"Huh! they"ll call themselves lucky if it ends at that," snorted Josh; "some men would have their necks or backs broken; but these German aviators are a tough lot, I"ve heard, and can stand a heap of pounding."
Even as they looked the wrecked Taube struck the ground. Some soldiers had hastened in that direction, and were on the spot almost as soon as the disabled German machine landed. They could be seen moving about amidst the wreckage of the aeroplane. Then they appeared carrying something in their midst.
"They"ve picked up the occupants of the fallen Taube," said Rod, "and from the way they carry them the poor chaps must be badly hurt. Yes, there they"ve stopped that ambulance coming from the front, and are getting the wounded birdmen aboard. The French admire bravery, even in a mortal foe, and you can be sure that those gallant fellows will receive just as good care as if they were their own men."
He again started to move forward. The field hospital was now close at hand, and they could expect to be within its borders in a few minutes more.
Hanky Panky nerved himself for the terrible ordeal he knew was before him. Both the other lads also shut their lips firmly, so that they might endure the gruesome sights without feeling faint; for they were not accustomed to such things, and but boys after all.
Some of those they met eyed them in wonder, doubtless at a loss to know who the three youngsters were, and what brought them to the battle lines. No one seemed to think of stopping them and asking questions; it might be from lack of time.
Whenever Rod noticed some officer near by he gave the regulation salute, which may have induced the others to believe the boys actually belonged to some branch of the service; though their khaki uniforms would rather indicate a connection with the British army just then co-operating with General Joffre.
The boys had just succeeded in stacking their machines when an opportunity came that allowed them to render a.s.sistance in carrying several poor fellows into one of the tent shelters. A lorry had arrived, and there did not seem to be any attendant on hand to help the driver, who looked around in despair.
"Come along, Josh, and lend a hand here!" exclaimed Rod, equal to any emergency, as he sprang forward.
Hanky Panky started, but soon held back, unable to bear the sight of the wounded men who were in the motor truck.
The two boys succeeded in carrying three of them inside the shelter, where they were placed as comfortably as possible, awaiting the time when the bustling surgeon, engaged with other cases, could attend to their hurts. One of them was in a very bad way, having been terribly injured by a bursting sh.e.l.l. It pierced Rod"s sympathetic heart just to look at his white, blood-specked face. But the black eyes were still full of fire and animation; and when Rod held a dipper of cold water to the lips of the soldier of the republic the other drank greedily, and then thanked him in French.
"It may be the last drink I shall ever want," he told Rod complacently, "but I rejoice to know I have lived to see the day when a French army has made the German beast turn tail and run. My father died before Paris many years ago, and I have prayed for this glorious day to come. I am satisfied. I have done my duty to France."
It made a powerful impression on both the boys. Such bravery and devotion to country could hardly fail to do otherwise. Secretly they hoped the valiant soldier might survive his terrible injuries, and live to see the day when victory crowned the tri-color of France, which he adored.
The busy surgeon now found a chance to pay attention to the later victims of German bullets and bursting sh.e.l.ls and bombs. At the same time he started a conversation with Rod, the latter being the only one of the boys who could speak French.
Presently Rod turned again to Josh to say:
"Here"s a streak of luck for us, Josh. Just as soon as he"s through with the case he"s now working on, the gentleman, Dr. Gervaise, is going to loan us his binoculars. He also says there is a slight elevation twenty yards back of this shelter, from the top of which we can get a pretty fair view of the battle lines. From what he tells me I figure we"ll be just in good time to witness something that is going to take place before long."
Of course this pleased Josh exceedingly, because it was a field-gla.s.s he had been yearning for ever since they found themselves within touch of the field of battle. He even tried to a.s.sist the wearied army surgeon as best he might, for Josh had an abundance of nerve, and could accustom himself to almost any sight if he had a motive controlling his actions.
Presently, armed with the Lemaire binoculars, Rod led the way out of the temporary shelter under which the victims of the fierce fighting could be shielded from the hot September sun while the principle of "first aid to the injured" was being applied.
Hanky Panky was lingering near by, watching some of the interesting sights, and evidently finding it a difficult thing to retain a firm grip on himself. He greeted the reappearance of his chums with eagerness.
Perhaps he even hoped that they meant to quit the confines of the field hospital, and depart to other regions. At sight of the field-gla.s.ses which Rod waved at him Hanky understood, however, just why they were hurrying toward that elevation close by; and he trotted at their heels as an obedient little spaniel might have done.
Once they reached the summit of the rise it was found that the French surgeon had not overstated the fact when saying that a very good view of the battle lines could be obtained from this point. Rod took a look and then handed the gla.s.ses over to Josh, knowing how eager the other was to see at close range what was going on over where the big guns were thundering so fiercely--where also the French lay in hiding, ready to again charge desperately upon the German trenches when the word to advance was given. The ground between the hostile armies was covered with the fallen. Josh shivered as he contemplated the terrible spectacle. It would doubtless haunt him for many a day and night to come. He looked everywhere, not even omitting to glance upward so as to see what the flying birdmen might be doing; then he handed the binoculars over to Hanky Panky, who received them eagerly, despite his sensation of horror.
When Hanky Panky leveled the gla.s.ses at the distant line of hastily thrown up German trenches the first thing he saw was what seemed to be an innumerable army of men in drab working feverishly to strengthen their defences.
Already they had tasted of the new-born French enthusiasm, and could antic.i.p.ate that much more of the same sort was bound to break loose.
