second one’s piled up on the first. -Shoot overhead, once.” - -When the firing from the house stopped, there came a shout of -“_Kamerad!_” - -The captain poked his weapon farther out the window and shouted, “Get -out and put your hands up fast. You’re all covered. Okay, Slim, get -your prisoners.” - -[Illustration] - -Cimino stacked the bazooka against the sill, and whipped out his .45 -automatic. Slim swept up a carbine and strode outside. - -The crews were already out of the tanks. - -“All right. Hands on your heads!” Slim shouted. - -As his captives moved toward him, Cimino lifted their side arms from -holsters, pushing the prisoners swiftly toward the house. - -“Get in there, quick,” Slim commanded. - -He had only just herded them into the hall when his voice was drowned -out by the explosion of the gas tanks in one of the wrecked vehicles. - -The captain and André ducked as ammunition, set off by the flames, -sprayed the outside of the house. - -When it was over, the captain leaned out the window, and André asked, -“Did it wreck my father’s pump?” - -“Just knocked down the sign that said ‘_Chocolate_,’” the captain said. - -“That’s all right,” André laughed shakily. “We did not have any left to -sell, anyway.” - -Captain Dobie wiped the sweat from his face, and with André’s help, -hobbled back to his easy chair and cushions. - -The Germans, lined up against the wall, stared at him silently, -open-mouthed. - -“Are there any more tanks coming this way?” demanded the captain. - -One of the Nazis, with sergeant’s stripes, said, “_Nein_--no more,” -with surly shortness. - -“Be respectful,” snapped the captain coldly. He turned to Slim. “Take -them out to the yard and stand guard, Slim,” he said. “Cimino, try to -raise someone on the talkie. If you can’t, get a runner to locate the -colonel and tell him where _we_ are.” - -After several minutes, Cimino reported, “Some sergeant thinks our -colonel’s over near the first bridgehead. He’ll pass the word along.” - -André, at the captain’s suggestion, went out to survey the road and -report any sight of the enemy. “Here, take my helmet,” offered the -captain. “There’s too much stuff falling out of the sky.” - -The thud of heavy explosions beyond the village continued to rock the -earth. - -André had been on watch but a few minutes when he sighted a car. He -called back through the window, “Jeep coming, sir--from the coast.” - -Slim, who had been relieved of his guard duty by Cimino, rushed out to -join André. - -The little car swung in toward the two, and braked with a screech. Slim -shouted, “Weller! Where’ja get that!” - -Sergeant Weller was eyeing the wrecked German tanks. - -“Well, Texas,” he smiled approvingly, “good thing I left you here.” - -He slid out of the seat. “Lucky those two tanks didn’t get through -to hit us from behind,” he said. “We’ve sure had our hands full down -there. The Heinies came at us from all sides. But, for some reason, one -of the causeways across the swamps was unguarded.” - -“We got some prisoners for you, out back,” Slim announced. “And you -better report to the cap’n,” he added. “He’s restless as a hungry -puppy. Ain’t had a word from anybody higher up. Didn’t come across our -colonel, did you?” - -“That’s what I came back for,” said Weller. “Saw him and told him about -this command post. He’s feelin’ good. We’ve taken two bridgeheads.” - -“But _where_ did you get the jeep?” André asked. - -Weller patted the mud-splattered windshield. “I ‘liberated’ her from -a smashed glider, son.” He turned a thumb to the heaps of K-rations -packed in the rear of the jeep. “Near time we ate,” he said. “But, -right now, I’m in need of gas, kid. I bet you got some in that pump.” - -“A little,” André said. - -Slim and Weller clanked off to the house while André connected the hose -to the jeep tank and began to pump. His eyelids were drooping. - -It takes a long time for this Invasion to get going, he thought. He -had already grown used to the _thrump_ of big artillery, the bark of -machine and rifle fire scattered across all of Normandy. He had heard -Cimino say that the 82nd Airborne were getting on well around Ste. -Mère, though the Germans were fighting bitterly. The Liberation was too -big. André could think of it no more. - -And through his weariness he heard the cows again. Milking time -was long past. In the barn the cows turned their sad eyes on him -accusingly. He rested his forehead on their soft, warm bodies while he -milked, and both he and the frightened beasts were soothed. He saw to -it that they had fresh hay and water. The open pasture was no place for -them today. - -Finally the job was done; the last of his strength was gone. He put the -pails of milk to one side and sank into a pile of fresh straw. - -“I’ll take them to the springhouse in a minute,” he promised himself. -And he wriggled flat in the fragrant hay and spread out his arms -peacefully. - -All battle sounds were muffled by the thick old stone walls. The -familiar rustle and stamping of cattle were like a familiar song.... - -He woke with a hand shaking his shoulder. - -Someone was saying, in French, “Wake up, André. Wake up! The _Invasion_ -has started.” - -André opened his eyes and saw Victor Lescot bent over him. - -“Shame on you, André,” he scolded. “Milk getting sour. War going on all -around, and you sleeping.” - -André sat up. “You’re supposed to be shut up in your house, Victor. -What are you doing here?” he said crossly. - -“I can’t stay home now,” Victor bristled. “I’ve got to go get my new -cart--before it is destroyed.” - -Now wide awake, André said with disgust, “You can’t go out into the -fighting.” - -“But I _must_,” Victor interrupted shrilly. “My new cart will be blown -to bits if I leave it at Jacquard’s. Then what?” - -André could not believe his ears. “Would you rather be blown to bits -yourself?” he demanded. - -“But we do not need to thrust ourselves into danger,” Victor protested. -“We’ll make our way to Jacquard’s village by the cowpaths, you and I. -We know them well, eh?” - -“_WE?_” André echoed. “_Who’s_ going with you?” - -“But you, naturally, my little friend, I may need you to speak English.” - -“Where is the cart?” André asked. - -“At Jacquard’s workshop, on his farm. I have told you about it on -numerous occasions.” - -André smiled. “Victor Lescot, Jacquard’s shop is right near the coast, -where the fighting is. Who knows, there may be a battle going on in -Jacquard’s own courtyard right now.” - -Victor’s eyes flickered. “Ah, but I have a plan.” - -“There is no sense to it.” André shrugged and got to his feet. - -“No sense!” Victor cried, as though he were about to hurl a bolt of -lightning. “You forget. The cart is _mine_. _I paid for it_ yesterday.” - -Again André could only shake his head. - -“I’ll put this milk where it is cool,” he said, and started off with a -pail in each hand. - -Victor dived for the other pail and followed. “La Fumée, my mare that -you have always been so fond of, you know,” he chattered, “she’s all -harnessed and impatient to start off. You know how she loves adventure.” - -Just then there was a definite lull in the shelling. André set the -pails into the cool, stone-lined spring, taking Victor’s from him. - -Victor caught his eye. “The noise is not so loud,” he said. “There is a -trifling din, true, but it is less.” - -“Perhaps the worst is over,” André said. “We could just start out, and -if they tell us we can’t proceed, we can turn back....” - -Victor’s pink face crinkled brightly. “But of course. Anything else -would be gross stupidity.” - -André fretted: Now he thinks I’ve promised to get his cart no matter -what happens. - -But the Americans would turn them back at once--so no harm would be -done. - -“Okay, Victor. I will start out,” he said. - - - - -CHAPTER SEVEN - -_Tricolor over Ste. Mère_ - - -André hesitated. “You wait for me at your house,” he said. “First, I -have one thing to do.” - -Victor stole a searching glance at the boy, then, almost reassured, he -nodded and left the springhouse at once. - -André filled a pitcher with milk and started for the kitchen door. - -Ranged along the barnyard wall lounged half a hundred German prisoners -surrounded by a semicircle of muddy guards bristling with carbines and -Tommy guns. - -André found a mug in the kitchen, and carried the milk in to Captain -Dobie. - -He noticed that the officer’s leg was badly swollen, but the captain -seemed unaware of it. - -The room was crammed with soldiers. Several neighbors, men and women, -pressed through the crowd, begging to give help. Many wounded -villagers lay sheltered under the trees, they said. But they and the -small neighborhood children were being cared for and fed. The captain -welcomed them and advised the elders to get deep cellars ready. They -must keep the children close to them in case the fighting broke out in -the village. - -“The Germans are fighting hard everywhere, and we must silence each -Nazi gun no matter where we find it,” he explained. “Until we get a -solid foothold here, we cannot help liberate your country.” - -André listened, and when he caught the captain’s eye, offered his jug -of milk. With a grateful smile, Dobie drained the jug thirstily. - -“Are things going all right, sir?” André asked. - -The captain seemed reluctant to reply. But after a moment he said, “The -landings are the hardest, son. The Nazis made the coast tough with -their underwater obstructions, and the sea has been a lot rougher than -we’d planned on. But it’s going along well. You ought to be seeing -heavy equipment coming along the roads soon.” - -Sergeant Weller clumped in with two soldiers and a battle-weary young -Frenchman. “Look, kid,” Weller shouted to André. “D’you know who -this character is? I can’t make head or tail what he’s sayin’. _He_ -says he’s speakin’ English, but, boy, it’s nothin’ I ever heard in -Brooklyn.” - -The young Frenchman called to André in French, “You are Pierre’s son, -no? Tell them quickly who I am. Make them see my urgency, I beg you.” - -André looked at the man’s flashing eyes, the beaked nose, the shock of -dark hair. - -“Yes, I know him,” he said quickly. “This is François, the famous -Maquis leader. You can trust him.” - -“You sure?” Weller demanded. - -“I’m sure,” André said. “I have seen him and heard my father describe -him often. One moment--” - -In French, François told André his story: “I was coming to your father -to get more Resistance help. My band is too small. We discovered Nazis -coming up behind your father’s orchard with a mobile gun. They are -going to blow up this house because it is an American headquarters.” - -“Translate so far,” Weller said, and André obeyed. - -Weller scowled. “Yeh? Well, in that case....” - -He made his way to the captain, and a moment later André heard him -shouting orders. - -When Weller returned he put out both hands and the Frenchman shook them -warmly. - -The squad Weller was forming was hastily gathering up grenades, -bazookas, and other equipment. - -André asked the Maquis anxiously, “Can you tell me anything about St. -Sauveur? How is the battle going beyond Ste. Mère?” - -François looked solemn, but answered quickly. “St. Sauveur, we think, -is still mostly outside the fighting. Not all of Ste. Mère has been -cleared of Germans yet. But the center of the town is under control. -At least, the Americans have the French flag flying from Ste. Mère -Église’s town hall. None of the Allied tanks have come through yet and -they are badly needed. Also, in some places the Americans are running -short of ammunition. And the Nazis are building up their forces near -the bridges over the Merderet River, west of Ste. Mère.” - -He broke off at Weller’s signal, and with the sergeant’s squad slipped -out through the barnyard. - -“_The French flag flying from Ste. Mère Église’s town hall!_” André -repeated it aloud. And a familiar voice at the doorway echoed the great -words. - -Raoul Cotein stood just outside the door. His arm and forehead were -bandaged, and in his hand was a package wrapped in a napkin. - -He took a step forward. “My wife--well, she is troubled because your -mother and sister are not here. If you will just accept these few -sandwiches?” - -[Illustration: _The squad gathered up grenades, bazookas, and other -equipment_] - -André took the packet with a puzzled “Thank you,” and stared at his -suddenly subdued neighbor. - -“W-what happened to you?” he asked. - -Raoul looked down at his arm bandage. “You mean this?” he replied. -“_Tiens_, André. Do you know, I found I was almost the only man in this -village who was not of the Resistance? I have merely been remedying the -situation.” - -“Do you know now my father is a Maquis and not a collaborationist?” -André demanded, and Raoul nodded. “I have discovered so. I--” - -If he had meant to apologize further for his past bad behavior, his -words were lost. A shell overshot the house and everyone ran for cover. - -When André slid out from his hiding place, Raoul was gone. - -For a moment the boy stood alone. “Well, now, what is my duty?” he -considered. “Victor? No.... Patchou.” - -He went to the kitchen, gave the dog food and water, and hastily ate -Raoul’s sandwiches. Meanwhile Patchou gamboled for a few minutes around -the room. - -André thought that he had better go to Lescots’ and tell the old man, -once and for all, how foolish his plan was. Even Victor would see that -now. - - * * * * * - -Victor stood near his barnyard gates crossly watching the distant -scene. - -A broad, fawn-colored Percheron stood harnessed beside Victor. A -shotgun was strapped to the horse’s back-pad alongside the looped-up -traces. - -André slipped over the wall and whistled. - -At the sound, Victor jumped, steadied his glasses, and chattered, “Oh, -it’s you at last. La Fumée is beside herself with impatience.” - -André interrupted firmly. “I came only to tell you the thought of going -toward the coast is an insanity. The fighting has grown intense.” - -Victor fanned out his hands. “Then my cart ... you think it is a trifle -to be ignored....” His eyes snapped. “Which _I have paid for_, please -recall!” - -“But Victor--” André sighed. - -“From infancy I have indulged you, because of my love....” Victor -chided gently. - -He patted the mare’s smooth flank and climbed up on her back. “There -will be many Americans down there, I presume. No doubt they will help -an old man.” - -“Victor, you know I can’t let you go alone,” André exploded. “Pull me -up behind you.” - -A few moments later, André, clinging to Victor’s ribs, was mounted and -jogging around a corner of the farm wall. - - - - -CHAPTER EIGHT - -_Prisoners_ - - -As a very small boy, riding on the broad platform of La Fumée’s back -had been André’s delight. But La Fumée had not then quivered at the -whine and roar of shells, or the nerve-shaking rattle of machine guns. -And the fields had not been spiked with wicked barbed-wire glider traps. - -“Now, we zigzag,” explained Victor as he turned the mare into a -hedge-lined path at the next field. It was necessary to round barns and -ponds and areas marked in German: “_Achtung--Minen!_” “Beware--Mines!” -to avoid even the smaller country roads. - -They covered nearly a mile at the Percheron’s steady plod. Then a shell -crashed a hundred yards away, and the horse cowered under a shower -of falling debris. Victor and André had flattened themselves on the -Percheron’s vast back. With his head still buried in Victor’s rough -coat, André begged, “Surely it is wiser to turn back, Victor.” - -The old man sighed. “But it is now such a little way. It is a pity.” - -Both sat up cautiously. - -The marshes glowed beyond a broken orchard, just across the -Paris-Cherbourg road. Far to the northeast, from a German pillbox sunk -beside the flooded land, swiveled guns thumped, and were immediately -answered by other, unseen guns. - -Before they could move again, André cried, “Listen!” - -[Illustration] - -A tremendous explosion, close to the sea, was followed by a shattering -series of rolling reverberations. And immediately, from almost on the -horizon, a fleet of planes swept upward sharply over their heads. - -“Dive bombers,” André cried. “They must be finishing off those big -German guns on the sea bluff.” - -Then, added to the shock and noise of the bombing, rose all around them -a fury of gobbling protest. Turkeys which had been roosting in the -trees screamed and fluttered insanely. In the grass, a family of small -white pigs ran helter-skelter toward the hedges. - -La Fumée stood stiff, with rolling eyes. - -At length the last wave of bombers passed. The air over the orchard -reeked, and smoke seeped inland from the marshes. - -The turkeys continued to scold, their voices dropping to an angry -gurgle. - -“There, that is over,” Victor said firmly. “Jacquard’s is so close, we -may as well go on.” - -La Fumée moved woodenly, and André smoothed her thick, firm flank with -a gentle hand. - -If they were to go on, they must cross the wide, pitted Paris-Cherbourg -road. And into this angled a smaller one. This led to Jacquard’s, and -continued seaward to the hamlet of l’Audouville. - -The road stretching north and south was completely deserted just then -except for a litter of wrecked Nazi trucks pushed to the sides. - -La Fumée put on a jiggling burst of speed to cross the main road. The -smaller road also seemed empty. - -“You see,” Victor said. “Here we are. Jacquard’s place is just ahead.” - -André’s sharper eyes studied the high stone walls and the slate roofs -above. “It has been bombed or shelled already,” he said. - -Victor hunched forward, shocked into silence. - -The farm’s roadside gates sagged open on broken hinges, and fowl -wandered in and out. - -The sound of a car racing up the main road to Cherbourg caught André’s -ear. As he turned, he saw the car hesitate at the fork of their road, -and then swing into it at gathering speed. - -He thrust his hand under Victor’s arm, grabbed the reins, and yanked -the Percheron into the shallow ditch at the side. - -The car swept past so fast, André caught only a glimpse of the Nazi -Swastika on the side. - -Nearing the broken gate, the Nazi driver slowed uncertainly. But -instantly he swung into a teetering turn, and shot into the barnyard in -the midst of an uproar of cackling hens and geese. - -There was a muffled crash. - -André and Victor slid quickly from La Fumée’s back with thumping hearts. - -“They are trapped,” André whispered, “and do not know how to get out. -We must bring some soldiers before they come out.” - -Victor was loosening his shotgun with trembling hands. But his -experience with farmyards now served him well. - -“Without a doubt, those Nazi officers have run spank into the -manure pile,” he stated with satisfaction. “They will find some -troublesomeness getting loose.” He took a step forward. “You must run -quickly for help.” - -André thought, “The first of the soldiers from the landing barges must -surely be coming across the causeways by now. Captain Dobie said they -would.” - -Skittering along past the gate into the grassy edge of the road, he -began to run toward l’Audouville as fast as his legs would carry him. - -Racing against time, André could not look back. Before he reached the -turn his heart leaped. - -A soldier, bulky with equipment, was coming toward him. He was moving -cautiously along the roadside, rifle poised. And fanning out behind him -was a spaced line of Americans. - -André dashed toward them. - -Unsmiling and with leveled gun, the first soldier yelled, “Halt!” He -then said rapidly in French, “Who are you? And _where’re_ you going?” - -André pointed back to the Jacquard farm. “Nazi officers back there. -Come get them quick--please.” - -Beckoning, he turned to run. - -“Just a minute there,” the soldier shouted. “Come back here, _petit -garçon_. What’s this you’re talking about?” - -André was terrified by the wasted minutes. - -He shouted, “_Come!_ A car full of Nazi officers just drove into a -farmyard back there. _Hurry!_ You can take them, but _hurry_.” - -The scattered scouting party began to move ahead warily. - -“It’s a chance the kid is okay,” the sergeant called back. “We’ll have -to take a look. Keep your eyes open--and keep separated.” - -The sergeant quickened his pace, but cautioned, “Take it easy, kid. Let -us get ’em.” - -Before they reached the Jacquard gate, sheltered by bushes, André fell -to his knees and crept toward it. - -He had not quite reached it when two quick shotgun blasts rang out. - -“That’s Victor’s gun,” he said. “The Nazis must have started to leave.” - -Shot rattled on metal, and the tail of the Nazi car smashed through the -gates. But, halfway through, the car teetered sharply into the stone -post. Rocking, it toppled over and skidded to a stop. - -A voice shouted toward the car, “Hold it. Get out and keep your hands -up!” A Tommy gun chattered across the car’s spinning wheels. - -Scrambling boots pounded into action. The German officers were jerked -up and out through the door. André was startled to see a colonel’s -insignia on one officer’s shoulders. - -When the Nazis were all on their feet, the sergeant’s men surrounded -them. Two soldiers relieved the officers of their side arms. - -As the shock of their capture wore off, the Nazis began to protest -curtly, and the sergeant retorted in their own language. - -“Okay. You’re staff officers! We’ll get you to the proper authorities -just as soon as we can.” - -André had seen plenty of Germans, but few of such high rank. - -Suddenly it dawned on him that it was Victor’s shots which had made the -capture possible by wrecking the car. But where was Victor? - -André ran around the farm buildings, but neither Victor nor La Fumée -was in sight--anywhere. - -Shells had blasted the carpentry shop, and rubbish lay over the -scattered, twisted, and blackened tools. - -After a thorough search, André stumbled sadly out to the courtyard and -around the scattered manure pile, toward the group at the gate. - -He was greeted by a shout from a jeep which had driven up. “Hi, there. -You--boy!” - -An American lieutenant sat at the wheel, with the two Nazi officers -crammed rigidly in the rear seat. An American with a Tommy gun perched -backward on each of the front mudguards, and the German driver, his arm -in a sling, shared the front seat with the lieutenant. - -Impatiently, the lieutenant asked André whether he knew where the -nearest U. S. headquarters had been set up. - -[Illustration] - -André pointed up the road and replied, with some pride, that there was -an 82nd Command Post in his own house. “It’s a little more than a mile -up that way,” he said. - -The lieutenant grinned. “Well, hop in and show us the way.” - -André stood stubbornly firm. “But Lieutenant,” he protested, “I came -with Victor. He’s an old man. I can’t leave him here.” - -“_Get in_,” snapped the lieutenant. “You can find him later. There’s a -war on.” - -“As if I didn’t know,” André thought crossly. - -But he climbed over the great booted legs of the guard, and hunched in -under the elbow of the German prisoner. - -The jeep lurched into gear and roared down the road. - - - - -CHAPTER NINE - -_Victor Disappears_ - - -As the jeep bumped rapidly along, André explained to the lieutenant, -“I didn’t want to leave there, sir, till I found my friend Victor. He -was the one who really stopped that Nazi car, shooting at the tires, I -think.” - -“He did?” the lieutenant exclaimed. “Well, why did he disappear after -we got there?” - -One of the guards interrupted. “Old Frenchman? Walrus mustache? With a -shotgun?” - -André nodded excitedly. “Did you see him?” - -“Saw a man like that run back into the orchard of that farm just as we -came up.” - -André said no more; at least Victor could run. - -The jeep had been proceeding cautiously around road blocks and -paratroopers. Now it speeded up. - -A little while later, André saw the roofs of his own village, and he -cried, “Oh! it’s been hit!” - -It was a different village than the one André had left. Many shells -must have struck it. Trees were shattered and old walls tumbled. Two -houses, not far from the Gagnons’, were badly damaged--one lay in -smoking ruins. - -People of the neighborhood shuffled to and fro with arms filled with -possessions. - -André called to one of them, “The Cotys and Mme. Lescot--are they all -right?” - -“Yes. Everyone did what your captain told us to. We ran into the fields -and hid in ditches when those German shells started coming. It was not -for long. We are told the Maquis found the Nazi gun and blew it up.” - -At a sign from André, the jeep slowed and, a moment later, he saw that -his father’s house still stood. - -In the doorway, Sergeant Weller shouted at sight of the jeep. - -“Kid, you had us scared. Where the--where you been?” he demanded tartly -of André. But he did not wait for an answer. - -He gave the jeep and its load a hasty glance, and cried, “_You_ -bringin’ in prisoners, too!” Then, noticing their rank, he added to the -lieutenant, in his sharp, official bark, “Bring that German ‘brass’ -right in here, sir. Our company colonel’s inside. He’ll sure want to -question ’em.” - -Inside the house André found a new, older American officer busy with -maps beside Captain Dobie. - -They received the prisoners coolly. - -After questioning the Nazi officers a few moments, Captain Dobie -hobbled out to the hallway and closed the door after him. His broken -leg wore fresh splints and a new dressing. - -[Illustration] - -The captain looked at André with displeasure. “I should keep a closer -eye on you, boy,” he said sharply. “What do you mean by running loose -around the country with a war going on?” - -Before the captain could continue, Slim sidled through the doorway. - -“Excuse me, sir,” he said, “but that lieutenant an’ the guards are -sittin’ out there in the jeep. D’ya want ’em to wait, or can they go, -the lieutenant says?” - -A call from the colonel in the other room, summoning Captain Dobie, -interrupted him. - -When Dobie returned with the colonel, the Nazis, well covered by guns, -were ceremoniously marched back to the jeep. - -The American officer’s orders were curt. “Lieutenant, I want these men -delivered to the general, by you, personally. He’s somewhere on Utah -Beach by now.” - -The jeep, loaded like a school bus, turned and disappeared in the -direction from which it had just come. - - - - -CHAPTER TEN - -“_Here Come the Tanks!_” - - -Long before dark, André, too tired to care any more what happened, had -stumbled into his old bed in the kitchen. During the night he roused -at times to hear the hum of trucks and clumping feet. He did not hear -the squadrons of planes coming in to drop relief troops and much-needed -ammunition to the hard-pressed ’chutists. - -At dawn he awoke completely fresh, and went to look at his now -unfamiliar Normandy landscape. - -Women tramped to damaged houses, distributing hot food and blankets. -Two small boys were investigating a badly smashed glider which had -settled on a hedge. - -André had just decided to run to the Lescot farm, to inquire whether -Victor had come home, when Weller called to him to come to breakfast. - -Afterwards, he went about his usual farm chores. - -Troops from the beach landings filtered through the village that day. -Their officers paused briefly at the Gagnon house to exchange reports -with Captain Dobie. - -“Well, at any rate, our tanks are beginning to come across the -causeways now,” a newly arrived major told the captain. “That’ll help -the airborne boys.” - -“It will be a great relief,” Captain Dobie said. “Our parachute fellows -have been fighting hard without any rest.” - -The major nodded. “The only trouble is,” he said, “somebody overlooked -the way these thick French hedgerows stop our tanks cold. We’ve got to -find a way to cut through them.” - -André listened with amazement. He had never thought of those ancient -borders to the tiny Normandy meadows as tank traps. He knew, of course, -that cattle turned out to pasture seldom broke through the high, earth -banks topped by the century-old tangles. It did seem disappointing -to think that those great, wonderful American war machines could be -stopped by shrubbery. - -“But why don’t the tanks keep to the roads, sir?” he asked. - -The major grinned. “If Normandy had ten times as many roads, son,” he -replied, “we wouldn’t have enough for all the stuff the Allies have -to move into France. Besides, our tanks have to go where we know the -Germans are massing.” - -The major was right about over-busy highways. - -Trucks, loaded with armed men and supplies, had begun to grind by in a -long, noisy procession. Some village people had come back from hiding. -Children big and little ran along the roadside, catching windfalls of -candy, gum, and cellophane-wrapped cookies tossed out by the soldiers. - -To André this was a very, very strange war--he could remember nothing -like it in any history book. - -But when he went into the kitchen, he no longer felt that his father’s -house was threatened from all sides. - -The crowd of German prisoners had been moved to a new compound, and the -geese had once more taken possession of the pond. André counted the -chickens. The flock looked a little sparse. - -A shout from Sergeant Weller sent André back to the road. - -Inside the front window Captain Dobie and Slim stood, waving cheerily. -Weller, both arms upraised, was saluting the approach of a great -elephant of a machine. It came lumbering up the sea road, its wide, -corrugated treads clanking on the gravel. After the first, in stately -dignity, thundered more of the metallic herd. - -“The TANKS! The tanks!” - -André’s heart thumped with excitement. - -“Some sight, eh, boy?” Weller shouted. - -With Weller, André ran out to reach up and shake hands with the tank -men. - -The tank commanders and the gunners, André thought, were even -wilder-looking creatures than the ’chutists. - -The men seemed colossal, standing in their turrets before the radio -antennae that wavered nervously, like an insect’s feelers, with the -sway of the tanks. Pushed-up goggles over helmets, and earphones, made -drivers and gunners seem part of the weird contraptions. - -“They are wonderful,” André said. “I wish I could have seen them come -ashore from the ships that brought them across the Channel.” - -Sergeant Weller frowned. “I don’t think you’d have liked it, son. Only -a few hours ago these men came off landin’ craft that were bein’ shot -at by Nazis from every direction. These guys are just the lucky ones -that didn’t get hit.” - -The gathered villagers cheered, and the sound of their welcome rang out -far up the road. - -André was still looking for Victor. But Victor had not been seen that -day. - -André sauntered over to where the colonel had joined Dobie and the -others in the window. - -“Captain,” André began. “Sir, about Victor--” - -“I know,” smiled the captain. “You wonder why he doesn’t come back. -I feel sure he’ll be all right. If that car full of Nazi officers -got through the roads from Paris to here, then I’m sure your friend -Victor can find his way around. The Nazi officers said they drove -straight through Caen, Carentan, and right through our lines, if -you please--British _and_ American. They actually got as far as the -Jacquard farm without being detected.” - -The colonel spoke up. “As a matter of fact, I don’t think the German -staff in Paris knew how much country our airborne troops were covering. -How could they? We had jammed their coastal radio and radar stations -all the way to Cherbourg. And the French Resistance and our men cut -telephone land lines. So it was impossible for the commanding German -general here on the peninsula to communicate with Paris.” - -“Those Nazi prisoners,” said Dobie, “told us they came up from Paris -to find out what was really happening here. Hitler believed that our -invasion was coming at Calais.” - -“He sure missed the boat,” Weller said cheerfully. - -The last of the squadron of tanks had gone by, and the village people -were returning to their homes. André went back to the farmyard. It was -time for chores. He heard laughter coming from the barns, but by now he -was used to soldier sounds. - -First, he must see how badly the orchard and fields in the rear had -been hit by the shelling. He went through the gate in the courtyard -wall. - -His jaw dropped. Many apple trees were down. Great smudged shell holes -gaped between them. And the greatest hole yawned only a few feet away -from the edge of the lane where his trumpet was buried. - -He snatched up a shovel, and sighed in relief when the trumpet came -up, green and smeared with damp earth, but unharmed. He nestled it -comfortably under his arm and went to the barn door. - -The cows had not lowed, and now he saw why. Balanced on stools beside -the animals sat two lusty Americans. They were happily squirting -streams into milk pails held correctly between their knees. - -One of the soldiers looked up curiously. - -At the sight of the horn under André’s arm he cried, “Well, if it isn’t -Little Boy Blue, horn and all.” - -The second milker called, “These cows yours? We thought nobody was -home. Sure seems good to milk an ole bossy again.” He grinned. “I come -from Iowa an’ I sure miss milkin’ time. Hope you don’t mind. We’re -almost through here.” - -The men paused to admire André’s trumpet, and tootle a few wild notes, -before they helped him carry the pails to the springhouse. He filled a -pitcher for Captain Dobie, and took it to the “staff room,” as the old -store was now called. The room was again filled with strange soldiers, -some of them in bloody bandages. - -The colonel was anxious to get away to his division command post. - -“You stay right here, Dobie,” he said, “and the sergeant and Slim as -well. And hustle medics and replacement infantry forward, fast.” - -Slim appeared and announced that he had Weller’s jeep ready to drive -the colonel to his headquarters. - -When Captain Dobie and André were alone, the captain smiled and sighed. -“A fine mother I turned out to be,” he said. “_When_ did you eat -something last?” - -André grinned shyly. “When did _you_ eat last, sir?” - -Sergeant Weller’s voice roared from the hallway, “Lunch coming up!” - -A large loaded tray appeared through the door, followed by Weller’s -bulky body. - -André looked at a heaped platter in the middle, and laughed. “So that -is where our chickens went.” - -“Your father will be paid for these fowl,” Dobie said. “So make up for -the eating you haven’t done today.” - -Weller was not as good a cook as his mother or Marie, André thought. -But he was surprised that a tough sergeant could cook at all, and the -meal was good. - -When the sun sank red behind the trees, an evening hush settled, -although soldiers from nearby bivouacs moved through the village -restlessly. - -Weller yawned. “I hope it stays quiet around here awhile,” he said. -“After last night we could do with a little snooze, eh, Captain?” - -He had scarcely made this wish than André cried, “Listen!” - -A distant sound of motors from the sky was drowned by the opening bark -of an American antiaircraft battery close by. - -Weller leaped to put out the lights. - -“Might have known the Luftwaffe would wake up about now,” he grumbled. - -Captain Dobie’s voice came out of the darkness. “I’ve been wondering -why we haven’t heard from them these last two days. Our air boys must -have pretty thoroughly crippled them.” - -Ears were strained to follow the sounds. - -“Must be several planes,” Dobie said. “They seem to be dropping small -bombs.” - -Weller, at the window, called, “Looks like a Fourth of July -celebration.” - -Suddenly he shouted, “_We got one!_” - -In the darkness, André listened to the wild whine of the falling -Luftwaffe plane. - -André reached Weller’s side in time to see flames spring high above the -dark treetops beyond the village. - -“I didn’t see any ’chute,” Weller exclaimed. - -“The pilot may have jumped before the fire lit up the sky,” the captain -replied. - -The sudden flare of excitement was followed by an equally sudden lull -except for the sound of soldiers’ voices across the fields. The flack -guns lapsed into silence. - -Captain Dobie said, “Whew! Next time, André, you go down to the cellar. -I forgot all about you for a minute.” - -Slim and a detail of men were sent off to look for the fallen Nazi -plane, and also for the pilot. - -“Better send out word to the French people around here to be on the -lookout,” Dobie added, “till we’re sure about him.” - -When Slim and the men had been gone only a few minutes, Weller began to -fidget restlessly. - -“How about I just take a look-see down the road, Captain?” he suggested. - -Captain Dobie said okay, and Weller swept up a Tommy gun and went off -into the night. - -He had gone only a few yards when André caught up with him. - -In a field, the last flames were flickering from the fallen -Messerschmitt. A faint drizzle blurred the scene, but the figures of -many soldiers were dimly silhouetted against the light. - -“No good goin’ over there,” Weller said, after studying the scene a -moment. - -They had just begun to retrace their steps when Weller said, “Listen.” - -André had heard sounds too--a creaking and the clop, clop of hoofbeats. - -Coming down the wet road a new, unpainted cart rattled into sight. -Between the shafts clumped La Fumée. And, waving the reins behind the -dashboard, stood Victor. - -“André!” he shouted. “Where did you go?” He brushed at his enormous -mustache nervously. “Well, never mind now. Get in. Get in. I’ll drive -you home.” - -André gulped with relief. Weller demanded, “Ask him how he got home.” - -André repeated the question in French, and Victor threw out his hands -indignantly. - -“How _should_ I come?” he shouted. “By any open road those soldiers and -tanks left for my use. Americans, Americans everywhere! Tanks! Guns! I -have been halfway around the world to get here, it seems.” - -“But where did you find your cart? I thought it was blown up!” André -cried. - -[Illustration] - -Victor’s eyebrows expressed more astonishment. - -“Where _would_ I find it? Just where Jacquard said he would leave it, -of course. Beyond his shop, among the holly trees.” - -When this was translated, Weller shook his head. “Well, climb in an’ -let’s go home.” - -La Fumée, sensing the nearness of her own stable, started briskly. - -When they had said good night to Victor, Weller yawned loudly. - -André watched Weller, and laughed. “I’m pretty sleepy, myself,” he -admitted. - -Ten minutes later he was in his mother’s big bed, sprawled sound -asleep. - - - - -CHAPTER ELEVEN - -_André and the Nazi Pilot_ - - -Falling into bed, André’s thoughts had turned to his family, but his -worries were quickly drowned in sleep. - -When he awoke, he ran downstairs to see what the sunrise had brought. - -It had brought Victor. - -André saw the old man--scrubbed pink and bristling--beside the guard at -the door. With Victor was another of the village fathers--a farmer who -had once been a schoolteacher. M. Blanc was a tall, square man, in a -rough tweed suit. - -“I am here,” said Victor, speaking to both André and the guard--who did -not understand a word--“about a matter which demands attention. It is -the exasperating fact that an unexploded shell reposes in my--” - -André cried, “Wait!” and hastily translated for the guard’s benefit. - -Victor remained standing, with open mouth. The guard shouted, and Slim -came running. The captain was swiftly consulted, and a demolition -squad was rounded up. This took only a few seconds, since disposing of -unexploded shells was an ever-present problem. - -On being questioned about where the “dud” was, Victor finished his -sentence. “In my parlor, near the bay window.” - -At the last word, the demolition crew started running. - -André asked, “But isn’t Mme. Lescot frightened?” - -“She does not even know it is there,” Victor replied. “She has been off -helping with some of the children since yesterday. I was obliged to -prepare my own supper,” he finished crossly. - -Captain Dobie came to the door and gravely shook hands with the two -Frenchmen. He eyed Victor curiously. After a moment’s study of the old -man, however, he decided that to order Victor to stay out of danger -would be a waste of time. - -It was M. Blanc who spoke. - -“We came, sir,” he said, “as spokesmen for the whole neighborhood. We -wish to offer our services in any way you Americans consider helpful. -We should also be grateful if you can tell us what to expect in the -way of future danger to our community.” - -“I think,” replied Captain Dobie, “you people have accepted all this -destruction with fine, very brave spirit. The Maquis, as well as all -you other French people, have helped the landing forces more than you -will ever know. We Americans want you to realize that we are grateful. -It could have been much worse for us.” - -M. Blanc put up a hand. “Please, m’sieur, it is our battle also. And -the Maquis have told us that the Americans up beyond Ste. Mère are -heroic.” - -The captain said his men had been wonderful. “But until we dispose of -these Germans, we can’t move forward into France beyond this peninsula.” - -“And the Canadians and British?” asked M. Blanc. - -“They’ve successfully landed a lot of troops and tanks. They’ve -penetrated to a considerable depth toward Caen, I hear.” - -“_Bon!