CHAPTER IX--IN THE TRENCHES
Next morning the two friends flew into Charleroi. The town was seethingwith excitement. People were laughing and singing, cheering everysoldier who passed along the street, congratulating each other on thegood news. It had become known that the fierce German assaults of theprevious day on Liege had been beaten back by the guns of the forts andthe steady rifle fire of the men in the trenches, and that the Germanshad asked for an armistice.
"Splendid!" said Pariset, when he learnt the news from a brotherofficer: "though we mustn't crow too soon. The cessation of the attackgives us the chance I wanted, then. We can take advantage of it to getinto Liege. I should like to report our little coup in person."
"There will be no difficulty in my getting away, I suppose?" askedKenneth.
"What do you wish to do?"
"Get to England and join the Flying Corps."
"They would take you?"
"Well, my chest measures thirty-six inches, my teeth are sound, and I'veno varicose veins. The only doubt is about my sight: my right eye is atrifle astigmatic. But I think I should pass the doctor."
"I wish you could stay with us. But I understand your wish to servewith your own army. As soon as we get back I'll ask the commandant if Ican be spared to carry you to Ostend."
Kenneth agreed to this, and they started eastward. It was nearingmidday when they swooped down from a great height on to an open spacesome three miles west of Liege. Pariset had pointed out the positionsof the forts as they descended; but Kenneth had been able barely todistinguish them while in the air, and when he came to the ground theywere quite out of sight.
But the intervening space had been carefully prepared for infantry.Trenches had been dug, barbed wire entanglements stretched from point topoint, every natural feature adapted to the purposes of defence. At thepresent moment the trenches were not manned. Pariset learnt from acomrade in the flying corps that though the armistice had been refused,the Germans had not as yet renewed the attack. Their losses on theprevious day had been very heavy, and the garrison were confident oftheir ability to repulse any further assaults if the Germans persistedin attacking in the same dense masses, and were not supported by heavierartillery than that which they had employed hitherto.
Kenneth listened eagerly to the conversation between the two airmen. Helearnt how the German infantry, covered by artillery, had advanced againand again in close formation, only to be hurled back by the fire fromthe forts and the trenches, followed up with the bayonet. The Belgianswere amazed at the doggedness with which their enemy had pressed on,careless of cover, though great gaps were torn in their packed columns.Such a wastage of men pointed to a vast confidence in the ultimatesuperiority of numbers, the crushing of the defence by sheer weightrather than skill.
Pariset explained, when Kenneth questioned him, the importance to theenemy of the capture of Liege. Encircled by its twelve forts,constructed by the engineering genius of General Brialmont, the townstood as a formidable obstacle to the advance of the Germans through thevalley of the Meuse, the easiest way into France. Every day it could beheld was a day's delay in the prosecution of the enemy's plan ofcampaign, which, as everybody knew, was to crush France before Russiahad time to threaten Germany on her eastern border.
"The Germans have, they think, a very perfect military machine," Parisetcontinued; "I daresay they have, though perhaps they are a little toococksure about it. They've had no experience of war for forty years,and their easy victory in 1870 has possibly produced what you callswelled head. Anyhow, the most perfect machine may be dislocated by alittle grit, and Liege, we hope, will be the little grit for theoccasion. Now we had better get some lunch; then we'll fly north. I'llreport myself to my commandant, and ask for leave to carry you toOstend."
They walked away to the rear of the lines, towards a cottage on whichthe canteen flag was flying. Before they reached it they met a generalofficer on horseback, cantering along accompanied by an aide-de-camp.Pariset saluted, the officers touched their hats and passed.
"General Leman, commanding the forts," said Pariset.
"He looked just like an Englishman," Kenneth replied.
Pariset smiled, and was beginning a chaffing remark when he was hailedfrom behind. Turning, he saw that the officers had reined up, andturned their horses' flanks towards him. He hurried back, Kennethtaking a step or two in the same direction.
"Lieutenant Pariset, I understand?" he heard the general say. "Icompliment you on your little exploit. You did very well; thank you!"
Pariset murmured something, saluted again, and the officers rode off.
"He didn't give me time to tell him about you," said Pariset, rejoininghis friend. "He is evidently in a hurry to get back to Fort Loncin."
"It doesn't matter about me," said Kenneth. "How did he know about itat all?"
"He must have got the news by telegram or wireless from Charleroi. Butreally it was your doing, you know. I must make that clear."
"Don't talk rubbish! I only gave you the information. I liked the lookof him. What keen eyes he has!"
"He's a splendid fellow. But come along! Our men are a hungry lot, andI don't want to find the board cleared."
They were sitting at lunch among a group of cheery young officers when abugle rang out. The officers sprang up, seized their arms, and rushedout of the cottage.
