CHAPTER XVIII
A DESPERATE VENTURE
"The Huns will get a surprise party if they try to cross that bridge,"remarked Billy with a grin, as the boys were talking over the presentsituation.
"I don't see why we don't blow it up right away," said Bart. "Then theGermans would have to rely on pontoons and what we would do to themwould be a crime."
"Our officers know what they're about," objected Frank. "We might wantthat bridge to go across on ourselves if things take the right turn.So it's just as well to have it handy. If there's any blowing up todo, we can do it later just as well as now. And it's just as well tohave it go skyward when it's crowded with Germans as when it's empty.Get me?"
"I get you, all right," replied Bart. "But suppose something should gowrong when the time came to blow it up?"
"That would be something else again," laughed Frank. "But I guessthere isn't much danger Of that. Just one little pressure of abutton--and--zowie!"
Just then Frank caught sight of his friend, Colonel Pavet, comingtoward him and went forward to meet the French officer.
The colonel's greeting was a very cordial one.
"I'm glad to see that you've come safely so far through this fiercefighting," he said.
"Fierce is the right word," answered Frank smilingly.
"I was at Verdun," went on the colonel, "and I thought at the time thatnothing could be more ferocious than the fighting there. But this hasbeen much worse."
"We've got a pretty stiff proposition right now in holding thisbridge," observed Frank.
"Indeed you have," agreed the colonel, "and it is a compliment to theAmerican forces that the defense of such an important position has beenentrusted to them. Oh, you Americans! Where would we have beenwithout your aid? And your fighting qualities! You grow men on yourside of the ocean, Monsieur Sheldon."
"The superb fighting of the French has been an inspiration to us,"replied Frank warmly.
"To come to personal matters," went on the colonel, "I have heard morein detail from my brother Andre about your mother's property. He hastraced the butler--Martel is his name--in the official records, and hasfound that he was taken prisoner in an attack several months ago. Hewas very anxious to cross-examine him on some testimony he had givenpreviously. It seems that Martel had testified that he had witnessedthe execution of a later will than that in which the property was leftto your mother. You can easily see how unfortunate that might be if itcould be proved. Andre has a suspicion that cross-examination mightshow Martel's testimony to be false."
"It is too bad that the man is a prisoner," said Frank anxiously.
"There is more to be told," went on the colonel gravely. "I myselfhave put investigations on foot through the Swiss Red Cross. They wereable to find out from German prison records that Martel died recently."
Frank started back visibly perturbed.
"Died!" he echoed. "Then his statement about the will standsuncontradicted."
"As far as he is concerned, yes," replied the colonel soberly. "I ambitterly disappointed, and I know that Andre will be, too, for he hasmade a very strong point of disproving that special testimony. But wewill not remit our efforts in the least, _mon ami_. Be assured ofthat. I will let you know when I have any further news," and with afriendly wave of the hand the colonel passed on.
"What's the matter, Frank?" asked Billy as he went slowly back to hisfriends. "You look as jolly as a crutch."
"I'm no hypocrite, then," answered Frank soberly, "for that's exactlyhow I feel."
He told his chums of what the colonel had said, and they were sincerein their expressions of sympathy.
"I don't care a button about it for myself," explained Frank, "but Ihate to have to tell my mother about it. She has little enough to makeher happy nowadays, and I know how badly she will feel about this."
All that day the artillery kept up a ceaseless fire and the Germans didnot venture on the bridge. But great activity was observed among them,and Dick Lever, who was leader of the aviation detachment that wasoperating in that sector, brought the news that evening that they werepreparing pontoons and other small boats with which they would probablyattempt a crossing at points that were not so well guarded.
"Your officers over here want to keep their eyes peeled," he remarkedto the Army Boys after he had just made his report at divisionheadquarters. "Those Heinies have made up their minds to get acrossthis river by hook or crook. They figure that with the open countrybehind you they'll have a good chance to throw you back if they canonly get a footing on this side."
"Don't you worry about our officers," replied Frank with a convictionthat had been deepened by the skilful leadership the American troopshad had so far in the drive. "It'll be as hard to find them napping asit is to catch a weasel asleep."
"I know they're good stuff," agreed Dick, "but we're all human, youknow."
"All except the boches," grunted Billy. "They're inhuman."
"We've had plenty of proofs of that," laughed Dick. "They like tothink they're superhuman, but we're teaching them differently."
"Seen anything of Will Stone lately?" asked Frank.
"Ran across him about a week ago," replied Dick. "He's fighting aboutten miles north of here, where the country's suitable for tank work.He's doing some great fighting, too."
"I don't need to be told that," replied Frank. "That fellow wouldrather fight than eat."
"Well, so long, fellows," said Dick, as he rose to his feet. "Keep asharp eye on those boches across the river."