_” Victor’s head bobbed. “When you have disposed of these -bothersome Nazis you speak of--you do what?” - -Captain Dobie frowned. “We must throw a line of troops from these -beaches straight across the neck of the peninsula to cut off German -reinforcements from coming to the rescue of the enemy in Cherbourg.” - -“No doubt,” frowned Victor, “the Nazis will respond by doing all the -damage possible to our fine Cherbourg port.” - -“I’m afraid they will,” agreed the captain. “When we take the port, our -U.S. Army engineers will have to repair the docks quickly. We intend -to bring in our main supplies for the liberation of the rest of France -through Cherbourg when it is free.” - -“Capitaine Dobay,” M. Blanc said, “I suppose no one knows how long the -Germans will hold out.” - -“I’m afraid not,” replied Captain Dobie. - -There was a second shaking of hands, and Victor and M. Blanc left. - -André’s mind turned anxiously to the tale of heavy fighting which was -moving toward St. Sauveur le Vicomte and his family there. He felt more -cut off from them than ever, now that he knew they were surrounded by -such desperate enemies. - -“Has anybody found that German pilot yet?” he asked Captain Dobie. - -“No sign of him,” the captain replied. “Now, after breakfast, I have a -job for Slim. And I think you and your dog could go along.” - -Half an hour later, André was telling a delighted Patchou, “They think -it’s safe now, for you to come out with me. But there’s still a war on, -so behave yourself.” - -The cows, he found, had again been milked by the American -farmer-soldiers, and again most of the milk had vanished. The other -barn chores had also been neatly done. - -He heard soft sounds in the loft over the cow barn, and crept up the -stairs to investigate. - -A dozen or more soldiers from the night patrol were sleeping heavily in -the sweet hay. Full of good Gagnon milk, André thought with pleasure. - -He tiptoed down the stairs and, freeing Patchou from his fastening, -answered Slim’s impatient halloo. - -“Gotta find a commissary dump somewhere down the road,” Slim explained. -“Weller says it cain’t be far. Them 90th Division cooks told him about -it.” - -After his long imprisonment, Patchou was blissfully happy. He ran rings -around Slim and André. He found excitement in every newly blasted hole -in the mossy walls, and inviting scents everywhere. - -Slim marched rapidly along for nearly half a mile, with André keeping -up at a trot. Then Slim said, “Best we begin to ask questions now. Who, -’round here, knows everything?” - -André pointed to a house ahead. “That’s M. Valjean’s home there. He’s -the cobbler. He will know.” - -M. Valjean listened eagerly to André’s query. Did he know where there -was an American food dump headquarters nearby? - -“Ah-h, _oui, oui, certainement_,” the cobbler responded -enthusiastically, and gave detailed directions in a flood of rapid -French. - -André said, “I know where it is.” He added, “_Merci_,” to M. Valjean. - -“You sure?” Slim frowned. “Sounded as if it must be on the Russian -border, what-all I could make of it.” - -“I am sure, Slim,” André replied. “It is my own schoolhouse.” - -Slim’s rapidly swinging long legs kept André at an almost breathless -canter. Because their minds were silently busy, they did not hear the -word, “_Kamerad_,” when it was first spoken. - -But Slim’s reaction to something out of key stopped him short, .45 in -hand. - -André was pushed back before the second, louder, “_Kamerad_” gave him -warning. - - - - -CHAPTER TWELVE - -_Slim and the Trumpet_ - - -Slim leaned forward intently, staring at a thicket to one side. “Who’re -you? Come out--hands up!” he shouted. “Get back, kid.” - -A voice said, “It is not necessary. I vish to giff myself -up--villingly.” - -A young German airman stepped from behind the litter of broken cherry -branches. - -“Where’d you come from?” Slim demanded. “Keep those hands on your head.” - -“I know who he is,” André cried. Then, to the stranger, “You’re the -pilot who jumped from the Messerschmitt, aren’t you?” - -The German nodded. “I vish to make no trouble. Please take my gun--a -Luger only, in the holster.” - -Slim snapped out the pistol. “Listen,” he demanded, “what gives here?” - -The German said, “I haf vanted to giff up a long time now. I am glad -you haff come.” - -“Well,” Slim shrugged, “maybe you can explain that to the captain. Come -on. March ahead of me to that schoolhouse yonder.” - -When they reached the food dump, the prisoner was put under guard. -Meanwhile Slim carried out the captain’s orders for food supplies. -Slim pointed to the stacked cartons he had piled in the corner of the -schoolhouse. “See nobody lays a hand on that. A jeep’ll be over to pick -it up within an hour,” he told the commissary sergeant. He also asked -for an extra guard to accompany them back to the captain. “He says he -wants to give hisself up,” Slim said, “but how do we know he’s on the -level?” - -Drawing his own gun, Slim added to André, as he led the way, “Wouldn’t -our flack gunners like to get a look at this Luftwaffe fellow?” - -The prisoner smiled wryly. “Your flack gunners already haff seen me,” -he said. “That is vhy I am here.” - -On their return, Captain Dobie greeted the German with surprising -enthusiasm. “I am delighted to see you,” he said. “You had us worried.” - -“I vas vorried myself, sir,” the pilot replied. - -A few minutes later the prisoner was dispatched to an interrogation -center by jeep, with Weller and a guard. - -Captain Dobie suggested that André find M. Blanc and tell him that the -village could forget about that particular German pilot. “Glad to have -_him_ off my mind,” the captain added. - -André found M. Blanc consulting with Victor near the end of the village -and gave them the captain’s good news. - -En route home through the fields, André found an almost undamaged -yellow parachute. “How beautiful Marie will be in a dress of yellow -silk!” he thought. And he folded it carefully, tucking the bulky load -under his arm. - -That evening, after supper, André took his trumpet into the kitchen. -He gathered cleaning rags and polish, and rubbed and cleaned the brass -of the horn. When the tubes had been cleared and the metal gleamed, he -piped a little trill of lonely notes. - -They made him feel no better, and he tried a Normandy dance tune. - -He heard the clump of feet behind him and Slim’s voice. “Holy cow! -_Where_ did you get that horn?” - -André put the trumpet down shyly. Slim picked it up carefully and -rubbed the mouthpiece with his sleeve. - -“Can you play a trumpet?” André asked curiously. - -“Waal ... I used to play some in the school band in Pecos, Texas. -Matter of fact, I was pretty good. Shall I give ’er a try?” - -André jumped when a ringing peal of notes rose from the brass to the -rafters. The notes slid down the scale, and Slim broke loudly into -“Turkey in the Straw.” - -Weller’s bellow rose even above the music’s vibrations. “Stop that -racket!” Slim guiltily took the horn from his lips. The sergeant -shouted, “Captain’s on the phone to headquarters.” - -“Tell you what, André,” Slim whispered. “Suppose we go try this out -somewhere?” - -For the next hour, in the dimly lit springhouse, André enjoyed himself -more than he had for weeks. And when Slim said, “Time for bed now,” -André had learned half of Slim’s pet song, which was something about -Texas. - -Next morning, André found that a thick fog, almost a drizzle, hung -over the treetops. The soft gray mist hid the harsh destruction of the -landscape. - -André went out to find Raoul at work patching the Coty roof. “Just help -me with this thatch, will you?” Raoul called. - -André gladly climbed up the old ladder with an armful of straw while -Raoul chattered. - -But a moment later he stopped listening to Raoul’s talk. Somewhere in -the fog, he had detected the uncertain throbbing of a plane’s engine. - -[Illustration: _André had learned half of Slim’s pet song_] - -He sat still to follow the sound. The plane was flying in wide circles, -steadily coming in lower. - -In a drift of the mist, André caught a glimpse of the markings--a white -star. - -“He’s in trouble, Raoul. That’s an American plane,” André cried. - -“How could he be in trouble?” Raoul objected. “He’s still in the sky, -is he not?” - -But listening closely, he too, heard the engine sputter. “That engine -needs repairs!” he declared disapprovingly. - -Hastily, André shouted, “DUCK!” - -Their heads went down as the plane’s wings, trailing wisps of fog, -swept close overhead. André had just time to make out a high-wing -monoplane with patches and holes in its fabric covering. - -The plane banked, sailed over a field behind the Coty house, and was -set down expertly. - -André was already scrambling down the ladder. - -He pelted across the meadow with no thought of danger. Racing toward -the plane, he thought only that the pilot might be hurt. Through the -plexiglass enclosure of the little ship, André saw a blond young -fellow, in an odd, peaked cap. - -At the sound of pounding footsteps, the pilot whirled, an automatic -suddenly in his hand and pointed at André. - - - - -CHAPTER THIRTEEN - -_The War from the Air_ - - -André was so surprised that he stammered, in English, “D--don’t fire!” - -The flyer’s hand dropped. “_Parlez-vous_ English?” he faltered, -frowning. - -André’s suspicions leaped up. Dirty brown coveralls, the strange cap, -the German-looking, tow-colored hair. And the plane. André had never -seen one like it, and the star insigne could be a Nazi fake. - -André stood his ground, some distance away. When the pilot flung open -the side door and jumped out, André stepped back. - -In a swift glance over his shoulder, André saw Raoul reach the bottom -of the ladder. He shouted, “Run get Slim, Raoul. And tell the captain.” - -“For the love of Mike, kid, what gives with you? You think I’m a -German?” the pilot demanded. - -“You could be,” André retorted. - -“Holy mackerel!” the pilot laughed. “That’s what I thought you were, at -first. I didn’t even see you were a kid when I pulled the gun. Forget -it.” - -“Well,” André admitted after a moment, “you do talk like an American.” - -“How come?” - -André laughed uncertainly. “Germans don’t say ‘How come,’ for one -thing,” he stated. “But what _are_ you doing here? It looks as though -you were lost.” - -“Lost is right--and out of fuel, too,” the pilot replied with angry -disgust. “Now I’ve got to find more gas and get over to Utah Beach in a -hurry. Where am I, anyway?” - -“You are about four miles from the nearest invasion beach,” André said. -“But I’m not sure of the different names you Americans have given them. -Someone will be here soon. Captain Dobie can’t come himself, he has a -broken leg.” - -“Is this Dobie’s command?” the flyer exclaimed. “Well, I’m in a hurry. -Cripes! I can’t keep the general waiting. He’ll give me hoop-la for -navigating myself into this mess--fog or no fog. Here’s somebody now.” - -It was Slim, at a gallop, followed by two armed guards. They fell in on -each side of the pilot. - -Slim took a quick look at the flyer and the plane, and asked, “What -outfit _you_ with?” - -“Army Liaison Squadron, Lieutenant Bill Carson,” replied the pilot. -“You with the 82nd Airborne?” - -Slim nodded and asked sharply, “Now, what’s up here? Don’t you guys use -landin’ strips any more?” - -“Don’t pile it on, buddy,” Carson said. “I’m in bad enough already. I -got myself lost good, in this weather. And this kid here thought I was -a German--” - -Slim turned sternly to André. “You can overdo this takin’ prisoners -without consultin’ us, you know, son,” he muttered coldly. - -He explained to the pilot, more mildly, “This André and an old -Frenchman helped catch a car full of Nazi officers once. But once is -enough.” - -The lieutenant stared at André. “Say,” he exclaimed, “are you the -French kid I heard about? Trapped those German staff officers? I bet -my general’d like to shake hands with you. He’s the one who questioned -them.” - -Slim put on his best corporal’s manner. “Best we get back to your -business here, Lieutenant. How are you going to wangle your jalopy out -of this corner, now you got her wedged in so good?” - -The pilot shrugged. “Get me some gas, and I’ll fly out okay. Might have -to wait till the fog lifts a little.” - -Slim pondered a moment. “Listen, André. You think we could squeeze a -little more gas out of that pump of your dad’s? Take us an hour or -more to waylay a U. S. truck carryin’ gas.” - -André smiled. “We’ve been telling everyone the pump was empty, but we -have a little left in case of--you know--” - -Carson gave a yelp. “I know--emergency, you mean. Well, boys, I’m the -worst emergency you’ll ever meet.” - -Slim ordered one of his men to guard the plane. At a frown from the -guard, Raoul, who had been standing close by, stalked off. - -At the house Slim went in to report to the captain and came back with -word that Dobie had telephoned the general waiting at Utah Beach. - -The general had sent a message to Carson: “What did that idiot mean -by getting stuck in a blasted cow pasture? And tell him to get out of -there in a blasted hurry, or I’ll have his blasted ...” and so forth. - -Carson smiled wanly. “That’s my general,” he said. - -Slim went back to duty, and André and the pilot refilled the plane’s -tank from the cans they had brought from the Gagnon pump. - -Carson took a dismal look at the gray-blanketed landscape. With André’s -help, he rolled the machine around so that it headed away from the -hedge. “Want to get in while I taxi her into position?” Carson asked. - -“You are permitted--?” André cried. - -Carson laughed. “Of course I’m not permitted--but what’s the -difference? Climb in.” - -André clambered into the seat beside the pilot’s. Carson turned a -switch, adjusted the throttle, swung the propeller, and the engine -started promptly. “Now, fasten that seat belt and hold on, this field’s -bumpy.” - -With a surge of power, the plane began to move. Skillfully the pilot -ruddered a jolting course around the potholes and stumps, to the far -corner of the meadow. “Need all the run I can get for the take-off,” he -explained. - -Faced around for a diagonal course, he throttled the engine. “Gosh, I -think the fog is beginning to break,” he cried. - -He leaned out to observe the wind direction which already was beginning -to ruffle the tops of the trees. - -“I’d feel better if I knew this country,” he said. “You know it like -your own hand, I suppose?” - -André said he did, and the pilot stared down at him thoughtfully. - -“Say,” Carson broke out again. “How about you coming along for the -ride, and point out landmarks for me?” - -André’s eyes lit up. “But--” he began. - -“You seen the Invasion beaches yet? I’ll show them to you,” he offered. - -Before André could gather his wits, Carson exclaimed, “There’s a patch -of blue sky! We better grab this chance. Hang on. Here we go!” And he -pushed open the throttle. - -André felt the engine quicken and then the forward jolt as the brakes -were released. - -Smoothly, the little ship lifted after the short run. Banking sharply, -it swept toward the far rim of trees and, with inches to spare, skimmed -over them. - -The mist was breaking up, revealing open vistas. As the plane rose, the -houses and fields below shrank away swiftly. - -The pilot said, “Keep a close watch for low-flying bombers. They’re all -over the place today, cleaning out isolated German pockets.” - -Almost at once they were over the marshes. - -“That’s our road to the sea.” André pointed. - -The mists broke away sharply over the Channel. - -André gasped. - -A staggering panorama had been unveiled. Pigmy files of marching -troops, pigmy tanks and trucks crawled up the sea road in an endless -procession. Oceanward, beyond the shore bluff and wreck-strewn beach, -lay a sight which André could scarcely take in. Hundreds of ships -extended as far as he could see across the gray waves. Over the ships, -huge balloons lolled and bobbed and tugged at their anchors. Destroyers -and landing craft darted between the shore and a line of hundreds of -transports. - -André could make out a fleet of planes heading toward Cherbourg to the -north. And from that direction, the dull thud of bombs rolled back on -the wet air. - -“It is grand,” he managed to say breathlessly. “But--” he hesitated, -and added slowly, “it is terrible for the French people. So many guns -and bombs pointed at us.” - -Carson glanced down at him. “They are pointed at the Germans,” he -corrected André. “Don’t forget that we’re trying not to hurt France -more than necessary.” - -“_Oui_, I know,” André said. “But sir, I did not know there were so -many ships and guns in the whole world.” - -“Well,” said Carson, “take a good look while you’ve got the chance. -I’ve got my bearings now.” - -André studied the beach below. In the shallow water, wrecked landing -craft swung uselessly, half-awash. On the sea’s edge lay tanks which -had reached shore only to be shelled into wreckage. Savage battles had -turned the sands into a disorder of blasted, blackened gun pits and -machine-gun nests. - -[Illustration] - -Twice, while Carson circled, André saw him fiddling with the radio. -Then he spoke into the hand microphone, and listened for a few moments. - -“Got ’em at last,” he said. “They say we’ve got to hold off awhile -longer. Some Luftwaffe guy got through last night and bombed the strip. -They’re just finishing repairs. See them down there?” - -André looked directly down. Tiny men laying strips of steel mesh moved -in groups, like ants. Bulldozers swept along one side. And between the -airstrip and the sea, supplies were piling up steadily into mountains. - -Carson grinned. “I’ll bet that’s my general pacing up and down in front -of that big tent.” A second later, he said, “As long as we can’t get -down right away, how about we take a look at the English and Canadian -beachheads?” - -He swung alongshore and headed eastward. - -Carson pointed out the little city of Carentan. There was a rattle of -machine guns below, and the pilot threw the plane into a series of -violent turns. Noises like angry wasps streaked past their ears. - -André swayed dizzily. - -“Oh-oh! What am I doing in here?” Carson yelled. “That’s the way I get -holes in my ship.” He pointed out new tears in the fabric. As they -zoomed away, he explained, “That was a Nazi machine-gun. There are -still German troops and guns between Utah and Omaha Beaches and the -British beachheads.” - -The plane climbed steadily away, and André relaxed. - -The fury of Omaha and the British beaches was very like that which he -had seen at Utah. - -Unconsciously, André shuddered. Far to the right, under a pall of smoke -and the flickering of explosions, lay a city being pounded to rubble. - -“That must be Caen,” André murmured. “My mother was born in Caen.” -Then, after a moment, “The houses, the farms, the cows and the horses -... the people ...” he counted sadly. - -Carson sat thoughtfully quiet. He swung the ship in a wide circle for -the return. - -“Don’t think about it, kid,” he said presently. “Just remember the big -German guns that aren’t there any more.” - -André replied slowly, “I don’t think we really knew the Liberation -would be as bad as this. We will be glad when it is over.” - -Suddenly the pilot jammed his control stick forward. The plane nosed -into a violent dive. “Hang on! Fighters overhead. Up there!” he shouted. - -André’s head had jerked back. In his range of vision, a formation of -six Thunderbolts with white stars roared past. - -“Wow!” Carson gasped, and pulled the ship level. - -“They’re after a bridge,” he yelled. - -André watched plane after plane go into a dive and the bombs leave the -racks to arc downward. - -In the successive rain of bombs a black, flame-flecked cloud shot -skyward. - -“They have hit it!” André cried jubilantly. - -The Thunderbolts zoomed upward out of the haze, reformed, and -disappeared toward England. - -Some time later, Carson talked once more into the radio. “It’s okay. -They say to come in now. The runway’s ready,” he announced. - -He throttled back. “Well, now you know what the beaches are like,” he -sighed. There was a smooth descent, Carson slid in over the steel mesh -and brought the machine to a stop beside a group of officers. - -He snapped open his own seat belt and André’s. - -“Oh-oh!” Carson gasped. “I’d better try to explain _you_.” - -André looked across at a glistening, brilliant red face that belonged -to a bulky man in a sweat-stained uniform. - -“It’s the general,” Carson whispered. He pushed the door open and -saluted. - -He spoke more rapidly than usual. “This is the French boy, sir, who -helped catch the Nazi brass from Paris.” - -The general seemed to be caught between fury and curiosity. - -“Is it!” he sputtered at last. “And _what’s_ he doing in an army plane?” - -“Well, sir--” Carson blinked. “I needed--” - -“Oh, never mind,” boomed the general explosively. “He’s here now, and I -want to shake hands with him. Come on, boy.” - -André leaped down from the plane, and his hand disappeared in the -general’s bear clutch. - -“Glad to thank you personally--” roared the huge man gruffly. - -He mopped his neck. “Want to tell you--what’s your name again? André -Gunion? Can’t get these foreign names. Rotten at languages, but I can -judge people. Where’s that old fellow--friend of yours--Vilmer, was -it?--who shot the tires off the Nazis?” - -André had tried to speak several times. Now, he said loudly, -“Victor--Lescot.” - -“Lescot? Lescot? That means green vegetable, doesn’t it?” barked the -general. “No? Well, never mind. Congratulate him for me. Found out -a lot from those Nazi colonels, we did. Tell you what. We expect -the biggest generals we got, here on this bridgehead in a couple of -days--Eisenhower, Marshall, Arnold. They’ll be glad to know how you -French kids have helped.” - -He paused for breath. “Well, got to get going. Lieutenant!” - -Carson emerged from inspecting the bullet holes in the plane, again -chattering rapidly. “How are we going to get this boy home, sir? He -can’t walk. It’s too far.” - -The general snorted. “Send him in a jeep, of course--with some new -orders for Captain Dobie.” - -An iron-faced sergeant appeared and saluted. - -“Oh, there you are, Streukoff,” shouted the general. “Take this boy -to Captain Dobie. Boy knows where his command post is, over there -somewhere.” He jerked a large thumb toward inland Normandy. - -At the plane, he called back, “And mind you get a receipt for him.” - -Carson called to André, “We had fun, eh? Be seeing you,” and opened the -throttle. - -Half an hour later, a jeep bearing André in the front seat, rocketed -around a line of trucks and soldiers into André’s own village. - -He had been busy for some minutes thinking how he was to explain his -trip to Captain Dobie. - -As the jeep rolled down the village street André saw that something -unusual had happened. The neighbors were running toward a little -gathering of people. - -His eyes raced over them and stopped. - -In front of the parish house, worn, gray with fatigue, his clothes -dusty and torn, loomed a tall old man. - -André’s heart stood still. - -“Father Duprey!” he shouted. - - - - -CHAPTER FOURTEEN - -_Father Duprey’s Story_ - - -“My dear boy!” Father Duprey held out his arms. - -André cleared the space to the parsonage steps as though shot from the -jeep. - -“Did my mother come--my father--Marie?” he cried. - -He looked up at the priest’s long, bony face, lined with weariness, and -halted. The old man’s embrace was kind, but André knew at once that the -news he brought was not good. His expression held too much sadness. - -“The father needs rest,” someone in the crowd of neighbors called out. -And Anna, the parsonage housekeeper, bustled from the door. - -“Come in, come in, André,” she called anxiously. “And bring in the -father. I will give you tea. And _then_ you may talk.” - -[Illustration: _“My dear boy!” Father Duprey held out his arms_] - -“I must tell you, André,” Father Duprey said, “my news of your family -is not too bad. So do not be anxious. However, I do not know where all -of them are now. But come into the house.” - -After tea was served, the old man sighed deeply. “Now, André,” he said, -“to relieve your anxiety as well as I can. - -“To begin. The hospital where we left your mother is small. And it -is well outside the town of St. Sauveur le Vicomte--in the country, -really. The doctors there are good. Your father, Marie, and I waited -for some time to get a report from them about your mother. - -“At about ten-thirty o’clock, Monday night--that was June 5th--one of -the doctors came to tell us that Mme. Gagnon needed only the right -medicine and a week or two to get well. That is good news, eh?” - -André sighed. “Yes, very good.” - -“Ah! another thing.” The priest held up a thin finger. “The Maquis met -us exactly on time, at the rendezvous not far from the hospital. And -your brave English flyer--Ronald Pitt--ran for it. What a sight! Two of -the roughest looking of our Maquis and a nun, racing toward a near-by -building. But--well, they got away safely. That _was_ good, no?” - -“Wonderful,” André murmured. - -“Well, then. At about eleven-thirty that night, your father and I -stood at the hospital door. We were to start back home, and Marie was -to stay with your mother. We heard bombing all around us. Your father -said, ‘The bombing is getting bad.’ - -“Just as he said that, we heard loud shouting in German, and Nazis -began pouring out of their camp onto the roads. - -“A minute later there was the sound of motorcycles and cars shrieking -in the streets, and heavy antiaircraft fire. - -“Someone cried out, ‘The Invasion has begun! _Parachutists are landing -all around Ste. Mère!_’ - -“Your father felt that his duty was to remain with Mme. Gagnon. I, that -my duty was to hasten home. And I promised to look after you, André.” - -The old man smiled wryly. “I did not have much chance to do that, did I? - -“In the midst of it, Marie appeared. She was with Leon Duplis, a Maquis -I know well. - -“She said, ‘Father, the Maquis here need women to help with the -villagers. Please do not forbid me to go. In the hospital, Mother is in -good hands.’ - -“Your father agreed, but not willingly. In another minute Marie and -Leon were on a motorcycle and out of sight.” - -“But how did you get home, father? It has been five days,” asked André. - -The priest replied, “It was necessary to follow the loneliest roads -through the confusion. One did not know where the shells or the -snipers’ bullets would strike. - -“I slept well enough under hedges,” the priest continued. “I was very -kindly given food by many villagers. Sometimes I took refuge in a -church or house. At times I was able to help with the wounded and ill. -And sometimes I stopped to comfort the children.” - -Father Duprey rose and put a kindly hand on André’s shoulder. “I am -glad that you were spared, son. Go home now, and do not worry. Even -about Marie. The Gagnons are a family that for two hundred years has -not been easily crushed.” - -André went slowly down the parsonage steps.... On the first night of -the invasion his parents had been safe. But that was four days ago, he -thought. - -A loud shout stopped him. Streukoff beckoned from the jeep. “Hey, kid! -Say, I gotta deliver you and get a receipt from Captain Dobie. Git in.” - -André looked shocked. “The general was joking, wasn’t he? I can walk -the short distance home. I’m sorry I kept you waiting so long.” - -“Oh, that’s all right. I needed the rest,” grinned Streukoff. “But I’m -getting that receipt, boy. A general never forgets.” - -Captain Dobie looked up from his desk irritably when Streukoff entered -the room and saluted. André followed well in the rear. - -“Yes?” Dobie snapped. - -After hearing the general’s request, he barked, “You want _what_? You -brought André home? From _where_!” - -At one side, Weller muttered, “I should ’a’ known better. I should ’a’ -known better.” - -The captain scribbled out a receipt for Streukoff and signed it. He -then registered his feelings by banging weights down on all the papers -on his desk. - -“I never even _missed_ him,” he said through closed lips. - -The telephone jangled, and André saw Weller turn to Captain Dobie -excitedly. - -“It’s the colonel,” Weller shouted. “We’re movin’ this command post up -to the other side of Ste. Mère! The 9th division is almost set to help -us on a big push.” - -Weller turned his eyes slowly on André. - - - - -CHAPTER FIFTEEN - -_Battle for St. Sauveur_ - - -The idea of Captain Dobie’s staff going away came as a shock to André. - -“B-but--” he stammered. - -Captain Dobie and Weller consulted maps and papers. At last, the -captain sat back and lit a cigarette. - -“You’ve seen Father Duprey? What did he have to tell you?” he inquired -mildly. - -“Not very good news, sir,” André replied. “But nothing especially bad -... I wish my family could get home,” he said irritably. - -Captain Dobie cocked an eyebrow. - -“I wish they could, too,” he said. “And, as long as I am responsible -here, maybe you’d like to tell me why you went off with that pilot in -his plane.” - -At this unexpected shift, André flushed. - -“You did not tell me not to, sir,” he said shyly. - -“I did not tell you not to ride an elephant to Afghanistan, either,” -the captain retorted. “How could I know you had any intention of flying -over the enemy?” - -[Illustration] - -“I did not know it myself.” André could not help smiling. “It just -happened.” - -“Well, you’re lucky to be back. I don’t suppose it really matters if I -turn gray worrying about you,” said the captain. - -A bark from Patchou in the kitchen gave André an excuse to bolt away. - -Although Captain Dobie’s colonel had ordered the post moved closer -to the fighting, the change would not come until other units were in -position. - -During the next couple of days André’s mind turned more and more toward -St. Sauveur. If he could only go forward with Dobie and Weller and -Slim, to be near when that town was liberated. Other French children -were in the battle zone. And, after all, he had been under fire himself. - -St. Sauveur, Weller explained, was directly in the path of the -Americans who were hammering through to the coast to keep the Germans -from sending help to the fortress at Cherbourg. The 9th Division and -their own 82nd Airborne were working together in this drive for the -showdown. - -Weller came home from an errand to the beach on Tuesday, the 13th, -whistling gaily, off key. - -“Good news?” André asked. - -Weller replied, “Tops. We wiped the Nazis out of that gap between -Utah and Omaha beachheads. Now we can roll! And boy! You ought to -see our new Utah airstrip. Planes goin’ to London out of there--like -ferries--with the wounded.” - -Captain Dobie, talking to his colonel on the phone, hung up, looking -cheerful. - -“The towns along the Merderet River seem to be pretty well mopped up,” -he reported. “We hold the bridges. So the way to the Douve River’s -clear now.” - -Later that day Weller made a fast trip to the new command post. He came -back to report that a small stone farm building near a crossroads north -of Pont l’Abbé had been found for Captain Dobie. - -“We got a pair of new lieutenants takin’ the places of a couple -that got wounded,” Weller said. “Good fighters, these replacements, -Schoenfargle an’ Ouvarski.” - -André grew more silent as the captain’s leaving day drew near. - -St. Sauveur was to André a pretty little town where his family were. As -each day went by he felt more anxious about his mother. And finally he -decided he must follow Dobie and look for her. - -On the last evening, Captain Dobie said, “I’m leaving Slim here for a -few days, on orders, André. He’ll be in touch with me, so send us word -if anything is wrong.” - -Weller echoed, “Yeah. You do that, kid, and you just tend to the cows, -and mind what Father Duprey says.” - -André was up and the house astir before sunrise next morning. - -Maps, papers, and duffle were stacked waiting in the hallway when Slim -appeared at the door and announced, “Jeep’s ready, Captain.” - -This was the bad moment for André. - -Dobie hobbled out to the jeep and Weller followed. Several of the -neighbors, including Father Duprey and Victor, had come to say good-by. - -Patchou kept up a nervous barking, shocked by the departure of friends, -until André put an arm around him. - -Over the noisy complaint of the jeep’s motor, Captain Dobie thanked all -those gathered there for their help. And he asked that thanks be given -to the Gagnons. - -“I’ll see you all again,” he smiled, clutching at his seat as the jeep -leaped forward. - -And up to the overhanging chestnut trees rang cries of “_Vive -l’Amérique!_” and “_Vive le Capitaine Dobay!_” - -The last André heard was Weller’s voice, bellowing, “Vive la Frenchmen!” - -The silence of the house, as the sun slid up over the trees, was -numbing. - -Mme. Lescot arrived to break this up, equipped with an armload of -cleaning things. - -“This place resembles a pigsty,” she announced. “Mme. Gagnon must not -see such a mess. Please cause yourself to be absent.” - -Slim hurriedly remembered a job to be done. André pushed Patchou -hastily out of doors and went to milk the cows. - -He had just put the milk to cool when Mme. Lescot hailed him from the -kitchen door. “Breakfast!” she called. - -When Slim and André drew up to the table, Mme. Lescot produced a -breakfast of army supplies she had found on a shelf. - -“It is not my business,” she said shortly, “to complain about God’s -behavior. But I cannot help believing He has encouraged the American -Army to habits of extravagance. Do you leave good food behind, -everywhere you go?” - -When this was translated into English, Slim laughed. - -“No, ma’am!” he said emphatically. “This army eats everything it lays -its hands on. Weller’s just repayin’ the Gagnons for the use of their -house, I guess.” - -After breakfast, Slim called for André and the trumpet. Fitted in -between his duties, Slim gave André more lessons in American tunes. The -old house trembled under the blasts. - -In the midst of one of Slim’s Texas songs, an ambulance full of wounded -from the fighting at St. Sauveur drew up and stopped. - -The driver had a message about Captain Dobie. - -“Cap’n’s got himself shot in the shoulder,” he reported. - -André and Slim froze. - -The driver added, as he started on, “Couldn’t get him to come away and -be evacuated home with these other guys.” - -“What’s Weller doin’ lettin’ the skipper get shot!” Slim exclaimed. -“Best I get up there quick, now.” - -André had decided to “get up there,” too. - -He could surely get far enough to trace Marie, and perhaps find some -clue to where his father and mother were. - -Late that evening of D-day plus nine, Weller returned to pick up Slim. - -“Come on, Corporal,” he shouted. “The cap’n needs you. - -“Looks like we’ll take St. Sauveur in a couple of days,” he told André. -“Then, as soon’s we cut through to the coast, the big push up to -Cherbourg starts off. Won’t be long now.... Take care y’self, kid.” - -The two waved from the jeep. “Be seein’ you,” they called. - -André answered, “_Oui_--yes. I think so. Soon.” - -Because of his own plans, Slim’s departure did not leave André quite so -lonely as he might have been. - -The question of _how_ to get near St. Sauveur was the problem. André -thought he might ask some pleasant-looking officer for a lift. He -might-- - -In the end it was Victor who solved things very simply. - -The Lescots’ married daughter’s home had been burned out. She had just -sent word that she was at a farm near Picauville, a hamlet just outside -Pont l’Abbé. The message begged her father to come, please, and get her. - -On the morning after Slim’s departure, Victor arrived at the Gagnons’ -door with La Fumée and the cart. He explained his journey to André. - -“But,” André cried, “I must go with you, Victor. You cannot speak -English any better than you did when we went to Jacquard’s.” - -“That is true enough,” Victor admitted. - -“Good. I go. I translate when soldiers try to stop you,” André -announced. - -“It is an idea,” Victor agreed. - -“Well, then?” André cried. - -“The cows,” Victor chided. - -André paused. “Raoul?” he suggested. “Do you think he would milk them?” - -“Most certainly. And steal the milk, equally certainly,” Victor said. - -“I’ll ask him,” André decided. “Wait, _please_.” - -“I will wait.” - -Victor sat impatiently in the cart and polished his glasses while André -raced across the field. - -Ten minutes later André was back. Raoul had agreed. And La Fumée was -plodding steadily toward Ste. Mère and the clatter and shriek of -gunfire. Crouching under a blanket at André’s feet lay Patchou. - -The Gagnon house stood silently empty for the first time in weeks. - -About noon a black motorcycle rolled to a stop beside the Gagnon -pump. Marie, in dark slacks and a man’s cap similar to the driver’s, -dismounted. - -[Illustration] - -“The house looks empty, Leon,” she said, alarm in her voice. - -She pushed open the door and called, “André.” There was no answer as -she entered the empty hallway. - -Hurriedly, she ran through the house in a panic, and returned to the -door. - -“He isn’t here, Leon,” she cried. “The house is empty. Even Patchou is -gone.” - -Leon looked at her calmly. “Perhaps you are not the only adventurous -one in the family,” he laughed. - -Aghast at the thought of André wandering who knows where, Marie paused. - -“I did hope he had a letter from Maman telling us where the hospital -has moved to. And now I don’t even know what has happened to André,” -she cried. - -She looked wildly around the village. - -Darting between passing trucks she came to the Lescot kitchen. A few -minutes later she returned to Leon, breathless. - -“André has gone off toward St. Sauveur with Victor,” she explained. -“Perhaps we can catch up with them on the road to Pont l’Abbé. We must -hurry.” - -The black motorcycle shot off in the direction of Ste. Mère. - - - - -CHAPTER SIXTEEN - -_André into the Fighting_ - - -André’s trip with Victor was unexpectedly easy at the beginning. - -When they passed through Ste. Mère, the town seemed almost quiet, -although the litter and destruction on all sides were heartbreaking. - -Beyond the town, the roads were clogged. - -Victor was not challenged as they wove through marching troops and -rolling equipment. - -“That looks very unpleasant ahead of us,” Victor stated disapprovingly, -when they had crossed the Merderet River bridge. - -Shell bursts, dust and smoke hung over the once orderly fields and -patches of woods. Noises burst out loudly behind clumps of trees and -died away. - -Presently, Victor announced: “We proceed but a short distance farther -along this road. At an oak tree ahead we turn left to the village -where my daughter is.” - -It was then that André put forward his own plans. He watched Victor’s -look of shocked surprise anxiously. Suppose Victor would not let him go? - -“But,” Victor said, “you know I cannot accompany you into St. Sauveur -now. Surely you comprehend that!” - -André said firmly, “I did not expect it, Victor. I go on with Patchou -only. Captain Dobie is near here, so I won’t be alone.” - -Even as André said this, he began to doubt whether Captain Dobie -would welcome him. He also began to wonder whether he could find the -captain’s new post. - -As he and Victor drew nearer St. Sauveur, André began to notice that -the sound of firing came from many directions. He turned his eyes from -north to south and counted several rising pillars of smoke. Sometimes -the ground shuddered and rocked the cart. - -“It will not be easy to enter the city,” he thought. - -But after he and Victor had talked a minute, Victor agreed to let him -go. - -“However, you must use good sense,” Victor said, as André climbed down -from the cart. “Do not approach a single German, even if he looks -kindly. You must recall that not all Nazis are like our Papa Schmidt.” - -After this good advice, he added, “You are quite right to seek your -mother. I shall no doubt get along without you well enough.” - -With this, he clacked the reins and drove off. - -André and Patchou skirted the jumbled rubble that had once been the -village of Pont l’Abbé. They continued on through bypaths and across -fields. - -“If you stay close to me, you may walk,” André told Patchou. Patchou -trotted along obediently, his trembling shoulder pressed tightly -against André’s leg. - -André looked at the skyline ahead. As he stared, new blazes broke out. -Billowing smoke hung over St. Sauveur beyond the hills. After a moment -he realized that the city was being bombarded by big guns. - -“We may as well get as close to Maman as we can,” he murmured. “Come -along, Patchou.” He could see a file of soldiers, hugging the roadside -and straggling toward the city. - -He led Patchou into a cowpath and they trudged on. - -Twice André pulled Patchou down into a ditch as rifle and machine gun -fire broke out in near-by villages. - -After the second dive into a ditch, André sat thoughtfully silent. It -would be better to go back, he knew. But then he thought of his empty -house-- - -“Come on, Patchou,” he whispered. “When we get across the main road to -St. Sauveur, just over there, we will try to find somebody to tell us -how to find Maman in the hospital.” - -They scurried across the tree-lined highway. - -Where they crossed, the road seemed deserted. André could not see far -in any direction. Back in the fields a stone barn stood among shredded -trees below a hill. A château stood on the hilltop, almost hidden by -trees. - -Just as André looked up, a shell arched down from the sky a hundred -yards away. - -Before André could grab Patchou’s collar the explosion showered them -both with stones and mud. - -[Illustration] - -André reached wildly for Patchou and ran headlong with him into the -field toward the nearest building he could see--the stone barn. - -The blast of another shell threw André onto his face in a hail of -debris. And Patchou twisted with a wild jerk and broke away. - -André leaped to his feet, shrieking, “Patchou! Patchou!” - -But Patchou had disappeared! And while André called wildly, another -voice shouted, “Here, kid! Come here! The barn! Run, kid--_run_!” - -The scream of another “88” from the sky brought André to his senses. - -He saw a figure in the half-open door of the barn waving to him -frantically. - -André raced up to the entrance and threw himself into the arms of the -tall soldier who had called. The door banged shut and the bolt was -shot. Immediately a patter of machine-gun bullets rattled against the -broad iron hinges. The hail of bullets whined and thudded steadily. - -Another voice in the barn shouted angrily, “_Where_ are the -reinforcements, Lieutenant Ouvarski? Our ammo isn’t going to hold out -much longer.” - -The strong arms that had pulled André in set him on his feet, and he -caught a glimpse of a lieutenant’s shoulder bars. - -The lieutenant said gently, “It’s all right, boy. But what were you -doing in the battle area?” - -André could only gasp for breath. After a moment he stammered, “I--I -didn’t know I was so close to the line. Patchou? Can I get him soon?” - -The light, from broken places in the roof high overhead, was dim. André -caught glimpses of shadowy faces stationed at windows and small breaks -in the walls. Rifles cracked, and a bazooka at a far window flamed. - -“We’re in a German trap,” the lieutenant explained to André hastily. “I -sent out for help. I hope it comes. You get over in that manger, kid, -and keep down.” - -Then the lieutenant turned to shout orders and warnings to his men. -“Don’t show yourself above that window again, Donovan! You _want_ to -get hit?” - -“Two Heinies edgin’ around that wall,” screamed an unseen rifleman. -“Watch it, Lieutenant!” - -After a shattering fusilade of machine-gun fire against the old stone -walls, a sudden silence fell. And outside, a German voice called, “Do -you giff up, or do we take you, vun by vun?” - -Silence fell again. And then the bark of the lieutenant’s automatic. -Six rapid shots. - -“There’s your answer, Fritzie boy!” Lieutenant Ouvarski growled. - -The voice outside did not speak again. The lieutenant wiped his face on -the sleeve of his shirt. - -André thought, “I hope my mother and father and Marie are in a deep -stone cellar.” Then suddenly he was too tired to remember why he was -there. - -He did not even hear the corporal say, “What does old Dobie think he’s -doin’ about those reinforcements he promised? Sendin’ ’em by way of -Alaska?” - - - - -CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - -_Patchou on the Battlefield_ - - -A few minutes after André left Victor, Captain Dobie, Weller, their -colonel, and his aide were poring over a map. They were hidden under -trees, a mile and a half from the stone barn. - -They looked up every moment or two toward St. Sauveur. - -“Things are going along fine,” the colonel said. “The engineers have -got a rubber pontoon bridge over the Douve River, and troops are -crossing there already. They’ll have a steel one over the river for the -tanks to cross, in an hour or two.” - -Dobie nodded. “How soon do you think we’ll be sending our first patrols -into St. Sauveur?” he asked. - -“By sunset,” the colonel said. “As soon as the 9th gets the rest of -these towns around here cleaned up, we’ll send our fellows through. -How are those new lieutenants I sent you, Dobie?” - -Captain Dobie grinned. “Schoenfargle took forty-seven prisoners -yesterday. And Ouvarski’s squad took over a hundred. That answer your -question, Colonel?” - -The colonel laughed. But his aide suddenly held up a hand. “Wait -a second. SOS of some kind on the field telephone. Yes, yes ... I -get you. Yes. Ouvarski ... a dozen men. What? Trapped in a barn.... -Okay.... But where, man, _where_?” - -He saw the colonel reach out, and handed the phone to him. - -The colonel consulted the map and noted the position of the barn. After -a minute’s delay, he got a battery commander by radio. Calmly, he gave -the map location. - -“Have that stone barn boxed in by your guns,” he ordered. “Fire for -five minutes exactly--and then quit. We’ll have relief troops ready to -move in then.” - -He handed the phone to Weller. - -“I’m going down to the bridges now, Dobie,” he said. - -Captain Dobie looked white. “Ouvarski trapped,” he repeated. “Can we -spare enough men right now to get them out, sir?” - -The aide said, “Why not?” - -The colonel put a thin, dirty hand on Dobie’s arm. “You _know_ we’ll -get Ouvarski out. And my orders to you, sir, are to stay right here. -You have my authority to make your man, Slim, a sergeant. Send him in -command of the Ouvarski rescue bunch. Keep Weller with you. And _you_, -Dobie, in future, try not to be so all-fired brave.” - -The captain turned to catch Weller’s eye as the colonel marched across -the road to his own hidden jeep. - -“He sounds,” Dobie said, “a good deal like me talking to André, doesn’t -he?” - -But his smile was short. - -“So Slim’s a sergeant at last,” he said. “Get him on the radio. Tell -him to pick up fifteen or twenty men and we’ll meet him down the road.” - -“But Captain,” Weller exploded, “the colonel said--” - -“Ouvarski’s my lieutenant, and a brave one. It’s _my_ job to see that -he and his men get out alive,” Dobie snapped. - -“Okay, sir,” Weller said. “It’s me’ll get courtmartialed. But pay no -heed.” - -The jeep bounded and took to the road. - -A few moments later they met Slim with a truckload of men, and -instructed him to follow. They whirled past a château set on a hill, -with a scattering of cottages on its lower slopes. - -Weller tilted rapidly around high stone walls, and pulled up in the -shelter of a cottage near the château gates. - -“Can’t get any closer,” Weller said firmly. “Ouvarski must be in that -barn over there.” - -“We’ll stay here till the shelling that the colonel ordered is over,” -Dobie ordered. - -Slim had his men out of the truck and ready to move in. - -Without warning, from unseen guns, a barrage of shells circled the -barn. The men crouched near the jeep winced under the explosive -pressure on their ears. - -Captain Dobie had been watching his stopwatch. Five minutes later he -said, “All right, Slim, shelling’s over. Fan your men out, and take -those Nazis in.” - -The new sergeant and his men moved rapidly ahead, skirting the cottage -wall. - -They had just disappeared around the corner when Dobie cried sharply, -“What in the name of--” - -Weller had sprung headlong from the jeep and lunged at a sunken doorway. - -A moment later he returned, breathing hard, with a dog in his arms. - -“_Patchou!