Fighting in France

Fighting in France, by Ross Kay,
Illustrated

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Illustrated by Charles L. Wrenn
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Title: Fighting in France
Author: Ross Kay

Release Date: April 5, 2007 [eBook #20995]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIGHTING
IN FRANCE***
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The Big War Series
FIGHTING IN FRANCE
by
ROSS KAY
Author of "The Search for the Spy," "With Joffre on the Battle Line,"
"The Go Ahead Boys and the Treasure Cave," "The Go Ahead Boys on
Smuggler's Island," "The Go Ahead Boys in the Island Camp," etc., etc.
Illustrated by Charles L. Wrenn

[Frontispiece: "Forward!" shouted the captain in a loud, clear voice.]

New York Barse & Hopkins Publishers Copyright, 1916, by Barse &
Hopkins
Fighting in France

PREFACE
When the greatest war in the history of mankind rages in Europe it is
not only natural but right that every one should be interested. History is
being made every day and heroism is displayed, unrivalled in any
previous conflict. In this book the author has striven to chronicle some
of the valorous deeds and to relate some of the incidents and events that
are part of the everyday life of the soldier who is fighting in France. It

has been his aim to present the story devoid of sensationalism and to
weave nothing of the impossible into the tale. Most of the episodes are
founded on fact and while the book is not historical it has its inspiration
from actual happenings.
Ross Kay.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I
A DUEL IN THE AIR II PREPARATIONS III THE ATTACK IV
UNDERGROUND V HAND TO HAND VI UNDER FIRE VII IN
THE DITCH VIII A MIDNIGHT SALLY IX A CAPTURED
TRENCH X A BALL OF TWINE XI RELIEVED XII IN REVIEW
XIII A VOLUNTEER XIV IN THE CHATEAU XV THE FIGHT FOR
THE TOWER XVI THE DUG-OUT XVII LIPPEN BREAKS XVIII
AN ASSIGNMENT XIX OVER THE TRENCHES XX AT
FLAMBEAU XXI DISABLED XXII IN THE CLEARING XXIII IN
THE DARK XXIV THE RETURN XXV BACK AGAIN XXVI THE
BIG WAR XXVII CONCLUSION

ILLUSTRATIONS
"Forward!" shouted the captain in a loud, clear voice . . . . . . . . .
Frontispiece
Leon whirled swiftly in time to see a big-helmeted German with the
butt end of his rifle upraised preparing to strike
The air was filled with smoke and dust from the crumbling plaster
"Let 'em have it!" cried Leon and the three automatic guns spoke

almost as if they were one piece

FIGHTING IN FRANCE
CHAPTER I
A DUEL IN THE AIR
"Well, Leon, it looks as if there was going to be a fight around here
pretty soon."
"Right you are, Earl. That suits me all right though and from the way
the rest of the men are acting it seems to suit them too."
Earl and Leon Platt, two American boys in the army of the French
Republic, were seated outside their quarters behind the fighting line.
The scene was in Champagne, one of the provinces of France that
already had witnessed some of the heaviest fighting of the Big War.
At the outbreak of the great European struggle these twin brothers had
been traveling in Europe. Earl was in England with friends and Leon
was visiting his aunt and uncle in a suburb just outside of Paris. At the
earliest possible moment Leon had enlisted in the French army.
Assigned to the aviation corps he had taken part in the great retreat
from Belgium to the gates of the French capital. Slightly wounded at
Charleroi, he had been in one of the hospitals for a few days.
When his wound had healed he had made his way south, arriving in
time to take part in the battle of the Marne which rolled back the tide of
German invasion and saved France. Through all these varying
experiences and hardships Jacques Dineau, a young Frenchman, had
been his inseparable companion. These two boys, for they were nothing
more than that, had more than once distinguished themselves for
bravery and daring until they had become the favorites of their
regiment. Now they were stationed in Champagne, in the trenches,
where for weeks and months both sides had been deadlocked, neither

able to push the other back.
With the declaration of war Leon's