CHAPTER VI
A PERILOUS SITUATION
Hal and Chester held no conversation with Anthony Stubbs the followingday, and therefore were unable to learn more than they already knew ofthe war correspondent's great "story."
Before they rose Stubbs was up and gone, and when he returned, severalhours later, Hal and Chester were receiving orders from General Petain.
The German advance had continued the day before in spite of the heroicstand of the French troops. Successive charges by the Teuton hordes haddriven the defenders back along practically the entire front. Here, withthe coming of night, they had taken a brace with the arrival ofreinforcements and had stemmed the tide; but not a man failed to realizethat there would be more desperate work on the morrow.
The French lines now had been pushed back well to the west of the cityof Verdun itself and the civil population of the town had fled. The townhad been swept by the great German guns until hardly one stone remainedupon another. North of the city, the French had been bent back as theGermans thrust a wedge into the defending lines almost to the foot ofDead Man's Hill.
This hill was of particular importance to the Germans, for it commandedthe approach on all sides; and now the German Prince had determined uponits capture. General Petain anticipated the move and acted promptly.
It was toward this point, then, that Hal and Chester found themselvesmoving upon the sixth day of the great battle. They bore despatches fromGeneral Petain and each bestrode a high-powered motorcycle, which theFrench commander had placed at their disposal. The two lads rode swiftly,for there was no time to be lost.
Even above the "pop-pop" of their motorcycles could be heard theterrible roar of the German guns as they were brought to bear on DeadMan's Hill, paving the way for an infantry advance, which was to come afew hours later. It was risky business upon which the lads were bent,for the great shells struck on all sides of them, throwing huge massesof dirt in the air like giant fountains and digging immense excavationsin the hard ground.
But the lads reached their destination in safety; and here, for thefirst time, Hal and Chester were to come in contact with a new methodof fighting.
General Domont, in command at Dead Man's Hill, having read the despatchesthe lads carried, announced that they would remain with him during theday, acting as members of his staff. He ordered Hal forward withinstructions for the troops holding the crest of the hill to the northand Chester was despatched upon a similar mission to the south.
Hardly had Chester delivered his message when a shout told him the Germaninfantry was advancing to the attack. The lad glanced around, and as hedid so, a sharp order rang out and a moment later the French troopsclamped queer-looking devices over their faces and heads.
Chester knew what they were--gas masks to protect the defenders fromthe poisonous vapors of German gas bombs, which, had the defenders notbeen protected by masks, would have killed them instantly. A passingofficer said something unintelligible to the lad as he passed andpointed to the ground. Glancing down, the lad perceived a mask and thenunderstood that the officer had meant for him to put it on. Chester didso, though not without some difficulty, for he had trouble adjustingit. But with his nostrils protected at last, Chester turned to watchthe approach of the enemy.
The Germans came forward in a dense mass, despite the fearful executionworked in their ranks by the French guns. In the lines of the defendersdropped huge bombs that sent up dense vapors--the deadly gasses of thefoe--but they caused little harm, for the French were protected. Now andthen a man fell, however; perhaps he had failed to adjust his helmetproperly, or perhaps it was not perfect. But for the most part the gasbombs had little effect.
The first concerted attack of the German troops availed little; and aftertrying for half an hour to gain a foothold in the French lines theywithdrew. But a second attack followed a few moments later. This also wasbeaten off. A third attack, however, met with better success.
This time the Germans succeeded in gaining a hold in the French lines,and this they retained in spite of repeated counter assaults by theFrench. Bravely the men charged, but they could make no impression on thepositions so recently won by the foe. The troops of the German CrownPrince stood firm.
The French were forced to retreat toward the summit of the hill.
Here the big French guns opened violently upon the enemy, but theinvaders remained in spite of the hail of death.
Chester had been carried back with the French retreat and he now foundhimself almost in the first line. He was sadly disappointed, for he hadfelt sure that the French effort to repel the attack would be successful.