_” Dobie shouted. - -Weller, his face tilted away from Patchou’s loving tongue and -scrambling paws, pitched the dog into Captain Dobie’s lap. - -“If this means what I think it means,” he puffed rapidly, “André’s -somewheres about. Maybe you can figure it out, sir....” - -Without waiting, he was gone, clanking with grenades, his head lowered -between determined shoulders. - -Straining forward in the jeep, Captain Dobie sat raging at his -helplessness. He knew he would be useless in the field. He could barely -walk. But every rifle crack, every grenade explosion sent his blood -boiling. To think of André exposed to all this was a maddening extra -anxiety. - -He kept a hand on Patchou, who was torn between the joy of reunion with -an old friend, and terror. - -Dobie smoothed his fur absently while he directed his binoculars -toward the heavy firing about the barn. He could not see much that was -happening, because of the cottage wall, and stared around the fields. -“If André’ll only keep under cover till this shooting stops,” Dobie -thought. - -He stiffened at the smell of timbers burning, and looked back to the -barn quickly. - -Slim appeared around the corner of the cottage and ran up toward Dobie. - -“Cap’n,” he panted. “More--” He stopped and stared wildly. “What’s that -dawg! That ain’t--_It is_ Patchou! Well, for cryin’ out--” - -“_More what?_” the captain snapped. - -“More trouble, Cap’n. The barn’s afire in one corner. An’ we ain’t got -half the Germans yet. They’re hid everywhere. If Ouvarski and the men -have to make a break for it, there’s still enough Nazis to pick ’em all -off.” - -Dobie reached for the radio switch. Turning to Slim, he barked -instructions. - -“I’ll order smoke shells to cover their escape. Go out there and warn -the men to pull back a little. Where’s Weller?” - -Slim poised on one foot to answer. - -“He’s fightin’ mad--an’ he’s fightin’ good.” - -He disappeared into a thicket to carry out the captain’s order. Dobie -spoke rapidly into the radio and then signed off. - -For a while he sat listening, and watching the smoke billow high above -a gable of the barn. - -He heard loud, sputtered German orders. Then came renewed rifle bursts, -and a grenade exploded near by. - -Just before the outburst, Patchou gave a high, excited yelp and leaped -from the jeep. - -“Patchou!” Captain Dobie shouted furiously. “Come here, boy. _Patchou!_” - -The dog streaked, with flying tail, back toward the château gates, -stretched to his utmost to cover ground. - -With piercing yelps of delight he jumped into the arms of a girl. She -had turned at his barking and then suddenly run to meet him. - -Captain Dobie regarded the slim figure with amazement. Slacks, army -jacket, man’s cap from which soft black hair like André’s escaped. And -the same gray-blue eyes. - -A flash of enlightenment burst over Dobie. - -Irritated to fury, he muttered, “Jumping Jehosophat! Now we have -_Marie_ Gagnon!” - -[Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - -_The Secret Tunnel_ - - -Captain Dobie’s heart and thoughts were with the men under his command. -Beyond that, he was desperately aware of great armies fighting a hard -battle near by. - -Seeing Marie here, knowing André was also in the battle area, he -thought angrily, “This is too much.” - -“Ma’moiselle,” he shouted, “this is no place for you. Find cover -immediately!” - -Marie looked up. “You do not understand,” she said. “This dog belongs -to my brother. André must be here somewhere. Patchou couldn’t get this -far alone.” - -“I _do_ know,” replied the captain. “Get under that gateway -quickly--and _hold_ that dog.” - -When Marie crouched under the arch, he explained quickly how he had -come to know André. - -Marie said nervously, “You haven’t seen him?” - -“No! Since I left your home, I have not.” The captain’s voice was sharp -with anxiety. “And I haven’t time to look for him now. My men are in -that burning barn with Germans all around it. I’ve ordered covering -smoke shells dropped to help them escape. And I can’t understand what’s -held the shells up.” - -He hesitated. Looking with deep concern at Marie, he spoke more -gruffly. “I’m just afraid there’s a good chance André may be in that -barn.” - -Marie ran out a step or two and pointed. - -“In _that_ barn?” she cried. “Oh! I can get him out then. Come, -Patchou!” - -Captain Dobie stood up and shouted, but Marie and Patchou had -disappeared through the cottage door--not across the field. - -Captain Dobie sank back, fuming. The flames were spreading across the -barn roof. He switched on the radio and waited irritably. When there -was no response, he reached back into the jeep for grenades which he -hooked into his belt. - -He had just grasped his gun firmly, and gingerly lowered a leg to the -ground, when Patchou barked and wriggled out of the cottage door. - -At the same instant Slim came around the garden wall and stopped in his -tracks, staring at the doorway. - -“Ouvarski!” he shouted and then, “_André!_” - -Captain Dobie’s head snapped toward the cottage. - -A tall officer stood behind Patchou, and with him was André. - -Behind Lieutenant Ouvarski and André straggled several dusty, -smoke-blackened men. They moved a few steps forward. - -Ouvarski steadied himself against a stone pillar. Marie and two of the -men eased a wounded soldier they were carrying, to the ground. - -“Captain,” Ouvarski said hoarsely, “can you get medics? Three -wounded--one badly.” - -Captain Dobie swallowed hard. “Is that all?” - -“All others accounted for, sir,” Ouvarski reported. “No worse.” - -“Not any of you are accounted for,” the captain growled. “How did you -get _here_? I thought you were in that blasted barn.” - -Slim gasped as Marie, finished with making her patient more easy, -walked forward. - -Ouvarski simply threw out a hand toward Marie, and said, “She led us -out.” - -Marie walked up to Captain Dobie. - -“There’s a tunnel to the barn from this gardener’s cottage, sir,” -she explained. “I didn’t have time to tell you before. The tunnel is -old, but it is open. The Maquis have been using it for months, partly -for wounded men. The barn was our headquarters. We just moved out -yesterday.” - -[Illustration: _Marie came up through the old tunnel_] - -Captain Dobie nodded, speechless with relief. He pushed back his -helmet, mopped his forehead, and switched on the radio. “I’ll cancel -those smoke shells,” he muttered. - -At that moment the air overhead whined ominously. A curtain of shells -fell around the barn and exploded. A dense pall of white smoke drifted -across the field. - -“Where’s Weller?” the captain asked Slim. “And what about the Nazis -still around that barn?” - -He was interrupted by grenade and rifle fire and the thrashing of men -breaking through shrubbery. - -“Watch it!” Weller’s voice rang above the din. - -The shooting stopped suddenly, and German and American voices mingled. - -Captain Dobie listened a moment, smiled, and switched on the radio. - -“Thanks for the smoke shells,” he said into the receiver. He switched -through to his command post. “Say, send along a couple of trucks for -prisoners. And a medic and ambulance. At least three wounded here--one -pretty bad.” - -He turned back to the others. - -“Well, Ouvarski,” he said pleasantly, “I certainly sent you into -something. Headquarters said positively no Germans left in this area.” - -“They came out of this château and we had to take cover in the barn, -sir,” Ouvarski said. - -“Take it easy,” Dobie said, “all of you, till the trucks get here. -Sergeant! What ails _you_?” - -Weller limped into sight along the wall. - -“We’ve about cleaned ’em all out--finally,” he grinned. - -Dobie frowned. “But what happened to you?” - -“Got myself a bullet.” Weller’s smile broadened and turned into a -grimace of pain. - -“I thought I told you to stay away from those Germans,” Dobie barked. - -Weller limped painfully to the jeep and Slim spun him gently around and -into the back seat. - -“You sure did, sir,” Weller said. “But you forgot to tell them Germans -to keep away from me.” - -[Illustration] - -Not far behind Weller, a line of Nazi prisoners were coming across the -field, hands on head. With them, on each side, strode Americans with -Tommy guns ready. - -Marie was examining the injury to Weller’s leg. - -“That bullet will have to be taken out,” she said. “It’s not in very -deep. It won’t hurt much.” - -“It’s gonna stay right there,” Weller said. “It’s probably the only -proof I’ll have to show my kids I was ever in this war.” - -André had been saying, “Sir,” at intervals. But he had trouble saying -it loud enough to make the captain hear. - -When the prisoners had been herded together under guard a little -distance away, Captain Dobie sank back in his seat and smiled down. - -“André,” he said, “I’m too glad to see you alive to tell you what I -ought to.” - -André felt his face grow red. “I wanted to try to get my father and -mother home.” - -“It would have been simpler for all of us if you had waited,” replied -the captain. - -“I couldn’t, sir,” André said staunchly. - -“If Patchou hadn’t been here, Captain,” Marie said, “I might have -missed André. It was Patchou who found _me_.” - -The dog, at the sound of his name, tossed up his head. Then he sniffed -deeply, and whirled in the direction of the château gates, paused a -brief second, and shot away at an excited gallop. - -Captain Dobie could only say, “_Now_ what?” - - - - -CHAPTER NINETEEN - -_The 82nd Finishes Its Fight_ - - -The building which had housed the patients from the St. Sauveur -hospital for a week was being emptied hastily. - -A plump older nurse was helping the sick who could walk. Hurrying them -into their wraps, she bustled them out to a line of waiting, ancient -cars. - -Doctors were aiding the more helpless patients. - -All of them froze like statues when a shell crashed near by. - -“Since dawn,” scolded the nurse, “this racket has been going on. Now, -one foot up into the car, dear. Now the other. That’s my good girl. -_Bon voyage._” - -The last to leave were the Gagnons. Pierre walked slowly toward the -door with his arm around Mme. Gagnon. She moved stiffly, but without -pain. - -At the door a doctor smiled at them. - -“Do not worry about madame, M. Gagnon,” he said. “She is greatly -improved. I expect no more difficulties for her.” - -“_Merci_, doctor,” Pierre replied gruffly. - -The doctor peered around the door. “I see that M. Angell is waiting for -you in his car. I’m sure you will find his house a fortress of safety.” - -His words were drowned in the shriek and explosion of a second shell, -and the rending crash of roof timbers. The blast hurtled the three of -them into a corner. A shower of falling lath and plaster filled the -room. - -The doctor and Pierre pulled Mme. Gagnon to her feet. - -From outside, the desperate voice of the car driver shrieked, “Hurry, -doctor! Come at once! I do not intend to wait till another explosion -hits my car.” - -Mme. Gagnon shook herself and with great dignity stated firmly, “I can -walk. Observe your own step, Pierre. You, also, doctor.” - -She crossed the shattered porch and went down the steps. Pierre and the -doctor raced to help her into the conveyance. - -At the slam of the door, M. Angell was prepared, and the car leaped -forward through the gates and into the lane. - -Pierre gasped for breath. “I hope your home is safe,” he said hoarsely. - -“No place is safe today,” the driver retorted over his shoulder, -swinging the battered old car expertly around curves. - -Braced as well as she could manage, Mme. Gagnon looked out with horror -on the countryside. - -“My son and my daughter!” she cried. “Could they exist through such -warfare as this? I must know, Pierre. It is worse than I imagined.” - -The doctor spoke soothingly, but broke off to shout, “Angell. Watch -yourself!” - -A soldier had stepped out from the shelter of a ditch with upraised -hand. “You must detour,” he said in French. “This lane and the road -beyond are mined.” He pointed to one side. “Those fields are safe.” - -M. Angell muttered and nosed the car cautiously into the pasture. -Circling shell holes, rocking over hummocks, he steered toward a -shallow depression some distance ahead. After that he forced the car up -a rise. - -As they neared the top, the sound of machine guns and rifle fire, which -had been muffled, seemed to explode all around them. - -M. Angell brought the steaming car to a stop. He surveyed the landscape -on all sides. - -After a moment he said, “If you will be kind enough to alight, I shall -lead you to safety--but on your own feet. We must abandon this vehicle -to the mercies of Heaven.” - -Mme. Gagnon said to the doctor, “It is cause for rejoicing, doctor, -that your cure was successful and I _can_ walk. Stop frowning, Pierre. -Each step I take leads toward home.” - -“At the moment,” snapped M. Angell, “our steps lead down that slope -on the left, toward those cottages. That path,” and he pointed to the -château, “leads to my house, but firing of considerable intensity is -going on there.” - -[Illustration] - -A tremendous salvo of shells interrupted. Dense white smoke rolled -over the hill and drifted through the trees lining the driveway to the -château. - -“It sounds as though we were moving directly into the middle of a -battle,” Mme. Gagnon said. - -M. Angell raised his head. “There is a skirmish there on the other side -of the hill, which I do not understand,” he said. - -Pierre Gagnon stared around. - -At a fresh outbreak of gunfire Mme. Gagnon begged him to lower himself. - -But Pierre’s eyes were fixed wildly on a point near the cottages. His -mouth dropped open and closed again excitedly. - -“Maman!” he gasped. “Patchou! I see Patchou!” - -The doctor and M. Angell turned to him in alarm. - -Mme. Gagnon stood up. “I do not see Patchou,” she cried. “But if he is -here, certainly André must be near.” - -Suddenly the vague noises broke into a noisy scuffle on the rocky, -brush-covered knoll above them. German and American voices rang out -angrily. - -“It is unbearable!” Mme. Gagnon cried. “I must find André!” - -She broke and ran. - -Pierre gave a lunge. He caught his wife’s sleeve and was about to pull -her to the ground when a racing dog, like a tornado, streaked up the -slope. - -Patchou danced to Pierre and then to Mme. Gagnon, lathering their hands -in rapturous welcome, yelping shrilly. - -An American soldier, his shoulders sagging with fatigue, came out of -the underbrush. He frowned at the group. “What’re you folks doing out -here?” he demanded. “You better come along with me.” - -The doctor--the only one of the Normans who understood English--said, -“Yes. Most certainly we do not wish to stay here.” - -The American started down the slope. Mme. Gagnon and Pierre, attended -by the two other men, followed. - -“But Pierre,” Mme. Gagnon protested, “why do we follow them? Did -Patchou come this way?” - -Patchou answered this by tearing ahead with great purpose. - -“You see,” said Pierre. - -At the foot of the slope the American pushed his way through a break in -the hawthornes. At his heels, M. Angell and the doctor gallantly pulled -the bushes apart for Mme. Gagnon. - -She took a step forward and stood still, a hand clasped to her heart. - -Not twenty feet away, standing near a jeep and a cluster of soldiers, -were André and Marie. - -At the same instant André and Marie saw her. And André hurled himself -toward his mother. - -“I knew I would find you!” he cried. “I _knew_!” - -Marie and Pierre drew into the family embrace. - -Slim and Weller turned to catch each other’s eye. “The kid done it,” -Weller said. - -Slim sighed. “I shore wish I had that trumpet now,” he said. “I feel -awful sentimental.” - -Captain Dobie sat back and smoked, watching the happy reunion of the -Gagnon family. - -When the doctor and M. Angell left to start up the hill Marie broke -away from the family to run after them. - -“Oh, Monsieur Angell,” she called, “I must tell you how sorry I am your -barn was burned. It was so useful to the Maquis. We are grateful to you -for letting us use it.” - -“It is nothing,” M. Angell replied courteously. “It was for France. -However, if you will accept advice from a stranger, I suggest that you -now return home with your mother.” - -Marie smiled. “I quite agree with you, M’sieur.” - -Within a few minutes, trucks and ambulances drew up. The wounded, both -American and German, were cared for and taken away. - -[Illustration] - -Weller and Captain Dobie resisted the suggestions of the medics to go -back in the ambulance. - -“We don’t want no pamperin’,” Weller said shortly. “I’m only nicked, -anyway.” - -The fighting squads clambered aboard trucks to return to the St. -Sauveur front. - -The captain leaned from the jeep to talk more easily with Mme. Gagnon -and Pierre. - -The radio in the car squawked insistently. - -“Answer that signal, will you, Weller?” Captain Dobie said. - -Weller snapped a switch, said, “Okay, Colonel,” and gave his report on -Ouvarski’s rescue. - -Then he listened a few minutes and exclaimed, “Yes, Colonel ... I’ll -tell the cap’n. Sure will.” - -Captain Dobie had stopped talking to listen to Weller. - -André asked curiously, “Good news?” - -Weller almost shouted, “Our armies are cleanin’ up St. Sauveur, and the -47th’re movin’ on past--headin’ for the coast an’ then Cherbourg.” - -“Good,” said Dobie. “Is that all?” - -“Nope.” Weller grinned. “The colonel says the 82nd won’t be goin’ on -to Cherbourg with the 9th Division. We’re ordered to take the marshy -country south of St. Sauveur. _An’ after that we’ll get relieved._” - -“The 82nd will be out of the war?” Dobie asked. - -“Every bloomin’ man of us,” Weller replied. “An’ that means you, too, -Cap’n.” - -Slim winked at André. “I guess that means you, too, kid,” he said. - -Captain Dobie rubbed his hand across his eyes, and said, “After over -two weeks of steady fighting I guess the 82nd deserves a rest. Well, -give me that phone, Weller.” - -When he had finished his call he said to Pierre, “I have sent for a -jeep to take you home, M. Gagnon. Do you think you can hang onto André -till the jeep gets here?” - -Pierre threw back his head in his great, bellowing laugh. “I think so, -_mon Capitaine_,” he roared. - -“Never mind, kid,” Weller said. “I promise you we’ll be back. We’ll see -you in a week’r two. You just save us some of that good fresh milk.” - -Pierre clapped his hand to his head and glared at André. - -“_Mon Dieu!_” he shouted. “The cows!” - - - - -CHAPTER TWENTY - -_Bastille Day--1944_ - - -That night, lights glowed in the Gagnon house. In spite of the blustery -cold wind and drifts of rain, the door stood open most of the evening. - -Friends came, laughing, crying, chattering greetings and news. Children -came to ask André questions and stand with open mouths at what he had -to say. - -Marie brought cups of hot chocolate and black bread. Mme. Lescot -supplied some small cakes. - -Leon Duplis rode over to tell Marie that General de Gaulle, who -commanded the Maquis from London, was now touring the liberated towns -of Normandy. - -“The French Army will soon join the fight to free our country,” Leon -whispered to Marie. “They will enter France from the Mediterranean. -But do not tell anyone yet I said so.” And with that he was on his -motor bike and gone. - -On the road outside, traffic was coming up from the beach, but in -smaller convoys. “The sea is getting very rough,” someone reported. - -By midnight all the guests had gone and the whole family were in -bed--really home at last. - -André went out to the road many times the next few days to look for -friends on the army trucks and jeeps rolling by. On the third day, -a messenger from St. Sauveur, on his way to the supply dumps on the -beach, stopped to talk. - -“We got the peninsula cut off now,” he reported. “The 9th Division an’ -the 79th an’ the 4th Division are on their way to Cherbourg. Goin’ -fast, too.” - -Captain Dobie’s men were still fighting for the marshes and some hills -west and south of St. Sauveur, he said. - -The storm over the Channel had built up to an alarming degree. Rain and -wind whipped the trees along the coast and drove the villagers indoors. -Traffic past the house slowed almost to a stop. - -When André asked a truck driver what was happening on the beaches, -the driver said, “A blasted hurricane. The sea is standin’ on end. No -landin’ barges can get ashore. Pretty bad, ’cause General Bradley’s -howlin’ for ammunition.” - -Frenchmen coming to the village from the shore said tons of supplies -had been swept away and sunk. - -The storm raged for four days, and André went sadly about his duties -watching the road now nearly empty of trucks. - -Two days after the storm subsided, André heard that General Eisenhower -had ferried across the Channel to look over the destruction. - -“He’ll talk to them army engineers an’ get deliveries speeded up--or -else,” a soldier said. - -But the Americans were driving hard to capture Cherbourg. They needed -the port more than ever since the storm had stopped supplies coming -across the beaches. - -On June 28th, Leon came, and shouted through the door, “André! Marie! -_Cherbourg has fallen._ Normandy belongs to us again!” - -Then, on D-day plus 29--four weeks after the 82nd paratroopers had -first drifted down into the Gagnon orchard--Slim clattered up in a jeep. - -André saw him from the hallway and raced out to grab his hand and pump -it up and down--as the soldiers did. He asked, “Where are Captain Dobie -and Sergeant Weller? Has the 82nd been relieved? Did you win your -battle?” - -“What you mean, mister?” Slim growled. “Did we win our battle? The 82nd -always wins its battles--Africa, Sicily, Normandy. You know that.” - -André took Slim into the house to see the rest of the family. He -translated Slim’s “American” as well as he could for his father and -mother. - -“This is my last errand this way,” Slim told them. “I’m on my way to -the Utah airstrip to fix the cap’n’s passage home.” - -Before he left, he promised to bring Weller and the captain to see them -on the way to the plane. - -The storm had at last blown itself out, and traffic on the road was -again heavy. Now the Allies were getting ready to break through to -Paris--to free the rest of France. The British and Canadians were -fighting hard around Caen. The Germans were bringing up more and more -tanks--better in some ways than the British and American ones--and -the battle was rough. But the Invasion armies were moving toward the -breakout into the farther parts of France. The spirit of Liberty swept -slowly but excitedly across all Normandy. - -July 14th, Bastille Day, which was the symbol of French Liberty, would -soon be here. - -“This year we will celebrate Bastille Day with good heart,” said M. -Blanc to Father Duprey. - -And Father Duprey, who was very practical, asked, “How?” - -“Ah, that I have thought about,” M. Blanc answered. “And I have a -plan for our little village. Alone, we cannot do justice to such a -great event as this Liberation. We will join with Ste. Mère Église -to celebrate. We are not without talent in this village.” He looked -mysterious and whispered his plans to the priest, so that no one could -overhear. - -When they had finished their discussion, Father Duprey said, “Your plan -will also keep the children out of the fields till the German land -mines have been cleared up.” - -The following few days there was a great hubbub in the loft of the -Gagnon barn. Children’s voices rang out. And music billowed over the -rooftops. - -Early one morning, Father Duprey summoned André. Victor appeared -with his cart, and with the priest and André jogged off, behaving -mysteriously, to talk to the mayor of Ste. Mère Église. - -Bastille Day, Friday, July 14th, was the next day. By sunrise that -morning all the little villages near Ste. Mère were alive with activity. - -Mothers bustled breakfast into their families and packed up lunch -baskets. Older sisters swept the family’s best clothes, all nicely -aired, over the heads of the younger children. Then mothers and big -sisters pulled and twisted themselves into their own gayest Normandy -dresses. Fathers put on the dark suits they had been married in. - -And all over the peninsula the French tricolor flags, which had been -hidden away, flew in great flapping bursts of triumph from every house. - -All churchbells that had survived the bombing began to ring soon after -the sun was up. - -In the Gagnon house, Maman was scurrying about, her own silk dress -rustling as excitedly as she was. Marie, too, rustled in her new -pale-yellow parachute gown. - -Old cars had been rolled out of sheds where they had been hidden, and -somehow brought to life. They began to ease into the busy military -traffic and headed for Ste. Mère. Carts, bright with flags and flowers, -and loaded with chattering villagers, thronged the roads. - -Father Duprey and M. Blanc had gone to Ste. Mère still earlier in a -borrowed car. - -In good time, Victor, Mme. Lescot, and their daughter showed up at the -Gagnon door with La Fumée. The fat Percheron whinnied when André led -the family out to jam themselves into the cart. - -When La Fumée entered the outskirts of Ste. Mère the town was already -aflame with a noisy celebration. - -Victor found a spot where La Fumée could be hitched to a post with a -pail of water beside her. - -In the heart of Ste. Mère Église the square was a churning mass of -people. But in a cleared space in the center of the green, officials -and police were arranging things in an orderly way. There was a -flag-draped table on a raised platform, and rows of chairs for special -personages stood in a square. - -At one side of the table, dignitaries were gathering. At the other -side, M. Blanc and the Ste. Mère music master were herding the children -who were to sing, into neat rows. - -Running to join the children, André saw uniformed French officers in -a group among the dignitaries. All eyes were upon them. Farther back -stood a company of about a hundred American soldiers. - -Marie went to join Leon, Jacquard, and the other Maquis who had been -able to come. - -When the hour for opening the ceremonies arrived, Father Duprey and two -other priests moved to the table for prayers of thanksgiving. - -Then the mayor of Ste. Mère, and the mayors of other villages made -speeches. These over, the music master blew his pitch pipe and M. Blanc -raised his arm to give the beat for the singing. High and clear, the -children’s voices sang out the beloved old songs of triumphant France. - -When the last song died away the children settled down on the grass, -and M. Blanc rose. - -“We are now about to have a special pleasure,” he announced. “André -Gagnon will express the feeling of comradeship we all have for our -friends, the Americans.” - -André had been carefully carrying his trumpet under his arm. His knees -shaking, he stepped forward and put the trumpet to his lips. - -He played first a gay little Normandy tune. This was loudly applauded -and he waited for the noise to die down. - -When he again trilled out a trumpet call, every Frenchman present grew -silent and listened with puzzled eyes. The tune was one they didn’t -know. - -Suddenly, from the back of the crowd, men’s voices began to sing the -words. - -André’s heart gave a great leap. But he kept on playing. The voices -were growing louder. The men were moving toward the green. - -André swept into the chorus, and powerfully the American words, -punctuated by clapping hands at the proper time, swelled out over the -crowd. - -A French voice took up the words. Another and another, until the entire -gathering was singing. - -Many of the Americans stood beside André now, and Slim, his hard hands -beating the clap-clap of the chorus, sang the loudest. - -“_Deep in ze ’eart ohff Tayxsas_,” sang the French. - -“_Stars at night are big and bright,_ (clap-clap, clap-clap,) _Deep in -the heart of Texas,_ - -_Remind me of the one I love,_ (clap-clap, clap-clap) _Deep in the -heart of Texas,_” - -sang Slim and Weller and Captain Dobie, dragging out the last long -notes at the thought of home. - -[Illustration] - -André dropped his trumpet to his side. - -As the babble of happy voices rose and became bedlam, Captain Dobie -shook hands with the French officers. - -André started at the sight of a Royal Air Force uniform and ran across -the square. - -Standing beside Marie, Ronald Pitt was laughing with the Maquis over -the escapade of the strange “nun.” - -Ronald grabbed André’s arms and swung him merrily around. - -“How did _you_ get here, Ronald?” André asked. - -“Well,” Ronald replied, “I’m on my way to the British lines to -chauffeur a general around--” - -“Oh-ohh,” André giggled. - -“I saw this celebration going on down here,” Ronald Pitt went on, “and -I wanted to see what was happening in Ste. Mère. So I landed in a field -and trotted over--and look what I found!” - -Slim and Weller joined them then. - -“Didn’t we tell you we’d come?” demanded Weller. - -Softly, a song began to tremble from different points among the crowd. - -André lifted his trumpet and began to play. - -And swelling mightily over the battered roofs of Ste. Mère rolled out -the song of freedom that is the voice of France--the “Marseillaise.” - -Everyone sang and many wept. - -After that, the gathering broke up and lunch baskets were opened. Mme. -Gagnon beckoned her enlarged family party together under the shade of -a wide chestnut tree. Lunch was spread out. Between them, she and Mme. -Lescot had brought food enough for all. - -Captain Dobie and André sat side by side. - -“You will return to visit us after the war?” André asked shyly. - -“I certainly will,” promised the captain. “I shall come back whenever I -can. I won’t be comfortable unless I know what you’re up to.” - -André laughed. “And,” he said, “I shall go to America some day to see -that you have got that leg mended.” - -“_Vive les Americains!_” shouted Raoul, who had mysteriously become one -of the group. - -“_Vive la French!_” shouted Weller. - -La Fumée heard them, and put her muzzle down comfortably into the water -pail. - - - - -_About the Author_ - -Clayton Knight was born in Rochester, New York, and grew up just in -time to become an airplane pilot with the famed Lafayette Escadrille -in World War I. He also had a box seat for World War II in which he -served in every important theater of war as an Associated Press special -correspondent. His lifelong, active interest in aviation has earned him -many honors and taken him to almost every corner of the earth, most -recently on a round-the-world trip collecting material for an official -history of the Military Air Transport Service. It has also provided -him with fascinating material for a distinguished list of books and -magazine stories that have made him well known both to young people and -adults, not only as an author but an artist of uncommon distinction. - - -_About the Historical Consultant_ - -Few experts are as well qualified as MAJOR GENERAL RALPH ROYCE to -pass on the merits of a book about the Normandy invasion. As Deputy -Commander of the Ninth Air Force, he was the senior air officer afloat -during the invasion of France and served aboard the cruiser _Augusta_ -with Admiral Kirk and General Bradley. He accompanied General Bradley -to shore at Utah Beach and, in the days that followed, reconnoitered -the surrounding country very thoroughly, visiting many of the towns -mentioned in this book. In General Royce’s words, “Mr. Knight’s book -brings back very vividly the life that we lived during those hectic and -exciting days in June, 1944, and portrays extremely well the life of -the countryside during those early hours of the invasion that led to -the freeing of France from the yoke of the invader.” - - - - -_WE WERE THERE BOOKS_ - - -1. WE WERE THERE ON THE OREGON TRAIL - - By WILLIAM O. STEELE - Historical Consultant: PROFESSOR RAY W. IRWIN - _Illustrated by_ JO POLSENO - -2. WE WERE THERE AT THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG - - By ALIDA SIMS MALKUS - Historical Consultant: EARL S. MIERS - _Illustrated by_ LEONARD VOSBURGH - -3. WE WERE THERE AT THE BOSTON TEA PARTY - - By ROBERT N. WEBB - Historical Consultant: PROFESSOR LOUIS L. SNYDER - _Illustrated by_ E. F. WARD - -4. WE WERE THERE WITH BYRD AT THE SOUTH POLE - - By CHARLES S. STRONG - Historical Consultant: COLONEL BERNT BALCHEN, U.S.A.F. - _Illustrated by_ GRAHAM KAYE - -5. WE WERE THERE AT THE NORMANDY INVASION - - By CLAYTON KNIGHT - Historical Consultant: MAJOR GENERAL RALPH ROYCE, U.S.A.F., RETIRED - _Illustrated by the Author_ - -6. WE WERE THERE IN THE KLONDIKE GOLD RUSH - - By BENJAMIN APPEL - Historical Consultant: COLONEL HENRY W. CLARK, U.S.A., RETIRED - _Illustrated by_ IRV DOCKTOR - - -_In Preparation_ - -7. WE WERE THERE WITH THE PONY EXPRESS - - By WILLIAM O. STEELE - _Illustrated by_ FRANK VAUGHN - -8. WE WERE THERE WITH THE MAYFLOWER PILGRIMS - - By ROBERT N. WEBB - _Illustrated by_ CHARLES ANDRES - - - - -TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: - - - Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_. - - Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. - - Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WE WERE THERE AT THE NORMANDY -INVASION *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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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 <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: We Were There at the Normandy Invasion</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Clayton Knight</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Contributor: Ralph Royce</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: October 20, 2021 [eBook #66577]</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Tim Lindell, David E. Brown, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.)</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WE WERE THERE AT THE NORMANDY INVASION ***</div> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/cover.jpg" width="40%" alt="" /></div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<h1><i>WE WERE THERE</i><br /> -AT THE<br /> -NORMANDY INVASION</h1> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_0"></span></p> -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_frontispiece.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption"><i>“The 82nd always wins its battles!” Slim said</i></p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_title.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="titlepage"> - -<p><span class="xlarge"><i>WE WERE THERE</i></span><br /> -AT THE<br /> -<span class="xxlarge">NORMANDY<br /> -INVASION</span></p> - -<p>Written and Illustrated by<br /> -<span class="large">CLAYTON KNIGHT</span></p> - -<p><i>Historical Consultant</i>:<br /> -<span class="smcap">Major General Ralph Royce<br /> -U.S.A.F., Retired</span></p> - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_titlelogo.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p><span class="large">GROSSET & DUNLAP</span><br /> -<span class="smcap">Publishers, New York</span></p> -</div></div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<p class="center">© CLAYTON KNIGHT 1956<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA<br /> -LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NO. 56-5389<br /> -<br /> -<i>We Were There at the Normandy Invasion</i></p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_v">[v]</span> -<h2 class="nobreak">Contents</h2> -</div> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" summary="table"> - - -<tr><td class="tdr"><small>CHAPTER</small></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">I</td><td> Dangerous Business</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_3"> 3</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">II</td><td> House-to-House Search</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_15"> 15</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">III</td><td> Father Duprey’s Plan</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_26"> 26</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">IV</td><td> Midnight Landing</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_34"> 34</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">V</td><td> André’s Warning</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_41"> 41</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">VI</td><td> Victor’s Mission</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_56"> 56</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">VII</td><td> Tricolor over Ste. Mère</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_66"> 66</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">VIII</td><td> Prisoners</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_73"> 73</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">IX</td><td> Victor Disappears</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_82"> 82</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">X</td><td> “Here Come the Tanks!”