The Boy Allies at Verdun Part 21

He returned to his place at the window.

On the floor below Captain Leroux also had taken account of his casualties. Merely a handful of men remained unwounded. Some of the men who had felt the effects of the German fire were still in condition to continue the fight should their services be necessary, but their number was few.

The captain shook his head dubiously as he glanced at his watch.

"Ten minutes," he muttered. "Well, we'll hold it that long, but afterwards I can't be held accountable, there will be none of us left."

In the bas.e.m.e.nt Chester and his five men still were unmarked. Though they had stood at the small windows and fired at whatever German forms came within view, they had had little work to do, the men were beginning to murmur among themselves.

"We're not needed down here," said one. "We should be upstairs where the fighting is being done. No Germans will seek to come in here."

"That's right," said another, "we might do some good above. Here we are doing nothing at all. Why, we have hardly seen a German. I don't believe any of the enemy have spotted this opening yet, either."

"Nor I; wish they had let me stay upstairs."

"What's all this?" demanded Chester, suddenly. "You men have been in the ranks long enough to know better than to question your officers' orders.

You have been posted here and here you shall remain until I get orders to the contrary."

"But, sir," said one of the men, "we would like--"

"Silence!" said Chester. "Back to your places."

The men obeyed, though they continued to murmur. Chester softened a few minutes later and again addressed his men.

"I have no doubt you fellows will have all the fighting you want before this thing is over," he said quietly. "As nearly as I can make out from here the men upstairs must be about done for. I question whether they will be able to beat off another attack."

"And are the two hours up, sir," asked one of the men.

Chester glanced at his watch.

"Not quite," he returned.

"How much to go, sir?"

"A little more than five minutes."

The man's face darkened.

"And we'll be relieved at the end of that time without having done any fighting," he said. "Here we sit down here in the dark and the other fellows have all the fun."

"You're liable to get yours yet," said Chester. "If I mistake not, the Germans are returning to the attack. I hear the sounds of firing from above."

Chester was right. The Germans again had advanced to the charge.

Above, Hal and Captain Leroux were issuing orders to their men for what each believed would be the final effort. Should this attack be repulsed, both had some slight hopes that they would not be compelled to face another--that French reinforcements would arrive before the Germans could advance again. But, also, neither was sure in his own mind that the approaching attack of the foe could be beaten off.

And this time the Germans seemed to be advancing in even greater numbers than before.

"Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!" came the spatter of German bullets against the side of the house; and occasionally a bullet struck home and left no sound, unless it was the sound of a man toppling over backwards to the floor, or a man as he clapped his hand to his head. The rifle bombardment was having its effect.

The sharp crack of French rifles answered the challenge of the Germans, though, because of the fact that the ranks of the defenders had been sadly depleted, their weapons spoke not so often. But when they did speak, men fell; for, at this crucial stage of the battle, they were making every shot count.

But this time, it seemed, the Germans were not to be denied. Men as well as officers understood the slowness of the French fire. The Germans were flushed with the spirit of victory, despite the fact that the field on all sides of the farmhouse was covered with their own dead and dying. The German soldiers realized, as did their officers, that the end of the courageous defense was near. Another effort and the farmhouse would be theirs.

For some reason, in spite of the fact that the German troops appeared to be making fair progress, their advance was suddenly stayed. At some distance they halted and continued to pepper the house with rifle bullets, doing little damage at that distance.

Horses dashed suddenly into view, dragging behind them a rapid-fire gun.

Hal guessed the answer.

"That's to mow us down when we try to run," he told himself. "Well--"

He broke off and shrugged his shoulders.

Now the Germans came on again, the rapid-fire gun covering their advance. A moment later the side of the farmhouse resembled a sieve, it was so full of holes. For a man to stick his head out the window meant instant death.

But as the Germans drew closer, the rapid firer became silent, for, without risking the lives of Germans as well as French, it was of no value now. At the same moment the heads of the defenders again appeared at the windows and renewed the work of picking off the Germans as they charged.

For some reason Hal took the time to glance at his watch once more.

"Time's up!" he told himself gravely, "and no help in sight."

But the lad was wrong; for, could he have looked from the rear of the house at that moment, he would have seen advancing several columns of French cavalry, coming to their relief.

The Germans saw the approach of reinforcements and redoubled their efforts to gain the farmhouse before the reinforcements could arrive. But it was too late. With wild cries, the French cavalrymen swept down and about the house. Cheers from the defenders greeted them. The men left their places at the windows and ran from the house. Hurriedly the wounded were carried out and the retreat begun.

And at that moment the Germans, also reinforced, charged again. Greatly outnumbered the French retreated, firing as they went.

Then, for the first time, Hal noticed Chester's absence.

"Great Scott!" he exclaimed to Captain Leroux, "we have come away without notifying the men in the bas.e.m.e.nt."

Quickly the two made their way to the French commander and laid the situation before him. The latter shook his head sadly.

"It's too late now," he said quietly. "Look at the number of the foe. We could not make headway against them."

He was deaf to all Hal's entreaties that he make the effort.

In the bas.e.m.e.nt, Chester and his five men had been unable to ascertain the cause of the increased firing at one moment and the lull a moment later. Chester had about decided that the defenders had given up and that he and his men in the cellar were all that remained.

From his window he could see the Germans only when they came into a certain position; and what went on above he had no means of telling. But that the others would go and leave him and his men behind had not entered his head. Therefore, he decided to remain quiet with his men.

But when an hour had pa.s.sed and there came no more sounds of firing from above, Chester decided it was time to investigate. Accordingly, he ascended the steps quietly.

There was no one above. The lad gazed about quickly. Except for the dead, there was no Frenchman in the house. Bloodstains on the floor showed that the wounded had been removed.

Then Chester realized what had happened.