"Trust us," replied Frank. "They'll never get over here."
The aviator's warning had been heeded by the officers, and detachmentswere stationed at places along the river above and below the mainbridge.
Suddenly one morning, a whole fleet of boats, large and small, shot outat the same instant from the enemy side of the river. They were loadedwith men and machine guns, and the evident plan was to get a footing onthe American side which could be held until reinforcements could behurried over and make the footing secure.
At the same time a tremendous gunfire strove to protect the crossingand clear the banks at the points where the boats were planning to land.
Before the American guns could get the range on the rapidly movingtargets, the boats were halfway across the river, and the rowers werepulling like mad. One boat after another was struck and the occupantsthrown into the river. But the Germans had allowed for the loss ofsome of the boats, and were perfectly resigned to lose them, provided acertain percentage of all could effect a crossing.
"Let them get here," muttered Frank, who, with Bart and Billy, wasamong the force which had been assigned to that point where the passagewas being attempted. "They'll never get back again."
The surviving boats drew closer to the shore. The men on the boatswere using their machine guns, and the banks were swept by a rain ofbullets. More of the boats went down under the return fire, but a fulldozen of them finally struck the shore. The crews jumped out in theshallow water and commenced to wade ashore.
But they were doomed men. With a yell the American boys swept downupon them. Frank and his comrades rushed into the water, and there wasa battle that must have resembled those of the old Vikings. Back andforth the combatants struggled, shooting, hacking, swinging their gunbutts. Some of them, locked in a death grip, went down together in thewater that was taking on a reddish tinge. Others floated away on thestream. Others of the enemy, seeing that the fight was going againstthem, leaped back into the boats and strove desperately to push outinto the river. But Frank leaped at the bow of one boat and held it,while Bart and Billy with their comrades did the same to others.
In a few minutes the fight was over. It had been a hot one while itlasted. Several of the Americans had been killed and quite a numberwounded, but their loss had been largely exceeded by that of the enemy.Not a boat got back, and all who had not been killed remained asprisoners in American hands.
While the actio
n was in progress, another fleet of equal size hadstarted out. This had been designed to reinforce the first party if ithad succeeded in gaining a footing. But the utter collapse of thefirst effort had taught the enemy that the bank was too strongly heldand they stopped in midstream and rowed back.
"Even a Heinie can see through a milestone when there's a hole in it,"commented Billy, as he watched the enemy retreating.
"It's a pity they don't keep on," said Bart. "I'm just getting myblood up."
"First bit of marine fighting we've done yet," laughed Frank. "We cansay now that we belong to both branches of the service."
"All we need now is a fight in the air to make the thing complete,"said Bart, "and we came pretty near to that, too, when we were withDick that time in his bombing machine."
With their boat plan thwarted, the German commanders now centered alltheir attention on the bridge. One or two surprise attacks at nightwere detected and driven back, but the enemy did not give up.
At dusk on the day following the fight in the stream they made thegreat attack. True to their tactics, they apparently took no accountof the lives of their men. The taking of the bridge was bound toresult in tremendous slaughter. Every foot of it was swept by theAmerican guns. But the enemy leaders had determined that the bridgemust be taken, no matter how high a price they paid for the taking. Itwas easier for the leaders to reach this conclusion since it was themen who would pay the price rather than themselves.
A tremendous artillery fire paved the way for the operation. Then,just as twilight was gathering, a strong body of enemy troops, marchingin heavy columns, attempted to storm the bridge.
Beyond the first ranks could be seen other columns standing in reserve.The great climax was approaching. The German command at that point haddetermined to stake everything on one throw.
On they came to the death awaiting them. The American artillery andmachine guns swept the bridge with a withering fire. The front ranksmelted away like mist.
But their places were filled with others and still others, despite thefrightful slaughter. The American machine guns got too hot to handlefrom their unceasing fire.
And still the German horde kept crowding forward as though theirreserves were inexhaustible. It was known that they had been heavilyreinforced of late and that they largely outnumbered the Americantroops opposed to them. Over the dead bodies of their comrades whichstrewed the bridge they were creeping nearer, urged by the irresistiblepressure from behind. Considering the disparity of forces, it wassound tactics to destroy the bridge before the foremost ranks could geta footing on the side where their overwhelming numbers would begin totell.
The American commander gave the order to blow up the bridge. But whenthe button was pressed that should have sent the electric current intothe powder mine there was no response.
Several times the pressure was repeated and still no explosionfollowed. A hasty consultation ensued between the leaders who werestanding close by the place where the Army Boys were fighting.
"The electric wires must have been cut by the enemy's fire," Frankheard one of them say.
Cut! Then all the elaborate plans for blowing up the bridge had cometo naught. And that apparently inexhaustible gray force was gettingnearer and nearer!