</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_86"> 86</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XI</td><td> André and the Nazi Pilot</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_98"> 98</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XII</td><td> Slim and the Trumpet</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_104"> 104</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XIII</td><td> The War from the Air</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_110"> 110</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XIV</td><td> Father Duprey’s Story</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_123"> 123</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XV</td><td> Battle for St. Sauveur</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_129"> 129</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XVI</td><td> André into the Fighting</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_139"> 139</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XVII</td><td> Patchou on the Battlefield</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_146"> 146</a><span class="pagenum" id="Page_vi">[vi]</span></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XVIII</td><td> The Secret Tunnel</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_153"> 153</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XIX</td><td> The 82nd Finishes Its Fight </td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_160"> 160</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="tdr">XX</td><td> Bastille Day—1944</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_169"> 169</a></td></tr> -</table> - - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_vii">[vii]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">Illustrations</h2> -</div> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" summary="table"> - -<tr><td>“The 82nd always wins its battles!” Slim said</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_0"><small>FRONTISPIECE</small></a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>At a signal from the driver he went to the pump</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_5"> 5</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>He opened the door to find a Nazi officer frowning at him</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_32"> 32</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>The squad gathered up grenades, bazookas, and other equipment</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_70"> 70</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>André had learned half of Slim’s pet song</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_108"> 108</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>“My dear boy!” Father Duprey held out his arms</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_124"> 124</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td>Marie came up through the old tunnel</td><td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_156"> 156</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="ph1"><i>WE WERE THERE</i><br /> -AT THE<br /> -NORMANDY INVASION</p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_3">[3]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER ONE<br /> - - -<small><i>Dangerous Business</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">T</span>OWARD sunset on the first day of June, a -small black car rattled past a crossroads sign in a -tiny village in northwestern France. The sign -pointed to the near-by town of Sainte Mère Église, -about two miles farther inland. The coast of the -English Channel was nearly three miles back in -the other direction.</p> - -<p>Behind the wheel of the car sat a thin, anxious -Frenchman. Hunched beside him was a young, -blond Englishman. The younger man was shabbily -dressed, and most of the lower part of his face was -covered by a bandage.</p> - -<p>The car pulled up and stopped in front of a -house with a weather-beaten sign on it which read:</p> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Pierre Gagnon</span> <i>Gas Tobacco Chocolate</i></p> - -<p>A lone gas pump stood between the house and -the highway. Beyond the house lay Pierre Gagnon’s -farm.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_4">[4]</span>The driver waited a moment and then honked -three times sharply. Almost immediately the door -opened. A dark-haired boy of about twelve came -out.</p> - -<p>The man behind the wheel asked, “Is your father -here?”</p> - -<p>The boy nodded and politely explained, “If you -want gas I can work the pump.”</p> - -<p>The driver frowned nervously and repeated, -“Get your father.”</p> - -<p>From the direction of Ste. Mère Église three -German soldiers came in sight, their heavy tread -echoing in the stillness of the drowsy village. Both -men in the car and the boy glanced at them. When -the boy did not move, the driver spoke more -sharply, “Your father, bring him here.”</p> - -<p>The boy turned and disappeared through the -door.</p> - -<p>The driver and his passenger waited. The -younger man slid low in his seat, his back toward -the approaching soldiers.</p> - -<p>Chatting among themselves, the Germans paid -no attention to the car nor to a girl of fifteen who -had come to the house door. Behind her stood her -father, Pierre Gagnon, a burly man with a thick -mustache, and rumpled country clothes.</p> - -<p>He brushed past the girl, and at a signal from -the driver, went to the pump. The driver left his -seat and bent close to speak to him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_5">[5]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_005.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption"><i>At a signal from the driver he went to the pump</i></p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_6">[6]</span>Pierre Gagnon listened carefully, then swung -around and went back to the girl in the doorway.</p> - -<p>“Marie,” he whispered, “they want us to hide -this fellow, another downed flyer, for two or three -days.”</p> - -<p>The girl studied the youth slumped low in the -front seat. She thought, “He looks like all the airmen -who are shot down over France—the worried -eyes, the peasant clothes that don’t fit, the bandages.”</p> - -<p>“Who is the driver?” she asked. “Has he the -right password?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” her father replied. “And he asks us to -hide this English pilot till the Maquis can find a -way to get him over the border into Spain. Do you -think we can do it?”</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>In Normandy, that part of France which thrusts -northward into the English Channel, apple trees -were in bloom. Warm, soft breezes played across -the green fields, over the thick hedgerows, and -through the orchards.</p> - -<p>But in this beautiful spring of 1944 the people -of Normandy could not enjoy what they saw. They -could only hear the tramp of German boots over -their land. Nazi armies had occupied France, and -for the last two years German camps had been set -up over the countryside. French property had<span class="pagenum" id="Page_7">[7]</span> -been seized, and Nazi officers told the people exactly -what they could and could not do.</p> - -<p>The town of Ste. Mère Église sits almost in the -middle of what is called the Cherbourg Peninsula. -Most of the Norman people are farmers or dairymen. -Some are fishermen, but the Nazis would not -let them fish. Instead, the Germans set up barriers -along the shore to prevent boats from landing. -And they lined the coast with huge guns. Also, the -fields were spiked with posts and barbed wire to -keep American and British gliders from landing.</p> - -<p>For many months, the French people had been -expecting British and American armies to come in -a great invasion that would drive the Nazis out. -But their hopes had always failed. No troops had -come to liberate them, and the Normans felt glum -and often angry. More than anything else they -wanted to be free.</p> - -<p>The only thing they could do was to cause all -possible trouble for the Nazis secretly. Those who -banded together in “Underground” or Resistance -groups were called Maquis. If a Maquis was -caught by the Germans he was very likely to be -shot.</p> - -<p>Nevertheless, many French ran the risk of being -detected helping the British and Americans. Even -very young men and girls operated in the secret -Underground.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">[8]</span>The Nazis tried to watch everyone, but sometimes -the most innocent-looking car on the road -was being used to trick them, even in the quietest -village.</p> - -<p>It was happening now. Marie Gagnon nodded -to her father. “Bring him in,” she whispered. “I’ll -get the room in the attic ready.”</p> - -<p>“One moment,” her father said. “I’ll send André -out of the way first. What he doesn’t know he -won’t chatter about.”</p> - -<p>He shouted through the door, “André. Come -here.”</p> - -<p>There was a clatter of heavy shoes and the boy -reappeared.</p> - -<p>“Son,” his father said sternly, “have you taken -the eggs to old Schmidt yet?”</p> - -<p>André hesitated and shook his head. “No—my -bicycle—I could not get the chain fixed.”</p> - -<p>His sister snorted at him. “You are getting soft. -It won’t hurt you to walk. The eggs are on the -kitchen table.”</p> - -<p>André thought, “Sisters!” But a look at his father’s -face sent him back for the eggs.</p> - -<p>As he turned down the road toward Ste. Mère -Église his father went back to the gas pump. André -had not gone far when Patchou, his dog, -caught up with him. The puppy gave him a playful -nudge as if to say, “I’m sorry to be late, but I -had to give that car a good, long sniff.”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">[9]</span>After walking less than a mile, André turned off -and came to a group of camouflaged barracks. Inside -the high wire fence, narrow buildings stood -in long rows. A German sentry, his rifle held -loosely, guarded the gate. He grinned at the boy -and waved him inside.</p> - -<p>As André entered, a Frenchman pedaling by on -an ancient bicycle shouted to him, but a burst of -Patchou’s barking drowned out the greeting.</p> - -<p>André went around a large group of military vehicles -and mobile guns parked under a protecting -netted screen. Then he followed a winding path -up to one of the barracks.</p> - -<p>Patchou, prancing ahead of him, leaped playfully -at a middle-aged German soldier seated on a -bench outside, puffing on his pipe.</p> - -<p>Gently pushing off the excited dog, the German -saw André and called, “Aha! It’s young Herr Gagnon.” -He tapped the ashes from his pipe and -then added, “You have brought Papa Schmidt -some more eggs, no?”</p> - -<p>André held out the package. The German -placed it on the bench and carefully unknotted -the big handkerchief the boy had brought.</p> - -<p>Schmidt exclaimed when he saw the contents. -“<i>Ach!</i> and cheese, too.” He held the cheese to his -nose and inhaled deeply. “That’s goot. You are a -fine boy, André Gagnon.” With a twinkling smile, -he added, “Almost as goot as my own Otto.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_10">[10]</span>“Look, I show you.” He reached into the pocket -of his tunic. “Just today a letter came from my -home in Osnabrück—and pictures.” Pointing to -one, he said, “That’s my Otto. He’s like you, no?”</p> - -<p>André studied the snapshot of a boy about his -own age but with light, almost white hair, frowning -into the sun.</p> - -<p>A little embarrassed, André could only say, “He -wears funny clothes.”</p> - -<p>The German chuckled. “If he could see you, -he’d think yours were comical too.”</p> - -<p>Glancing at the letter in his hand, he sighed. -“<i>Ach!</i> but they are having it bad in Osnabrück. -The Englisher and the Americaner planes they -bomb, bomb, bomb our town. Part of my home -is gone. My wife and boy say they get no sleep.”</p> - -<p>Almost to himself he muttered, “When will the -war end?” Then, turning to the boy, he said sadly, -“<i>Ach</i>, how do you know, any more than me? We -smile, eh, while we can ... and enjoy the sunshine.”</p> - -<p>Patchou had wandered off to one of the other -barracks and started a fight with one of the camp -dogs. André called over his shoulder, “I’ll be back -again in a day or two,” and ran to separate the two -animals.</p> - -<p>By the time he and Patchou reached home, the -last twilight had faded. The house was dark, for -blackout curtains were drawn across the windows.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">[11]</span>Inside, his sister sat hunched alone in the wide, -stone-floored kitchen, listening to music from a -forbidden radio.</p> - -<p>“Where’s Papa?” André asked.</p> - -<p>Marie looked annoyed. “He’s gone off with Victor -Lescot. That Raoul Cotein is making trouble -again. Now he says our cows broke into his pasture. -What an old weasel he is! Even the Germans -behave better.”</p> - -<p>Later, with supper over, she paused suddenly, -and raised her hand for André to be silent.</p> - -<p>Breaking the stillness, the weird wail of air-raid -sirens rose far away.</p> - -<p>Marie looked tired. And there was fear in her -eyes when she heard the sirens, which meant that -another air raid was beginning.</p> - -<p>“<i>Again</i> tonight,” she sighed, “and so early. It is -not yet ten o’clock.”</p> - -<p>She went to the kitchen window and made sure -the black curtains let no light through.</p> - -<p>“You run upstairs, André, and see that the curtains -there are tight. And stay with Mother,” she -ordered.</p> - -<p>Mme. Gagnon had been ill for several weeks. -Now she lay in her big bed upstairs, nearly asleep.</p> - -<p>She opened her eyes as the sirens died away and -then began again.</p> - -<p>“Well, son,” she said, “did you eat a good supper?”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">[12]</span>André nodded.</p> - -<p>A little wind from the sea had sprung up, and -somewhere a loose board rattled. Also, there was a -noise in the attic. “Must be a rat,” André said to -himself, and decided to take Patchou up there -tomorrow. “He’ll have some fun catching that little -thief,” he thought.</p> - -<p>His mother was roused again by the drone of -plane engines coming in high overhead. Their -lofty beating made the air tremble. Antiaircraft -guns in near-by Ste. Mère Église began to boom. -Their hollow <i>wumpf, wumpf</i>, added to the din of -the sirens.</p> - -<p>In a slight lull, Mme. Gagnon asked, “Is your -father home? I do not like him to be away when -there is an air raid.”</p> - -<p>André shook his head and raised his voice above -the racket. “He’s out with Victor. Marie says -Raoul Cotein is trying to stir up trouble again.”</p> - -<p>He wanted his mother to think of something -other than the air raid, so he laughed and added, -“Marie says Raoul is a weasel.”</p> - -<p>Raoul Cotein’s mischief-making was a village -joke.</p> - -<p>Mme. Gagnon sighed. “I wish your father -would come home,” she said. “The bombing -might be bad.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t worry,” André said wisely. “These are<span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">[13]</span> -English planes. The Americans only come in the -daytime. You know, Maman, there aren’t any big -guns and bridges and war factories close to us -here.”</p> - -<p>But bombs were dropping, though at a distance. -Several minutes later, the coastal guns were still -firing, but the sound of the engines had begun to -die away.</p> - -<p>“Listen,” said Mme. Gagnon in a relieved -voice. “You were right, André, they dropped no -bombs on us.”</p> - -<p>André heard his sister’s footsteps on the stairs. -Then he thought he heard the creak of the attic -door. Presently she came bustling into the room, -carrying a small tray with a pot of chocolate and a -cup.</p> - -<p>Cheerfully, she said, “There, Maman, they’ve -gone. Let’s hope we get no more planes tonight. -Here,” pouring the chocolate, “drink this and try -to get back to sleep.”</p> - -<p>Her dark skirts swished around her knees as she -fluffed up her mother’s pillows and tucked in the -coverlet.</p> - -<p>Downstairs the front door opened and they -heard Pierre Gagnon calling, “Marie!”</p> - -<p>Then someone spoke in another voice.</p> - -<p>“Shh-h,” whispered Marie. “There is someone -with Papa.”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">[14]</span>Her father was saying loudly, “Yes, Herr Kapitan, -I’m all right. No, no, it is not necessary for -you to come in.”</p> - -<p>Before Marie and André reached the head of -the stairs, the outside door was slammed, bolted, -and the stranger had gone.</p> - -<p>The light from the hall lamp fell on their father -as he turned to face the stairs.</p> - -<p>Across one of his cheeks stretched a deep red -gash.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">[15]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER TWO<br /> - - -<small><i>House-to-House Search</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">A</span>S THE light fell across the wound on her father’s -face Marie cried out sharply.</p> - -<p>From the bedroom Mme. Gagnon called, -“Marie, what’s wrong?”</p> - -<p>André ran back to her side. “Papa’s hurt,” he -said, and then added hastily, “but not badly.”</p> - -<p>“But there were no bombs,” Mme. Gagnon exclaimed.</p> - -<p>Pierre himself had lunged up the stairs and now -burst into the bedroom sputtering, “Don’t excite -yourself, Maman. All is well. No harm is done. -That <i>cochon</i>!”</p> - -<p>“Ah,” his wife cried. “So, it <i>was</i> Raoul Cotein!”</p> - -<p>“Who else but that son of Satan?” Gagnon’s eyes -snapped fiercely. He was red and breathing furiously, -and flung himself into a chair beside the -bed.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">[16]</span>“I contain myself,” he said firmly, clamping -both great hands on his knees like thunderclaps.</p> - -<p>“No, Papa,” André grasped his arm, “do not -contain yourself yet. Tell us what has happened.”</p> - -<p>“Marie,” said Mme. Gagnon, “run get some hot -water and clean Papa’s cut.”</p> - -<p>Marie clattered quickly down the stairs and -Mme. Gagnon went on, “Now, Pierre, you get -yourself slashed and perhaps poisoned over a cow. -I thought you had more sense.”</p> - -<p>The farmer stiffened. “It was <i>not</i> about a cow! -Raoul sent for me only as an excuse. Ask Victor. -He also was there. At once Raoul began to scream -so loud, if it were not for the guns booming they -could have heard him in Ste. Mère.”</p> - -<p>“Then what—?” began Mme. Gagnon impatiently.</p> - -<p>“Then,” cried Pierre, “he began to shout -charges against me.” He swept out both arms. -“Against all of us.”</p> - -<p>Pierre swallowed angrily. “He accused me,” he -said, “of being a collaborator of the Nazis! He -accuses us all—you, Marie, André—of working -hand in glove with them. It seems that only this -evening he saw André, here, entering the German -camp.”</p> - -<p>There it was—the black word, <i>collaborator</i>, he -who helps the enemy! It meant someone hated by -all Frenchmen, more, perhaps, than the enemy.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">[17]</span>“But Papa,” André cried angrily, “poor old -Schmidt! He is not an enemy.”</p> - -<p>Pierre shook his head. “He is. We have only -been giving him a few eggs and a little cheese because -he is a tired old man. But Raoul can make -it sound wrong if he wants to.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_017.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>Mme. Gagnon nodded encouragement. She -thought of the many Allied flyers this brave, shaggy -man had secretly helped to escape from the Nazis -at the risk of his life. And of the boy in the attic. -She glanced at her son, who, so far, knew nothing -about his father’s and sister’s work in the Underground.</p> - -<p>“I grew very angry when he called me a collaborator,” -Pierre went on. “How could I let anyone -say such a thing to me? I punched Raoul and he -came back at me like a bull. We fell down, and my<span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">[18]</span> -face struck the stone wall. The result is not pretty, -perhaps?”</p> - -<p>“Why did that German captain come home -with you?” André burst out. “Did he get in the -fight with Raoul?”</p> - -<p>Gagnon snorted. “Not in the fight. Unfortunately -he came along just as Raoul picked up a -stick and started for me. Victor was yelling at -both of us, and suddenly we saw the German coming. -Naturally we all shut our mouths like clams. -Frenchmen do not fight Frenchmen in front of -the Nazis—not even Raoul.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps there will be no more to it,” said -Mme. Gagnon soothingly.</p> - -<p>“If they do not send soldiers to snoop around -the house,” Pierre grunted, “we need not worry.”</p> - -<p>Marie returned, breathless, with a basin of water -and clean cloths. Her father sat on the edge of -the bed, repeating the story, while the cut was -cleaned and gently covered with ointment.</p> - -<p>“Your face feels better, Pierre?” Mme. Gagnon -asked. “Good. Now we must all sleep.”</p> - -<p>A few minutes later the house was dark. Everywhere, -from the kitchen where André snuggled -into his goosedown-soft, curtained bed, to the attic, -there was the sound of quiet breathing. And -in the attic the English boy turned restlessly on his -narrow cot.</p> - -<p>Before dawn the household roused to the day’s<span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">[19]</span> -duties. It was not long before they heard news. -The weary, older German soldiers were being removed. -War-toughened young Nazis were going -to take over the district.</p> - -<p>Before the new troops had been in camp two -days, proclamations that put stricter limits on freedom -were posted everywhere.</p> - -<p>A curfew was ordered. People must not leave -their houses between ten in the evening and five -in the morning. This did not bother André since -he usually went to bed well before ten.</p> - -<p>A sad little good-by note from Papa Schmidt -reached him. It thanked the family warmly for -their kindness and ended: “Be a goot boy. Someday -I bring my Otto to see you. <i>Auf Wiederzehen.</i>”</p> - -<p>André noticed that the German camp was a -changed place. The new regiment had chained -vicious police dogs inside the wire fence. And -André was horrified when he heard that stray -dogs belonging to the village people had been -shot.</p> - -<p>He tied Patchou safely in the farmyard at the -rear of the house, and kept an eye on him.</p> - -<p>Then came another dreaded order:</p> - - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<p>ALL ARTICLES OF BRASS OR COPPER MUST BE<br /> -SURRENDERED BY THE CIVILIAN POPULATION. A<br /> -HOUSE-TO-HOUSE SEARCH WILL BE MADE.</p> -</div></div> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">[20]</span>André’s most prized possession was a gleaming -brass trumpet which he had learned to play with -some skill. It was not only dear to him, but the -only really precious thing he owned. “I must hide -it in some very, very safe place,” he thought.</p> - -<p>Also, the coming search would be very dangerous -to the rest of the family. If the Germans came -they would surely find the flyer in their attic. And -if an enemy pilot were found in their house they -would all be shot.</p> - -<p>Marie and her father had been watching for the -Maquis operator to come for the flyer, according -to plan. But for some reason he had not yet appeared.</p> - -<p>“Those Maquis! They are wasting their time -in some café, enjoying themselves, probably,” -Mme. Gagnon said irritably.</p> - -<p>But Pierre replied, “No. Not the Maquis. -There is some good reason why the operator has -not yet been able to get here.”</p> - -<p>It was not until June 4th, just before curfew -time, that a Maquis messenger slipped into the -Gagnon house.</p> - -<p>He said he could not come before because the -new Nazi garrison had sent patrols everywhere.</p> - -<p>The plans of the Underground had all been -changed. Pierre and Marie, he said, must keep the -flyer where he was until new arrangements to -spirit him away could be made.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">[21]</span>That evening Marie and her father huddled in -the dark little parlor to talk over their situation.</p> - -<p>Marie whispered wildly, “What <i>shall</i> we do if -the Nazis come here? They will go to the attic -too.”</p> - -<p>Pierre shrugged, scowling. “We must find some -way. We always have before.”</p> - -<p>But, more than an hour later, they still had no -idea what to do.</p> - -<p>“There’s no other way,” whispered M. Gagnon -at last, “but to go ask Father Duprey to offer some -idea. He must be taken into the secret.”</p> - -<p>Marie nodded.</p> - -<p>The night was dark and rain began to fall.</p> - -<p>Her father yawned. “I’ll go see Father Duprey -tomorrow, first thing,” he said. “Now off to bed -with you.”</p> - -<p>They rose, and stood tensely, startled by a creak -on the stairs and soft, padding footsteps outside -the door.</p> - -<p>The door opened and André stood there, -clutching his boots and his trumpet.</p> - -<p>“Heavens, André, you frightened us,” Marie -snapped. “We thought you were in bed long ago.”</p> - -<p>His father asked gruffly, “Where are you going -at this hour?”</p> - -<p>The boy moved nervously. “Papa,” he blurted, -“why didn’t you tell me that man was hiding in -the attic?”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">[22]</span>Pierre and his daughter exchanged quick -glances. Pierre put a hand protectingly on his -son’s shoulder. “We thought it might save trouble -if you didn’t know,” he said. “But now it’s done.”</p> - -<p>“But why shouldn’t I know?” André demanded -stubbornly. “He’s the man with the bandage who -came in the car a few days ago, isn’t he? I talked -to him. And I like him.”</p> - -<p>“You must be sure not to give us away,” André’s -father ordered sternly. “Say nothing about this -man to anyone. Do you understand?”</p> - -<p>André promised, and he laid his trumpet beside -the lamp. “I found him up there when I went -to the attic to get this. I must bury it outside somewhere -before the Nazis come snooping around.” -Then he gasped. “But won’t they find Ronald?”</p> - -<p>His father said, “Your sister and I are looking -out for him. Now, about this trumpet...?”</p> - -<p>The horn <i>had</i> to be hidden before another -morning.</p> - -<p>“I’ll bury it near the fence beside the lane,” -André whispered as he edged out into the stormy -darkness.</p> - -<p>An eerie stillness hung heavy on Marie and her -father when André had gone.</p> - -<p>After a few moments Marie whispered nervously, -“I don’t think I can sleep until this is settled, -Papa. Don’t you think you could slip out and -see Father Duprey tonight?”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">[23]</span>Pierre frowned. “What about this cursed curfew? -I do not want to be caught. However, it will -not be my first night job for the Underground.”</p> - -<p>He slipped on his coat, pulled his cap low, and -eased himself noiselessly out of the house.</p> - -<p>Marie sat alone, her eyes on the clock.</p> - -<p>Her heart jumped a beat when an approaching -patrol car whizzed down the road. It passed the -house. Again the dark silence.</p> - -<p>The back door opened and André returned, his -boots caked high with mud. When he asked, -“Where’s Papa?” she said, “He has gone out. Ask -no more questions and go to bed.”</p> - -<p>“I will wait for Papa,” he replied firmly, and -perched on the edge of a chair, studying his sister’s -face.</p> - -<p>He had felt excitement growing among the -others in the house. Now it belonged to him, too.</p> - -<p>They listened for outside noises through the -sounds of the storm. André said, “Ronald Pitt’s -a fighter pilot, Marie. Did you know that?</p> - -<p>“I never talked to one before,” he continued. -“He told me his Spitfire plane got hit, late one -evening, and he parachuted down into a wood. -The Germans didn’t find him. He’s been hiding -in the fields and towns for two weeks.”</p> - -<p>Marie nodded. “He’s one of the lucky ones—so -far.”</p> - -<p>André chattered softly on. “Those bandages<span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">[24]</span> -were a fake, weren’t they? He wasn’t really hurt. -Somebody painted his jaw with iodine and put on -those bandages so he wouldn’t have to talk to any -Germans.”</p> - -<p>Her eyes on the clock, Marie said, “Shush now.”</p> - -<p>André broke the next few minutes of silence -with, “Ronald comes from Nottingham, like -Robin Hood—”</p> - -<p>But Marie hissed, “Shh-h!” still more sharply, -and rose to listen at the door.</p> - -<p>At a rap outside, she unfastened the lock.</p> - -<p>Pierre slipped inside. His tired face had lighted -up, and Marie smiled. “Father Duprey will help -us!” she cried eagerly.</p> - -<p>Pierre motioned to the stairs and said, “We go -talk to Maman quickly. Come, Marie. You, -André, clothes off and into bed. Lamps out, -Marie.”</p> - -<p>At Mme. Gagnon’s bedside a candle flickered. -Pierre and Marie drew close beside the pillow.</p> - -<p>“The Nazis have already begun to search houses -on the other road,” Pierre whispered rapidly. -“They are still a long way from us, but we can’t -lose any time. Father Duprey has a plan. It is this. -He will arrange with the hospital at St. Sauveur le -Vicomte tomorrow for you to go there in an ambulance -to have treatments. And we will hide the -English flyer inside the ambulance.”</p> - -<p>At a frightened look from Mme. Gagnon, he<span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">[25]</span> -went on hurriedly, “Marie will ride with you, and -Father Duprey will sit up with the driver. He -thinks if we make a big parade of it the Germans -will not be so suspicious.”</p> - -<p>“But St. Sauveur is beyond Ste. Mère Église -... so far away,” whispered Mme. Gagnon.</p> - -<p>“But that is good, Maman,” Marie protested.</p> - -<p>“It is the nut of the whole idea!” Pierre’s voice -rose excitedly. “St. Sauveur is out of this district, -and you will be safely away from these new Nazi -troops. Some Maquis will meet us near the hospital. -They will spirit our flyer out of the ambulance -and hide him until he can be moved on. It is a -good plan, Maman?”</p> - -<p>“I do not like it,” she protested.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">[26]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER THREE<br /> - - -<small><i>Father Duprey’s Plan</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">E</span>VEN next morning when Father Duprey arrived -to go over the plan again, Mme. Gagnon was -still protesting uneasily.</p> - -<p>Father Duprey clasped his hands, beaming. -“Think of the good that will come to all.”</p> - -<p>Marie’s mother nodded her head doubtfully.</p> - -<p>The next step after preparing Mme. Gagnon -for her role was to instruct the flyer in his part.</p> - -<p>Leaving Marie on watch downstairs, Pierre and -the priest, trailed by André, clumped up the dark -staircase to the attic.</p> - -<p>Ronald Pitt listened to them quietly and -shrugged when Father Duprey asked, “You agree, -my son? It is a good scheme, you think?”</p> - -<p>“Well, I’m in your hands,” the young Englishman -replied. “But I’d certainly feel foul if I got -you into trouble. Of course, I’m willing to take<span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">[27]</span> -any kind of chance. The sooner I get back to my -squadron the better. I think you can guess what’s -up in England. It’s my bet the invasion is coming -any day now.”</p> - -<p>“It can’t come too soon,” Pierre said eagerly.</p> - -<p>Soon after that, work on the farm began as on an -ordinary day. In spite of the Gagnons’ desire to appear -untroubled, however, they paused often to -listen and look around them.</p> - -<p>Rumors of the Nazi search party reached them -from all sides. The village women trundled from -house to house bemoaning the loss of their copper -cooking pots.</p> - -<p>At two o’clock that afternoon the priest’s housekeeper -brought a package. A message said that all -arrangements had been completed. At exactly four -o’clock the ambulance would arrive before -Pierre’s house. Mme. Gagnon was to be ready to -leave instantly. The party must arrive at a point -near the hospital at <i>exactly</i> five o’clock.</p> - -<p>Marie packed clothes for her mother and laid -out her own best dress. Even though she would be -returning that same evening, she also prepared a -small lunch basket. The hospital was only about -eighteen miles away, but food might be difficult to -find and expensive to buy.</p> - -<p>André was given the job of coaching Ronald -Pitt. He climbed the attic stairs filled with excitement -but also full of laughter. For the disguise<span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">[28]</span> -that Father Duprey had chosen for the flyer was a -nun’s outfit of clothing.</p> - -<p>When the young Englishman had put on the -long, full, black robe, André stood back and studied -him, his eyes dancing. And from under the -starched headdress that framed his narrow face -the flyer’s blue eyes danced just as gaily.</p> - -<p>André said, “You make a pretty nun.” And grinning, -he finished, “I did not think Spitfire pilots -were so <i>chic</i>.”</p> - -<p>Then recalling the serious instructions his -father had given him for Ronald, he repeated -them. “Be ready to come downstairs just before -four o’clock. Get into the ambulance quickly, -right after they put Maman’s stretcher in. The -family will try to surround you. The driver is a -Maquis and he’s used to this kind of business.</p> - -<p>“Now,” André finished, “my father says to be -sure you don’t leave anything behind you for -the Germans to find. And Marie will come in -a few minutes to put the cot and all this stuff -away.”</p> - -<p>“Splendid.” Ronald looked down at the boy. -“I’d hate to see <i>my</i> young brother exposed to all -this danger you’re so cheerful about. Well, now I -must practice a bit.” He took a sedate turn between -the cot and the window, grinning at the -French boy. And he practiced sitting down demurely.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">[29]</span>It had been raining gustily all day but stopped -about three, and the wind dropped.</p> - -<p>For some time the village had been quiet—the -Nazi squad busy among outlying farms.</p> - -<p>As four o’clock neared, Mme. Gagnon was upstairs, -dressed and wrapped in a shawl, ready to be -hurried onto the stretcher.</p> - -<p>In the shuttered little parlor, a dark-robed figure -stood in the shadow beside the hallway door.</p> - -<p>André stood watch at a window on the road, and -his father and Marie paced the stone-floored -kitchen.</p> - -<p>Then, electrically, the silence was broken by -the rumble of an approaching car. André drew the -curtain aside a little.</p> - -<p>At his stifled cry Marie and her father rushed to -the window.</p> - -<p>A German army truck crammed with armed -soldiers was slowing up on the road. And at that -same moment, from the opposite direction, the -closed black ambulance rolled up to the Gagnon -door.</p> - -<p>Almost before the ambulance had braked to a -stop Father Duprey’s tall, erect figure swung down -from the front seat, and Pierre rushed to admit -him. The driver immediately began to back the -long vehicle close to the door.</p> - -<p>Marie cried softly, “Heavens, Father, what a -calamity! The Nazis! What can we do?”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">[30]</span>“We can act sensible,” said Father Duprey, -“and waste no time moaning about what we can’t -help. Those men are evidently going to search the -Julliard farm next door before they come here. -Let the driver in with the stretcher, daughter, so -we lose no time getting Mme. Gagnon away.”</p> - -<p>The driver sidled in and M. Gagnon seized the -stretcher. The two men hurried up the stairs.</p> - -<p>A few seconds later the creaking steps warned -André that his mother was being carried down. -He signaled Ronald to be ready for his dash.</p> - -<p>“Now,” said Father Duprey to Marie, “sob a -little, but not enough to draw much attention.”</p> - -<p>André held the door while the little procession -puffed and brushed through. Mme. Gagnon was -lifted easily in through the ambulance door. And -a moment later, Ronald, clutching his awkward -bundle of skirts as naturally as he could, climbed -in and crouched beside the stretcher. His face was -hidden by the width of his headdress, and he bent -gently over the sick woman.</p> - -<p>“It is all going like clockwork, madame,” he -whispered. “Don’t be frightened.”</p> - -<p>“I—I’m afraid,” murmured Mme. Gagnon, -“more for Pierre, for Marie and André....”</p> - -<p>Standing by the road, Pierre looked with -mounting anxiety at the soldiers prowling through -the farm next door. They were not spending much -time there.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">[31]</span>In all his later life André never forgot the next -few minutes.</p> - -<p>Mme. Gagnon called, “Pierre! Pierre, please -come with me.”</p> - -<p>And just then Raoul Cotein bicycled briskly -up, shouting, “<i>Mon Dieu</i>, Gagnon, what are you -up to now?”</p> - -<p>He set his bicycle against the wall and stared -into the open end of the ambulance.</p> - -<p>“What’s the trouble here?” he demanded loudly -as his eyes rolled toward the strange nun.</p> - -<p>“Get on with your business, Raoul,” M. -Gagnon ordered. “My wife is ill, as you well know, -and you are not needed here.”</p> - -<p>Father Duprey’s black eyes were traveling -swiftly from the hunched figures in the dimness of -the ambulance to the Germans only two or three -hundred yards away.</p> - -<p>André boosted Marie in beside her mother, and -M. Gagnon closed the door upon them. Father -Duprey said calmly, “You may as well come along, -Pierre. It will comfort your wife. I’ll see that you -and Marie get home tonight.”</p> - -<p>“But André—” Pierre whispered.</p> - -<p>André tugged at his arm. “Go. Go, Papa,” he -urged. “I can take care of everything—only go.”</p> - -<p>Down the road, the Nazis were piling back into -their truck and the starter whined.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">[32]</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_032.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption"><i>He opened the door to find a Nazi officer -frowning at him</i></p> - -<p>Father Duprey seized Pierre’s arm and whipped<span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">[33]</span> -him swiftly forward and up to the seat in front.</p> - -<p>He had no more than slid into the seat himself -when the Maquis driver rocked the old ambulance -into action with a crash of gears. The machine -swayed into a turn and roared away toward Ste. -Mère Église.</p> - -<p>André watched it go for a long minute.</p> - -<p>The German army truck started, but halted a -little distance off, and the sharp voice of the officer -giving commands drifted toward them.</p> - -<p>Raoul Cotein shifted his feet. “Uh—I have -things to do,” he cried suddenly. He flung a leg -over his bicycle, and peddling furiously, was soon -gone.</p> - -<p>André moved idly toward the house. Once -through his own door, the boy trotted quickly -into the kitchen.</p> - -<p>He untied his dog and put him in the dimly lit -cow barn. As he snapped the door fastening, he -spoke warningly, “Not a sound out of you, -Patchou. Remember!”</p> - -<p>He got back into the house just in time to answer -a loud thumping at the front door. He -opened it to find a Nazi officer and several hard-faced -soldiers frowning down at him.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">[34]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER FOUR<br /> - - -<small><i>Midnight Landing</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">A</span>NDRÉ stepped quickly aside as, without a -word, the Germans tramped in.</p> - -<p>Three of them were ordered upstairs while the -others set to work poking into every cupboard and -drawer on the first floor. When they had emptied -the kitchen of its copper they trooped off to the -outbuildings.</p> - -<p>André waited uncertainly in the hallway at first. -Later, he edged his way to the farmyard door and -anxiously watched the search through the barns. -Not until he saw that none of the men went toward -the lane where his trumpet was buried did -he begin to breathe easily.</p> - -<p>At last, the officer came from the loft over the -cow barn, shouting to his men to return to the -truck.</p> - -<p>He strode into the kitchen and asked André,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">[35]</span> -“Your father and mother—where are they?”</p> - -<p>“They are all gone to the hospital with my -mother, who is sick,” André explained.</p> - -<p>“Well, then, when your father returns,” the -officer snapped, “tell him I am putting men with -machine guns in that loft overlooking the road. -And advise him that it will do no good to protest.”</p> - -<p>André’s heart sank. What would the family do -with a lot of Nazis underfoot? Did they suspect -that the Gagnons had been working with the Underground?</p> - -<p>Now, for the first time, he felt desperately alone. -He nodded silently.</p> - -<p>When the Germans had gone—with his mother’s -copper kettles—André ran back to the barn. -Patchou lay in his dark corner under a manger, as -quiet as a mouse.</p> - -<p>“Come into the house, Patchou,” he said. -“We’ll have to keep you there now.”</p> - -<p>For an hour or so André went about doing his -father’s chores and his own. The heavy, low-lying -clouds began breaking a little.</p> - -<p>He had just finished milking the cows when the -German truck returned with a dozen rough-looking -gunners and the sharp-faced officer. Machine -guns were unloaded and hauled up the stone loft -steps.</p> - -<p>Some time later the officer and some of the men -piled into the truck and drove away.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">[36]</span>“They must have left at least six up there,” -André said to himself. He must go up the road -later, and warn his father and Marie about the -hidden gunners.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_036.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">[37]</span>He opened the front window so that he might -be warned of an approaching car.