Fighting in France | Page 2

had attracted him and he too had enlisted. Now all three boys were in the same company of the same regiment.
"Yes, sir," exclaimed Jacques, who spoke English with only the slightest suspicion of an accent, "there will certainly be some real fighting soon. It will seem good after all these months of quiet."
"I shouldn't describe them as especially quiet," laughed Earl grimly.
"I mean," explained Jacques, "that we have been in the trenches all the time. Now we will have a chance to get out of them; perhaps for good."
"If we can break the German lines," suggested Leon.
"We will give them an awful bump anyway," laughed Jacques.
"And we'll lose half our men," added Leon soberly.
"We do not think of that," exclaimed Jacques proudly. "We are assigned to the front line, the post of honor. We will lead the charge and I think we are very lucky."
"The other regiments are jealous of us anyway," said Earl. "When does the attack start?"
"To-morrow morning at nine-fifteen sharp."
"And we'll move into the first line trenches tonight I suppose."
"Exactly."
"That's it," exclaimed Leon. "Pierre Garemont told me not thirty minutes ago that he had just been talking with Captain Le Blanc and that was the information he received."
"I suppose everything is arranged," said Earl.
"You may be sure of that," said Jacques heartily. "Our officers are not the kind to send us into a battle without doing everything that is possible."
"Think of the artillery support we'll have," cried Leon enthusiastically. "I don't see how they can stop us."
"How much will we have?" demanded Earl.
"Our guns will drop four shells every minute in every yard of German trenches. Think of that."
"You mean," exclaimed Earl, "that in every space three feet long a shell will explode every fifteen seconds?"
"I certainly do."
"It seems incredible," muttered Earl. "Why, there'll be nothing left of them."
"That is just what we want," cried Jacques. "When we smash their trenches to pieces then we can drive them out of our country and France will be free once more."
"I suppose our batteries will all have the exact range," said Earl.
"You need not worry about that," smiled Jacques. "The exact location of every German trench is marked to the inch on our officers' maps. What do you think our aviators are for? Don't you know that they take pictures of the enemy's fortifications from their machines and that all the pictures are developed and enlarged? Oh, they'll have the range all right. You'll see."
"Look!" cried Leon suddenly. "Here comes one of our aerial scouts now."
Far away in the eastern sky a tiny speck appeared. It approached rapidly and increased in size as it came nearer. At least four thousand feet above the trenches the great mechanical bird flew and the three young soldiers watched it in silent admiration.
Suddenly a puff of white smoke appeared below the aeroplane.
"The Germans are firing at it," cried Earl.
"And there goes one of their machines up after it," exclaimed Jacques as another speck appeared against the horizon. It was lower than the French machine but rose in great circles with amazing speed until it had reached a point above its enemy. At this point it headed west and sped in pursuit of the French aeroplane.
"One of those new fokkers," remarked Jacques quickly.
"The German machine, you mean?" queried Leon.
"Yes. They are very fast too."
"He'll never come over our line though," said Earl. "He'll turn back soon."
"There goes another of our machines up to help," exclaimed Leon.
From the aviation field in the rear of their quarters came a great clatter and noise. A moment later a big monoplane came into view and rising rapidly higher and higher set out to the aid of its companion.
Meanwhile the first aviator, pursued by the German fokker, had evidently determined to give battle. He dipped suddenly and shot downward at incredible speed. All about him the bombs from the high-angle guns of the enemy were exploding and it did not seem possible that he could escape. The cheering of their comrades in the trenches came faintly to the ears of the three watching boys.
"He'll be hit," cried Leon tensely.
"Wait," cautioned Jacques.
The aeroplane still raced towards the earth. Suddenly it began to rise and up, up, it soared. Higher and higher it went, describing huge circles in its flight. The little white clouds all about told with what zeal its destruction was sought, but still it kept on. Now it had reached a level as high as the giant fokker. Meanwhile the other French machine raced to its aid.
"You'll see the German turn back now," predicted Jacques.
"Why shouldn't he?" demanded Earl. "It's two to one."
"His only hope is to disable the first machine before the other comes up," said Jacques. "Otherwise he'll have to run for it."
"How high do you suppose they are now?" asked Earl.
"Five thousand feet," said Leon.