CHAPTER XIII
THE WINNING OF THE ARGONNE
DAYS passed and each setting sun saw the Yankee boys in khaki furtheralong the terrible trail they had set out to follow to the end. Anothermile, perhaps two, of the dense Argonne Forest had been redeemed, andthe stubborn foe sent reeling backward.
The end was in sight, many believed. Once they passed out of the vaststretch of woods, the pace of the retreating enemy must be accelerated,though of course he would take advantage of every ravine, abandoned farmbuilding, destroyed hamlet and village that offered sites formachine-guns, on which Hindenburg was coming to rely more than on hisBig Berthas.
They made the Yankee pay the price for it all, even though the famousKriemhild-Stellung line was broken in the end. In addition to the heavyblanketing of woods, hills and ravines intersected the forest atintervals. These very often were knee deep in mud, through which thefighters from overseas had to wade as they pushed steadily on.
Then there were barbed wire defenses, sometimes twenty feet in height,with the hills and surrounding country villages fortified with acres ofrapid-fire guns, often in vast nests, and requiring the work ofbatteries to blast them out of the path.
During all these days they had charged through villages, fought throughmorasses, forded swollen streams, bayoneted machine gunners at theirposts, and used their rifles as clubs when they came to grips with thefoe in the wire entanglements.
Hunger and thirst joined hands with the enemy. Gas attack followedcharge, and charge succeeded gas attack. From overhead Boche planesrained bombs down upon them. Comrades fell on every hand, and the criesof the wounded rose above the shrieking of shrapnel and shell.
And day after day the young air-service boys rendered their full duty tothe cause they stood for. Filled with the ardor that spurs patriots onto do astonishing feats they never shirked when the order came that sentthem again and again into the air to measure wits with the Boche fliers.
Hardly a day but what there was a vacancy in the ranks of those gallantairmen who were so willingly giving their service in answer to theircountry's call. More than a few had been sent to the hospital from whichthey would only emerge, it might be, cripples for life, but doubtlessthankful to have escaped even a sadder fate.
Tom and Jack, as well as Harry Leroy, had had their close calls, butsomehow it seemed as though they were watched over by a kind Providence,for so far none of them had met with a serious mishap.
There were compensations, too; for after a hard day's work in the airhow pleasant it was for Jack to lounge in the temporary field hut of theRed Triangle and watch Bessie's nimble fingers handing out hot coffee,sandwiches, or any of the hundred-and-one things which those industriousworkers managed to have in store for the wearers of Uncle Sam's khaki,so as to make them feel that here was indeed a touch of home life,though far removed from the actual thing.
And then perhaps from time to time, when Bessie was relieved by someother worker, how delightful it was to find a chance to sit with her,sipping tea, and chatting.
Of course Jack had long ago confided to her all that had happened to himand to Tom and Harry since last they had met in Paris. If he was overmodest in his descriptions, especially when speaking of his personaldoings, why, Bessie had imagination, and could easily color thenarrative to suit her own ideas of what was fit and proper.
This sort of thing could not keep up indefinitely, of course.
The losses which the American army was sustaining were very severe, forthey never allowed themselves to be balked of their object. If theyfound after trying that it was impossible to secure what they were afterone way, they turned around and went at it from a second, perhaps even athird angle, but what in the end they gained their objective.
But it was known that they had now arrived close to the northern edge ofthat vast wooded tract. For twenty-three days they had battledcontinuously and pushed their lines forward in a way that must have beenpeculiarly discouraging to Hindenburg.
His generals, who knew the ground best, had assured the Hun commanderthat no army on earth could ever force the Argonne Forest, defended asit was by every possible contrivance ever invented by a cunning Bochebrain. Yet here in October those persistent Yankees were on the point ofemerging from the bloody shambles, and ready to continue the drive tothe banks of the Rhine, if need be.
It was on one of those never-to-be-forgotten October nights that Jackentered the tent that was being used as the temporary rest house forthe Y. M. C. A. workers, with a hastily dug hole adjoining where thegirls could seek shelter in case the Boche became troublesome with hisshells or bombs. He motioned to Tom whom he found chatting with Bessie.
The place was crowded as usual. Some of the doughboys had takenpossession of the battered old piano, moved up each day as though itwere their choicest possession, as indeed it really was. They sang theirfavorite songs over and over again, and seemed to enjoy every minute ofthe time.
It was no easy thing to make oneself heard with so much noise going on;but Tom obeyed the signal of his chum, under the conviction that Jackmust have something of more or less importance which he wished tocommunicate.
"What's in the wind this time, Jack?" he asked lightly, when he foundhimself alongside the other. "Any more spies trying to blow up ourhangars?"
"Forget all that now. I want to speak to you about Helene, Tom."
"Oh, yes! We've almost forgotten all about Helene these days, what withour many duties in the field and the air. What's new concerning littleJeanne's sister, Jack?"
"Well, I haven't been neglecting the job I undertook, all the same,"came the steady answer. "Never a batch of Boche prisoners is put behindthe barbed-wire enclosure but what I find a chance to look 'em over andair my limited German vocabulary."
"Trying to find out if there are any Lorrainers in the bunch--is thatwhat you mean?"
"It is," the other told him, smiling at the accurate guess made by Tom.
"I suppose," continued Tom, "you've run across quite a few of them, andsome Alsatians in the bargain; for the Prussian war-lords saw to it thatfew, if any, escaped the draft."
"Oh, I picked out dozens of men who claimed they had homes in Lorraine,and every mother's son of them was fighting in the Hun army because ofcompulsion. A lot of them lied, of course, because their names told thatthey came of German stock, their people having settled there after thewar of Seventy-one had given the country to Germany."
