CHAPTER XX. VICTORY IN DEFEAT.
Through the clouds of powder smoke they could see that the Germans weremoving toward the bridge in solid ranks, shoulder to shoulder, in thefavorite formation of the Kaiser's troops, and one which gives themconfidence to march straight into the jaws of certain death.
Other detached groups were hastening down to the bank of the river,apparently with the idea of swimming across in some fashion, so as togather on the opposite shore, and take the hostile battery in the rear.
It was all wonderfully exciting, and no boy could stand there gazing atsuch a stirring spectacle himself unmoved. So many things were happeningall the time that as Giraffe afterwards said, it was like "trying to seea three-ringed circus, where amazing feats were being enacted in allthree rings at the same time." A fellow would have need of several pairsof eyes if he expected to lose nothing of all that went on.
As the head of the attacking column drew nearer the bridge the Belgiangunners stopped firing at the battery above. They turned their gunsdirectly at the close ranks of the oncoming host.
When Thad actually saw a shell explode in the midst of that pack ofgray-garbed men, and noted the terrible gap that followed he felt sickfor the moment. He was, however, unable to tear his eyes away from thesight; it was so novel, so fascinating, and so dreadful that it held hisgaze as the pole does the needle of a compass.
There was not the slightest sign of a stop, even though other shellstore ugly gaps through the lines. To Thad it almost seemed as thoughthose men were parts of a vast machine which, having been set in motion,could not be stayed.
One thing he noticed, and this was that the Belgian battery was entirelyunsupported. If ever the Germans managed to push across the bridge theywould easily smother the few gallant defenders of the highway toBrussels.
From this Thad judged that the few Belgians at the bridge must havetheir plans all arranged, and that when they found their cause hopelessthere would be a sudden change of front. Perhaps they would bring thehorses forward, and try to save their field-pieces from capture.
Now some of those who had hurried to the edge of the water were wadingin, holding their guns high above their heads. Others ran up and downthe bank looking for any kind of old boat that could be utilized inorder to transport a few at a time across to the other side.
There were still a considerable number who hastened along the banktoward the abutment of the bridge. The intention of these latter couldnot well be mistaken, for they meant to gain access to the structure,regardless of the success or failure of the general assault.
Suddenly in the midst of all this clamor a shadow fell athwart the fourscouts standing on that rise, and staring downward. Looking up theydiscovered an aeroplane, low down, and speeding swiftly toward the spotwhere that desperate fight for the possession of the bridge was takingplace.
Thad instantly recognized another of those Taube machines, so differentin construction from all others that, once noticed, they could neveragain be mistaken. Then it was a German aviator who served as pilotaboard that little buzzing craft. He should have covered the fieldbefore the soldiers came, and his report might have made a difference inthe attack.
As it was now he headed straight for the half-concealed Belgian battery,as though it might be the intention of the man aloft to drop bombs onthe gunners, and help to create a panic among them.
Somehow the boys found themselves compelled to follow the flight of thebirdman as he swooped down and crossed the river. Whether there was abridge or not made no difference to him. He was as free to come and goas the swallow that on swift wing flashes past the house chimney of asummer evening.
Looking intently Thad could even see when he raised his arm, and he knewthe precise instant the bomb had been thrown. Allowing his eyes to dropto the ground he saw a sudden burst of smoke and realized that that waswhere the deadly little missile had burst.
Still swinging around in a circle the birdman commenced hurling othermenacing missiles. Each time the result could be seen in the puff ofsmoke close to the Belgian battery; but at that distance it wasimpossible for Thad to make sure that any casualty followed thoserepeated thrusts.
But now the head of the attacking German force had reached the bridge.Fearful had been the price they paid for this advantage; but fresh menhad closed up the gaps, so that they were just as densely packed as everwhen they came to the end of the structure.
A gun had been so placed that it commanded the length of the bridge.When it was fired there followed a shrinking of the whole front of theattacking force, as if it had been terribly smitten. That was just for asecond, and then the red lane was closed by the gray flood, and thefirst hostile feet were set upon the bridge.
Undoubtedly the crisis was now at hand. Thad fairly held his breath withanticipation with what was to come though he could not even give so muchas a guess as to its nature.
Surely those valiant Belgians must have prepared against such aneventuality as this, and would not be caught napping. There was no forcein hiding that Thad was able to discover, ready to burst into view, andgrapple with the oncoming Germans after they had gotten fully upon thebridge.
Ah! from above he saw the horses dashing madly to the spot! Then theBelgians meant to withdraw while there was still time. But it seemedincredible to Thad that they should leave the bridge intact in the handsof the invaders.
He quickly understood when, without the slightest warning, there came amighty shock that made the very earth quiver, and the further end of thebridge was seen to vanish into space, accompanied with a rising cloud ofsmoke.
They had blown up the bridge when realizing the futility of furtherresistance against the superior numbers of the Germans.
