THE BOY ALLIES WITH PERSHING IN FRANCE
Or
Over the Top at Chateau Thierry
by
CLAIR W. HAYES
Author of"The Boy Allies With the Army Series"
A. L. Burt CompanyNew York
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THE BOY ALLIES (Registered in the United States Patent Office) WITH THE ARMY SERIES
By Clair W. Hayes
The Boy Allies at Liege or, Through Lines of Steel
The Boy Allies on the Firing Line or, Twelve Days Battle along the Marne
The Boy Allies with the Cossacks or, A Wild Dash over the Carpathians
The Boy Allies in the Trenches or, Midst Shot and Shell along the Aisne
The Boy Allies in Great Peril or, With the Italian Army in the Alps
The Boy Allies in the Balkan Campaign or, The Struggle to Save a Nation
The Boy Allies on the Somme or, Courage and Bravery Rewarded
The Boy Allies at Verdun or, Saving France from the Enemy
The Boy Allies under the Stars and Stripes or, Leading the American Troops to the Firing Line
The Boy Allies with Haig in Flanders or, The Fighting Canadians of Vimy Ridge
The Boy Allies with Pershing in France or, Over the Top at Chateau-Thierry
The Boy Allies with the Great Advance or, Driving the Enemy through France and Belgium
The Boy Allies with Marshal Foch or, The Closing Days of The Great World War.
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Copyright, 1919By A. L. Burt Company
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THE BOY ALLIES WITH PERSHING IN FRANCE
CHAPTER I
IN NO MAN'S LAND
Hal Paine and Chester Crawford crouched low in a shell hole in No Man'sLand. All morning they had been there and the day had worn on now intothe afternoon.
Two hundred yards west of their refuge were the American lines.Sprinters such as Hal and Chester could easily have covered the distancein half a minute; and it was not for want of courage that so far theyhad failed to make the effort. It was plain common sense that kept themin their present position.
On all sides of them--between the American lines and the most advancedGerman positions less than two hundred yards from the spot where theopening of this story finds the two boys--the ground was dotted withshell holes similar to the ones in which Hal and Chester foundthemselves.
Less than fifty yards due north of Hal and Chester was a secondinhabited shell hole. From this four German infantrymen had amusedthemselves during the day by taking occasional shots at the two ladswhen either exposed himself over the top of their refuge. This was thereason that Hal and Chester, once in the comparative safety of the shellhole, had elected to remain there rather than to risk a dash toward theAmerican lines.
The same reasoning kept the Germans in their refuge. They were notwilling to risk a shot from their adversaries by a dash toward theGerman positions.
It was the twentieth day of March, 1918. Although neither Hal norChester knew it then, it was the eve of what was to prove Germany'ssecond grand attempt to sweep back the Allied and American troops andmarch triumphantly into Paris.
A warm afternoon sun shone down into the shell hole where Hal andChester were awaiting the coming of darkness, when, they had decided,they would make an effort to reach their own lines.
"Guess the Boches are not enjoying themselves any better than we are,"Hal said, as he pulled his cap farther down over his eyes.
"I imagine they're fretting a bit worse," agreed Chester. "You know theHun doesn't bear up very well under adversity."
"Adversity?" grinned Hal. "It's the sun they are trying to bear up undernow."
"Well, whatever it is," declared Chester, somewhat nettled, "I don'tbelieve they like it very well."
"I don't like it either, but what am I going to do about it?" Hal wantedto know.
"You might try a little sprint," Chester suggested.
"Not much. I feel reasonably secure here and I think I'll stick awhile.The thing that mystifies me, though, is why the Germans haven't sentrelief to our friends in the next hole."
"On the same reasoning," said Chester, "why hasn't Captain O'Neil madean effort to reach us?"
Hal shrugged his shoulders.
"Guess he is playing for the safety of the greatest number," was hisreply. "If he tried to rescue us the Germans also would probably advanceand that would mean a battle. My idea is that Captain O'Neil has beenordered to avoid that right now!"
"All the same," said Chester, "they are bound to know we're here, and itseems to me they could do something for us."
"Don't croak," said Hal. "We're not running this war, you know, and Iguess it's a good thing. Anyhow, we've just as much chance to get outalive as those fellows over there," and he waved an arm in the directionof the shell hole occupied by the Germans.
This act of indiscretion almost proved costly. When Hal's arm showedabove the top of the shell hole a German rifle cracked in the distance.Hal heard the whine of the bullet as it passed within a fraction of aninch of his hand.
"Guess I'd better hug down inside here," he said calmly. "Fritz almostnicked me that time."