"And at last ran across the one you most wanted to meet, did you?"
"I did come on a chap who admitted his home was just on the other sideof the border, and who knew all about General von Berthold. Yes, and theAnstey family as well. From him I learned that Gerald Anstey was thename of Jeanne's and Helena's father. He was English, of course, andmarried into that Lorraine family."
"Dead, I suppose?" asked Tom.
"It has been believed so for four years now," replied Jack. "Ansteytried to leave the country in order to join the British regiment towhich he belonged, but was followed by the Guards, and they say shotdown like a dog. Anyway he's never been heard from in all these years."
"And is the general really the man who took Helene away?" Tom demanded.
"No question about it. This man told me he was connected with the familyMrs. Anstey sprang from. Better still, Tom, this same Lorrainer was atthe old chateau just a few days ago, sent there on duty because of hisbeing from the same section of country as von Berthold, he says. And,Tom, he saw Helene!"
"You're getting closer and closer all the time, Jack, let me tell you.If you didn't give him a clue to make him say that, it's veryimportant."
"Oh, I was careful not to let him know why I was interested in vonBerthold. When he happened to say he had seen a child there that hecould remember having noticed at the Anstey home of course I pumped him,and led him along until he declared that he felt certain it was eitherJeanne or Helene."
"I'm glad that point is settled," Tom admitted. "After this we can knowwhat ground we stand on, if ever we find
a chance to make a call asuninvited guests on General von Berthold."
"Speed the day!" said Jack. "The sooner it comes the better I'll bepleased. Nellie told me that she hears from Jeanne every few days, forthe ambulances pass the door of the little half-demolished house whereshe has found a temporary home before going to Paris; and the driverscarry notes for Nellie, stopping for answers on the return trip."
"I can easily understand that!" Tom exclaimed eagerly, unconsciouslygiving himself away. "For who could resist Nellie's sweet smile?Certainly no warm-hearted Yankee ambulance driver with a girl back homewho is often in his thoughts. Some fellows would wade through fire andwater for a smile from Nellie."
"That's right, too, Tom," admitted Jack promptly. "And they'd feel wellrepaid for doing it too. I know one who doesn't hesitate to say so. Butsee here, I'm going to propose something to you, old fellow."
"I can give a pretty shrewd guess what it is. You carry your secrets inyour face, Jack. Nothing of the cunning conspirator about you, for afact. You're going to suggest that we plan some sort of a campaign, bymeans of which we can pay a flying visit to this old chateau andsurprise the famous general, perhaps relieve him of the voluntary chargehe's taken on his shoulders by carrying Helene away with us."
"You hit the bull's-eye the first shot, Tom. That is just what I had inmind. Please don't try to throw cold water on my hopes by saying itcan't be done."
"Make your mind easy on that score, Jack. I'm just as eager as you canbe to drop in on the general and bring Helene back to her twin sister."
"I'm right glad to hear you say that. Fact is, I ought to be ashamed tosuspect for a single second that you'd decline to back me up. Now theonly question that's left is to set the time."
"That may have to be settled by circumstances just now beyond ourcontrol," Tom told him, very seriously.
Jack seeing him look around so carefully sensed something of importance.
"See here, what ails you, Tom? You've got something held back, I justknow. Is that fair to me, your old chum? I've been told there was anextra big event in the air, but no one seemed able to get a line on it.Those who did know kept it a dead secret. Are you one of them? And won'tyou put me wise, Tom?"
"I've kept it a secret for two days, until I'm ready to burst," admittedTom, with a sigh of relief. "Just a bit ago I received permission tomention it to you, as the observer who was to accompany me is out of therunning, and they gave me my choice of another. Of course I took you,Jack."
"It's well you did, because I'd never have forgiven you if you'd goneback on your old pal," Jack replied, nodding his head. "Now tell me whatit's all about. Are we going to blast the Kaiser out of his throne?"
"It amounts to about that, I'd say, Jack. Listen. The High Command havelaid out a scheme to knock the last prop out from under Fritz. There's acertain stronghold they're banking on as a bulwark of safety in case wedo succeed in breaking through here. Get that, Jack?"
"Yes, spin away, Tom."
"All right. Well, they've been getting all kinds of secret informationabout this particular spot, and it's on the map to knock it sky-high!"
"Bomb it, you mean, of course?"
"We've got a new kind of bomb, it seems, said to be three times aspowerful in its effects as the best the Huns handle. Our leaders areanxious that it should be tried out against this stronghold that theBoche seems to think is going to hold Pershing's boys up for ever solong."
"Great stunt! And say, I'm mighty glad you got a chance to pull me intothe game, Tom. Never forget it, I tell you."
"Don't mention it, Jack. I'll be three times as happy with you besideme, than if I had to have another alongside. But that isn't quite all,boy."
"What, even more coming?" gasped the delighted Jack.
"It seems that rumors have reached us that Ludendorff has his presentheadquarters in a chateau among the hills that can be easily reached bythe bombing plane squadron on their way to the main objective. Yes, andwould you believe it, they even suspect that the Old Fox of the Hills,Von Hindenburg himself, is there right now, in consultation with hischief general. Think of a double killing, Jack, will you?"
Jack went through a pantomime that indicated his abounding joy over theprospect of cutting off the responsible heads of the enemy at a singleblow.
"This sounds good to me," he said. "And now, Tom, what has it all to dowith the prospect of our paying that visit to Jeanne's uncle, andforcing him to give up little Helene? Tell me that!"