</p> - -<p>André ate the cold supper Marie had left under -a cloth for him. The minutes dragged by. By nine -o’clock there had been no sign of his father and -sister, and no word. For a while he sat on the floor -beside his dog. Tomorrow was June 6th—Patchou’s -first birthday. André hoped Marie -would keep her promise to bring back some sort -of toy to celebrate the occasion.</p> - -<p>When the clock struck ten he went out into the -deepening twilight to stare into the gloom toward -Ste. Mère. What if the Nazis had opened the ambulance -and found Ronald? Perhaps the Maquis -had failed to meet them.... He tried not to think -of such things.</p> - -<p>Now it was eleven o’clock and long past time to -go to bed. From several directions there was strong -antiaircraft firing, and the echo of bombs.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">[38]</span>In spite of the curfew order, André began to -walk stealthily down the road. Those Nazi gunners -might open fire on any vehicle bringing his -family home.</p> - -<p>Halting, listening, he picked his way to a bend -of the highway. After a little while he began to -realize how tired he was.</p> - -<p>Drowsily he looked for a sheltered spot in the -hedge, and sank down among the ferns and the -tall grass. The rich smell of earth and spring -growth rose around him. A few fields away a horse -whinnied, and from far in the distance came the -long, high-fluted note of a train whistle....</p> - -<p>Some time later he awoke with a start, and wondered -where he was and how long he had slept. -All around him hung thick, velvety blackness.</p> - -<p>Something had wakened him. It was the sirens -and fire alarms in Ste. Mère.</p> - -<p>And then he heard the planes.</p> - -<p>Drumming overhead, throbbing so that the -earth shook under his feet, he heard them coming.</p> - -<p>Then he saw them. A brilliant moon outlined -their wings.</p> - -<p>He ran across the road and struggling through -a hedge, scrambled quickly up the tallest of a -clump of trees.</p> - -<p>And now he saw that the planes were coming in -from the west, lower than he had ever seen them<span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">[39]</span> -fly. They were twin-motored, scooping below the -clouds to right and left, filling the sky.</p> - -<p>They were bombing Normandy! Ste. Mère! -Perhaps a bomb would drop on him—NOW!</p> - -<p>The din of the German guns was incessant, and -the roar of the plane engines was deafening. He -must descend and find a ditch. His arms ached, -but he could not let go. He had climbed as high as -there were limbs to support him, and now he -clung to the solid trunk.</p> - -<p>He noticed one particular plane coming directly -toward him. It was etched sharply against a luminous -patch of cloud, and he could clearly see the -three white stripes that banded each wing.</p> - -<p>As he watched, he saw the open door at the rear -of the fuselage, and instantly something dark -dropped from it. Then another dark blob and another.</p> - -<p>Expecting the whistle of bombs, he shut his -eyes, pressed his face into the rough bark, and -prayed....</p> - -<p>After a few seconds he opened his eyes.</p> - -<p>Other than the guns and the throttled beat of -the engines, there had been no sound. No bombs -were exploding.</p> - -<p>André threw his head back and glanced quickly -skyward. In the moonlight, speckled in every direction -across the sky, hung hundreds of mushroom<span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">[40]</span> -shapes that were floating gently earthward -as silently as apple petals.</p> - -<p>Suddenly he saw that they were parachutes!</p> - -<p>And below nearly every one, a soldier swung. -From the lowest he could make out the jut of rifles.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">[41]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER FIVE<br /> - - -<small><i>André’s Warning</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">C</span>LINGING to his uncertain perch, for the first -few seconds André felt stunned. Could this be his -own Normandy sky? He watched the flicker of -moonlight here and there on the parachutes drifting -down through the scudding clouds.</p> - -<p>“The Invasion!” he thought.</p> - -<p>He had turned to stare across at his father’s barn -in the distance, wondering about the Nazi machine -gunners, when the tree beside him was torn -by a crashing of branches. His heart leaped into -his throat. The topmost branches were entwined -by a great, pale, crumpled parachute. And, dangling -from the shroud lines, hung a figure that -swung like a pendulum.</p> - -<p>In the meadow beyond, other dark shapes were -pelting into the hayfield, their chutes collapsing -around them like punctured balloons.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">[42]</span>The noise was spreading. Isolated shots and -short bursts of machine-gun fire drummed, -stopped, and drummed again. From the far-off -German camp near Ste. Mère came the wail of a -Klaxon horn. And there was the distant growl and -whine of speeding motors. The echo of distant -explosions increased.</p> - -<p>High overhead, planes whose cargo had been -dropped, droned away toward England. And -everywhere antiaircraft fire was spitting even more -frantically.</p> - -<p>Who were these men dangling from parachutes? -If they had started the Invasion, all Maquis ought -to help them. “Then that means me, too,” André -thought.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">[43]</span>He braced his foot in the crotch of the tree, -lowered the other to feel his way down.</p> - -<p>He dropped to another branch—and it -snapped!</p> - -<p>Just then the moon sailed from under a cloud -and touched him as brightly as a searchlight.</p> - -<p>A hoarse cry came from a few feet away. “Look -out! Sniper in that tree!”</p> - -<p>André saw the glint of the gun barrel swinging -up toward him.</p> - -<p>But a louder voice from the man dangling in -the tree shouted, “<i>Hold it.</i> Hold it, Slim. It’s just a -kid. I can see him. Don’t shoot. Say, somebody -come over here and cut me down.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_042.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">[44]</span>André’s stiffened body relaxed, and he began -to feel his way among the dim branches. Several -men had gathered at the foot of the tree, whispering, -and one of them lifted his voice angrily. -“What’s a kid doin’ in a tree this time of night? -Something funny here.”</p> - -<p>“Okay. <i>Okay.</i> We’ll find out. But get me down -before this harness cuts me in two.”</p> - -<p>André called, “Don’t shoot me. I’m coming -down. I want to help.”</p> - -<p>He slithered more quickly now from limb to -limb, and jumped. Instantly a flashlight blinded -him, and a drawling voice said, “Well, what d’ya -know! A little shrimp!”</p> - -<p>The flashlight had been turned to the ground. -As soon as his eyes had grown accustomed to it, -André gaped at the men. Never had he seen such -frightening figures: torn uniforms, faces blackened -with soot, each one bristling with every kind of -small arm and grenade, topped off by helmets -festooned with leafy twigs.</p> - -<p>He gasped in amazement. “Are you Americans?”</p> - -<p>The most tattered of the men grinned. “Sure. -Who you expecting? Say, how come you’re talking -English?”</p> - -<p>“My sister and I learned a lot of English from -Father Duprey,” André replied, “just in case.”</p> - -<p>“Case of what?” demanded the suspicious one.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_45">[45]</span>“To help you when you came,” said André. -“But sir, shouldn’t we get that man up there out -of the tree?”</p> - -<p>“It’s about time!” came from the branches near -by.</p> - -<p>André shinnied quickly up above the dangling -trooper and disentangled the chute. A moment -later the chutist was on the ground, unstrapping -his Tommy gun.</p> - -<p>A stocky, bristling soldier had been looking out -over the highway uneasily. Now he said, “Say, -Slim, we gotta get movin’. We’re supposed to get -to the causeways across the flooded part. Give ’em -the signal, Risso.”</p> - -<p>Softly then, André heard a little rasping cricket-sound -that was repeated almost at once from the -meadow.</p> - -<p>More helmeted men crept up to the group. -They said, “Hi, Sarge, what now?”</p> - -<p>The stocky sergeant had been studying the -darkened scene around him. Now he said, “We’re -too far inland.” He looked down at André. “Listen, -kid. You really mean you want to help us -Americans—you aren’t up to no tricks?”</p> - -<p>André frowned. “I’ve been waiting to help for -a long time. It is my country here.”</p> - -<p>The sergeant’s face softened a little. “Okay, I -believe you. But listen. Where’s your folks?”</p> - -<p>“My family has gone away,” André explained.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_46">[46]</span> -“But they’ll be home soon. What do you want me -to do?”</p> - -<p>“You just tell us how far it is to the nearest road -across that lagoon—”</p> - -<p>André interrupted excitedly, “First, I must tell -you, there are at least six Nazis in our barn. They -have machine guns trained on the road. I’ll show -you the way around the back wall. You could -catch them from behind.”</p> - -<p>The sergeant stiffened. “You, Slim, stay here -with the kid, out of range—and both of you <i>keep -down</i>,” he ordered.</p> - -<p>Several shapes moved quietly off into the black -field.</p> - -<p>André looked up at the gray shape of the lean, -rangy fellow slouched against a tree. The soldier -held his Tommy gun easily. A thumb was hooked -in the belt festooned with grenades, and a wicked-looking -sheath knife was strapped to his leg.</p> - -<p>André cleared his throat and asked, “Slim—is -this the—Invasion?”</p> - -<p>The paratrooper smiled. “Well, son,” he -drawled, “it’s a start, anyhow. Quite a parcel of -us has been dropped from Heaven, and I reckon -there’ll be an awful lot more tomorrow when the -gliders get in. All I know is, son, I’m a long, long -way from Pecos, Texas.”</p> - -<p>After that, for a moment, André thought the -man was going to sleep. Presently he noticed that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">[47]</span> -the trooper’s face was half turned away and that -he was listening intently.</p> - -<p>A dog barked, and André cried softly, “That’s -my Patchou. The men must be coming into our -farmyard.”</p> - -<p>Suddenly, an explosion of shots, grenades, and -hoarse shouts came from the direction of the -house.</p> - -<p>“Got ’em,” sighed Slim. “They’re good, our -boys are. Especially at that sneaky stuff. Better -keep down there. Might be bullets flyin’ ’round. -I <i>do not</i> like flyin’ bullets.”</p> - -<p>As the racket continued, the two stretched out -among the ferns. “May’s well rest,” Slim murmured -drowsily. “Doubt if there’s gonna be much -time from now on.”</p> - -<p>A few moments later there was a crackling in -the hedge, from a direction away from the farm.</p> - -<p>Slim shot into action like a snake, Tommy gun -aimed, body tense. The faint sounds continued. -After a moment Slim called, “Halt! You out there. -Stay where you are.”</p> - -<p>A gusty sigh came through the undergrowth, -and then a voice. “You from the 505th?”</p> - -<p>Slim kept his gun steady and answered, “Check. -Who’re you?”</p> - -<p>There was a soft groan. “Captain Dobie.”</p> - -<p>Slim stared at the man pushing toward them, -then sprang forward.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">[48]</span>“You hurt, sir?” He helped the officer to get to -his feet and took his arm. With André on the other -side, they helped him stagger into the shadow of -a tree.</p> - -<p>“We thought we’d lost you sure, Cap’n,” Slim -said sympathetically.</p> - -<p>“Broke my leg when I landed on a stone wall, -I guess,” the officer said fretfully. He stared -around him and asked, “What’s happening? We -should start toward the coast—we’re much too -far in.”</p> - -<p>Slim nodded. “I know. But Sergeant Weller’s -cleanin’ out a machine-gun nest in the barn yonder. -He’ll be back with six or seven men shortly. -They must have finished over there by now. Some -Nazis was in this kid’s barn.” Slim directed a long -thumb at André, and added, “He’s puny, but he’s -real sharp.”</p> - -<p>In spite of the fact that he was evidently in great -pain, the captain managed to smile at the boy.</p> - -<p>Slim had helped him to sit down, braced against -the tree. André saw that he was watching—Slim, -André himself, the road, the meadow. And he was -listening to the distant noises—for the return of -his men.</p> - -<p>“Should be nearly a hundred men in these -meadows right here,” the captain said. “We’ve -got to get our parachuted equipment together. As -soon as you can, send someone for gear I saw drop<span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">[49]</span> -near where I came down. One lot’s caught in a -tree—right across that open space. We need those -bazookas quick. German tanks are likely to be -coming along any minute.”</p> - -<p>“This kid might be able to tell us somethin’ -about the Nazis around these parts,” Slim said.</p> - -<p>“There’s a Nazi camp half a mile down the -road,” André replied eagerly. “And another big -one near Ste. Mère Église, if you know where that -is.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_049.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>Captain Dobie nodded and turned his head to -catch the sound of a motor. “That car’s coming -this way fast!”</p> - -<p>André was startled by the smooth swiftness with -which Slim and his captain acted then. Thrusting -his Tommy gun into the captain’s outstretched -hand without a word, Slim detached a grenade -from the cluster at his belt. He slipped into a -tense, waiting position closer to the road.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_50">[50]</span>The captain ordered, “Down flat!” and André -obeyed.</p> - -<p>The roar of the approaching car grew loud. -Slim called softly, over his shoulder, “Nazi staff -car,” and raised his arm.</p> - -<p>The explosion and the repeated crack of the -Tommy gun beside him shook the ground under -André. As another grenade followed the first and -took effect, Captain Dobie said, “That’s one car -won’t stop the freeing of France.”</p> - -<p>Slim crossed the road and returned to report -solemnly, “Okay, sir.”</p> - -<p>The captain nodded, then glanced quickly to -one side as a voice said, “Good work, Slim.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, it’s you, Sergeant!” the captain exclaimed -in relief.</p> - -<p>“Captain,” Weller said. “We were worried -about you. What you got there?”</p> - -<p>“A broken leg, I think, worse luck,” Captain -Dobie explained angrily. “If you see a medic, send -him back here. But you men get going now. If we -don’t pick up that dropped ammunition and -equipment soon, we may be in for trouble. Meanwhile, -have you seen any place I can use for a command -post around here?”</p> - -<p>“You can use my father’s house,” André offered -eagerly. “My father, he’s a part of the Resistance, -so it’s all right.”</p> - -<p>The captain turned to Weller.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">[51]</span>“Yes, sir. Solid stone, handy to the road, plenty -of room, barns. No bomb damage,” the sergeant -reported, and added, “Nobody but this kid home, -since we cleaned out the loft.”</p> - -<p>“Yes?” The captain looked sharply around at -the boy. “How’s that?”</p> - -<p>André explained quickly. “And my father and -Marie should have come back by now,” he finished.</p> - -<p>The captain shook his head. “Not from St. -Sauveur, they won’t. Not tonight. Our men must -have all the roads beyond Ste. Mère blocked off.”</p> - -<p>While a couple of men watched the road, others -were sent to retrieve the dropped weapons. Sergeant -Weller examined the captain’s injury. He -found that a bone was cracked above the ankle. -A shot of morphine from a first-aid kit was given -Captain Dobie to ease the pain. Then splints were -found, and the leg bound with strips of torn parachute -silk.</p> - -<p>Halfway through this, Weller paused suddenly -and said to André, “By the way, son, you better -tie up that hound of yours. He doesn’t seem to -know Americans are his friends, by the way he lit -into my only pair of britches.”</p> - -<p>The little party moved slowly toward the -Gagnon house, helping the half-crippled captain.</p> - -<p>Pale moonlight glowed on the windows and -against dark walls. When André saw the front<span class="pagenum" id="Page_52">[52]</span> -door ajar, he cried happily, “They must have -come home while I was asleep.”</p> - -<p>“’Fraid not,” the sergeant corrected. “We went -through the whole house—André. Want to know -how I got your name?” Weller grinned. “Read -Marie’s note about your supper on the kitchen -table.”</p> - -<p>Immediately inside the house, the sergeant said -crisply, “This room okay, Captain? I guess it’s a -sort of store during peacetime. I’ll get you a table -and somethin’ to sit on, pronto.”</p> - -<p>André had run to light candles and draw the -blackout curtains. Then he dragged his mother’s -best velvet chair from the parlor for Captain -Dobie, and brought cushions to prop up his leg.</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie spread maps on the table before -him, but paused to study the boy.</p> - -<p>André looked into his kind, thoughtful face and -asked, “Do you think my father and sister will be -all right, sir? It would be awful....”</p> - -<p>The captain nodded. “Nobody’d let them start -out from St. Sauveur tonight, son. They’ll be all -right.”</p> - -<p>But André’s worry was not so easily talked away. -The thud of bombs and firing inland was too continuous.</p> - -<p>He heard a whine and rushed into the kitchen -to a wet, pawing welcome from Patchou. He -tugged at the familiar warm fur and when Patchou<span class="pagenum" id="Page_53">[53]</span> -had calmed down, brought him a bowl of milk. -Then, with a warning to be quiet, he chained the -dog to the fireplace grate.</p> - -<p>At the front of the house he found that a -strange, businesslike disorder was mounting.</p> - -<p>Just inside the door, bazookas, mortars, and -ammunition of all sorts were being pulled from -“drop” bundles. Bulky, helmeted soldiers were -coming in from everywhere, receiving quick -orders from the captain, and clanking off in -groups. Captain Dobie sent out a messenger for a -walkie-talkie, to make contact with his commanding -colonel.</p> - -<p>At one moment, everyone around the captain -paused warily as the roar of a low-flying plane -shook the walls. Sergeant Weller and André -darted out to the doorway and stared up at the -U. S. markings. As the plane sped by, a shower of -paper cascaded over the town.</p> - -<p>“That’s one of our Flying Fortresses dropping -leaflets, telling the Frenchies to scatter ’n stay off -the roads.” Weller shrugged. “That means you, -too, boy, y’know.”</p> - -<p>For the next thirty minutes André sat and -watched while dirty, hot men clumped in and out -on errands that made no sense to him. Some had -been wounded. Many, hurt in the jump, were -being treated both by medics and some of the -village people. Slim pushed his way into the room,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_54">[54]</span> -looking leaner and sootier than ever—all his -drowsiness gone.</p> - -<p>André listened to his report. More troops were -needed at once toward the causeways. Glider -troops had landed, but the Germans were putting -up a fierce fight. The Americans wanted all the reinforcements -they could get rushed up fast.</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie turned to Weller. “Okay, Sergeant, -take <i>all</i> these men. It’s our job to wipe out -those bridgeheads!” When Weller hesitated, he -snapped, “What’re you waiting for?”</p> - -<p>The sergeant blinked. “And leave you here -alone, sir?”</p> - -<p>“We’ve <i>got</i> to get those bridgeheads. Move!” -Captain Dobie pounded the table. “Orders!”</p> - -<p>Sergeant Weller turned on his heel, shouted -commands to round up all the men, and left.</p> - -<p>But just outside the door he jerked Slim aside. -“You stay,” he ordered. “I’m not gonna leave the -cap’n here alone with a broken leg. What would -he do if some Nazis came along?”</p> - -<p>“You’ll get me courtmartialed yet, Sarge,” Slim -objected.</p> - -<p>“If you don’t beat me to it. Stay out of sight.”</p> - -<p>The sergeant barked a command, and guns and -men moved away through the mud.</p> - -<p>It was nearly full daylight now. When André -turned back into the house he saw by the clock -that it was quarter to six.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">[55]</span>What would his family say if they knew he had -not been to bed at all? He wondered sleepily -whether to lie down quietly in a corner.</p> - -<p>The captain was looking at his watch.</p> - -<p>André had taken a step toward him when the -house was shaken under a dreadful blast of sound.</p> - -<p>The sound rose, and he realized it came from -the sea. Under the thud of heavy shelling and -bombing, objects on the walls and tables danced.</p> - -<p>The captain looked up from his watch and -smiled.</p> - -<p>“They’re right on time,” he said.</p> - -<p>Puzzled, André asked, “Who is, monsieur?”</p> - -<p>“This is the <i>real</i> Invasion, son, coming in now. -This is what General Eisenhower has been planning -for two years. Hundreds of thousands of men, -tens of thousands of tanks, bulldozers, and trucks -are moving in—<i>now</i>, in over four thousand ships. -The Navy’s shelling the coast. We just came in -ahead by parachute to get ready for them.”</p> - -<p>André found himself too excited to say anything.</p> - -<p>The captain spoke again, above the din.</p> - -<p>“You see why we have to clear the enemy out of -those bridgeheads? To let the men landing on the -beaches come through. As soon as the Navy finishes -this shelling, British, Canadian, and American -troops will be landing on sixty miles of beach -from here to the River Orne!”</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_56">[56]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER SIX<br /> - - -<small><i>Victor’s Mission</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">R</span>EMEMBERING the rolling crashes of the -worst thunderstorm he had ever heard, André -thought it had been nothing compared to this -noise.</p> - -<p>He braced himself by the door frame and looked -toward the sea. A pall of dense, black smoke was -drifting inland, blotting out the newly risen sun. -Fires flared over the tree tops.</p> - -<p>He saw Slim grinning back at him from behind -a thick lilac bush.</p> - -<p>On the other side of the road, the Lescots’ front -door opened. Victor, in nightcap and corduroy -pants drawn over a blue nightshirt, darted out, -picked up one of the dropped leaflets, and shot -back into the house.</p> - -<p>From other houses people ran out and raced -away into the fields.</p> - -<p>Bombers darted in and out of the curtain of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">[57]</span> -smoke. A barn less than a mile away broke into -flames.</p> - -<p>Through a lull in the battle sounds André heard -the outraged moo of a cow.</p> - -<p>“Poor old beasts,” André thought, “they must -be scared to death. I’ll go talk to them, and milk.”</p> - -<p>He looked again for Slim and saw that he had -turned his back to the fury of the coast and was -staring toward Ste. Mère. As André stepped out -Slim whirled and shouted, “Tell the cap’n—two -Nazi tanks comin’ this way!”</p> - -<p>But André had already heard the ominous clank -of the tanks. Even through the battle sounds their -threat rang out—a new danger.</p> - -<p>As Slim raced toward him, André broke into a -run for the house, shouting, “TANKS, mon Capitaine. -Nazi tanks coming!”</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie had risen and stumbled a step -toward the window.</p> - -<p>“Blast it!” he shouted. “Help me, Cimino.”</p> - -<p>André then saw a new man in the room—a -soldier with a walkie-talkie, who must have arrived -by way of the farmyard.</p> - -<p>Slim plunged through the door and snatched up -a bazooka from the pile of arms in the hall. -Cimino, the walkie-talkie operator, slipped out of -the straps holding the instrument. He flung himself -toward Slim to serve as second man on the -bazooka.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">[58]</span>“Help me to the window, André,” Captain -Dobie ordered, picking up a Tommy gun. “Then -stay out of range.</p> - -<p>“Slim,” he barked, “fire at the front drive -sprocket and the gas tanks, center, low. You can’t -penetrate that forward armor, remember.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_058.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>The bazooka muzzle thrust out the window, -Slim knelt in tense firing position. Cimino stood -ready to reload.</p> - -<p>The captain braced himself at the second window, -Tommy gun leveled. André heard the rumble -of the tanks draw nearer.</p> - -<p>The explosion of fire from the windows and -the fierce back-flash of the bazooka joined with -the grinding screech of shattered metal, outside. -Then came the hollow scraping of steel on steel.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">[59]</span>Over Slim’s head André had seen the first tank’s -turret. Then the second tank tottered over the -first. And like a huge apple peel, a tremendous -snakelike steel tread whipped through the air.</p> - -<p>“Good,” snapped Captain Dobie. “Second one’s -piled up on the first. Shoot overhead, once.”</p> - -<p>When the firing from the house stopped, there -came a shout of “<i>Kamerad!</i>”</p> - -<p>The captain poked his weapon farther out the -window and shouted, “Get out and put your hands -up fast. You’re all covered. Okay, Slim, get your -prisoners.”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">[60]</span>Cimino stacked the bazooka against the sill, and -whipped out his .45 automatic. Slim swept up a -carbine and strode outside.</p> - -<p>The crews were already out of the tanks.</p> - -<p>“All right. Hands on your heads!” Slim shouted.</p> - -<p>As his captives moved toward him, Cimino lifted -their side arms from holsters, pushing the prisoners -swiftly toward the house.</p> - -<p>“Get in there, quick,” Slim commanded.</p> - -<p>He had only just herded them into the hall -when his voice was drowned out by the explosion -of the gas tanks in one of the wrecked vehicles.</p> - -<p>The captain and André ducked as ammunition, -set off by the flames, sprayed the outside of the -house.</p> - -<p>When it was over, the captain leaned out the -window, and André asked, “Did it wreck my father’s -pump?”</p> - -<p>“Just knocked down the sign that said ‘<i>Chocolate</i>,’” -the captain said.</p> - -<p>“That’s all right,” André laughed shakily. “We -did not have any left to sell, anyway.”</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie wiped the sweat from his face, -and with André’s help, hobbled back to his easy -chair and cushions.</p> - -<p>The Germans, lined up against the wall, stared -at him silently, open-mouthed.</p> - -<p>“Are there any more tanks coming this way?” -demanded the captain.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">[61]</span>One of the Nazis, with sergeant’s stripes, said, -“<i>Nein</i>—no more,” with surly shortness.</p> - -<p>“Be respectful,” snapped the captain coldly. He -turned to Slim. “Take them out to the yard and -stand guard, Slim,” he said. “Cimino, try to raise -someone on the talkie. If you can’t, get a runner -to locate the colonel and tell him where <i>we</i> are.”</p> - -<p>After several minutes, Cimino reported, “Some -sergeant thinks our colonel’s over near the first -bridgehead. He’ll pass the word along.”</p> - -<p>André, at the captain’s suggestion, went out to -survey the road and report any sight of the enemy. -“Here, take my helmet,” offered the captain. -“There’s too much stuff falling out of the sky.”</p> - -<p>The thud of heavy explosions beyond the village -continued to rock the earth.</p> - -<p>André had been on watch but a few minutes -when he sighted a car. He called back through the -window, “Jeep coming, sir—from the coast.”</p> - -<p>Slim, who had been relieved of his guard duty -by Cimino, rushed out to join André.</p> - -<p>The little car swung in toward the two, and -braked with a screech. Slim shouted, “Weller! -Where’ja get that!”</p> - -<p>Sergeant Weller was eyeing the wrecked German -tanks.</p> - -<p>“Well, Texas,” he smiled approvingly, “good -thing I left you here.”</p> - -<p>He slid out of the seat. “Lucky those two tanks<span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">[62]</span> -didn’t get through to hit us from behind,” he said. -“We’ve sure had our hands full down there. The -Heinies came at us from all sides. But, for some -reason, one of the causeways across the swamps was -unguarded.”</p> - -<p>“We got some prisoners for you, out back,” -Slim announced. “And you better report to the -cap’n,” he added. “He’s restless as a hungry -puppy. Ain’t had a word from anybody higher up. -Didn’t come across our colonel, did you?”</p> - -<p>“That’s what I came back for,” said Weller. -“Saw him and told him about this command post. -He’s feelin’ good. We’ve taken two bridgeheads.”</p> - -<p>“But <i>where</i> did you get the jeep?” André asked.</p> - -<p>Weller patted the mud-splattered windshield. -“I ‘liberated’ her from a smashed glider, son.” He -turned a thumb to the heaps of K-rations packed -in the rear of the jeep. “Near time we ate,” he -said. “But, right now, I’m in need of gas, kid. I bet -you got some in that pump.”</p> - -<p>“A little,” André said.</p> - -<p>Slim and Weller clanked off to the house while -André connected the hose to the jeep tank and -began to pump. His eyelids were drooping.</p> - -<p>It takes a long time for this Invasion to get -going, he thought. He had already grown used to -the <i>thrump</i> of big artillery, the bark of machine -and rifle fire scattered across all of Normandy. He -had heard Cimino say that the 82nd Airborne<span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">[63]</span> -were getting on well around Ste. Mère, though the -Germans were fighting bitterly. The Liberation -was too big. André could think of it no more.</p> - -<p>And through his weariness he heard the cows -again. Milking time was long past. In the barn the -cows turned their sad eyes on him accusingly. He -rested his forehead on their soft, warm bodies -while he milked, and both he and the frightened -beasts were soothed. He saw to it that they had -fresh hay and water. The open pasture was no -place for them today.</p> - -<p>Finally the job was done; the last of his strength -was gone. He put the pails of milk to one side and -sank into a pile of fresh straw.</p> - -<p>“I’ll take them to the springhouse in a minute,” -he promised himself. And he wriggled flat -in the fragrant hay and spread out his arms peacefully.</p> - -<p>All battle sounds were muffled by the thick old -stone walls. The familiar rustle and stamping of -cattle were like a familiar song....</p> - -<p>He woke with a hand shaking his shoulder.</p> - -<p>Someone was saying, in French, “Wake up, -André. Wake up! The <i>Invasion</i> has started.”</p> - -<p>André opened his eyes and saw Victor Lescot -bent over him.</p> - -<p>“Shame on you, André,” he scolded. “Milk getting -sour. War going on all around, and you sleeping.”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">[64]</span>André sat up. “You’re supposed to be shut up -in your house, Victor. What are you doing here?” -he said crossly.</p> - -<p>“I can’t stay home now,” Victor bristled. “I’ve -got to go get my new cart—before it is destroyed.”</p> - -<p>Now wide awake, André said with disgust, “You -can’t go out into the fighting.”</p> - -<p>“But I <i>must</i>,” Victor interrupted shrilly. “My -new cart will be blown to bits if I leave it at -Jacquard’s. Then what?”</p> - -<p>André could not believe his ears. “Would you -rather be blown to bits yourself?” he demanded.</p> - -<p>“But we do not need to thrust ourselves into -danger,” Victor protested. “We’ll make our way -to Jacquard’s village by the cowpaths, you and I. -We know them well, eh?”</p> - -<p>“<i>WE?</i>” André echoed. “<i>Who’s</i> going with you?”</p> - -<p>“But you, naturally, my little friend, I may need -you to speak English.”</p> - -<p>“Where is the cart?” André asked.</p> - -<p>“At Jacquard’s workshop, on his farm. I have -told you about it on numerous occasions.”</p> - -<p>André smiled. “Victor Lescot, Jacquard’s shop -is right near the coast, where the fighting is. Who -knows, there may be a battle going on in Jacquard’s -own courtyard right now.”</p> - -<p>Victor’s eyes flickered. “Ah, but I have a plan.”</p> - -<p>“There is no sense to it.” André shrugged and -got to his feet.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">[65]</span>“No sense!” Victor cried, as though he were -about to hurl a bolt of lightning. “You forget. The -cart is <i>mine</i>. <i>I paid for it</i> yesterday.”</p> - -<p>Again André could only shake his head.</p> - -<p>“I’ll put this milk where it is cool,” he said, and -started off with a pail in each hand.</p> - -<p>Victor dived for the other pail and followed. -“La Fumée, my mare that you have always been -so fond of, you know,” he chattered, “she’s all -harnessed and impatient to start off. You know -how she loves adventure.”</p> - -<p>Just then there was a definite lull in the shelling. -André set the pails into the cool, stone-lined -spring, taking Victor’s from him.</p> - -<p>Victor caught his eye. “The noise is not so -loud,” he said. “There is a trifling din, true, but it -is less.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps the worst is over,” André said. “We -could just start out, and if they tell us we can’t -proceed, we can turn back....”</p> - -<p>Victor’s pink face crinkled brightly. “But of -course. Anything else would be gross stupidity.”</p> - -<p>André fretted: Now he thinks I’ve promised to -get his cart no matter what happens.</p> - -<p>But the Americans would turn them back at -once—so no harm would be done.</p> - -<p>“Okay, Victor. I will start out,” he said.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">[66]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER SEVEN<br /> - - -<small><i>Tricolor over Ste. Mère</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">A</span>NDRÉ hesitated. “You wait for me at your -house,” he said. “First, I have one thing to do.”</p> - -<p>Victor stole a searching glance at the boy, then, -almost reassured, he nodded and left the springhouse -at once.</p> - -<p>André filled a pitcher with milk and started for -the kitchen door.</p> - -<p>Ranged along the barnyard wall lounged half a -hundred German prisoners surrounded by a semicircle -of muddy guards bristling with carbines and -Tommy guns.</p> - -<p>André found a mug in the kitchen, and carried -the milk in to Captain Dobie.</p> - -<p>He noticed that the officer’s leg was badly -swollen, but the captain seemed unaware of it.</p> - -<p>The room was crammed with soldiers. Several -neighbors, men and women, pressed through the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_67">[67]</span> -crowd, begging to give help. Many wounded villagers -lay sheltered under the trees, they said. But -they and the small neighborhood children were -being cared for and fed. The captain welcomed -them and advised the elders to get deep cellars -ready. They must keep the children close to them -in case the fighting broke out in the village.</p> - -<p>“The Germans are fighting hard everywhere, -and we must silence each Nazi gun no matter -where we find it,” he explained. “Until we get a -solid foothold here, we cannot help liberate your -country.”</p> - -<p>André listened, and when he caught the captain’s -eye, offered his jug of milk. With a grateful -smile, Dobie drained the jug thirstily.</p> - -<p>“Are things going all right, sir?” André asked.</p> - -<p>The captain seemed reluctant to reply. But -after a moment he said, “The landings are the -hardest, son. The Nazis made the coast tough with -their underwater obstructions, and the sea has -been a lot rougher than we’d planned on. But it’s -going along well. You ought to be seeing heavy -equipment coming along the roads soon.”</p> - -<p>Sergeant Weller clumped in with two soldiers -and a battle-weary young Frenchman. “Look, -kid,” Weller shouted to André. “D’you know who -this character is? I can’t make head or tail what -he’s sayin’. <i>He</i> says he’s speakin’ English, but, boy, -it’s nothin’ I ever heard in Brooklyn.”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">[68]</span>The young Frenchman called to André in -French, “You are Pierre’s son, no? Tell them -quickly who I am. Make them see my urgency, I -beg you.”</p> - -<p>André looked at the man’s flashing eyes, the -beaked nose, the shock of dark hair.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I know him,” he said quickly. “This is -François, the famous Maquis leader. You can -trust him.”</p> - -<p>“You sure?” Weller demanded.</p> - -<p>“I’m sure,” André said. “I have seen him and -heard my father describe him often. One moment—”</p> - -<p>In French, François told André his story: “I -was coming to your father to get more Resistance -help. My band is too small. We discovered Nazis -coming up behind your father’s orchard with a -mobile gun. They are going to blow up this house -because it is an American headquarters.”</p> - -<p>“Translate so far,” Weller said, and André -obeyed.</p> - -<p>Weller scowled. “Yeh? Well, in that case....”</p> - -<p>He made his way to the captain, and a moment -later André heard him shouting orders.</p> - -<p>When Weller returned he put out both hands -and the Frenchman shook them warmly.</p> - -<p>The squad Weller was forming was hastily -gathering up grenades, bazookas, and other equipment.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_69">[69]</span>André asked the Maquis anxiously, “Can you -tell me anything about St. Sauveur? How is the -battle going beyond Ste. Mère?”</p> - -<p>François looked solemn, but answered quickly. -“St. Sauveur, we think, is still mostly outside the -fighting. Not all of Ste. Mère has been cleared of -Germans yet. But the center of the town is under -control. At least, the Americans have the French -flag flying from Ste. Mère Église’s town hall. None -of the Allied tanks have come through yet and -they are badly needed. Also, in some places the -Americans are running short of ammunition. And -the Nazis are building up their forces near the -bridges over the Merderet River, west of Ste. -Mère.”</p> - -<p>He broke off at Weller’s signal, and with the -sergeant’s squad slipped out through the barnyard.</p> - -<p>“<i>The French flag flying from Ste. Mère Église’s -town hall!</i>” André repeated it aloud. And a -familiar voice at the doorway echoed the great -words.</p> - -<p>Raoul Cotein stood just outside the door. His -arm and forehead were bandaged, and in his hand -was a package wrapped in a napkin.</p> - -<p>He took a step forward. “My wife—well, she -is troubled because your mother and sister are not -here. If you will just accept these few sandwiches?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_70">[70]</span></p> -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_070.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption"><i>The squad gathered up grenades, bazookas, -and other equipment</i></p> - -<p>André took the packet with a puzzled “Thank<span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">[71]</span> -you,” and stared at his suddenly subdued neighbor.</p> - -<p>“W-what happened to you?” he asked.</p> - -<p>Raoul looked down at his arm bandage. “You -mean this?” he replied. “<i>Tiens</i>, André. Do you -know, I found I was almost the only man in this -village who was not of the Resistance? I have -merely been remedying the situation.”</p> - -<p>“Do you know now my father is a Maquis and -not a collaborationist?” André demanded, and -Raoul nodded. “I have discovered so. I—”</p> - -<p>If he had meant to apologize further for his past -bad behavior, his words were lost. A shell overshot -the house and everyone ran for cover.</p> - -<p>When André slid out from his hiding place, -Raoul was gone.</p> - -<p>For a moment the boy stood alone. “Well, now, -what is my duty?” he considered. “Victor? No.... -Patchou.”</p> - -<p>He went to the kitchen, gave the dog food and -water, and hastily ate Raoul’s sandwiches. Meanwhile -Patchou gamboled for a few minutes around -the room.</p> - -<p>André thought that he had better go to Lescots’ -and tell the old man, once and for all, how foolish -his plan was. Even Victor would see that now.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Victor stood near his barnyard gates crossly -watching the distant scene.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">[72]</span>A broad, fawn-colored Percheron stood harnessed -beside Victor. A shotgun was strapped to -the horse’s back-pad alongside the looped-up -traces.</p> - -<p>André slipped over the wall and whistled.</p> - -<p>At the sound, Victor jumped, steadied his -glasses, and chattered, “Oh, it’s you at last. La -Fumée is beside herself with impatience.”</p> - -<p>André interrupted firmly. “I came only to tell -you the thought of going toward the coast is an -insanity. The fighting has grown intense.”</p> - -<p>Victor fanned out his hands. “Then my cart -... you think it is a trifle to be ignored....” -His eyes snapped. “Which <i>I have paid for</i>, please -recall!”</p> - -<p>“But Victor—” André sighed.</p> - -<p>“From infancy I have indulged you, because of -my love....” Victor chided gently.</p> - -<p>He patted the mare’s smooth flank and climbed -up on her back. “There will be many Americans -down there, I presume. No doubt they will help an -old man.”</p> - -<p>“Victor, you know I can’t let you go alone,” -André exploded. “Pull me up behind you.”</p> - -<p>A few moments later, André, clinging to Victor’s -ribs, was mounted and jogging around a -corner of the farm wall.