When the great cloud of smoke had cleared away sufficiently for thescouts to again see what was going on they found that the horses hadbeen attached to such of the Belgian guns as were in condition, andalready the foremost was moving along the road leading directly awayfrom the ruined bridge.
A few of the soldiers who had crossed the river tried to take pot shotsat the gunners who lay as flat as they possibly could while riding thehorses, or holding on to the caissons.
The battle was over, and, looking down at the ruins of the bridge, Thadwas of the opinion that it had ended in favor of the defenders. Truethey had been obliged to sacrifice the bridge in the end, but thatmattered little since they had balked the design of the invaders toseize and use the crossing of the river. Now much time must be wasted inbuilding another bridge, or else in seeking a new way for crossing theriver with their guns.
As the smoke lifted further the boys could see what was going on. Manymust have been injured when the bridge was blown up, for there was greatscurrying to and fro, with men bearing stretchers in evidence.
Bumpus had allowed his hands to fall from his eyes now, though he couldbe seen shaking his head after a sad fashion. Plainly Bumpus was stirredto the depths of his heart by the conviction that there must be scoresof those who were terribly wounded down there, and who needed attentionthe worst kind.
Had Thad only given the word that would have taken them to the aid ofthe suffering Germans Bumpus would have gladly responded, even thoughhis knowledge of surgery was confined to the first elements of bindingup a wound.
But Thad did not mean to attempt such a thing. He knew that soldierswould never permit inexperienced boys like they were to play the part ofarmy hospital attendants. They were amply supplied with all thenecessary means for saving life; and besides, soldiers are taught neverto grumble no matter how long they have to wait after being shot down onthe battlefield, before their chance comes for attention.
Those who had actually stemmed the current of the river only to findthat their intended prey had escaped them were seen rushing about on theother bank. They may have been looking for wounded Belgians to makeprisoners; Thad hoped it was not any desire to kill that animated themin the bitter hour of defeat.
"Gee! i
s there no end to the procession?" exclaimed Giraffe, as he couldstill see countless numbers of the same gray-coated soldiers swarmingout of the woods to the west, and coming on in serried ranks.
"Just to think of the nerve of that one little battery trying to hold awhole army corps in check!" declared Allen. "It strikes me theseBelgians are the bravest of the brave, and mean to fight for theircountry to the last gasp."
"Do you know what I believe?" demanded Giraffe, as though a suddenthought had come into his head.
"Tell us, please, Giraffe," asked Bumpus.
"I wouldn't be a bit surprised if that battery we watched do all thisfighting was the identical one I saw come into that town. You remember Itold you about the chat I had with a young gunner who could talk UnitedStates? I hope now he isn't one of those who are lying across the river,where the German shells and bullets caught them."
He glanced almost pityingly toward the place where the battery had beenstationed, as though he had a personal interest in the gallant Belgiangunner. Thad was meanwhile watching the movements of those on the nearside of the river. He could see how machine-like everything was carriedon, the men with the stretchers coming to get their burdens, and thencarrying them to the rear, where a temporary field hospital wouldundoubtedly be started.
Already a corps of engineers had come up, and men were seen out on thebroken bridge, measuring the gap as though figuring on what would berequired to mend the causeway so that the heavy artillery could moveacross, converging toward Brussels.
"They'll get across, all right, you can see," asserted Allan, drawing along breath, as though up to then he had been too fascinated to do morethan gasp.
"Yes, but the Belgians detained them," urged Giraffe, "and that's theirgame, we understand. Every hour that the Kaiser can be held in Belgiumis life for France, because it gives time to get her men together.Germany is the only country that has always been ready for such a thingas this. They expected to be in Paris before the French woke up, andonly for this delay nothing could have prevented them."
"Well, you wait till the Britishers get over, and going good," saidBumpus, with a wise nod of his head, "then you'll hear something drop."
"Yes," jeered Giraffe, who was anti-British when he chose, and this waswhenever he thought he could get up an argument with Bumpus, "John Bullwill make a pretty loud crack when he falls, I should imagine. He'llfind that these Germans are a whole lot different from the Boers or theKaffirs, or the Arab slavers of Africa."
"Oh, well!" said Bumpus, "I'm coming to the conclusion that braveryisn't monopolized by any one nation on earth. Look at the Belgians forinstance; could you beat the way they held that bridge till the lastgasp and then blew the whole business sky-high with dynamite, and someGermans with it?"
Thad had listened to what they were saying. He knew that it was no timefor argument, for how could they tell but what some of those Germansmight come up the hill to see what sort of road it was, or else get agood view for miles around, and they would not want to be caught there.Explanations might prove awkward, if the invaders chose to believe theyhad been giving the range by signal to the defenders of the bridge.
"Come, let's be getting away from here, boys," said Thad.
There was not a single objection, and rather white of face, as well asawed, the four scouts moved over to where the car stood awaiting them.
A short time afterward they commenced to coast down the hill which onlya little while back had been climbed with such painful penalties. Andnow that it was all over not one of them was sorry because of what hehad witnessed that August morning.