"The Germans are coming on again," cried Pariset. "Come and see."
They ran back towards the trenches, which were already filling withriflemen. A deep boom sounded from some distant spot.
"A German gun!" said Pariset.
"I don't see the shell," said Kenneth, looking round.
"My dear fellow, it had fallen somewhere before we heard the sound. Ah!the forts are replying."
In a few minutes the silence of the summer noon was shattered by thecontinuous thunder of artillery. With the deep slow booms of the bigguns was mingled the quicker, sharper bang of machine guns somewhere outof sight.
"Get down, you asses!" cried an officer, as they drew near to thetrenches. "Do you want to be marked?"
They took cover behind a hedge. Kenneth tingled from top to toe as heheard the crash of the guns, and felt the earth and the very air shakewith the concussion. Presently a shrill whistle sounded; it wasfollowed almost instantaneously by a prolonged crackle, which had hardlydied away when from above them came a zip, zip, zip, like the notes ofsome tuneless bird.
"The Germans are firing anyhow," said Pariset in an involuntary whisper.
Round the hedge came swiftly two men in blue coats with the red cross ontheir sleeves, carrying an ambulance. A groan rose from it.
"I can't stand this," said Pariset.
He dashed along the hedge and into the open. Kenneth instinctivelyfollowed him, not doubting for a moment what it was that Pariset couldnot stand. Pariset, with Kenneth close at his heels, made straight forthe nearest trench, heedless of the shot and shell whistling, singing,crashing around them. They flung themselves into the trench, andKenneth, without understanding how it had happened, found himselfleaning forward, rifle in hand, listening to a droning monotone fromPariset a yard to the left of him.
"Mark your man.... Don't be in a hurry.... Keep your head as low aspossible.... You'll soon get used to the noise."
It was a minute or two before Kenneth realised that the rifle had beenthrust into his hand for use. Looking over the parapet of the trench hewas still confused and bewildered. Pariset expected him to fire, butwhere was the enemy? He saw the long grass waving in the breeze, a fewscattered trees in the field beyond, wisps and cloudlets of smoke--andthen, as the range of his vision increased, in the far distance abluish-grey mass rolling like a billow towards him.
At last he understood. That bluish-grey mass was the enemy. Itrepresented brute force, broken faith, merciless tyranny. It was thedevastating flood which these brave soldiers about him were giving theirlives to check.
Presently he disting
uished individuals in the mass.
"Mark your man!"
The words, coolly spoken by Pariset on his left, set his imagination onfire. It was his privilege to have a share in their fight for freedom.He laid the rifle to his shoulder, marked his man along the sight, and atouch of his finger sped a bullet on its way.
For the next half-hour Kenneth lost account of everything but the taskso suddenly thrust upon him. The deafening din of bursting shells andrifle fire, the quick silent activity of the ambulance bearers, theshouts and groans of men, were unnoticed by him in his constantpreoccupation. He learnt afterwards how the Germans had pressed on withmarvellous passive courage under the hail of lead and shell from theforts and trenches; how the gaps cleft in their close-packed ranks hadbeen instantly filled up, as if men had sprung out of the earth. Hefired until the chamber was empty, refilled and fired again, every nowand again hearing Pariset's monotonous cry, "Mark your man!"
Presently there was a shrill whistle. Instantly, in the trench oneither side of him, the men who had been lying flat sprang to their feetand dashed forward with a joyous shout. He was up and after them,running across the field, with bayonet out-thrust, towards the stalwartmen in blue-grey, who had hitherto come nearer and nearer like theirresistible tide. But now he became suddenly conscious that the tidewas receding. These stout warriors whom shot and shell had failed todaunt had turned tail at the sight of gleaming steel. Their ranksbroke; they wavered, spun round, and fled in panic disorder across thefield.
As Kenneth, with parched lips and trembling limbs, returned with Parisetfrom that victorious charge, an officer of the general's staff met them.
"This will never do, lieutenant," he said to Pariset; "we have plenty ofbrave fellows to man the trenches, but we haven't too many airmen, andwe can't afford to risk them in field operations. You have no businesshere, you know."
"But wasn't it glorious, colonel?" said Pariset, glowing.
"They are men to be proud of. But I am quite serious; get back to yourcorps; there will be plenty of work for you. Has this man no uniform,by the way?"
"They have run short, colonel," said Pariset instantly. "We will righim up in a day or two."
"See to it. If the Germans capture a man in civilian dress they willshoot him at sight. Now, get back at once."
"I thought it better not to go into particulars," Pariset remarked toKenneth as they went on. "There might have been a row."
"It's just as well," said Kenneth. "But, I say, I think I'll go intothe infantry after all."