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">[73]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER EIGHT<br /> - - -<small><i>Prisoners</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">A</span>S A very small boy, riding on the broad platform -of La Fumée’s back had been André’s delight. -But La Fumée had not then quivered at the -whine and roar of shells, or the nerve-shaking rattle -of machine guns. And the fields had not been -spiked with wicked barbed-wire glider traps.</p> - -<p>“Now, we zigzag,” explained Victor as he -turned the mare into a hedge-lined path at the -next field. It was necessary to round barns and -ponds and areas marked in German: “<i>Achtung—Minen!</i>” -“Beware—Mines!” to avoid even the -smaller country roads.</p> - -<p>They covered nearly a mile at the Percheron’s -steady plod. Then a shell crashed a hundred yards -away, and the horse cowered under a shower of -falling debris. Victor and André had flattened -themselves on the Percheron’s vast back. With his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">[74]</span> -head still buried in Victor’s rough coat, André -begged, “Surely it is wiser to turn back, Victor.”</p> - -<p>The old man sighed. “But it is now such a little -way. It is a pity.”</p> - -<p>Both sat up cautiously.</p> - -<p>The marshes glowed beyond a broken orchard, -just across the Paris-Cherbourg road. Far to the -northeast, from a German pillbox sunk beside the -flooded land, swiveled guns thumped, and were -immediately answered by other, unseen guns.</p> - -<p>Before they could move again, André cried, -“Listen!”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_074.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>A tremendous explosion, close to the sea, was -followed by a shattering series of rolling reverberations. -And immediately, from almost on the horizon, -a fleet of planes swept upward sharply over -their heads.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">[75]</span>“Dive bombers,” André cried. “They must be -finishing off those big German guns on the sea -bluff.”</p> - -<p>Then, added to the shock and noise of the -bombing, rose all around them a fury of gobbling -protest. Turkeys which had been roosting in the -trees screamed and fluttered insanely. In the grass, -a family of small white pigs ran helter-skelter toward -the hedges.</p> - -<p>La Fumée stood stiff, with rolling eyes.</p> - -<p>At length the last wave of bombers passed. The -air over the orchard reeked, and smoke seeped inland -from the marshes.</p> - -<p>The turkeys continued to scold, their voices -dropping to an angry gurgle.</p> - -<p>“There, that is over,” Victor said firmly. “Jacquard’s -is so close, we may as well go on.”</p> - -<p>La Fumée moved woodenly, and André -smoothed her thick, firm flank with a gentle hand.</p> - -<p>If they were to go on, they must cross the wide, -pitted Paris-Cherbourg road. And into this angled -a smaller one. This led to Jacquard’s, and -continued seaward to the hamlet of l’Audouville.</p> - -<p>The road stretching north and south was completely -deserted just then except for a litter of -wrecked Nazi trucks pushed to the sides.</p> - -<p>La Fumée put on a jiggling burst of speed to -cross the main road. The smaller road also seemed -empty.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">[76]</span>“You see,” Victor said. “Here we are. Jacquard’s -place is just ahead.”</p> - -<p>André’s sharper eyes studied the high stone -walls and the slate roofs above. “It has been -bombed or shelled already,” he said.</p> - -<p>Victor hunched forward, shocked into silence.</p> - -<p>The farm’s roadside gates sagged open on broken -hinges, and fowl wandered in and out.</p> - -<p>The sound of a car racing up the main road to -Cherbourg caught André’s ear. As he turned, he -saw the car hesitate at the fork of their road, and -then swing into it at gathering speed.</p> - -<p>He thrust his hand under Victor’s arm, grabbed -the reins, and yanked the Percheron into the shallow -ditch at the side.</p> - -<p>The car swept past so fast, André caught only a -glimpse of the Nazi Swastika on the side.</p> - -<p>Nearing the broken gate, the Nazi driver slowed -uncertainly. But instantly he swung into a teetering -turn, and shot into the barnyard in the midst -of an uproar of cackling hens and geese.</p> - -<p>There was a muffled crash.</p> - -<p>André and Victor slid quickly from La Fumée’s -back with thumping hearts.</p> - -<p>“They are trapped,” André whispered, “and do -not know how to get out. We must bring some -soldiers before they come out.”</p> - -<p>Victor was loosening his shotgun with trembling<span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">[77]</span> -hands. But his experience with farmyards -now served him well.</p> - -<p>“Without a doubt, those Nazi officers have run -spank into the manure pile,” he stated with satisfaction. -“They will find some troublesomeness getting -loose.” He took a step forward. “You must -run quickly for help.”</p> - -<p>André thought, “The first of the soldiers from -the landing barges must surely be coming across -the causeways by now. Captain Dobie said they -would.”</p> - -<p>Skittering along past the gate into the grassy -edge of the road, he began to run toward l’Audouville -as fast as his legs would carry him.</p> - -<p>Racing against time, André could not look back. -Before he reached the turn his heart leaped.</p> - -<p>A soldier, bulky with equipment, was coming -toward him. He was moving cautiously along the -roadside, rifle poised. And fanning out behind him -was a spaced line of Americans.</p> - -<p>André dashed toward them.</p> - -<p>Unsmiling and with leveled gun, the first soldier -yelled, “Halt!” He then said rapidly in -French, “Who are you? And <i>where’re</i> you going?”</p> - -<p>André pointed back to the Jacquard farm. -“Nazi officers back there. Come get them quick—please.”</p> - -<p>Beckoning, he turned to run.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">[78]</span>“Just a minute there,” the soldier shouted. -“Come back here, <i>petit garçon</i>. What’s this you’re -talking about?”</p> - -<p>André was terrified by the wasted minutes.</p> - -<p>He shouted, “<i>Come!</i> A car full of Nazi officers -just drove into a farmyard back there. <i>Hurry!</i> You -can take them, but <i>hurry</i>.”</p> - -<p>The scattered scouting party began to move -ahead warily.</p> - -<p>“It’s a chance the kid is okay,” the sergeant -called back. “We’ll have to take a look. Keep your -eyes open—and keep separated.”</p> - -<p>The sergeant quickened his pace, but cautioned, -“Take it easy, kid. Let us get ’em.”</p> - -<p>Before they reached the Jacquard gate, sheltered -by bushes, André fell to his knees and crept -toward it.</p> - -<p>He had not quite reached it when two quick -shotgun blasts rang out.</p> - -<p>“That’s Victor’s gun,” he said. “The Nazis must -have started to leave.”</p> - -<p>Shot rattled on metal, and the tail of the Nazi -car smashed through the gates. But, halfway -through, the car teetered sharply into the stone -post. Rocking, it toppled over and skidded to a -stop.</p> - -<p>A voice shouted toward the car, “Hold it. Get -out and keep your hands up!” A Tommy gun chattered -across the car’s spinning wheels.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">[79]</span>Scrambling boots pounded into action. The -German officers were jerked up and out through -the door. André was startled to see a colonel’s -insignia on one officer’s shoulders.</p> - -<p>When the Nazis were all on their feet, the sergeant’s -men surrounded them. Two soldiers relieved -the officers of their side arms.</p> - -<p>As the shock of their capture wore off, the Nazis -began to protest curtly, and the sergeant retorted -in their own language.</p> - -<p>“Okay. You’re staff officers! We’ll get you to the -proper authorities just as soon as we can.”</p> - -<p>André had seen plenty of Germans, but few of -such high rank.</p> - -<p>Suddenly it dawned on him that it was Victor’s -shots which had made the capture possible by -wrecking the car. But where was Victor?</p> - -<p>André ran around the farm buildings, but -neither Victor nor La Fumée was in sight—anywhere.</p> - -<p>Shells had blasted the carpentry shop, and rubbish -lay over the scattered, twisted, and blackened -tools.</p> - -<p>After a thorough search, André stumbled sadly -out to the courtyard and around the scattered -manure pile, toward the group at the gate.</p> - -<p>He was greeted by a shout from a jeep which -had driven up. “Hi, there. You—boy!”</p> - -<p>An American lieutenant sat at the wheel, with<span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">[80]</span> -the two Nazi officers crammed rigidly in the rear -seat. An American with a Tommy gun perched -backward on each of the front mudguards, and -the German driver, his arm in a sling, shared the -front seat with the lieutenant.</p> - -<p>Impatiently, the lieutenant asked André -whether he knew where the nearest U. S. headquarters -had been set up.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_080.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>André pointed up the road and replied, with -some pride, that there was an 82nd Command -Post in his own house. “It’s a little more than a -mile up that way,” he said.</p> - -<p>The lieutenant grinned. “Well, hop in and -show us the way.”</p> - -<p>André stood stubbornly firm. “But Lieutenant,”<span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">[81]</span> -he protested, “I came with Victor. He’s an -old man. I can’t leave him here.”</p> - -<p>“<i>Get in</i>,” snapped the lieutenant. “You can -find him later. There’s a war on.”</p> - -<p>“As if I didn’t know,” André thought crossly.</p> - -<p>But he climbed over the great booted legs of -the guard, and hunched in under the elbow of the -German prisoner.</p> - -<p>The jeep lurched into gear and roared down -the road.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">[82]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER NINE<br /> - - -<small><i>Victor Disappears</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">A</span>S THE jeep bumped rapidly along, André -explained to the lieutenant, “I didn’t want to -leave there, sir, till I found my friend Victor. He -was the one who really stopped that Nazi car, -shooting at the tires, I think.”</p> - -<p>“He did?” the lieutenant exclaimed. “Well, -why did he disappear after we got there?”</p> - -<p>One of the guards interrupted. “Old Frenchman? -Walrus mustache? With a shotgun?”</p> - -<p>André nodded excitedly. “Did you see him?”</p> - -<p>“Saw a man like that run back into the orchard -of that farm just as we came up.”</p> - -<p>André said no more; at least Victor could run.</p> - -<p>The jeep had been proceeding cautiously -around road blocks and paratroopers. Now it -speeded up.</p> - -<p>A little while later, André saw the roofs of his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">[83]</span> -own village, and he cried, “Oh! it’s been hit!”</p> - -<p>It was a different village than the one André -had left. Many shells must have struck it. Trees -were shattered and old walls tumbled. Two -houses, not far from the Gagnons’, were badly -damaged—one lay in smoking ruins.</p> - -<p>People of the neighborhood shuffled to and fro -with arms filled with possessions.</p> - -<p>André called to one of them, “The Cotys and -Mme. Lescot—are they all right?”</p> - -<p>“Yes. Everyone did what your captain told us -to. We ran into the fields and hid in ditches when -those German shells started coming. It was not for -long. We are told the Maquis found the Nazi gun -and blew it up.”</p> - -<p>At a sign from André, the jeep slowed and, a -moment later, he saw that his father’s house still -stood.</p> - -<p>In the doorway, Sergeant Weller shouted at -sight of the jeep.</p> - -<p>“Kid, you had us scared. Where the—where -you been?” he demanded tartly of André. But he -did not wait for an answer.</p> - -<p>He gave the jeep and its load a hasty glance, and -cried, “<i>You</i> bringin’ in prisoners, too!” Then, -noticing their rank, he added to the lieutenant, in -his sharp, official bark, “Bring that German -‘brass’ right in here, sir. Our company colonel’s -inside. He’ll sure want to question ’em.”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">[84]</span>Inside the house André found a new, older -American officer busy with maps beside Captain -Dobie.</p> - -<p>They received the prisoners coolly.</p> - -<p>After questioning the Nazi officers a few moments, -Captain Dobie hobbled out to the hallway -and closed the door after him. His broken leg wore -fresh splints and a new dressing.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_084.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>The captain looked at André with displeasure. -“I should keep a closer eye on you, boy,” he said -sharply. “What do you mean by running loose -around the country with a war going on?”</p> - -<p>Before the captain could continue, Slim sidled -through the doorway.</p> - -<p>“Excuse me, sir,” he said, “but that lieutenant -an’ the guards are sittin’ out there in the jeep.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">[85]</span> -D’ya want ’em to wait, or can they go, the lieutenant -says?”</p> - -<p>A call from the colonel in the other room, summoning -Captain Dobie, interrupted him.</p> - -<p>When Dobie returned with the colonel, the -Nazis, well covered by guns, were ceremoniously -marched back to the jeep.</p> - -<p>The American officer’s orders were curt. “Lieutenant, -I want these men delivered to the general, -by you, personally. He’s somewhere on Utah -Beach by now.”</p> - -<p>The jeep, loaded like a school bus, turned and -disappeared in the direction from which it had -just come.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">[86]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER TEN<br /> - - -<small>“<i>Here Come the Tanks!</i>”</small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">L</span>ONG before dark, André, too tired to care any -more what happened, had stumbled into his old -bed in the kitchen. During the night he roused at -times to hear the hum of trucks and clumping -feet. He did not hear the squadrons of planes coming -in to drop relief troops and much-needed ammunition -to the hard-pressed ’chutists.</p> - -<p>At dawn he awoke completely fresh, and went -to look at his now unfamiliar Normandy landscape.</p> - -<p>Women tramped to damaged houses, distributing -hot food and blankets. Two small boys were -investigating a badly smashed glider which had -settled on a hedge.</p> - -<p>André had just decided to run to the Lescot -farm, to inquire whether Victor had come home, -when Weller called to him to come to breakfast.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">[87]</span>Afterwards, he went about his usual farm -chores.</p> - -<p>Troops from the beach landings filtered -through the village that day. Their officers paused -briefly at the Gagnon house to exchange reports -with Captain Dobie.</p> - -<p>“Well, at any rate, our tanks are beginning to -come across the causeways now,” a newly arrived -major told the captain. “That’ll help the airborne -boys.”</p> - -<p>“It will be a great relief,” Captain Dobie said. -“Our parachute fellows have been fighting hard -without any rest.”</p> - -<p>The major nodded. “The only trouble is,” he -said, “somebody overlooked the way these thick -French hedgerows stop our tanks cold. We’ve got -to find a way to cut through them.”</p> - -<p>André listened with amazement. He had never -thought of those ancient borders to the tiny Normandy -meadows as tank traps. He knew, of course, -that cattle turned out to pasture seldom broke -through the high, earth banks topped by the century-old -tangles. It did seem disappointing to -think that those great, wonderful American war -machines could be stopped by shrubbery.</p> - -<p>“But why don’t the tanks keep to the roads, sir?” -he asked.</p> - -<p>The major grinned. “If Normandy had ten -times as many roads, son,” he replied, “we<span class="pagenum" id="Page_88">[88]</span> -wouldn’t have enough for all the stuff the Allies -have to move into France. Besides, our tanks have -to go where we know the Germans are massing.”</p> - -<p>The major was right about over-busy highways.</p> - -<p>Trucks, loaded with armed men and supplies, -had begun to grind by in a long, noisy procession. -Some village people had come back from hiding. -Children big and little ran along the roadside, -catching windfalls of candy, gum, and cellophane-wrapped -cookies tossed out by the soldiers.</p> - -<p>To André this was a very, very strange war—he -could remember nothing like it in any history -book.</p> - -<p>But when he went into the kitchen, he no -longer felt that his father’s house was threatened -from all sides.</p> - -<p>The crowd of German prisoners had been -moved to a new compound, and the geese had -once more taken possession of the pond. André -counted the chickens. The flock looked a little -sparse.</p> - -<p>A shout from Sergeant Weller sent André back -to the road.</p> - -<p>Inside the front window Captain Dobie and -Slim stood, waving cheerily. Weller, both arms upraised, -was saluting the approach of a great elephant -of a machine. It came lumbering up the sea -road, its wide, corrugated treads clanking on the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_89">[89]</span> -gravel. After the first, in stately dignity, thundered -more of the metallic herd.</p> - -<p>“The TANKS! The tanks!”</p> - -<p>André’s heart thumped with excitement.</p> - -<p>“Some sight, eh, boy?” Weller shouted.</p> - -<p>With Weller, André ran out to reach up and -shake hands with the tank men.</p> - -<p>The tank commanders and the gunners, André -thought, were even wilder-looking creatures than -the ’chutists.</p> - -<p>The men seemed colossal, standing in their turrets -before the radio antennae that wavered nervously, -like an insect’s feelers, with the sway of the -tanks. Pushed-up goggles over helmets, and earphones, -made drivers and gunners seem part of -the weird contraptions.</p> - -<p>“They are wonderful,” André said. “I wish I -could have seen them come ashore from the ships -that brought them across the Channel.”</p> - -<p>Sergeant Weller frowned. “I don’t think you’d -have liked it, son. Only a few hours ago these men -came off landin’ craft that were bein’ shot at by -Nazis from every direction. These guys are just -the lucky ones that didn’t get hit.”</p> - -<p>The gathered villagers cheered, and the sound -of their welcome rang out far up the road.</p> - -<p>André was still looking for Victor. But Victor -had not been seen that day.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_90">[90]</span>André sauntered over to where the colonel had -joined Dobie and the others in the window.</p> - -<p>“Captain,” André began. “Sir, about Victor—”</p> - -<p>“I know,” smiled the captain. “You wonder why -he doesn’t come back. I feel sure he’ll be all right. -If that car full of Nazi officers got through the -roads from Paris to here, then I’m sure your -friend Victor can find his way around. The Nazi -officers said they drove straight through Caen, -Carentan, and right through our lines, if you -please—British <i>and</i> American. They actually got -as far as the Jacquard farm without being detected.”</p> - -<p>The colonel spoke up. “As a matter of fact, I -don’t think the German staff in Paris knew how -much country our airborne troops were covering. -How could they? We had jammed their coastal -radio and radar stations all the way to Cherbourg. -And the French Resistance and our men cut telephone -land lines. So it was impossible for the -commanding German general here on the peninsula -to communicate with Paris.”</p> - -<p>“Those Nazi prisoners,” said Dobie, “told us -they came up from Paris to find out what was -really happening here. Hitler believed that our -invasion was coming at Calais.”</p> - -<p>“He sure missed the boat,” Weller said cheerfully.</p> - -<p>The last of the squadron of tanks had gone by,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">[91]</span> -and the village people were returning to their -homes. André went back to the farmyard. It was -time for chores. He heard laughter coming from -the barns, but by now he was used to soldier -sounds.</p> - -<p>First, he must see how badly the orchard and -fields in the rear had been hit by the shelling. He -went through the gate in the courtyard wall.</p> - -<p>His jaw dropped. Many apple trees were down. -Great smudged shell holes gaped between them. -And the greatest hole yawned only a few feet away -from the edge of the lane where his trumpet was -buried.</p> - -<p>He snatched up a shovel, and sighed in relief -when the trumpet came up, green and smeared -with damp earth, but unharmed. He nestled it -comfortably under his arm and went to the barn -door.</p> - -<p>The cows had not lowed, and now he saw why. -Balanced on stools beside the animals sat two -lusty Americans. They were happily squirting -streams into milk pails held correctly between -their knees.</p> - -<p>One of the soldiers looked up curiously.</p> - -<p>At the sight of the horn under André’s arm he -cried, “Well, if it isn’t Little Boy Blue, horn and -all.”</p> - -<p>The second milker called, “These cows yours? -We thought nobody was home. Sure seems good to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">[92]</span> -milk an ole bossy again.” He grinned. “I come -from Iowa an’ I sure miss milkin’ time. Hope you -don’t mind. We’re almost through here.”</p> - -<p>The men paused to admire André’s trumpet, -and tootle a few wild notes, before they helped -him carry the pails to the springhouse. He filled -a pitcher for Captain Dobie, and took it to the -“staff room,” as the old store was now called. The -room was again filled with strange soldiers, some -of them in bloody bandages.</p> - -<p>The colonel was anxious to get away to his division -command post.</p> - -<p>“You stay right here, Dobie,” he said, “and the -sergeant and Slim as well. And hustle medics and -replacement infantry forward, fast.”</p> - -<p>Slim appeared and announced that he had -Weller’s jeep ready to drive the colonel to his -headquarters.</p> - -<p>When Captain Dobie and André were alone, -the captain smiled and sighed. “A fine mother I -turned out to be,” he said. “<i>When</i> did you eat -something last?”</p> - -<p>André grinned shyly. “When did <i>you</i> eat last, -sir?”</p> - -<p>Sergeant Weller’s voice roared from the hallway, -“Lunch coming up!”</p> - -<p>A large loaded tray appeared through the door, -followed by Weller’s bulky body.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">[93]</span>André looked at a heaped platter in the middle, -and laughed. “So that is where our chickens -went.”</p> - -<p>“Your father will be paid for these fowl,” -Dobie said. “So make up for the eating you haven’t -done today.”</p> - -<p>Weller was not as good a cook as his mother or -Marie, André thought. But he was surprised that -a tough sergeant could cook at all, and the meal -was good.</p> - -<p>When the sun sank red behind the trees, an -evening hush settled, although soldiers from nearby -bivouacs moved through the village restlessly.</p> - -<p>Weller yawned. “I hope it stays quiet around -here awhile,” he said. “After last night we could -do with a little snooze, eh, Captain?”</p> - -<p>He had scarcely made this wish than André -cried, “Listen!”</p> - -<p>A distant sound of motors from the sky was -drowned by the opening bark of an American -antiaircraft battery close by.</p> - -<p>Weller leaped to put out the lights.</p> - -<p>“Might have known the Luftwaffe would wake -up about now,” he grumbled.</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie’s voice came out of the darkness. -“I’ve been wondering why we haven’t heard from -them these last two days. Our air boys must have -pretty thoroughly crippled them.”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">[94]</span>Ears were strained to follow the sounds.</p> - -<p>“Must be several planes,” Dobie said. “They -seem to be dropping small bombs.”</p> - -<p>Weller, at the window, called, “Looks like a -Fourth of July celebration.”</p> - -<p>Suddenly he shouted, “<i>We got one!</i>”</p> - -<p>In the darkness, André listened to the wild -whine of the falling Luftwaffe plane.</p> - -<p>André reached Weller’s side in time to see -flames spring high above the dark treetops beyond -the village.</p> - -<p>“I didn’t see any ’chute,” Weller exclaimed.</p> - -<p>“The pilot may have jumped before the fire lit -up the sky,” the captain replied.</p> - -<p>The sudden flare of excitement was followed by -an equally sudden lull except for the sound of soldiers’ -voices across the fields. The flack guns lapsed -into silence.</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie said, “Whew! Next time, André, -you go down to the cellar. I forgot all about you -for a minute.”</p> - -<p>Slim and a detail of men were sent off to look -for the fallen Nazi plane, and also for the pilot.</p> - -<p>“Better send out word to the French people -around here to be on the lookout,” Dobie added, -“till we’re sure about him.”</p> - -<p>When Slim and the men had been gone only a -few minutes, Weller began to fidget restlessly.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">[95]</span>“How about I just take a look-see down the -road, Captain?” he suggested.</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie said okay, and Weller swept up -a Tommy gun and went off into the night.</p> - -<p>He had gone only a few yards when André -caught up with him.</p> - -<p>In a field, the last flames were flickering from -the fallen Messerschmitt. A faint drizzle blurred -the scene, but the figures of many soldiers were -dimly silhouetted against the light.</p> - -<p>“No good goin’ over there,” Weller said, after -studying the scene a moment.</p> - -<p>They had just begun to retrace their steps when -Weller said, “Listen.”</p> - -<p>André had heard sounds too—a creaking and -the clop, clop of hoofbeats.</p> - -<p>Coming down the wet road a new, unpainted -cart rattled into sight. Between the shafts clumped -La Fumée. And, waving the reins behind the dashboard, -stood Victor.</p> - -<p>“André!” he shouted. “Where did you go?” He -brushed at his enormous mustache nervously. -“Well, never mind now. Get in. Get in. I’ll drive -you home.”</p> - -<p>André gulped with relief. Weller demanded, -“Ask him how he got home.”</p> - -<p>André repeated the question in French, and -Victor threw out his hands indignantly.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_96">[96]</span>“How <i>should</i> I come?” he shouted. “By any -open road those soldiers and tanks left for my use. -Americans, Americans everywhere! Tanks! Guns! -I have been halfway around the world to get here, -it seems.”</p> - -<p>“But where did you find your cart? I thought it -was blown up!” André cried.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_096.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>Victor’s eyebrows expressed more astonishment.</p> - -<p>“Where <i>would</i> I find it? Just where Jacquard -said he would leave it, of course. Beyond his shop, -among the holly trees.”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">[97]</span>When this was translated, Weller shook his -head. “Well, climb in an’ let’s go home.”</p> - -<p>La Fumée, sensing the nearness of her own -stable, started briskly.</p> - -<p>When they had said good night to Victor, Weller -yawned loudly.</p> - -<p>André watched Weller, and laughed. “I’m -pretty sleepy, myself,” he admitted.</p> - -<p>Ten minutes later he was in his mother’s big -bed, sprawled sound asleep.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">[98]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER ELEVEN<br /> - - -<small><i>André and the Nazi Pilot</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">F</span>ALLING into bed, André’s thoughts had -turned to his family, but his worries were quickly -drowned in sleep.</p> - -<p>When he awoke, he ran downstairs to see what -the sunrise had brought.</p> - -<p>It had brought Victor.</p> - -<p>André saw the old man—scrubbed pink and -bristling—beside the guard at the door. With Victor -was another of the village fathers—a farmer -who had once been a schoolteacher. M. Blanc was -a tall, square man, in a rough tweed suit.</p> - -<p>“I am here,” said Victor, speaking to both -André and the guard—who did not understand a -word—“about a matter which demands attention. -It is the exasperating fact that an unexploded shell -reposes in my—”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_99">[99]</span>André cried, “Wait!” and hastily translated for -the guard’s benefit.</p> - -<p>Victor remained standing, with open mouth. -The guard shouted, and Slim came running. The -captain was swiftly consulted, and a demolition -squad was rounded up. This took only a few seconds, -since disposing of unexploded shells was an -ever-present problem.</p> - -<p>On being questioned about where the “dud” -was, Victor finished his sentence. “In my parlor, -near the bay window.”</p> - -<p>At the last word, the demolition crew started -running.</p> - -<p>André asked, “But isn’t Mme. Lescot frightened?”</p> - -<p>“She does not even know it is there,” Victor replied. -“She has been off helping with some of the -children since yesterday. I was obliged to prepare -my own supper,” he finished crossly.</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie came to the door and gravely -shook hands with the two Frenchmen. He eyed -Victor curiously. After a moment’s study of the -old man, however, he decided that to order Victor -to stay out of danger would be a waste of time.</p> - -<p>It was M. Blanc who spoke.</p> - -<p>“We came, sir,” he said, “as spokesmen for the -whole neighborhood. We wish to offer our services -in any way you Americans consider helpful. We -should also be grateful if you can tell us what to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_100">[100]</span> -expect in the way of future danger to our community.”</p> - -<p>“I think,” replied Captain Dobie, “you people -have accepted all this destruction with fine, very -brave spirit. The Maquis, as well as all you other -French people, have helped the landing forces -more than you will ever know. We Americans -want you to realize that we are grateful. It could -have been much worse for us.”</p> - -<p>M. Blanc put up a hand. “Please, m’sieur, it is -our battle also. And the Maquis have told us that -the Americans up beyond Ste. Mère are heroic.”</p> - -<p>The captain said his men had been wonderful. -“But until we dispose of these Germans, we can’t -move forward into France beyond this peninsula.”</p> - -<p>“And the Canadians and British?” asked M. -Blanc.</p> - -<p>“They’ve successfully landed a lot of troops and -tanks. They’ve penetrated to a considerable depth -toward Caen, I hear.”</p> - -<p>“<i>Bon!</i>” Victor’s head bobbed. “When you have -disposed of these bothersome Nazis you speak of—you -do what?”</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie frowned. “We must throw a line -of troops from these beaches straight across the -neck of the peninsula to cut off German reinforcements -from coming to the rescue of the enemy in -Cherbourg.”</p> - -<p>“No doubt,” frowned Victor, “the Nazis will respond<span class="pagenum" id="Page_101">[101]</span> -by doing all the damage possible to our fine -Cherbourg port.”</p> - -<p>“I’m afraid they will,” agreed the captain. -“When we take the port, our U.S. Army engineers -will have to repair the docks quickly. We intend to -bring in our main supplies for the liberation of the -rest of France through Cherbourg when it is free.”</p> - -<p>“Capitaine Dobay,” M. Blanc said, “I suppose -no one knows how long the Germans will hold -out.”</p> - -<p>“I’m afraid not,” replied Captain Dobie.</p> - -<p>There was a second shaking of hands, and Victor -and M. Blanc left.</p> - -<p>André’s mind turned anxiously to the tale of -heavy fighting which was moving toward St. Sauveur -le Vicomte and his family there. He felt more -cut off from them than ever, now that he knew -they were surrounded by such desperate enemies.</p> - -<p>“Has anybody found that German pilot yet?” he -asked Captain Dobie.</p> - -<p>“No sign of him,” the captain replied. “Now, -after breakfast, I have a job for Slim. And I think -you and your dog could go along.”</p> - -<p>Half an hour later, André was telling a delighted -Patchou, “They think it’s safe now, for you -to come out with me. But there’s still a war on, so -behave yourself.”</p> - -<p>The cows, he found, had again been milked by -the American farmer-soldiers, and again most of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_102">[102]</span> -the milk had vanished. The other barn chores had -also been neatly done.</p> - -<p>He heard soft sounds in the loft over the cow -barn, and crept up the stairs to investigate.</p> - -<p>A dozen or more soldiers from the night patrol -were sleeping heavily in the sweet hay. Full of -good Gagnon milk, André thought with pleasure.</p> - -<p>He tiptoed down the stairs and, freeing Patchou -from his fastening, answered Slim’s impatient halloo.</p> - -<p>“Gotta find a commissary dump somewhere -down the road,” Slim explained. “Weller says it -cain’t be far. Them 90th Division cooks told him -about it.”</p> - -<p>After his long imprisonment, Patchou was blissfully -happy. He ran rings around Slim and André. -He found excitement in every newly blasted hole -in the mossy walls, and inviting scents everywhere.</p> - -<p>Slim marched rapidly along for nearly half a -mile, with André keeping up at a trot. Then Slim -said, “Best we begin to ask questions now. Who, -’round here, knows everything?”</p> - -<p>André pointed to a house ahead. “That’s M. -Valjean’s home there. He’s the cobbler. He will -know.”</p> - -<p>M. Valjean listened eagerly to André’s query. -Did he know where there was an American food -dump headquarters nearby?</p> - -<p>“Ah-h, <i>oui, oui, certainement</i>,” the cobbler responded<span class="pagenum" id="Page_103">[103]</span> -enthusiastically, and gave detailed directions -in a flood of rapid French.</p> - -<p>André said, “I know where it is.” He added, -“<i>Merci</i>,” to M. Valjean.</p> - -<p>“You sure?” Slim frowned. “Sounded as if it -must be on the Russian border, what-all I could -make of it.”</p> - -<p>“I am sure, Slim,” André replied. “It is my own -schoolhouse.”</p> - -<p>Slim’s rapidly swinging long legs kept André -at an almost breathless canter. Because their -minds were silently busy, they did not hear the -word, “<i>Kamerad</i>,” when it was first spoken.</p> - -<p>But Slim’s reaction to something out of key -stopped him short, .45 in hand.</p> - -<p>André was pushed back before the second, -louder, “<i>Kamerad</i>” gave him warning.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_104">[104]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER TWELVE<br /> - - -<small><i>Slim and the Trumpet</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">S</span>LIM leaned forward intently, staring at a -thicket to one side. “Who’re you? Come out—hands -up!” he shouted. “Get back, kid.”</p> - -<p>A voice said, “It is not necessary. I vish to giff -myself up—villingly.”</p> - -<p>A young German airman stepped from behind -the litter of broken cherry branches.</p> - -<p>“Where’d you come from?” Slim demanded. -“Keep those hands on your head.”</p> - -<p>“I know who he is,” André cried. Then, to the -stranger, “You’re the pilot who jumped from the -Messerschmitt, aren’t you?”</p> - -<p>The German nodded. “I vish to make no trouble. -Please take my gun—a Luger only, in the holster.”</p> - -<p>Slim snapped out the pistol. “Listen,” he demanded, -“what gives here?”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_105">[105]</span>The German said, “I haf vanted to giff up a long -time now. I am glad you haff come.”</p> - -<p>“Well,” Slim shrugged, “maybe you can explain -that to the captain. Come on. March ahead of me -to that schoolhouse yonder.”</p> - -<p>When they reached the food dump, the prisoner -was put under guard. Meanwhile Slim carried out -the captain’s orders for food supplies. Slim -pointed to the stacked cartons he had piled in the -corner of the schoolhouse. “See nobody lays a hand -on that. A jeep’ll be over to pick it up within an -hour,” he told the commissary sergeant. He also -asked for an extra guard to accompany them back -to the captain. “He says he wants to give hisself -up,” Slim said, “but how do we know he’s on the -level?”</p> - -<p>Drawing his own gun, Slim added to André, as -he led the way, “Wouldn’t our flack gunners like -to get a look at this Luftwaffe fellow?”</p> - -<p>The prisoner smiled wryly. “Your flack gunners -already haff seen me,” he said. “That is vhy I am -here.”</p> - -<p>On their return, Captain Dobie greeted the -German with surprising enthusiasm. “I am delighted -to see you,” he said. “You had us worried.”</p> - -<p>“I vas vorried myself, sir,” the pilot replied.</p> - -<p>A few minutes later the prisoner was dispatched -to an interrogation center by jeep, with Weller -and a guard.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_106">[106]</span>Captain Dobie suggested that André find M. -Blanc and tell him that the village could forget -about that particular German pilot. “Glad to have -<i>him</i> off my mind,” the captain added.</p> - -<p>André found M. Blanc consulting with Victor -near the end of the village and gave them the captain’s -good news.</p> - -<p>En route home through the fields, André found -an almost undamaged yellow parachute. “How -beautiful Marie will be in a dress of yellow silk!” -he thought. And he folded it carefully, tucking the -bulky load under his arm.</p> - -<p>That evening, after supper, André took his -trumpet into the kitchen. He gathered cleaning -rags and polish, and rubbed and cleaned the brass -of the horn. When the tubes had been cleared and -the metal gleamed, he piped a little trill of lonely -notes.</p> - -<p>They made him feel no better, and he tried a -Normandy dance tune.</p> - -<p>He heard the clump of feet behind him and -Slim’s voice. “Holy cow! <i>Where</i> did you get that -horn?”</p> - -<p>André put the trumpet down shyly. Slim picked -it up carefully and rubbed the mouthpiece with -his sleeve.</p> - -<p>“Can you play a trumpet?” André asked curiously.</p> - -<p>“Waal ... I used to play some in the school<span class="pagenum" id="Page_107">[107]</span> -band in Pecos, Texas. Matter of fact, I was pretty -good. Shall I give ’er a try?”</p> - -<p>André jumped when a ringing peal of notes rose -from the brass to the rafters. The notes slid down -the scale, and Slim broke loudly into “Turkey in -the Straw.”</p> - -<p>Weller’s bellow rose even above the music’s vibrations. -“Stop that racket!” Slim guiltily took the -horn from his lips. The sergeant shouted, “Captain’s -on the phone to headquarters.”</p> - -<p>“Tell you what, André,” Slim whispered. “Suppose -we go try this out somewhere?”</p> - -<p>For the next hour, in the dimly lit springhouse, -André enjoyed himself more than he had for -weeks. And when Slim said, “Time for bed now,” -André had learned half of Slim’s pet song, which -was something about Texas.</p> - -<p>Next morning, André found that a thick fog, -almost a drizzle, hung over the treetops. The soft -gray mist hid the harsh destruction of the landscape.</p> - -<p>André went out to find Raoul at work patching -the Coty roof. “Just help me with this thatch, will -you?” Raoul called.</p> - -<p>André gladly climbed up the old ladder with an -armful of straw while Raoul chattered.</p> - -<p>But a moment later he stopped listening to -Raoul’s talk. Somewhere in the fog, he had detected -the uncertain throbbing of a plane’s engine.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_108">[108]</span></p> - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_108.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption"><i>André had learned half of Slim’s pet song</i></p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_109">[109]</span>He sat still to follow the sound. The plane was -flying in wide circles, steadily coming in lower.</p> - -<p>In a drift of the mist, André caught a glimpse of -the markings—a white star.</p> - -<p>“He’s in trouble, Raoul. That’s an American -plane,” André cried.</p> - -<p>“How could he be in trouble?” Raoul objected. -“He’s still in the sky, is he not?”</p> - -<p>But listening closely, he too, heard the engine -sputter. “That engine needs repairs!” he declared -disapprovingly.</p> - -<p>Hastily, André shouted, “DUCK!”</p> - -<p>Their heads went down as the plane’s wings, -trailing wisps of fog, swept close overhead. André -had just time to make out a high-wing monoplane -with patches and holes in its fabric covering.</p> - -<p>The plane banked, sailed over a field behind the -Coty house, and was set down expertly.</p> - -<p>André was already scrambling down the ladder.</p> - -<p>He pelted across the meadow with no thought -of danger. Racing toward the plane, he thought -only that the pilot might be hurt. Through the -plexiglass enclosure of the little ship, André saw -a blond young fellow, in an odd, peaked cap.</p> - -<p>At the sound of pounding footsteps, the pilot -whirled, an automatic suddenly in his hand and -pointed at André.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_110">[110]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER THIRTEEN<br /> - - -<small><i>The War from the Air</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">A</span>NDRÉ was so surprised that he stammered, -in English, “D—don’t fire!”</p> - -<p>The flyer’s hand dropped. “<i>Parlez-vous</i> English?” -he faltered, frowning.</p> - -<p>André’s suspicions leaped up. Dirty brown -coveralls, the strange cap, the German-looking, -tow-colored hair. And the plane. André had never -seen one like it, and the star insigne could be a -Nazi fake.</p> - -<p>André stood his ground, some distance away. -When the pilot flung open the side door and -jumped out, André stepped back.</p> - -<p>In a swift glance over his shoulder, André saw -Raoul reach the bottom of the ladder. He shouted, -“Run get Slim, Raoul. And tell the captain.”</p> - -<p>“For the love of Mike, kid, what gives with you? -You think I’m a German?” the pilot demanded.</p> - -<p>“You could be,” André retorted.