The boys became silent. Every moment or two, one or the other,exercising extreme caution, peered toward the enemy, for they did notwish to be caught napping, should the Germans, knowing that the oddswere two to one in their favor, decide to rush them.
Chester looked at his watch.
"Almost five o'clock," he said. "It'll be dark soon and then we can getaway from here."
"Guess Fritz will be as glad as we will," Hal commented.
As it developed, however, the lads were not to get back to their ownlines so easily.
The particular section of the great battle zone in which the lads foundthemselves when this story opens was perhaps ten miles south and west ofSt. Quentin, at that time in German hands. The river Oise flowed somefive miles to the east and also was held by the enemy.
Darkness now drew on apace and Hal and Chester, making sure that theirrifles and side arms were in perfect condition, prepared to quit theirrefuge.
"Better wait a few minutes," said Chester. "It's not quite dark. Wewould still make pretty fair targets on level ground."
"It won't be dark enough to cover us anyhow," Hal replied. "See themoon."
Chester gazed aloft.
"By Jove! That's what I call pretty tough luck," he said. "Well, we'lljust have to make the most of it; that's all."
"The sooner we start, then, the sooner we'll get there," declared Hal."Guns ready?"
"Ready," was Chester's brief response.
"Then let's be moving. Follow me."
Hal got to his feet, but, with a cry, as suddenly dropped down again.
"Hit, Hal?" cried Chester, as he stooped over his chum.
"No," replied Hal.
"What's the matter then?"
"Stick out your nose and have a look," returned Hal.
Chester did so, and what he saw was this:
Twenty-five yards away, and advanci
ng rapidly, were the four Germans whoso recently had occupied the neighboring shell hole. They were firing asthey advanced and a bullet sped close to Chester.
"Quick with your rifle, Hal!" the boy cried, and bringing his own weaponto his shoulder regardless of his exposed position, he pulled thetrigger.
One of the approaching foes staggered slightly, but he did not fall. Theadvancing Germans pumped rifle bullets the faster.
"We'll have to stop them or we are done for," muttered Hal, as he stooderect in the shell hole.
Despite the hail of bullets that flew about him, Hal was untouched as hetook careful aim and fired at the nearest German.
The man stumbled, threw up his arms and flung his rifle a dozen yardsaway; then, with a cry, he pitched forward on his face.
"One," said Hal quietly.
A bullet brushed the boy's cheek, leaving a stream of red in its wake,but Hal did not quail.
Again his rifle spoke and a second German went to the ground.
"Odds even now," Hal called to Chester. "Let's get these other two."
Without waiting for a reply, he leaped from the shell hole and dashedforward.
Chester, who had been unfortunate in his marksmanship and so far had notaccounted for one of the enemy, followed Hal closely.
The two remaining Germans, now realizing that they had lost theadvantage of two-to-one odds, halted in their impetuous dash forward,turned and ran. By this time Hal and Chester were close behind them andthe former shouted:
"Surrender!"
For answer the Germans only ran the faster.
"Well," Hal muttered to himself, "if you won't, you won't."
Again he raised his rifle and fired.
A third German dropped to the ground.
Chester, close behind the remaining foe, also cried a command tosurrender, but the man ran on.
Loath to shoot the man from behind, Chester sprinted and caught up withhim. With his rifle in his right hand, he laid his left on the German'sshoulder.
"Halt!" he cried.
The German needed no further urging. He came to an abrupt stop andraised his hands.
"We might as well take this fellow back with us," said Hal, as heapproached at that moment.
"Right you are," agreed Chester. "We can't return without some kind of amemento of our trip. A live souvenir is about the best thing I can thinkof."
"You've got me," mumbled the German at this juncture, "but I want totell you that before another twenty-four hours have passed, my loss willbe repaid with interest."
"Wonder if he knows anything, Hal?" questioned Chester.
"Guess he's not so big that the German high command is tipping him offto all their plans," said Hal. "He's angry and wants to talk. That'sabout all."
And still it wasn't all; and had the lads had the foresight to reportthe words of their prisoner, action might have been taken that wouldhave nipped the second German offensive in the bud.
With no further word to their prisoner, the lads made off in thesemi-darkness for the American lines. These they reached in safety.
But hardly had they passed within the lines when a violent cannonadingbroke out from the German front.
"Sounds as though they were going to start something," said Chester."Maybe our prisoner knows something after all."
"Oh, I guess not," replied Hal, and once again passed by an opportunity.
Half an hour later, their prisoner having been turned over to CaptainO'Neil, the lads sought their own little dugout and much-needed repose.