His men still falling back before the German advance, General Domontdetermined upon a bold stroke. Orders were given thick and fast. Hal andChester, returning from their first missions of the day, found themselvesagain near the front. The orders to the various French divisionalcommanders were explicit. As the Germans advanced again to the attack,the French, too, all along the line, were to take the offensive.
The men awaited the word eagerly.
At last it came. With a shout the French, still wearing their gas masks,hurled themselves forward with the troops.
Halfway down the hill the lines met with a crash. Rifles and small armswere fired point blank into the very faces of the foe and then the menfell to the work with bayonets. Both sides fought desperately.
Hal and Chester had drawn their swords and found themselves engaged withthe troops. So close was the fighting that had it not been for thedifference in uniform it would have been practically impossible todistinguish friend from foe.
Hal found himself engaged with a German officer of huge stature, who wasendeavoring to bring the lad to earth by fierce sweeping blows of hisofficer's sword. Hal was hard pressed to defend himself.
As the German's sword descended in a stroke of extra violence, Halstepped lightly aside and evaded the blow. Before the German couldrecover himself, Hal moved quickly forward. There was a sudden, quickmovement of his arm and the German officer toppled over, to rise no more.
Hal turned just in time to see a second German officer level a revolverstraight at his head. The lad ducked and the ball passed harmlessly overhis head. Before the German's finger could press the trigger again Halhad raised his arm and struck.
Chester, in the meantime, had his own hands full. He had accounted for aGerman trooper who had sought to bring his rifle butt down on the lad'shead and was now engaged with two other troopers, who sought to end hiscareer with bayonets.
Chester sprang nimbly back as the two men advanced on him. One trippedand stumbled over a fallen comrade and as he did so Chester tookadvantage of his misfortune to strike with his sword. But the secondGerman protected his fellow by catching Chester's stroke with his bayonetand for a moment Chester was at a disadvantage.
Even as the bayonet of the first trooper, who had regained his balance,would have pierced him, however, Chester dropped flat on the ground andseized one of the man's legs. The German dropped his bayonet and crashedto the ground. Chester sprang up quickly and jumped to one side to escapethe point of the bayonet in the hands of the second trooper.
Chester thrust with his sword, but the effort was futile. The point ofthe lad's sword fell short. Again the lad was at a disadvantage and theGerman grinned as he stepped forward to end the combat. His bayonet waspointed straight at the lad's breast and it seemed as though nothing buta miracle could save the boy.
But the miracle happened. Suddenly the German dropped his bayonet with acrash and threw up both arms. He spun on his heel and then fell to theground without an outcry. A stray bullet had done what Chester had beenunable to accomplish, and for the moment the lad was safe.
The second trooper now returned to the attack and engaged Chesterfiercely. All this time the French were gradually being forced back, andof a sudden Chester found himself the center of a mass of German troops.
But the lad had no mind to give up. Throwing caution to the winds, he nowstruck out swiftly and sha
rply with his sword. Once or twice the thrustswent home. Chester felt a sting in his left shoulder. The bayonet of aGerman trooper had pricked him slightly. Chester whirled about and seizedthe bayonet with his left hand. A powerful wrench and it was wrested fromthe hands of the German soldier, who had been caught off his guard.
Without taking time to reverse the weapon, Chester hurled it in the facesof the foe who pressed in about him. It struck one man squarely on theforehead and he toppled over with a groan.
Again Chester laid about him with his sword, retreating slowly as he didso. The gas helmet that he wore impeded his progress somewhat, for it wasstrange to his head and felt uncomfortable. Now the lad realized for thefirst time that the Germans before him also wore the heavy helmets.
He aimed a blow at one man's breast and it went home. At the same momenta second German brought his rifle butt down upon the lad's sword and theweapon snapped off. Chester felt a second sting in his arm and then hefelt a blow across the helmet.
There was a sudden roaring sound, Chester saw a million stars flashthrough the air; then he threw up his arms, made a move to step forwardand crashed to the ground.
The last blow had broken open Chester's gas helmet and the lad was at themercy of the poisonous vapors!