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_111">[111]</span>“Holy mackerel!” the pilot laughed. “That’s -what I thought you were, at first. I didn’t even see -you were a kid when I pulled the gun. Forget it.”</p> - -<p>“Well,” André admitted after a moment, “you -do talk like an American.”</p> - -<p>“How come?”</p> - -<p>André laughed uncertainly. “Germans don’t say -‘How come,’ for one thing,” he stated. “But what -<i>are</i> you doing here? It looks as though you were -lost.”</p> - -<p>“Lost is right—and out of fuel, too,” the pilot -replied with angry disgust. “Now I’ve got to find -more gas and get over to Utah Beach in a hurry. -Where am I, anyway?”</p> - -<p>“You are about four miles from the nearest invasion -beach,” André said. “But I’m not sure of -the different names you Americans have given -them. Someone will be here soon. Captain Dobie -can’t come himself, he has a broken leg.”</p> - -<p>“Is this Dobie’s command?” the flyer exclaimed. -“Well, I’m in a hurry. Cripes! I can’t keep the general -waiting. He’ll give me hoop-la for navigating -myself into this mess—fog or no fog. Here’s somebody -now.”</p> - -<p>It was Slim, at a gallop, followed by two armed -guards. They fell in on each side of the pilot.</p> - -<p>Slim took a quick look at the flyer and the plane, -and asked, “What outfit <i>you</i> with?”</p> - -<p>“Army Liaison Squadron, Lieutenant Bill Carson,”<span class="pagenum" id="Page_112">[112]</span> -replied the pilot. “You with the 82nd Airborne?”</p> - -<p>Slim nodded and asked sharply, “Now, what’s -up here? Don’t you guys use landin’ strips any -more?”</p> - -<p>“Don’t pile it on, buddy,” Carson said. “I’m in -bad enough already. I got myself lost good, in this -weather. And this kid here thought I was a German—”</p> - -<p>Slim turned sternly to André. “You can overdo -this takin’ prisoners without consultin’ us, you -know, son,” he muttered coldly.</p> - -<p>He explained to the pilot, more mildly, “This -André and an old Frenchman helped catch a car -full of Nazi officers once. But once is enough.”</p> - -<p>The lieutenant stared at André. “Say,” he exclaimed, -“are you the French kid I heard about? -Trapped those German staff officers? I bet my general’d -like to shake hands with you. He’s the one -who questioned them.”</p> - -<p>Slim put on his best corporal’s manner. “Best -we get back to your business here, Lieutenant. -How are you going to wangle your jalopy out of -this corner, now you got her wedged in so good?”</p> - -<p>The pilot shrugged. “Get me some gas, and I’ll -fly out okay. Might have to wait till the fog lifts a -little.”</p> - -<p>Slim pondered a moment. “Listen, André. You -think we could squeeze a little more gas out of that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_113">[113]</span> -pump of your dad’s? Take us an hour or more to -waylay a U. S. truck carryin’ gas.”</p> - -<p>André smiled. “We’ve been telling everyone the -pump was empty, but we have a little left in case -of—you know—”</p> - -<p>Carson gave a yelp. “I know—emergency, you -mean. Well, boys, I’m the worst emergency you’ll -ever meet.”</p> - -<p>Slim ordered one of his men to guard the plane. -At a frown from the guard, Raoul, who had been -standing close by, stalked off.</p> - -<p>At the house Slim went in to report to the captain -and came back with word that Dobie had telephoned -the general waiting at Utah Beach.</p> - -<p>The general had sent a message to Carson: -“What did that idiot mean by getting stuck in a -blasted cow pasture? And tell him to get out of -there in a blasted hurry, or I’ll have his blasted -...” and so forth.</p> - -<p>Carson smiled wanly. “That’s my general,” he -said.</p> - -<p>Slim went back to duty, and André and the pilot -refilled the plane’s tank from the cans they had -brought from the Gagnon pump.</p> - -<p>Carson took a dismal look at the gray-blanketed -landscape. With André’s help, he rolled the machine -around so that it headed away from the -hedge. “Want to get in while I taxi her into position?” -Carson asked.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_114">[114]</span>“You are permitted—?” André cried.</p> - -<p>Carson laughed. “Of course I’m not permitted—but -what’s the difference? Climb in.”</p> - -<p>André clambered into the seat beside the pilot’s. -Carson turned a switch, adjusted the throttle, -swung the propeller, and the engine started -promptly. “Now, fasten that seat belt and hold on, -this field’s bumpy.”</p> - -<p>With a surge of power, the plane began to move. -Skillfully the pilot ruddered a jolting course -around the potholes and stumps, to the far corner -of the meadow. “Need all the run I can get for the -take-off,” he explained.</p> - -<p>Faced around for a diagonal course, he throttled -the engine. “Gosh, I think the fog is beginning to -break,” he cried.</p> - -<p>He leaned out to observe the wind direction -which already was beginning to ruffle the tops of -the trees.</p> - -<p>“I’d feel better if I knew this country,” he said. -“You know it like your own hand, I suppose?”</p> - -<p>André said he did, and the pilot stared down at -him thoughtfully.</p> - -<p>“Say,” Carson broke out again. “How about you -coming along for the ride, and point out landmarks -for me?”</p> - -<p>André’s eyes lit up. “But—” he began.</p> - -<p>“You seen the Invasion beaches yet? I’ll show -them to you,” he offered.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_115">[115]</span>Before André could gather his wits, Carson exclaimed, -“There’s a patch of blue sky! We better -grab this chance. Hang on. Here we go!” And he -pushed open the throttle.</p> - -<p>André felt the engine quicken and then the forward -jolt as the brakes were released.</p> - -<p>Smoothly, the little ship lifted after the short -run. Banking sharply, it swept toward the far rim -of trees and, with inches to spare, skimmed over -them.</p> - -<p>The mist was breaking up, revealing open vistas. -As the plane rose, the houses and fields below -shrank away swiftly.</p> - -<p>The pilot said, “Keep a close watch for low-flying -bombers. They’re all over the place today, -cleaning out isolated German pockets.”</p> - -<p>Almost at once they were over the marshes.</p> - -<p>“That’s our road to the sea.” André pointed.</p> - -<p>The mists broke away sharply over the Channel.</p> - -<p>André gasped.</p> - -<p>A staggering panorama had been unveiled. -Pigmy files of marching troops, pigmy tanks and -trucks crawled up the sea road in an endless procession. -Oceanward, beyond the shore bluff and -wreck-strewn beach, lay a sight which André could -scarcely take in. Hundreds of ships extended as far -as he could see across the gray waves. Over the -ships, huge balloons lolled and bobbed and tugged -at their anchors. Destroyers and landing craft<span class="pagenum" id="Page_116">[116]</span> -darted between the shore and a line of hundreds of -transports.</p> - -<p>André could make out a fleet of planes heading -toward Cherbourg to the north. And from that direction, -the dull thud of bombs rolled back on the -wet air.</p> - -<p>“It is grand,” he managed to say breathlessly. -“But—” he hesitated, and added slowly, “it is terrible -for the French people. So many guns and -bombs pointed at us.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_117">[117]</span>Carson glanced down at him. “They are pointed -at the Germans,” he corrected André. “Don’t forget -that we’re trying not to hurt France more than -necessary.”</p> - -<p>“<i>Oui</i>, I know,” André said. “But sir, I did not -know there were so many ships and guns in the -whole world.”</p> - -<p>“Well,” said Carson, “take a good look while -you’ve got the chance. I’ve got my bearings now.”</p> - -<p>André studied the beach below. In the shallow -water, wrecked landing craft swung uselessly, half-awash. -On the sea’s edge lay tanks which had -reached shore only to be shelled into wreckage. -Savage battles had turned the sands into a disorder -of blasted, blackened gun pits and machine-gun -nests.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_116.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>Twice, while Carson circled, André saw him -fiddling with the radio. Then he spoke into the -hand microphone, and listened for a few moments.</p> - -<p>“Got ’em at last,” he said. “They say we’ve got<span class="pagenum" id="Page_118">[118]</span> -to hold off awhile longer. Some Luftwaffe guy got -through last night and bombed the strip. They’re -just finishing repairs. See them down there?”</p> - -<p>André looked directly down. Tiny men laying -strips of steel mesh moved in groups, like ants. -Bulldozers swept along one side. And between the -airstrip and the sea, supplies were piling up steadily -into mountains.</p> - -<p>Carson grinned. “I’ll bet that’s my general pacing -up and down in front of that big tent.” A second -later, he said, “As long as we can’t get down -right away, how about we take a look at the English -and Canadian beachheads?”</p> - -<p>He swung alongshore and headed eastward.</p> - -<p>Carson pointed out the little city of Carentan. -There was a rattle of machine guns below, and -the pilot threw the plane into a series of violent -turns. Noises like angry wasps streaked past their -ears.</p> - -<p>André swayed dizzily.</p> - -<p>“Oh-oh! What am I doing in here?” Carson -yelled. “That’s the way I get holes in my ship.” -He pointed out new tears in the fabric. As they -zoomed away, he explained, “That was a Nazi -machine-gun. There are still German troops and -guns between Utah and Omaha Beaches and the -British beachheads.”</p> - -<p>The plane climbed steadily away, and André -relaxed.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_119">[119]</span>The fury of Omaha and the British beaches was -very like that which he had seen at Utah.</p> - -<p>Unconsciously, André shuddered. Far to the -right, under a pall of smoke and the flickering of -explosions, lay a city being pounded to rubble.</p> - -<p>“That must be Caen,” André murmured. “My -mother was born in Caen.” Then, after a moment, -“The houses, the farms, the cows and the horses -... the people ...” he counted sadly.</p> - -<p>Carson sat thoughtfully quiet. He swung the -ship in a wide circle for the return.</p> - -<p>“Don’t think about it, kid,” he said presently. -“Just remember the big German guns that aren’t -there any more.”</p> - -<p>André replied slowly, “I don’t think we really -knew the Liberation would be as bad as this. We -will be glad when it is over.”</p> - -<p>Suddenly the pilot jammed his control stick -forward. The plane nosed into a violent dive. -“Hang on! Fighters overhead. Up there!” he -shouted.</p> - -<p>André’s head had jerked back. In his range of -vision, a formation of six Thunderbolts with -white stars roared past.</p> - -<p>“Wow!” Carson gasped, and pulled the ship -level.</p> - -<p>“They’re after a bridge,” he yelled.</p> - -<p>André watched plane after plane go into a dive -and the bombs leave the racks to arc downward.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_120">[120]</span>In the successive rain of bombs a black, flame-flecked -cloud shot skyward.</p> - -<p>“They have hit it!” André cried jubilantly.</p> - -<p>The Thunderbolts zoomed upward out of the -haze, reformed, and disappeared toward England.</p> - -<p>Some time later, Carson talked once more into -the radio. “It’s okay. They say to come in now. -The runway’s ready,” he announced.</p> - -<p>He throttled back. “Well, now you know what -the beaches are like,” he sighed. There was a -smooth descent, Carson slid in over the steel mesh -and brought the machine to a stop beside a group -of officers.</p> - -<p>He snapped open his own seat belt and André’s.</p> - -<p>“Oh-oh!” Carson gasped. “I’d better try to -explain <i>you</i>.”</p> - -<p>André looked across at a glistening, brilliant -red face that belonged to a bulky man in a sweat-stained -uniform.</p> - -<p>“It’s the general,” Carson whispered. He -pushed the door open and saluted.</p> - -<p>He spoke more rapidly than usual. “This is the -French boy, sir, who helped catch the Nazi brass -from Paris.”</p> - -<p>The general seemed to be caught between fury -and curiosity.</p> - -<p>“Is it!” he sputtered at last. “And <i>what’s</i> he -doing in an army plane?”</p> - -<p>“Well, sir—” Carson blinked. “I needed—”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_121">[121]</span>“Oh, never mind,” boomed the general explosively. -“He’s here now, and I want to shake hands -with him. Come on, boy.”</p> - -<p>André leaped down from the plane, and his -hand disappeared in the general’s bear clutch.</p> - -<p>“Glad to thank you personally—” roared the -huge man gruffly.</p> - -<p>He mopped his neck. “Want to tell you—what’s -your name again? André Gunion? Can’t get these -foreign names. Rotten at languages, but I can -judge people. Where’s that old fellow—friend of -yours—Vilmer, was it?—who shot the tires off the -Nazis?”</p> - -<p>André had tried to speak several times. Now, he -said loudly, “Victor—Lescot.”</p> - -<p>“Lescot? Lescot? That means green vegetable, -doesn’t it?” barked the general. “No? Well, never -mind. Congratulate him for me. Found out a lot -from those Nazi colonels, we did. Tell you what. -We expect the biggest generals we got, here on this -bridgehead in a couple of days—Eisenhower, Marshall, -Arnold. They’ll be glad to know how you -French kids have helped.”</p> - -<p>He paused for breath. “Well, got to get going. -Lieutenant!”</p> - -<p>Carson emerged from inspecting the bullet -holes in the plane, again chattering rapidly. “How -are we going to get this boy home, sir? He can’t -walk. It’s too far.”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_122">[122]</span>The general snorted. “Send him in a jeep, of -course—with some new orders for Captain Dobie.”</p> - -<p>An iron-faced sergeant appeared and saluted.</p> - -<p>“Oh, there you are, Streukoff,” shouted the general. -“Take this boy to Captain Dobie. Boy knows -where his command post is, over there somewhere.” -He jerked a large thumb toward inland -Normandy.</p> - -<p>At the plane, he called back, “And mind you get -a receipt for him.”</p> - -<p>Carson called to André, “We had fun, eh? Be -seeing you,” and opened the throttle.</p> - -<p>Half an hour later, a jeep bearing André in the -front seat, rocketed around a line of trucks and -soldiers into André’s own village.</p> - -<p>He had been busy for some minutes thinking -how he was to explain his trip to Captain Dobie.</p> - -<p>As the jeep rolled down the village street André -saw that something unusual had happened. The -neighbors were running toward a little gathering -of people.</p> - -<p>His eyes raced over them and stopped.</p> - -<p>In front of the parish house, worn, gray with -fatigue, his clothes dusty and torn, loomed a tall -old man.</p> - -<p>André’s heart stood still.</p> - -<p>“Father Duprey!” he shouted.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_123">[123]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER FOURTEEN<br /> - - -<small><i>Father Duprey’s Story</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">“M</span>Y DEAR boy!” Father Duprey held out his -arms.</p> - -<p>André cleared the space to the parsonage steps -as though shot from the jeep.</p> - -<p>“Did my mother come—my father—Marie?” -he cried.</p> - -<p>He looked up at the priest’s long, bony face, -lined with weariness, and halted. The old man’s -embrace was kind, but André knew at once that -the news he brought was not good. His expression -held too much sadness.</p> - -<p>“The father needs rest,” someone in the crowd -of neighbors called out. And Anna, the parsonage -housekeeper, bustled from the door.</p> - -<p>“Come in, come in, André,” she called anxiously. -“And bring in the father. I will give you -tea. And <i>then</i> you may talk.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_124">[124]</span></p> - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_124.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption"><i>“My dear boy!” Father Duprey held out his arms</i></p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_125">[125]</span>“I must tell you, André,” Father Duprey said, -“my news of your family is not too bad. So do not -be anxious. However, I do not know where all of -them are now. But come into the house.”</p> - -<p>After tea was served, the old man sighed deeply. -“Now, André,” he said, “to relieve your anxiety -as well as I can.</p> - -<p>“To begin. The hospital where we left your -mother is small. And it is well outside the town of -St. Sauveur le Vicomte—in the country, really. -The doctors there are good. Your father, Marie, -and I waited for some time to get a report from -them about your mother.</p> - -<p>“At about ten-thirty o’clock, Monday night—that -was June 5th—one of the doctors came to tell -us that Mme. Gagnon needed only the right medicine -and a week or two to get well. That is good -news, eh?”</p> - -<p>André sighed. “Yes, very good.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! another thing.” The priest held up a thin -finger. “The Maquis met us exactly on time, at -the rendezvous not far from the hospital. And -your brave English flyer—Ronald Pitt—ran for it. -What a sight! Two of the roughest looking of our -Maquis and a nun, racing toward a near-by building. -But—well, they got away safely. That <i>was</i> -good, no?”</p> - -<p>“Wonderful,” André murmured.</p> - -<p>“Well, then. At about eleven-thirty that night,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_126">[126]</span> -your father and I stood at the hospital door. We -were to start back home, and Marie was to stay -with your mother. We heard bombing all around -us. Your father said, ‘The bombing is getting bad.’</p> - -<p>“Just as he said that, we heard loud shouting in -German, and Nazis began pouring out of their -camp onto the roads.</p> - -<p>“A minute later there was the sound of motorcycles -and cars shrieking in the streets, and heavy -antiaircraft fire.</p> - -<p>“Someone cried out, ‘The Invasion has begun! -<i>Parachutists are landing all around Ste. Mère!</i>’</p> - -<p>“Your father felt that his duty was to remain -with Mme. Gagnon. I, that my duty was to hasten -home. And I promised to look after you, André.”</p> - -<p>The old man smiled wryly. “I did not have -much chance to do that, did I?</p> - -<p>“In the midst of it, Marie appeared. She was -with Leon Duplis, a Maquis I know well.</p> - -<p>“She said, ‘Father, the Maquis here need women -to help with the villagers. Please do not forbid me -to go. In the hospital, Mother is in good hands.’</p> - -<p>“Your father agreed, but not willingly. In another -minute Marie and Leon were on a motorcycle -and out of sight.”</p> - -<p>“But how did you get home, father? It has been -five days,” asked André.</p> - -<p>The priest replied, “It was necessary to follow -the loneliest roads through the confusion. One did<span class="pagenum" id="Page_127">[127]</span> -not know where the shells or the snipers’ bullets -would strike.</p> - -<p>“I slept well enough under hedges,” the priest -continued. “I was very kindly given food by many -villagers. Sometimes I took refuge in a church or -house. At times I was able to help with the -wounded and ill. And sometimes I stopped to comfort -the children.”</p> - -<p>Father Duprey rose and put a kindly hand on -André’s shoulder. “I am glad that you were spared, -son. Go home now, and do not worry. Even about -Marie. The Gagnons are a family that for two -hundred years has not been easily crushed.”</p> - -<p>André went slowly down the parsonage steps.... -On the first night of the invasion his parents -had been safe. But that was four days ago, he -thought.</p> - -<p>A loud shout stopped him. Streukoff beckoned -from the jeep. “Hey, kid! Say, I gotta deliver you -and get a receipt from Captain Dobie. Git in.”</p> - -<p>André looked shocked. “The general was joking, -wasn’t he? I can walk the short distance home. -I’m sorry I kept you waiting so long.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, that’s all right. I needed the rest,” grinned -Streukoff. “But I’m getting that receipt, boy. A -general never forgets.”</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie looked up from his desk irritably -when Streukoff entered the room and saluted. -André followed well in the rear.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_128">[128]</span>“Yes?” Dobie snapped.</p> - -<p>After hearing the general’s request, he barked, -“You want <i>what</i>? You brought André home? From -<i>where</i>!”</p> - -<p>At one side, Weller muttered, “I should ’a’ -known better. I should ’a’ known better.”</p> - -<p>The captain scribbled out a receipt for Streukoff -and signed it. He then registered his feelings by -banging weights down on all the papers on his -desk.</p> - -<p>“I never even <i>missed</i> him,” he said through -closed lips.</p> - -<p>The telephone jangled, and André saw Weller -turn to Captain Dobie excitedly.</p> - -<p>“It’s the colonel,” Weller shouted. “We’re -movin’ this command post up to the other side of -Ste. Mère! The 9th division is almost set to help -us on a big push.”</p> - -<p>Weller turned his eyes slowly on André.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_129">[129]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER FIFTEEN<br /> - - -<small><i>Battle for St. Sauveur</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">T</span>HE idea of Captain Dobie’s staff going away -came as a shock to André.</p> - -<p>“B-but—” he stammered.</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie and Weller consulted maps and -papers. At last, the captain sat back and lit a cigarette.</p> - -<p>“You’ve seen Father Duprey? What did he have -to tell you?” he inquired mildly.</p> - -<p>“Not very good news, sir,” André replied. “But -nothing especially bad ... I wish my family -could get home,” he said irritably.</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie cocked an eyebrow.</p> - -<p>“I wish they could, too,” he said. “And, as long -as I am responsible here, maybe you’d like to tell -me why you went off with that pilot in his plane.”</p> - -<p>At this unexpected shift, André flushed.</p> - -<p>“You did not tell me not to, sir,” he said shyly.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_130">[130]</span>“I did not tell you not to ride an elephant to -Afghanistan, either,” the captain retorted. “How -could I know you had any intention of flying over -the enemy?”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_130.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>“I did not know it myself.” André could not -help smiling. “It just happened.”</p> - -<p>“Well, you’re lucky to be back. I don’t suppose<span class="pagenum" id="Page_131">[131]</span> -it really matters if I turn gray worrying about -you,” said the captain.</p> - -<p>A bark from Patchou in the kitchen gave André -an excuse to bolt away.</p> - -<p>Although Captain Dobie’s colonel had ordered -the post moved closer to the fighting, the change -would not come until other units were in position.</p> - -<p>During the next couple of days André’s mind -turned more and more toward St. Sauveur. If he -could only go forward with Dobie and Weller and -Slim, to be near when that town was liberated. -Other French children were in the battle zone. -And, after all, he had been under fire himself.</p> - -<p>St. Sauveur, Weller explained, was directly in -the path of the Americans who were hammering -through to the coast to keep the Germans from -sending help to the fortress at Cherbourg. The 9th -Division and their own 82nd Airborne were working -together in this drive for the showdown.</p> - -<p>Weller came home from an errand to the beach -on Tuesday, the 13th, whistling gaily, off key.</p> - -<p>“Good news?” André asked.</p> - -<p>Weller replied, “Tops. We wiped the Nazis out -of that gap between Utah and Omaha beachheads. -Now we can roll! And boy! You ought to see our -new Utah airstrip. Planes goin’ to London out of -there—like ferries—with the wounded.”</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie, talking to his colonel on the -phone, hung up, looking cheerful.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_132">[132]</span>“The towns along the Merderet River seem to -be pretty well mopped up,” he reported. “We -hold the bridges. So the way to the Douve River’s -clear now.”</p> - -<p>Later that day Weller made a fast trip to the -new command post. He came back to report that a -small stone farm building near a crossroads north -of Pont l’Abbé had been found for Captain Dobie.</p> - -<p>“We got a pair of new lieutenants takin’ the -places of a couple that got wounded,” Weller said. -“Good fighters, these replacements, Schoenfargle -an’ Ouvarski.”</p> - -<p>André grew more silent as the captain’s leaving -day drew near.</p> - -<p>St. Sauveur was to André a pretty little town -where his family were. As each day went by he -felt more anxious about his mother. And finally -he decided he must follow Dobie and look for her.</p> - -<p>On the last evening, Captain Dobie said, “I’m -leaving Slim here for a few days, on orders, André. -He’ll be in touch with me, so send us word if anything -is wrong.”</p> - -<p>Weller echoed, “Yeah. You do that, kid, and -you just tend to the cows, and mind what Father -Duprey says.”</p> - -<p>André was up and the house astir before sunrise -next morning.</p> - -<p>Maps, papers, and duffle were stacked waiting<span class="pagenum" id="Page_133">[133]</span> -in the hallway when Slim appeared at the door and -announced, “Jeep’s ready, Captain.”</p> - -<p>This was the bad moment for André.</p> - -<p>Dobie hobbled out to the jeep and Weller followed. -Several of the neighbors, including Father -Duprey and Victor, had come to say good-by.</p> - -<p>Patchou kept up a nervous barking, shocked by -the departure of friends, until André put an arm -around him.</p> - -<p>Over the noisy complaint of the jeep’s motor, -Captain Dobie thanked all those gathered there -for their help. And he asked that thanks be given -to the Gagnons.</p> - -<p>“I’ll see you all again,” he smiled, clutching at -his seat as the jeep leaped forward.</p> - -<p>And up to the overhanging chestnut trees rang -cries of “<i>Vive l’Amérique!</i>” and “<i>Vive le Capitaine -Dobay!</i>”</p> - -<p>The last André heard was Weller’s voice, bellowing, -“Vive la Frenchmen!”</p> - -<p>The silence of the house, as the sun slid up over -the trees, was numbing.</p> - -<p>Mme. Lescot arrived to break this up, equipped -with an armload of cleaning things.</p> - -<p>“This place resembles a pigsty,” she announced. -“Mme. Gagnon must not see such a mess. Please -cause yourself to be absent.”</p> - -<p>Slim hurriedly remembered a job to be done.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_134">[134]</span> -André pushed Patchou hastily out of doors and -went to milk the cows.</p> - -<p>He had just put the milk to cool when Mme. -Lescot hailed him from the kitchen door. “Breakfast!” -she called.</p> - -<p>When Slim and André drew up to the table, -Mme. Lescot produced a breakfast of army supplies -she had found on a shelf.</p> - -<p>“It is not my business,” she said shortly, “to -complain about God’s behavior. But I cannot -help believing He has encouraged the American -Army to habits of extravagance. Do you leave good -food behind, everywhere you go?”</p> - -<p>When this was translated into English, Slim -laughed.</p> - -<p>“No, ma’am!” he said emphatically. “This army -eats everything it lays its hands on. Weller’s just -repayin’ the Gagnons for the use of their house, I -guess.”</p> - -<p>After breakfast, Slim called for André and the -trumpet. Fitted in between his duties, Slim gave -André more lessons in American tunes. The old -house trembled under the blasts.</p> - -<p>In the midst of one of Slim’s Texas songs, an -ambulance full of wounded from the fighting at -St. Sauveur drew up and stopped.</p> - -<p>The driver had a message about Captain Dobie.</p> - -<p>“Cap’n’s got himself shot in the shoulder,” he -reported.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_135">[135]</span>André and Slim froze.</p> - -<p>The driver added, as he started on, “Couldn’t -get him to come away and be evacuated home with -these other guys.”</p> - -<p>“What’s Weller doin’ lettin’ the skipper get -shot!” Slim exclaimed. “Best I get up there quick, -now.”</p> - -<p>André had decided to “get up there,” too.</p> - -<p>He could surely get far enough to trace Marie, -and perhaps find some clue to where his father and -mother were.</p> - -<p>Late that evening of D-day plus nine, Weller -returned to pick up Slim.</p> - -<p>“Come on, Corporal,” he shouted. “The cap’n -needs you.</p> - -<p>“Looks like we’ll take St. Sauveur in a couple -of days,” he told André. “Then, as soon’s we cut -through to the coast, the big push up to Cherbourg -starts off. Won’t be long now.... Take care -y’self, kid.”</p> - -<p>The two waved from the jeep. “Be seein’ you,” -they called.</p> - -<p>André answered, “<i>Oui</i>—yes. I think so. Soon.”</p> - -<p>Because of his own plans, Slim’s departure did -not leave André quite so lonely as he might have -been.</p> - -<p>The question of <i>how</i> to get near St. Sauveur was -the problem. André thought he might ask some -pleasant-looking officer for a lift. He might—</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_136">[136]</span>In the end it was Victor who solved things very -simply.</p> - -<p>The Lescots’ married daughter’s home had been -burned out. She had just sent word that she was -at a farm near Picauville, a hamlet just outside -Pont l’Abbé. The message begged her father to -come, please, and get her.</p> - -<p>On the morning after Slim’s departure, Victor -arrived at the Gagnons’ door with La Fumée and -the cart. He explained his journey to André.</p> - -<p>“But,” André cried, “I must go with you, Victor. -You cannot speak English any better than you -did when we went to Jacquard’s.”</p> - -<p>“That is true enough,” Victor admitted.</p> - -<p>“Good. I go. I translate when soldiers try to stop -you,” André announced.</p> - -<p>“It is an idea,” Victor agreed.</p> - -<p>“Well, then?” André cried.</p> - -<p>“The cows,” Victor chided.</p> - -<p>André paused. “Raoul?” he suggested. “Do you -think he would milk them?”</p> - -<p>“Most certainly. And steal the milk, equally certainly,” -Victor said.</p> - -<p>“I’ll ask him,” André decided. “Wait, <i>please</i>.”</p> - -<p>“I will wait.”</p> - -<p>Victor sat impatiently in the cart and polished -his glasses while André raced across the field.</p> - -<p>Ten minutes later André was back. Raoul had -agreed. And La Fumée was plodding steadily toward<span class="pagenum" id="Page_137">[137]</span> -Ste. Mère and the clatter and shriek of gunfire. -Crouching under a blanket at André’s feet lay -Patchou.</p> - -<p>The Gagnon house stood silently empty for the -first time in weeks.</p> - -<p>About noon a black motorcycle rolled to a stop -beside the Gagnon pump. Marie, in dark slacks -and a man’s cap similar to the driver’s, dismounted.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_137.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>“The house looks empty, Leon,” she said, -alarm in her voice.</p> - -<p>She pushed open the door and called, “André.” -There was no answer as she entered the empty -hallway.</p> - -<p>Hurriedly, she ran through the house in a panic, -and returned to the door.</p> - -<p>“He isn’t here, Leon,” she cried. “The house is -empty. Even Patchou is gone.”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_138">[138]</span>Leon looked at her calmly. “Perhaps you are -not the only adventurous one in the family,” he -laughed.</p> - -<p>Aghast at the thought of André wandering who -knows where, Marie paused.</p> - -<p>“I did hope he had a letter from Maman telling -us where the hospital has moved to. And now I -don’t even know what has happened to André,” -she cried.</p> - -<p>She looked wildly around the village.</p> - -<p>Darting between passing trucks she came to the -Lescot kitchen. A few minutes later she returned -to Leon, breathless.</p> - -<p>“André has gone off toward St. Sauveur with -Victor,” she explained. “Perhaps we can catch up -with them on the road to Pont l’Abbé. We must -hurry.”</p> - -<p>The black motorcycle shot off in the direction -of Ste. Mère.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_139">[139]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER SIXTEEN<br /> - - -<small><i>André into the Fighting</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">A</span>NDRÉ’s trip with Victor was unexpectedly -easy at the beginning.</p> - -<p>When they passed through Ste. Mère, the town -seemed almost quiet, although the litter and destruction -on all sides were heartbreaking.</p> - -<p>Beyond the town, the roads were clogged.</p> - -<p>Victor was not challenged as they wove through -marching troops and rolling equipment.</p> - -<p>“That looks very unpleasant ahead of us,” Victor -stated disapprovingly, when they had crossed -the Merderet River bridge.</p> - -<p>Shell bursts, dust and smoke hung over the once -orderly fields and patches of woods. Noises burst -out loudly behind clumps of trees and died away.</p> - -<p>Presently, Victor announced: “We proceed but -a short distance farther along this road. At an oak<span class="pagenum" id="Page_140">[140]</span> -tree ahead we turn left to the village where my -daughter is.”</p> - -<p>It was then that André put forward his own -plans. He watched Victor’s look of shocked surprise -anxiously. Suppose Victor would not let him -go?</p> - -<p>“But,” Victor said, “you know I cannot accompany -you into St. Sauveur now. Surely you -comprehend that!”</p> - -<p>André said firmly, “I did not expect it, Victor. -I go on with Patchou only. Captain Dobie is near -here, so I won’t be alone.”</p> - -<p>Even as André said this, he began to doubt -whether Captain Dobie would welcome him. He -also began to wonder whether he could find the -captain’s new post.</p> - -<p>As he and Victor drew nearer St. Sauveur, -André began to notice that the sound of firing -came from many directions. He turned his eyes -from north to south and counted several rising -pillars of smoke. Sometimes the ground shuddered -and rocked the cart.</p> - -<p>“It will not be easy to enter the city,” he -thought.</p> - -<p>But after he and Victor had talked a minute, -Victor agreed to let him go.</p> - -<p>“However, you must use good sense,” Victor -said, as André climbed down from the cart. “Do -not approach a single German, even if he looks<span class="pagenum" id="Page_141">[141]</span> -kindly. You must recall that not all Nazis are like -our Papa Schmidt.”</p> - -<p>After this good advice, he added, “You are quite -right to seek your mother. I shall no doubt get -along without you well enough.”</p> - -<p>With this, he clacked the reins and drove off.</p> - -<p>André and Patchou skirted the jumbled rubble -that had once been the village of Pont l’Abbé. -They continued on through bypaths and across -fields.</p> - -<p>“If you stay close to me, you may walk,” André -told Patchou. Patchou trotted along obediently, -his trembling shoulder pressed tightly against -André’s leg.</p> - -<p>André looked at the skyline ahead. As he stared, -new blazes broke out. Billowing smoke hung over -St. Sauveur beyond the hills. After a moment he -realized that the city was being bombarded by big -guns.</p> - -<p>“We may as well get as close to Maman as we -can,” he murmured. “Come along, Patchou.” He -could see a file of soldiers, hugging the roadside -and straggling toward the city.</p> - -<p>He led Patchou into a cowpath and they -trudged on.</p> - -<p>Twice André pulled Patchou down into a ditch -as rifle and machine gun fire broke out in near-by -villages.</p> - -<p>After the second dive into a ditch, André sat<span class="pagenum" id="Page_142">[142]</span> -thoughtfully silent. It would be better to go back, -he knew. But then he thought of his empty -house—</p> - -<p>“Come on, Patchou,” he whispered. “When we -get across the main road to St. Sauveur, just over -there, we will try to find somebody to tell us how -to find Maman in the hospital.”</p> - -<p>They scurried across the tree-lined highway.</p> - -<p>Where they crossed, the road seemed deserted. -André could not see far in any direction. Back in -the fields a stone barn stood among shredded trees -below a hill. A château stood on the hilltop, -almost hidden by trees.</p> - -<p>Just as André looked up, a shell arched down -from the sky a hundred yards away.</p> - -<p>Before André could grab Patchou’s collar the -explosion showered them both with stones and -mud.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_142.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_143">[143]</span>André reached wildly for Patchou and ran headlong -with him into the field toward the nearest -building he could see—the stone barn.</p> - -<p>The blast of another shell threw André onto his -face in a hail of debris. And Patchou twisted with -a wild jerk and broke away.</p> - -<p>André leaped to his feet, shrieking, “Patchou! -Patchou!”</p> - -<p>But Patchou had disappeared! And while -André called wildly, another voice shouted, -“Here, kid! Come here! The barn! Run, kid—<i>run</i>!”</p> - -<p>The scream of another “88” from the sky -brought André to his senses.</p> - -<p>He saw a figure in the half-open door of the -barn waving to him frantically.</p> - -<p>André raced up to the entrance and threw himself -into the arms of the tall soldier who had -called. The door banged shut and the bolt was -shot. Immediately a patter of machine-gun bullets -rattled against the broad iron hinges. The -hail of bullets whined and thudded steadily.</p> - -<p>Another voice in the barn shouted angrily, -“<i>Where</i> are the reinforcements, Lieutenant -Ouvarski? Our ammo isn’t going to hold out much -longer.”</p> - -<p>The strong arms that had pulled André in set -him on his feet, and he caught a glimpse of a lieutenant’s -shoulder bars.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_144">[144]</span>The lieutenant said gently, “It’s all right, boy. -But what were you doing in the battle area?”</p> - -<p>André could only gasp for breath. After a moment -he stammered, “I—I didn’t know I was so -close to the line. Patchou? Can I get him soon?”</p> - -<p>The light, from broken places in the roof high -overhead, was dim. André caught glimpses of -shadowy faces stationed at windows and small -breaks in the walls. Rifles cracked, and a bazooka -at a far window flamed.</p> - -<p>“We’re in a German trap,” the lieutenant explained -to André hastily. “I sent out for help. I -hope it comes. You get over in that manger, kid, -and keep down.”</p> - -<p>Then the lieutenant turned to shout orders and -warnings to his men. “Don’t show yourself above -that window again, Donovan! You <i>want</i> to get -hit?”</p> - -<p>“Two Heinies edgin’ around that wall,” -screamed an unseen rifleman. “Watch it, Lieutenant!”</p> - -<p>After a shattering fusilade of machine-gun fire -against the old stone walls, a sudden silence fell. -And outside, a German voice called, “Do you giff -up, or do we take you, vun by vun?”</p> - -<p>Silence fell again. And then the bark of the -lieutenant’s automatic. Six rapid shots.</p> - -<p>“There’s your answer, Fritzie boy!” Lieutenant -Ouvarski growled.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_145">[145]</span>The voice outside did not speak again. The -lieutenant wiped his face on the sleeve of his shirt.</p> - -<p>André thought, “I hope my mother and father -and Marie are in a deep stone cellar.” Then suddenly -he was too tired to remember why he was -there.</p> - -<p>He did not even hear the corporal say, “What -does old Dobie think he’s doin’ about those reinforcements -he promised? Sendin’ ’em by way of -Alaska?”</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_146">[146]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER SEVENTEEN<br /> - - -<small><i>Patchou on the Battlefield</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">A</span> FEW minutes after André left Victor, Captain -Dobie, Weller, their colonel, and his aide -were poring over a map. They were hidden under -trees, a mile and a half from the stone barn.</p> - -<p>They looked up every moment or two toward -St. Sauveur.</p> - -<p>“Things are going along fine,” the colonel said. -“The engineers have got a rubber pontoon bridge -over the Douve River, and troops are crossing -there already. They’ll have a steel one over the -river for the tanks to cross, in an hour or two.”</p> - -<p>Dobie nodded. “How soon do you think we’ll -be sending our first patrols into St. Sauveur?” he -asked.</p> - -<p>“By sunset,” the colonel said. “As soon as the -9th gets the rest of these towns around here<span class="pagenum" id="Page_147">[147]</span> -cleaned up, we’ll send our fellows through. How -are those new lieutenants I sent you, Dobie?”</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie grinned. “Schoenfargle took -forty-seven prisoners yesterday. And Ouvarski’s -squad took over a hundred. That answer your -question, Colonel?”</p> - -<p>The colonel laughed. But his aide suddenly -held up a hand. “Wait a second. SOS of some kind -on the field telephone. Yes, yes ... I get you. -Yes. Ouvarski ... a dozen men. What? Trapped -in a barn.... Okay.... But where, man, -<i>where</i>?”</p> - -<p>He saw the colonel reach out, and handed the -phone to him.</p> - -<p>The colonel consulted the map and noted the -position of the barn. After a minute’s delay, he -got a battery commander by radio. Calmly, he -gave the map location.</p> - -<p>“Have that stone barn boxed in by your guns,” -he ordered. “Fire for five minutes exactly—and -then quit. We’ll have relief troops ready to move -in then.”</p> - -<p>He handed the phone to Weller.</p> - -<p>“I’m going down to the bridges now, Dobie,” -he said.</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie looked white. “Ouvarski -trapped,” he repeated. “Can we spare enough men -right now to get them out, sir?”</p> - -<p>The aide said, “Why not?”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_148">[148]</span>The colonel put a thin, dirty hand on Dobie’s -arm. “You <i>know</i> we’ll get Ouvarski out. And my -orders to you, sir, are to stay right here. You have -my authority to make your man, Slim, a sergeant. -Send him in command of the Ouvarski rescue -bunch. Keep Weller with you. And <i>you</i>, Dobie, -in future, try not to be so all-fired brave.”