ARMY BOYS ON THE FIRING LINE
Or
Holding Back the German Drive
by
HOMER RANDALL
Author of "Army Boys in France," "Army Boys in the French Trenches,"etc.
[Frontispiece: "America!" answered Frank, and hurled his revolver fullin the sentry's face.]
The World Syndicate Publishing Co.Cleveland, O. ------ New York, N. Y.
Copyright, 1919, byGeorge Sully & Company
ARMY BOYS ON THE FIRING LINE
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I FIGHTING AGAINST ODDS II A PERILOUS JOURNEY III AMONG THE MISSING IV CAPTURED OR DEAD? V NICK RABIG TURNS UP VI THE COMING DRIVE VII IN THE HANDS OF THE HUNS VIII FRYING-PAN TO FIRE IX THE CONFESSION X A MIDNIGHT SWIM XI GALLANT WORK XII THE DRUGGED DETACHMENT XIII A DEEPENING MYSTERY XIV THE STORM OF WAR XV FURRY RESCUERS XVI CLOSING THE GAP XVII THE MINED BRIDGE XVIII A DESPERATE VENTURE XIX THE JAWS OF DEATH XX A TRAITOR UNMASKED XXI CROSSING THE LINE XXII A JOYOUS REUNION XXIII CUTTING THEIR WAY OUT XXIV WOUNDS AND TORTURE XXV DRIVEN BACK
ARMY BOYS ON THE FIRING LINE
CHAPTER I
FIGHTING AGAINST ODDS
"The Huns are coming!" exclaimed Frank Sheldon, as from the Americanfront line his keen, gray eyes searched a broad belt of woodland threehundred yards away.
"Bad habit they have," drawled his special chum and comrade, BartRaymond, running his finger along the edge of his bayonet. "We'll haveto try to cure them of it."
"I think they're getting over it to some extent," remarked TomBradford, who stood at Frank's left. "The last time they tried to rushus they went back in a bigger hurry than they came. What we did tothem was a shame!"
"They certainly left a lot of dead men hanging on our wires," put inBilly Waldon. "But there are plenty of them ready to take theirplaces, and the Kaiser's willing to fight to the last man, though younotice he keeps his own precious skin out of the line of fire."
"I think Frank's getting us on a string," chaffed Tom, when someminutes had passed in grim waiting. "I don't see any Heinies. Trotout your Huns, Frank, and let's have a look at them."
"You'll see them soon enough," retorted Frank. "I saw the flash ofbayonets in that fringe of woods and I'm sure they're massing."
"Do you remember that little thrilly feeling that used to go up anddown our spines when we were green at the war game?" grinned Bart. "Ifeel it now to some extent, but nothing to what I did at first."
"That's because we've tackled the boches and taken their measure,"commented Frank. "We know now that man for man when conditions areequal we can lick them. The world had been so fed up with storiesabout Prussian discipline that it seemed as though the Germans must besupermen. But a bullet or a bayonet can get them just like any oneelse, and when it comes to close quarters, the American eagle can pickthe pin feathers out of any Prussian bird."
"It isn't but what they're brave enough," remarked Bart. "When they'refighting in heavy masses they're a tough proposition. But they've gotto feel somebody else's shoulder against theirs to be at their best.Turn a hundred of them loose in a ten-acre lot against the same numberof Americans, where each man had to pick out his own opponent, and seewhat would happen to them."
"They wouldn't be in it," agreed Tom with conviction. "Put a Heinie ina strange position where he has to think quickly without an officer tohelp him, and he's up in the air. Take his map away from him and he'slost."
"Even when you talk of his mass fighting being so good, perhaps you'regiving him too much credit," said Billy grudgingly. "He goes intobattle with his officer's revolver trained on him, and he knows that ifhe flinches he'll be shot. He's got a chance if he goes ahead and nochance at all if he doesn't. And you remember at the battle of theSomme how the gun crews were chained to their cannon so that theycouldn't run away. You'll notice that we don't use chains or revolversfor that purpose in the American army."
"I heard Captain Baker tell the colonel the other day that what heneeded was a brake instead of a spur in handling his bunch ofdoughboys," chuckled Tom.
"Quit your chinning," commanded Frank suddenly. "Here they come! Nowwill you boobs tell me that my eyesight's no good?"
"You win," agreed Bart, as a sharp word of command came down the line."They're coming for fair!"
From the thick woods beyond, a huge force of enemy troops were coming,marching shoulder to shoulder as stiffly and precisely as though theywere on parade or were passing in review before the Kaiser himself.
Their artillery, which had been keeping up a steady fire, now redoubledin volume, and a protecting barrage was laid down, in the shelter ofwhich they steadily advanced.
But now the American guns opened up with a roar that shook the ground.The guns were served with the precision that has made American gunnerythe envy of the world, and great gaps were torn in the dense masses ofthe enemy troops. But the lanes filled up instantly, and with hardly amoment of faltering the advance continued.
As the troops drew nearer, it could be seen that all the men were cladin brand-new uniforms as though for a festive occasion.
"Getting ready to celebrate in advance," murmured Bart. "They mustfeel pretty sure of themselves."
"Just Prussian bluff," growled Tom. "They think it will brace upFritz, and that we'll think it's all over but the shouting and lightingout for home."