Long years had those fiery Gauls been hugging to their hearts the thought of revenge for the humiliation suffered away back in "71, when their beloved Paris echoed to the tramp of the victorious Teutonic hosts.
They began to believe the day had dawned at last when the shame of their fathers could be wiped out, and the tables turned on the hated foe.
How Hanky Panky did turn from one point to another and "soak" it all in, as Josh remarked aside to Rod, impatiently waiting for a second chance to observe what was going on over there beyond the windrows of the dead.
It seemed as though Hanky Panky could not tear his eyes away from the amazing sight which fairly fascinated him. As though held in the grip of a nightmare the boy was staring and muttering to himself. Sometimes his words signified wonder and awe; then again there was an underlying vein of compa.s.sion in what Hanky Panky said; for his heart was greatly touched by the sight of all this terrible misery. He could see some of the forms on the late battlefield moving. He realized that men in anguish must be calling out for a drink of cooling water so as to quench their burning thirst. Others were doubtless suffering all sorts of tortures from the wounds they had received.
To be sure the hospital attendants were doing everything they could to gather up the wounded. Men bearing the sacred Red Cross, from both the French and the German sides, were moving about, searching for those in whom life still remained. Vehicles could also be seen in places, receiving some of these victims, while the men with stretchers stumbled about carrying their groaning burdens to the rear.
Yes, Hanky Panky would never forget what he saw that day, though he lived to a ripe old age, for it was burned upon his memory indelibly.
Josh, getting impatient, was just about to demand the binoculars when the other uttered a sudden cry that gave them a new thrill:
"Oh! see what"s going to happen now, will you, fellows?" was the burden of his announcement; "there"s a new French army hurrying up to attack them on the flank; and they"ve given the signal for a general advance.
Great snakes! but it"s going to be an _aw_ful sight when they come to close grips!"
CHAPTER XV.
THE TAKING OF THE GERMAN TRENCHES.
That was too much for Josh to stand. He had been at the point of rebellion before, and this was the "last straw that broke the camel"s back." He s.n.a.t.c.hed the gla.s.ses from the trembling hand of his comrade almost rudely, though perhaps Josh did not mean it that way, only he was fearfully excited.
Of course Rod could see something of what was transpiring, even without the aid of the binoculars, though they were bound to be a great help. He had immediately turned his gaze upon the spot indicated, and discovered that what Hanky Panky called out was true.
A great ma.s.s of men clad in the regulation French uniform came rushing forward from the left quarter. Guns were fast starting up here, there, everywhere, to rain a perfect hail of sh.e.l.ls on the German line, so as to prevent the defenders from springing forward to meet the new attack.
At the same time those Frenchmen lying concealed in front also sprang to do their part of the work. The air was rent with shouts from thousands of throats, though the tattoo of the guns became so insistent that even this sounded faintly, as rain might on the roof between thunder-claps.
Riveted to the spot with the wonder of the spectacle, which they had never dreamed would fall to their vision, the three boys stood there, unable to speak a single word. Indeed, with all that frightful noise going on speech was next door to folly, and they wisely held their breath.
The Germans had antic.i.p.ated just such an a.s.sault, no doubt, for it was along their flank that they had been so industriously throwing up new entrenchments at the time Rod and his chums first sighted them.
They had not been given sufficient time, however, to get more than half prepared when the mighty blow fell. Those enthusiastic Frenchmen, realizing that they had Von Kluck"s army finally on the run, did not mean to lose any of their advantage by unnecessary delay. They could not be held in, even had their officers wished to attempt such a thing. Rod indeed was reminded of the impetuous charge of hounds, once they were released from the leash.
It was all very plain to Rod, who was a boy with a long head. He knew that when the vast German host had advanced so steadily toward Paris, sweeping everything out of their path with such apparent ease, they had certainly brought along with them many great siege guns, with which to batter down the forts defending the city.
Some of these were the famous forty-two centimetre guns which had proved at Liege and Namur that no modern fort could hold out against the enormous weight of metal they were capable of dropping, almost vertically, on the works, from a distance of many miles.
Then when the sudden alteration came about in the plans of Von Kluck, and his army turned aside from Paris so as to save its exposed flank, the one thought in the mind of the general was to save those wonderful guns, without which all his work would be for naught.
It was for this purpose that these desperate rearguard actions were being undertaken by the retreating Germans. Some of the big guns were drawn by traction engines, and their progress even over good roads must necessarily be very slow. To enable them to be transported to the positions already prepared along the Aisne River, looking to a possible retreat, the victorious French had to be kept at bay.
So tens of thousands of Teutons must fall during those bitter days in order that the Krupp guns might be saved to the cause. Manfully they stood up to their task. There was not a sign of wavering as they met the furious charge of the French, who seemed determined on thrusting the enemy out of their newly made trenches at the point of the bayonet.
Josh, remembering how he had felt a brief time before, presently gave a sigh and reluctantly handed the gla.s.ses over to Rod. The latter gladly received them, and without a second"s delay proceeded to glue his eyes to the smaller end.
It was like a living picture of other battles that Rod remembered seeing, done in colors; but the realization that this was the _real_ thing he now gazed on so entranced thrilled him again and again.
Backed by every gun that could be brought to bear upon the German front, the living stream of blue and red-clad French soldiers, men of the line, zouaves, cha.s.seurs and all, plunged madly along. Little they recked that many fell by the way under the storm of missiles that belched from the hostile trenches; the lines closed over the gaps almost mechanically, and only the figures that dotted the field after their pa.s.sage told of the terrible price with which the action was accompanied.