</p> - -<p>The captain turned to catch Weller’s eye as the -colonel marched across the road to his own hidden -jeep.</p> - -<p>“He sounds,” Dobie said, “a good deal like me -talking to André, doesn’t he?”</p> - -<p>But his smile was short.</p> - -<p>“So Slim’s a sergeant at last,” he said. “Get him -on the radio. Tell him to pick up fifteen or twenty -men and we’ll meet him down the road.”</p> - -<p>“But Captain,” Weller exploded, “the colonel -said—”</p> - -<p>“Ouvarski’s my lieutenant, and a brave one. It’s -<i>my</i> job to see that he and his men get out alive,” -Dobie snapped.</p> - -<p>“Okay, sir,” Weller said. “It’s me’ll get courtmartialed. -But pay no heed.”</p> - -<p>The jeep bounded and took to the road.</p> - -<p>A few moments later they met Slim with a -truckload of men, and instructed him to follow. -They whirled past a château set on a hill, with a -scattering of cottages on its lower slopes.</p> - -<p>Weller tilted rapidly around high stone walls,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_149">[149]</span> -and pulled up in the shelter of a cottage near the -château gates.</p> - -<p>“Can’t get any closer,” Weller said firmly. -“Ouvarski must be in that barn over there.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll stay here till the shelling that the colonel -ordered is over,” Dobie ordered.</p> - -<p>Slim had his men out of the truck and ready to -move in.</p> - -<p>Without warning, from unseen guns, a barrage -of shells circled the barn. The men crouched near -the jeep winced under the explosive pressure on -their ears.</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie had been watching his stopwatch. -Five minutes later he said, “All right, -Slim, shelling’s over. Fan your men out, and take -those Nazis in.”</p> - -<p>The new sergeant and his men moved rapidly -ahead, skirting the cottage wall.</p> - -<p>They had just disappeared around the corner -when Dobie cried sharply, “What in the name -of—”</p> - -<p>Weller had sprung headlong from the jeep and -lunged at a sunken doorway.</p> - -<p>A moment later he returned, breathing hard, -with a dog in his arms.</p> - -<p>“<i>Patchou!</i>” Dobie shouted.</p> - -<p>Weller, his face tilted away from Patchou’s loving -tongue and scrambling paws, pitched the dog -into Captain Dobie’s lap.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_150">[150]</span>“If this means what I think it means,” he puffed -rapidly, “André’s somewheres about. Maybe you -can figure it out, sir....”</p> - -<p>Without waiting, he was gone, clanking with -grenades, his head lowered between determined -shoulders.</p> - -<p>Straining forward in the jeep, Captain Dobie -sat raging at his helplessness. He knew he would -be useless in the field. He could barely walk. But -every rifle crack, every grenade explosion sent his -blood boiling. To think of André exposed to all -this was a maddening extra anxiety.</p> - -<p>He kept a hand on Patchou, who was torn between -the joy of reunion with an old friend, and -terror.</p> - -<p>Dobie smoothed his fur absently while he directed -his binoculars toward the heavy firing about -the barn. He could not see much that was happening, -because of the cottage wall, and stared around -the fields. “If André’ll only keep under cover till -this shooting stops,” Dobie thought.</p> - -<p>He stiffened at the smell of timbers burning, -and looked back to the barn quickly.</p> - -<p>Slim appeared around the corner of the cottage -and ran up toward Dobie.</p> - -<p>“Cap’n,” he panted. “More—” He stopped and -stared wildly. “What’s that dawg! That ain’t—<i>It -is</i> Patchou! Well, for cryin’ out—”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_151">[151]</span>“<i>More what?</i>” the captain snapped.</p> - -<p>“More trouble, Cap’n. The barn’s afire in one -corner. An’ we ain’t got half the Germans yet. -They’re hid everywhere. If Ouvarski and the men -have to make a break for it, there’s still enough -Nazis to pick ’em all off.”</p> - -<p>Dobie reached for the radio switch. Turning to -Slim, he barked instructions.</p> - -<p>“I’ll order smoke shells to cover their escape. -Go out there and warn the men to pull back a little. -Where’s Weller?”</p> - -<p>Slim poised on one foot to answer.</p> - -<p>“He’s fightin’ mad—an’ he’s fightin’ good.”</p> - -<p>He disappeared into a thicket to carry out the -captain’s order. Dobie spoke rapidly into the radio -and then signed off.</p> - -<p>For a while he sat listening, and watching the -smoke billow high above a gable of the barn.</p> - -<p>He heard loud, sputtered German orders. Then -came renewed rifle bursts, and a grenade exploded -near by.</p> - -<p>Just before the outburst, Patchou gave a high, -excited yelp and leaped from the jeep.</p> - -<p>“Patchou!” Captain Dobie shouted furiously. -“Come here, boy. <i>Patchou!</i>”</p> - -<p>The dog streaked, with flying tail, back toward -the château gates, stretched to his utmost to cover -ground.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_152">[152]</span>With piercing yelps of delight he jumped into -the arms of a girl. She had turned at his barking -and then suddenly run to meet him.</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie regarded the slim figure with -amazement. Slacks, army jacket, man’s cap from -which soft black hair like André’s escaped. And -the same gray-blue eyes.</p> - -<p>A flash of enlightenment burst over Dobie.</p> - -<p>Irritated to fury, he muttered, “Jumping Jehosophat! -Now we have <i>Marie</i> Gagnon!”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_152.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_153">[153]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER EIGHTEEN<br /> - - -<small><i>The Secret Tunnel</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">C</span>APTAIN DOBIE’S heart and thoughts were -with the men under his command. Beyond that, -he was desperately aware of great armies fighting -a hard battle near by.</p> - -<p>Seeing Marie here, knowing André was also in -the battle area, he thought angrily, “This is too -much.”</p> - -<p>“Ma’moiselle,” he shouted, “this is no place for -you. Find cover immediately!”</p> - -<p>Marie looked up. “You do not understand,” she -said. “This dog belongs to my brother. André -must be here somewhere. Patchou couldn’t get -this far alone.”</p> - -<p>“I <i>do</i> know,” replied the captain. “Get under -that gateway quickly—and <i>hold</i> that dog.”</p> - -<p>When Marie crouched under the arch, he explained -quickly how he had come to know André.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_154">[154]</span>Marie said nervously, “You haven’t seen him?”</p> - -<p>“No! Since I left your home, I have not.” The -captain’s voice was sharp with anxiety. “And I -haven’t time to look for him now. My men are in -that burning barn with Germans all around it. -I’ve ordered covering smoke shells dropped to -help them escape. And I can’t understand what’s -held the shells up.”</p> - -<p>He hesitated. Looking with deep concern at -Marie, he spoke more gruffly. “I’m just afraid -there’s a good chance André may be in that barn.”</p> - -<p>Marie ran out a step or two and pointed.</p> - -<p>“In <i>that</i> barn?” she cried. “Oh! I can get him -out then. Come, Patchou!”</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie stood up and shouted, but Marie -and Patchou had disappeared through the cottage -door—not across the field.</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie sank back, fuming. The flames -were spreading across the barn roof. He switched -on the radio and waited irritably. When there was -no response, he reached back into the jeep for -grenades which he hooked into his belt.</p> - -<p>He had just grasped his gun firmly, and gingerly -lowered a leg to the ground, when Patchou barked -and wriggled out of the cottage door.</p> - -<p>At the same instant Slim came around the garden -wall and stopped in his tracks, staring at the -doorway.</p> - -<p>“Ouvarski!” he shouted and then, “<i>André!</i>”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_155">[155]</span>Captain Dobie’s head snapped toward the cottage.</p> - -<p>A tall officer stood behind Patchou, and with -him was André.</p> - -<p>Behind Lieutenant Ouvarski and André straggled -several dusty, smoke-blackened men. They -moved a few steps forward.</p> - -<p>Ouvarski steadied himself against a stone pillar. -Marie and two of the men eased a wounded soldier -they were carrying, to the ground.</p> - -<p>“Captain,” Ouvarski said hoarsely, “can you -get medics? Three wounded—one badly.”</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie swallowed hard. “Is that all?”</p> - -<p>“All others accounted for, sir,” Ouvarski reported. -“No worse.”</p> - -<p>“Not any of you are accounted for,” the captain -growled. “How did you get <i>here</i>? I thought you -were in that blasted barn.”</p> - -<p>Slim gasped as Marie, finished with making her -patient more easy, walked forward.</p> - -<p>Ouvarski simply threw out a hand toward -Marie, and said, “She led us out.”</p> - -<p>Marie walked up to Captain Dobie.</p> - -<p>“There’s a tunnel to the barn from this gardener’s -cottage, sir,” she explained. “I didn’t have -time to tell you before. The tunnel is old, but it is -open. The Maquis have been using it for months, -partly for wounded men. The barn was our headquarters. -We just moved out yesterday.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_156">[156]</span></p> - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_156.jpg" alt="" /></div> -<p class="caption"><i>Marie came up through the old tunnel</i></p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_157">[157]</span>Captain Dobie nodded, speechless with relief. -He pushed back his helmet, mopped his forehead, -and switched on the radio. “I’ll cancel those smoke -shells,” he muttered.</p> - -<p>At that moment the air overhead whined -ominously. A curtain of shells fell around the barn -and exploded. A dense pall of white smoke drifted -across the field.</p> - -<p>“Where’s Weller?” the captain asked Slim. -“And what about the Nazis still around that -barn?”</p> - -<p>He was interrupted by grenade and rifle fire and -the thrashing of men breaking through shrubbery.</p> - -<p>“Watch it!” Weller’s voice rang above the din.</p> - -<p>The shooting stopped suddenly, and German -and American voices mingled.</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie listened a moment, smiled, and -switched on the radio.</p> - -<p>“Thanks for the smoke shells,” he said into the -receiver. He switched through to his command -post. “Say, send along a couple of trucks for prisoners. -And a medic and ambulance. At least three -wounded here—one pretty bad.”</p> - -<p>He turned back to the others.</p> - -<p>“Well, Ouvarski,” he said pleasantly, “I certainly -sent you into something. Headquarters said -positively no Germans left in this area.”</p> - -<p>“They came out of this château and we had to -take cover in the barn, sir,” Ouvarski said.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_158">[158]</span>“Take it easy,” Dobie said, “all of you, till the -trucks get here. Sergeant! What ails <i>you</i>?”</p> - -<p>Weller limped into sight along the wall.</p> - -<p>“We’ve about cleaned ’em all out—finally,” he -grinned.</p> - -<p>Dobie frowned. “But what happened to you?”</p> - -<p>“Got myself a bullet.” Weller’s smile broadened -and turned into a grimace of pain.</p> - -<p>“I thought I told you to stay away from those -Germans,” Dobie barked.</p> - -<p>Weller limped painfully to the jeep and Slim -spun him gently around and into the back seat.</p> - -<p>“You sure did, sir,” Weller said. “But you forgot -to tell them Germans to keep away from me.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_158.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>Not far behind Weller, a line of Nazi prisoners -were coming across the field, hands on head. With -them, on each side, strode Americans with Tommy -guns ready.</p> - -<p>Marie was examining the injury to Weller’s leg.</p> - -<p>“That bullet will have to be taken out,” she<span class="pagenum" id="Page_159">[159]</span> -said. “It’s not in very deep. It won’t hurt much.”</p> - -<p>“It’s gonna stay right there,” Weller said. “It’s -probably the only proof I’ll have to show my kids -I was ever in this war.”</p> - -<p>André had been saying, “Sir,” at intervals. But -he had trouble saying it loud enough to make the -captain hear.</p> - -<p>When the prisoners had been herded together -under guard a little distance away, Captain Dobie -sank back in his seat and smiled down.</p> - -<p>“André,” he said, “I’m too glad to see you alive -to tell you what I ought to.”</p> - -<p>André felt his face grow red. “I wanted to try -to get my father and mother home.”</p> - -<p>“It would have been simpler for all of us if you -had waited,” replied the captain.</p> - -<p>“I couldn’t, sir,” André said staunchly.</p> - -<p>“If Patchou hadn’t been here, Captain,” Marie -said, “I might have missed André. It was Patchou -who found <i>me</i>.”</p> - -<p>The dog, at the sound of his name, tossed up his -head. Then he sniffed deeply, and whirled in the -direction of the château gates, paused a brief second, -and shot away at an excited gallop.</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie could only say, “<i>Now</i> what?”</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_160">[160]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER NINETEEN<br /> - - -<small><i>The 82nd Finishes Its Fight</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">T</span>HE building which had housed the patients -from the St. Sauveur hospital for a week was being -emptied hastily.</p> - -<p>A plump older nurse was helping the sick who -could walk. Hurrying them into their wraps, she -bustled them out to a line of waiting, ancient cars.</p> - -<p>Doctors were aiding the more helpless patients.</p> - -<p>All of them froze like statues when a shell -crashed near by.</p> - -<p>“Since dawn,” scolded the nurse, “this racket -has been going on. Now, one foot up into the car, -dear. Now the other. That’s my good girl. <i>Bon -voyage.</i>”</p> - -<p>The last to leave were the Gagnons. Pierre -walked slowly toward the door with his arm -around Mme. Gagnon. She moved stiffly, but without -pain.</p> - -<p>At the door a doctor smiled at them.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_161">[161]</span>“Do not worry about madame, M. Gagnon,” he -said. “She is greatly improved. I expect no more -difficulties for her.”</p> - -<p>“<i>Merci</i>, doctor,” Pierre replied gruffly.</p> - -<p>The doctor peered around the door. “I see that -M. Angell is waiting for you in his car. I’m sure -you will find his house a fortress of safety.”</p> - -<p>His words were drowned in the shriek and explosion -of a second shell, and the rending crash of -roof timbers. The blast hurtled the three of them -into a corner. A shower of falling lath and plaster -filled the room.</p> - -<p>The doctor and Pierre pulled Mme. Gagnon to -her feet.</p> - -<p>From outside, the desperate voice of the car -driver shrieked, “Hurry, doctor! Come at once! I -do not intend to wait till another explosion hits -my car.”</p> - -<p>Mme. Gagnon shook herself and with great -dignity stated firmly, “I can walk. Observe your -own step, Pierre. You, also, doctor.”</p> - -<p>She crossed the shattered porch and went down -the steps. Pierre and the doctor raced to help her -into the conveyance.</p> - -<p>At the slam of the door, M. Angell was prepared, -and the car leaped forward through the gates and -into the lane.</p> - -<p>Pierre gasped for breath. “I hope your home is -safe,” he said hoarsely.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_162">[162]</span>“No place is safe today,” the driver retorted -over his shoulder, swinging the battered old car -expertly around curves.</p> - -<p>Braced as well as she could manage, Mme. Gagnon -looked out with horror on the countryside.</p> - -<p>“My son and my daughter!” she cried. “Could -they exist through such warfare as this? I must -know, Pierre. It is worse than I imagined.”</p> - -<p>The doctor spoke soothingly, but broke off to -shout, “Angell. Watch yourself!”</p> - -<p>A soldier had stepped out from the shelter of a -ditch with upraised hand. “You must detour,” he -said in French. “This lane and the road beyond are -mined.” He pointed to one side. “Those fields are -safe.”</p> - -<p>M. Angell muttered and nosed the car cautiously -into the pasture. Circling shell holes, rocking -over hummocks, he steered toward a shallow -depression some distance ahead. After that he -forced the car up a rise.</p> - -<p>As they neared the top, the sound of machine -guns and rifle fire, which had been muffled, -seemed to explode all around them.</p> - -<p>M. Angell brought the steaming car to a stop. -He surveyed the landscape on all sides.</p> - -<p>After a moment he said, “If you will be kind -enough to alight, I shall lead you to safety—but -on your own feet. We must abandon this vehicle -to the mercies of Heaven.”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_163">[163]</span>Mme. Gagnon said to the doctor, “It is cause for -rejoicing, doctor, that your cure was successful and -I <i>can</i> walk. Stop frowning, Pierre. Each step I take -leads toward home.”</p> - -<p>“At the moment,” snapped M. Angell, “our -steps lead down that slope on the left, toward those -cottages. That path,” and he pointed to the château, -“leads to my house, but firing of considerable -intensity is going on there.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_163.jpg" alt="" /></div> - -<p>A tremendous salvo of shells interrupted. Dense -white smoke rolled over the hill and drifted -through the trees lining the driveway to the château.</p> - -<p>“It sounds as though we were moving directly -into the middle of a battle,” Mme. Gagnon said.</p> - -<p>M. Angell raised his head. “There is a skirmish -there on the other side of the hill, which I do not -understand,” he said.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_164">[164]</span>Pierre Gagnon stared around.</p> - -<p>At a fresh outbreak of gunfire Mme. Gagnon -begged him to lower himself.</p> - -<p>But Pierre’s eyes were fixed wildly on a point -near the cottages. His mouth dropped open and -closed again excitedly.</p> - -<p>“Maman!” he gasped. “Patchou! I see Patchou!”</p> - -<p>The doctor and M. Angell turned to him in -alarm.</p> - -<p>Mme. Gagnon stood up. “I do not see Patchou,” -she cried. “But if he is here, certainly André must -be near.”</p> - -<p>Suddenly the vague noises broke into a noisy -scuffle on the rocky, brush-covered knoll above -them. German and American voices rang out -angrily.</p> - -<p>“It is unbearable!” Mme. Gagnon cried. “I -must find André!”</p> - -<p>She broke and ran.</p> - -<p>Pierre gave a lunge. He caught his wife’s sleeve -and was about to pull her to the ground when a -racing dog, like a tornado, streaked up the slope.</p> - -<p>Patchou danced to Pierre and then to Mme. -Gagnon, lathering their hands in rapturous welcome, -yelping shrilly.</p> - -<p>An American soldier, his shoulders sagging with -fatigue, came out of the underbrush. He frowned -at the group. “What’re you folks doing out here?” -he demanded. “You better come along with me.”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_165">[165]</span>The doctor—the only one of the Normans who -understood English—said, “Yes. Most certainly -we do not wish to stay here.”</p> - -<p>The American started down the slope. Mme. -Gagnon and Pierre, attended by the two other -men, followed.</p> - -<p>“But Pierre,” Mme. Gagnon protested, “why do -we follow them? Did Patchou come this way?”</p> - -<p>Patchou answered this by tearing ahead with -great purpose.</p> - -<p>“You see,” said Pierre.</p> - -<p>At the foot of the slope the American pushed -his way through a break in the hawthornes. At -his heels, M. Angell and the doctor gallantly pulled -the bushes apart for Mme. Gagnon.</p> - -<p>She took a step forward and stood still, a hand -clasped to her heart.</p> - -<p>Not twenty feet away, standing near a jeep and -a cluster of soldiers, were André and Marie.</p> - -<p>At the same instant André and Marie saw her. -And André hurled himself toward his mother.</p> - -<p>“I knew I would find you!” he cried. “I <i>knew</i>!”</p> - -<p>Marie and Pierre drew into the family embrace.</p> - -<p>Slim and Weller turned to catch each other’s -eye. “The kid done it,” Weller said.</p> - -<p>Slim sighed. “I shore wish I had that trumpet -now,” he said. “I feel awful sentimental.”</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie sat back and smoked, watching -the happy reunion of the Gagnon family.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_166">[166]</span>When the doctor and M. Angell left to start up -the hill Marie broke away from the family to run -after them.</p> - -<p>“Oh, Monsieur Angell,” she called, “I must tell -you how sorry I am your barn was burned. It was -so useful to the Maquis. We are grateful to you for -letting us use it.”</p> - -<p>“It is nothing,” M. Angell replied courteously. -“It was for France. However, if you will accept -advice from a stranger, I suggest that you now return -home with your mother.”</p> - -<p>Marie smiled. “I quite agree with you, M’sieur.”</p> - -<p>Within a few minutes, trucks and ambulances -drew up. The wounded, both American and German, -were cared for and taken away.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_166.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_167">[167]</span>Weller and Captain Dobie resisted the suggestions -of the medics to go back in the ambulance.</p> - -<p>“We don’t want no pamperin’,” Weller said -shortly. “I’m only nicked, anyway.”</p> - -<p>The fighting squads clambered aboard trucks -to return to the St. Sauveur front.</p> - -<p>The captain leaned from the jeep to talk more -easily with Mme. Gagnon and Pierre.</p> - -<p>The radio in the car squawked insistently.</p> - -<p>“Answer that signal, will you, Weller?” Captain -Dobie said.</p> - -<p>Weller snapped a switch, said, “Okay, Colonel,” -and gave his report on Ouvarski’s rescue.</p> - -<p>Then he listened a few minutes and exclaimed, -“Yes, Colonel ... I’ll tell the cap’n. Sure will.”</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie had stopped talking to listen to -Weller.</p> - -<p>André asked curiously, “Good news?”</p> - -<p>Weller almost shouted, “Our armies are cleanin’ -up St. Sauveur, and the 47th’re movin’ on past—headin’ -for the coast an’ then Cherbourg.”</p> - -<p>“Good,” said Dobie. “Is that all?”</p> - -<p>“Nope.” Weller grinned. “The colonel says the -82nd won’t be goin’ on to Cherbourg with the 9th -Division. We’re ordered to take the marshy country -south of St. Sauveur. <i>An’ after that we’ll get -relieved.</i>”</p> - -<p>“The 82nd will be out of the war?” Dobie -asked.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_168">[168]</span>“Every bloomin’ man of us,” Weller replied. -“An’ that means you, too, Cap’n.”</p> - -<p>Slim winked at André. “I guess that means you, -too, kid,” he said.</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie rubbed his hand across his eyes, -and said, “After over two weeks of steady fighting -I guess the 82nd deserves a rest. Well, give me that -phone, Weller.”</p> - -<p>When he had finished his call he said to Pierre, -“I have sent for a jeep to take you home, M. Gagnon. -Do you think you can hang onto André till -the jeep gets here?”</p> - -<p>Pierre threw back his head in his great, bellowing -laugh. “I think so, <i>mon Capitaine</i>,” he roared.</p> - -<p>“Never mind, kid,” Weller said. “I promise -you we’ll be back. We’ll see you in a week’r two. -You just save us some of that good fresh milk.”</p> - -<p>Pierre clapped his hand to his head and glared -at André.</p> - -<p>“<i>Mon Dieu!</i>” he shouted. “The cows!”</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_169">[169]</span> - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER TWENTY<br /> - - -<small><i>Bastille Day—1944</i></small></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="xxlarge">T</span>HAT night, lights glowed in the Gagnon -house. In spite of the blustery cold wind and -drifts of rain, the door stood open most of the -evening.</p> - -<p>Friends came, laughing, crying, chattering greetings -and news. Children came to ask André questions -and stand with open mouths at what he had -to say.</p> - -<p>Marie brought cups of hot chocolate and black -bread. Mme. Lescot supplied some small cakes.</p> - -<p>Leon Duplis rode over to tell Marie that General -de Gaulle, who commanded the Maquis from -London, was now touring the liberated towns of -Normandy.</p> - -<p>“The French Army will soon join the fight to -free our country,” Leon whispered to Marie. -“They will enter France from the Mediterranean.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_170">[170]</span> -But do not tell anyone yet I said so.” And with that -he was on his motor bike and gone.</p> - -<p>On the road outside, traffic was coming up from -the beach, but in smaller convoys. “The sea is -getting very rough,” someone reported.</p> - -<p>By midnight all the guests had gone and the -whole family were in bed—really home at last.</p> - -<p>André went out to the road many times the next -few days to look for friends on the army trucks and -jeeps rolling by. On the third day, a messenger -from St. Sauveur, on his way to the supply dumps -on the beach, stopped to talk.</p> - -<p>“We got the peninsula cut off now,” he reported. -“The 9th Division an’ the 79th an’ the -4th Division are on their way to Cherbourg. Goin’ -fast, too.”</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie’s men were still fighting for the -marshes and some hills west and south of St. -Sauveur, he said.</p> - -<p>The storm over the Channel had built up to an -alarming degree. Rain and wind whipped the -trees along the coast and drove the villagers indoors. -Traffic past the house slowed almost to a -stop.</p> - -<p>When André asked a truck driver what was happening -on the beaches, the driver said, “A blasted -hurricane. The sea is standin’ on end. No landin’ -barges can get ashore. Pretty bad, ’cause General -Bradley’s howlin’ for ammunition.”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_171">[171]</span>Frenchmen coming to the village from the shore -said tons of supplies had been swept away and -sunk.</p> - -<p>The storm raged for four days, and André went -sadly about his duties watching the road now -nearly empty of trucks.</p> - -<p>Two days after the storm subsided, André -heard that General Eisenhower had ferried across -the Channel to look over the destruction.</p> - -<p>“He’ll talk to them army engineers an’ get deliveries -speeded up—or else,” a soldier said.</p> - -<p>But the Americans were driving hard to capture -Cherbourg. They needed the port more than -ever since the storm had stopped supplies coming -across the beaches.</p> - -<p>On June 28th, Leon came, and shouted through -the door, “André! Marie! <i>Cherbourg has fallen.</i> -Normandy belongs to us again!”</p> - -<p>Then, on D-day plus 29—four weeks after the -82nd paratroopers had first drifted down into the -Gagnon orchard—Slim clattered up in a jeep.</p> - -<p>André saw him from the hallway and raced out -to grab his hand and pump it up and down—as -the soldiers did. He asked, “Where are Captain -Dobie and Sergeant Weller? Has the 82nd been -relieved? Did you win your battle?”</p> - -<p>“What you mean, mister?” Slim growled. “Did -we win our battle? The 82nd always wins its battles—Africa, -Sicily, Normandy. You know that.”</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_172">[172]</span>André took Slim into the house to see the rest -of the family. He translated Slim’s “American” as -well as he could for his father and mother.</p> - -<p>“This is my last errand this way,” Slim told -them. “I’m on my way to the Utah airstrip to fix -the cap’n’s passage home.”</p> - -<p>Before he left, he promised to bring Weller and -the captain to see them on the way to the plane.</p> - -<p>The storm had at last blown itself out, and -traffic on the road was again heavy. Now the Allies -were getting ready to break through to Paris—to -free the rest of France. The British and Canadians -were fighting hard around Caen. The Germans -were bringing up more and more tanks—better in -some ways than the British and American ones—and -the battle was rough. But the Invasion armies -were moving toward the breakout into the farther -parts of France. The spirit of Liberty swept slowly -but excitedly across all Normandy.</p> - -<p>July 14th, Bastille Day, which was the symbol -of French Liberty, would soon be here.</p> - -<p>“This year we will celebrate Bastille Day with -good heart,” said M. Blanc to Father Duprey.</p> - -<p>And Father Duprey, who was very practical, -asked, “How?”</p> - -<p>“Ah, that I have thought about,” M. Blanc -answered. “And I have a plan for our little village. -Alone, we cannot do justice to such a great event -as this Liberation. We will join with Ste. Mère<span class="pagenum" id="Page_173">[173]</span> -Église to celebrate. We are not without talent in -this village.” He looked mysterious and whispered -his plans to the priest, so that no one could overhear.</p> - -<p>When they had finished their discussion, Father -Duprey said, “Your plan will also keep the children -out of the fields till the German land mines -have been cleared up.”</p> - -<p>The following few days there was a great hubbub -in the loft of the Gagnon barn. Children’s -voices rang out. And music billowed over the rooftops.</p> - -<p>Early one morning, Father Duprey summoned -André. Victor appeared with his cart, and with the -priest and André jogged off, behaving mysteriously, -to talk to the mayor of Ste. Mère Église.</p> - -<p>Bastille Day, Friday, July 14th, was the next -day. By sunrise that morning all the little villages -near Ste. Mère were alive with activity.</p> - -<p>Mothers bustled breakfast into their families -and packed up lunch baskets. Older sisters swept -the family’s best clothes, all nicely aired, over the -heads of the younger children. Then mothers and -big sisters pulled and twisted themselves into -their own gayest Normandy dresses. Fathers put -on the dark suits they had been married in.</p> - -<p>And all over the peninsula the French tricolor -flags, which had been hidden away, flew in great -flapping bursts of triumph from every house.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_174">[174]</span>All churchbells that had survived the bombing -began to ring soon after the sun was up.</p> - -<p>In the Gagnon house, Maman was scurrying -about, her own silk dress rustling as excitedly as -she was. Marie, too, rustled in her new pale-yellow -parachute gown.</p> - -<p>Old cars had been rolled out of sheds where -they had been hidden, and somehow brought to -life. They began to ease into the busy military -traffic and headed for Ste. Mère. Carts, bright with -flags and flowers, and loaded with chattering villagers, -thronged the roads.</p> - -<p>Father Duprey and M. Blanc had gone to Ste. -Mère still earlier in a borrowed car.</p> - -<p>In good time, Victor, Mme. Lescot, and their -daughter showed up at the Gagnon door with La -Fumée. The fat Percheron whinnied when André -led the family out to jam themselves into the cart.</p> - -<p>When La Fumée entered the outskirts of Ste. -Mère the town was already aflame with a noisy -celebration.</p> - -<p>Victor found a spot where La Fumée could be -hitched to a post with a pail of water beside her.</p> - -<p>In the heart of Ste. Mère Église the square was -a churning mass of people. But in a cleared space -in the center of the green, officials and police were -arranging things in an orderly way. There was a -flag-draped table on a raised platform, and rows -of chairs for special personages stood in a square.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_175">[175]</span>At one side of the table, dignitaries were gathering. -At the other side, M. Blanc and the Ste. Mère -music master were herding the children who were -to sing, into neat rows.</p> - -<p>Running to join the children, André saw uniformed -French officers in a group among the -dignitaries. All eyes were upon them. Farther back -stood a company of about a hundred American -soldiers.</p> - -<p>Marie went to join Leon, Jacquard, and the -other Maquis who had been able to come.</p> - -<p>When the hour for opening the ceremonies arrived, -Father Duprey and two other priests moved -to the table for prayers of thanksgiving.</p> - -<p>Then the mayor of Ste. Mère, and the mayors of -other villages made speeches. These over, the -music master blew his pitch pipe and M. Blanc -raised his arm to give the beat for the singing. -High and clear, the children’s voices sang out the -beloved old songs of triumphant France.</p> - -<p>When the last song died away the children settled -down on the grass, and M. Blanc rose.</p> - -<p>“We are now about to have a special pleasure,” -he announced. “André Gagnon will express the -feeling of comradeship we all have for our friends, -the Americans.”</p> - -<p>André had been carefully carrying his trumpet -under his arm. His knees shaking, he stepped forward -and put the trumpet to his lips.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_176">[176]</span>He played first a gay little Normandy tune. This -was loudly applauded and he waited for the noise -to die down.</p> - -<p>When he again trilled out a trumpet call, every -Frenchman present grew silent and listened with -puzzled eyes. The tune was one they didn’t know.</p> - -<p>Suddenly, from the back of the crowd, men’s -voices began to sing the words.</p> - -<p>André’s heart gave a great leap. But he kept on -playing. The voices were growing louder. The -men were moving toward the green.</p> - -<p>André swept into the chorus, and powerfully -the American words, punctuated by clapping -hands at the proper time, swelled out over the -crowd.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_177">[177]</span>A French voice took up the words. Another and -another, until the entire gathering was singing.</p> - -<p>Many of the Americans stood beside André -now, and Slim, his hard hands beating the clap-clap -of the chorus, sang the loudest.</p> - -<p>“<i>Deep in ze ’eart ohff Tayxsas</i>,” sang the -French.</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse">“<i>Stars at night are big and bright,</i></div> -<div class="indent">(clap-clap, clap-clap,) <i>Deep in the heart of Texas,</i></div> -</div> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="verse"><i>Remind me of the one I love,</i></div> -<div class="indent">(clap-clap, clap-clap) <i>Deep in the heart of Texas,</i>”</div> -</div></div></div> - -<p>sang Slim and Weller and Captain Dobie, dragging -out the last long notes at the thought of home.</p> - - -<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/i_176.jpg" alt="" /></div> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_178">[178]</span>André dropped his trumpet to his side.</p> - -<p>As the babble of happy voices rose and became -bedlam, Captain Dobie shook hands with the -French officers.</p> - -<p>André started at the sight of a Royal Air Force -uniform and ran across the square.</p> - -<p>Standing beside Marie, Ronald Pitt was laughing -with the Maquis over the escapade of the -strange “nun.”</p> - -<p>Ronald grabbed André’s arms and swung him -merrily around.</p> - -<p>“How did <i>you</i> get here, Ronald?” André asked.</p> - -<p>“Well,” Ronald replied, “I’m on my way to the -British lines to chauffeur a general around—”</p> - -<p>“Oh-ohh,” André giggled.</p> - -<p>“I saw this celebration going on down here,” -Ronald Pitt went on, “and I wanted to see what -was happening in Ste. Mère. So I landed in a field -and trotted over—and look what I found!”</p> - -<p>Slim and Weller joined them then.</p> - -<p>“Didn’t we tell you we’d come?” demanded -Weller.</p> - -<p>Softly, a song began to tremble from different -points among the crowd.</p> - -<p>André lifted his trumpet and began to play.</p> - -<p>And swelling mightily over the battered roofs -of Ste. Mère rolled out the song of freedom that is -the voice of France—the “Marseillaise.”</p> - -<p>Everyone sang and many wept.</p> - - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_179">[179]</span>After that, the gathering broke up and lunch -baskets were opened. Mme. Gagnon beckoned -her enlarged family party together under the -shade of a wide chestnut tree. Lunch was spread -out. Between them, she and Mme. Lescot had -brought food enough for all.</p> - -<p>Captain Dobie and André sat side by side.</p> - -<p>“You will return to visit us after the war?” -André asked shyly.</p> - -<p>“I certainly will,” promised the captain. “I shall -come back whenever I can. I won’t be comfortable -unless I know what you’re up to.”</p> - -<p>André laughed. “And,” he said, “I shall go to -America some day to see that you have got that leg -mended.”</p> - -<p>“<i>Vive les Americains!</i>” shouted Raoul, who had -mysteriously become one of the group.</p> - -<p>“<i>Vive la French!</i>” shouted Weller.</p> - -<p>La Fumée heard them, and put her muzzle -down comfortably into the water pail.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><i>About the Author</i></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="smcap">Clayton Knight</span> was born in Rochester, New York, and grew up just in -time to become an airplane pilot with the famed Lafayette Escadrille -in World War I. He also had a box seat for World War II in which he -served in every important theater of war as an Associated Press special -correspondent. His lifelong, active interest in aviation has earned him -many honors and taken him to almost every corner of the earth, most -recently on a round-the-world trip collecting material for an official history -of the Military Air Transport Service. It has also provided him with -fascinating material for a distinguished list of books and magazine stories -that have made him well known both to young people and adults, not -only as an author but an artist of uncommon distinction.</p> - - -<h2 class="nobreak"><i>About the Historical Consultant</i></h2> - -<p>Few experts are as well qualified as <span class="smcap">Major General Ralph Royce</span> to -pass on the merits of a book about the Normandy invasion. As Deputy -Commander of the Ninth Air Force, he was the senior air officer afloat -during the invasion of France and served aboard the cruiser <i>Augusta</i> -with Admiral Kirk and General Bradley. He accompanied General Bradley -to shore at Utah Beach and, in the days that followed, reconnoitered -the surrounding country very thoroughly, visiting many of the towns -mentioned in this book. In General Royce’s words, “Mr. Knight’s book -brings back very vividly the life that we lived during those hectic and exciting -days in June, 1944, and portrays extremely well the life of the -countryside during those early hours of the invasion that led to the freeing -of France from the yoke of the invader.”</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak"><i>WE WERE THERE BOOKS</i></h2> -</div> - - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<p>1. WE WERE THERE ON THE OREGON TRAIL</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>By <span class="smcap">William O. Steele</span><br /> -Historical Consultant: <span class="smcap">Professor Ray W. Irwin</span><br /> -<i>Illustrated by</i> <span class="smcap">Jo Polseno</span></p> -</div> - -<p>2. WE WERE THERE AT THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>By <span class="smcap">Alida Sims Malkus</span><br /> -Historical Consultant: <span class="smcap">Earl S. Miers</span><br /> -<i>Illustrated by</i> <span class="smcap">Leonard Vosburgh</span></p> -</div> - -<p>3. WE WERE THERE AT THE BOSTON TEA PARTY</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>By <span class="smcap">Robert N. Webb</span><br /> -Historical Consultant: <span class="smcap">Professor Louis L. Snyder</span><br /> -<i>Illustrated by</i> <span class="smcap">E. F. Ward</span></p> -</div> - -<p>4. WE WERE THERE WITH BYRD AT THE SOUTH POLE</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>By <span class="smcap">Charles S. Strong</span><br /> -Historical Consultant: <span class="smcap">Colonel Bernt Balchen</span>, U.S.A.F.<br /> -<i>Illustrated by</i> <span class="smcap">Graham Kaye</span></p> -</div> - -<p>5. WE WERE THERE AT THE NORMANDY INVASION</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>By <span class="smcap">Clayton Knight</span><br /> -Historical Consultant: <span class="smcap">Major General Ralph Royce</span>, U.S.A.F., <span class="smcap">Retired</span><br /> -<i>Illustrated by the Author</i></p> -</div> - -<p>6. WE WERE THERE IN THE KLONDIKE GOLD RUSH</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>By <span class="smcap">Benjamin Appel</span><br /> -Historical Consultant: <span class="smcap">Colonel Henry W. Clark</span>, U.S.A., <span class="smcap">Retired</span><br /> -<i>Illustrated by</i> <span class="smcap">Irv Docktor</span></p> -</div> - -<p class="center"><i>In Preparation</i></p> - -<p>7. WE WERE THERE WITH THE PONY EXPRESS</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>By <span class="smcap">William O. Steele</span><br /> -<i>Illustrated by</i> <span class="smcap">Frank Vaughn</span></p> -</div> - -<p>8. WE WERE THERE WITH THE MAYFLOWER PILGRIMS</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> -<p>By <span class="smcap">Robert N. Webb</span><br /> -<i>Illustrated by</i> <span class="smcap">Charles Andres</span></p> -</div> -</div></div> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="transnote"> -<p class="ph2">TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:</p> - - -<p>Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.</p> - -<p>Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.</p> -</div></div> - - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WE WERE THERE AT THE NORMANDY INVASION ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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