"They'll have to take those uniforms to the tailors when we get throughwith them," muttered Billy, as he took a tighter grasp on the stock ofhis rifle.
"They'll do well enough for shrouds," added Frank grimly.
The advancing troops were now not more than a hundred yards away, andthough their losses had been severe there were so many left that it wasevident it would come to a hand-to-hand fight. The enemy cannon hadtorn big rents in the barbed wire entanglements that stretched beforethe American position so that it would be possible to get through.
Now the American machine guns began sputtering, and their shrill trebleblended with the deep bass of the heavier field guns. A moment more,and from the rifles of the American infantry a withering blast of flamesprang out and the enemy went down in heaps.
There were signs of confusion in the German ranks and the Americancommander gave the signal to charge.
Out from their shallow trenches leaped the Army Boys, the light ofbattle in their eyes, and fell like an avalanche upon the advancinghosts.
In an instant there was a welter of fearful fighting. The force of theenemy had been largely spent by their march over that field of death,while the Americans were fresh and their vigor unimpaired.
For a brief space the Germans were pressed back, but they hadconcentrated their forces on that section of the line so that theyoutnumbered the Americans by two or three to one, and little by little,by sheer weight, they pressed their opponents back. And behind thoseimmediately engaged, fresh forces could be seen emerging from the woodsand coming to the help of their comrades.
But Americans never show to such advantage as when they are fightingagainst odds, and the battle line swayed back and forth, first one andthen the other side seeming to have a temporary advantage.
Frank and his comrades were in the very thick of the fight, shooting,stabbing, using now the bayonet and again the butts of their rifles asthe occasion demanded. There was a red mist before their eyes andtheir blood was pounding in their veins and drumming in their ears fromtheir tremendous exertions.
Slowly but surely, the fierce determination of the Americans began totell. The solid ene
my front was broken up into groups, and the gapsgrew wider and wider as their men were pushed back further and furtherover the ground that lay between the lines. In the center theAmericans were winning.
But suddenly a new danger threatened. A fresh body of German troopshad worked its way to a position where it could attack the Americanright flank, which was but thinly held because for the time being thebulk of the forces were engaged in pressing the advantage gained at thecenter. If the enemy could turn that flank and throw it back inconfusion on the main body, it might lead to serious disaster.
At the point where Frank and his comrades were fighting, there was anest of machine guns that commanded the space over which the new enemyforces were bearing down on the threatened flank. Several of the guncrews had fallen, and the guns were temporarily unserved.
There was no time to wait for orders. Another minute and the gunswould be in the enemy's hands.
"Quick, Bart! Come along, Billy and Tom!" shouted Frank, as he rushedtoward the guns.
His chums were on his heels in an instant. Quick as a flash, the gunswere aimed, and streams of bullets cut the front ranks of the attackingforce to ribbons. Volley after volley followed, until the guns were sohot that the hands of the young soldiers were blistered.
But the hardest part of their work was done, for now fresh guns hadbeen brought into position and the flank was strengthened beyond thepower of the enemy to break. Frank's quick thought and instant actionhad averted what might have been a calamity that would have decided thefortune of the day.
"Good work, old man!" panted Bart, when in a momentary lull he couldgain breath enough to speak.
"Yours as well as mine!" gasped Frank, as he dashed the perspirationfrom his forehead. "If you fellows hadn't been right on the job, Icouldn't have done anything worth while."
Regular crews had now been assigned to take their places, and resumingtheir positions in the ranks the young soldiers plunged once more intothe hand-to-hand work at which they were masters.
The issue was no longer in doubt. The scale had turned against theGermans and they were retreating. But they went back stubbornly,giving ground only inch by inch, and in certain scattered groups thefighting was as furious as ever.
As far as might be, they kept together, but as the swirl of the battletore them apart, Tom and Billy were lost sight of by Bart and Frank,who were laying about them right and left among the enemy.
A sharp exclamation from Bart caused Frank to turn his eyes toward himfor a second.
"Hurt, Bart?" he queried anxiously.
"Bullet ridged my shoulder," responded Bart. "Doesn't amount toanything, though. Look out, Frank!" he yelled, his voice rising almostto a scream. Frank turned to see two burly Germans bearing down uponhim with fixed bayonets.
Bart sought to engage one of them, but was caught up in a mass ofcombatants and Frank was left to meet the onset alone.
Quick as a cat, he sidestepped one of them, and putting out his foottripped him as he plunged past. He went down with a crash, and hisrifle flew from his hands.
The remaining German made a savage lunge, but Frank deftly caught theblade upon his own, and the next instant they were engaged in a deadlybayonet duel.
It was fierce but also brief. A thrust, a parry, and Frank drove hisweapon through the shoulder of his opponent. The latter reeled andfell. Frank strove to pull out his weapon, but it stuck fast, and justthen a pair of sinewy hands fastened on his throat and he looked intothe reddened eyes of the antagonist whom he had tripped.
With a quick wrench Frank tore himself away, and the next instant hehad grappled with his opponent and they swayed back and forth, eachputting forth every ounce of his strength in the effort to master theother.
Panting, straining, gasping, neither one of them saw that the strugglehad brought them to the edge of a deep shell crater. A moment more andthey fell with a crash to the bottom of the hole.