CHAPTER VI
CAPTURE OF THE VILLAGE
While the First and Second Brigades under Colonel Gregory prepared forthe early morning attack, the Third and Fourth, under command of ColonelAdams, marched immediately upon receiving the instructions that Halcarried. In the natural course of events Hal, his errand accomplishedsuccessfully, would have returned immediately to report to GeneralLawrence. In fact he had wheeled and was about to walk away when ColonelAdams stopped him.
"Lieutenant," he said, "I shall move at once in accordance withinstructions, but I would prefer that you remain here and that one of mymen reported to General Lawrence in your stead."
"Very well, sir," was Hal's reply, although he could not fathom thecolonel's reasons.
Colonel Adams explained:
"I lost most of my officers in the crossing of the canal. I can use youto great advantage. By the way, I don't seem to recall your name."
"Paine, sir."
"Very good. Lieutenant, you will report at once to Captain Graham, ofthe --th marines."
He saluted and walked away. He was somewhat surprised, for he did notknow that a body of marines had crossed the river with the infantry sorecently.
"I'll bet a hat my friends Jenkins and Smith are around some place," hetold himself as he strode rapidly ahead.
He located the body of marines with little difficulty and reported atonce to Captain Graham. As the lad had predicted to himself, LieutenantsSmith and Jenkins were there, and were almost the first to see him.
"Well, I see you're on the job," exclaimed Smith, stepping forward asHal left Captain Graham after reporting and delivering his message fromColonel Adams.
"Right," returned Hal, "and glad to be here, particularly so as we areabout to march."
"That so?" said Jenkins. "Where to?"
"Dun," replied Hal. "General Lawrence has determined to push hisadvantage."
"Wow!" exclaimed Jenkins. "Hear that, Smith? Didn't I tell you that oncewe got started we would be kept on the jump?"
"I'm glad to hear it," said Lieutenant Smith, who appeared to beconsiderably more quiet and dignified than his companion. "When do westart, or do you know?"
"Immediately," said Hal, "and if I am not mistaken, there is the signalnow."
A bugle sounded attention. The men sprang to their places and the ranksclosed in the darkness. A moment later came the command to march.
A few moments later Hal found himself in command of a detachment at theextreme right of the advancing column, where Captain Graham had assignedhim. Because of the unfortunate lack of higher officers, Hal wouldcommand this detachment during the impending engagement. A shortdistance to Hal's left Lieutenant Jenkins strode with his men.Lieutenant Smith had been called to the detachment that made up the leftwing.
Silently the American columns moved through the darkness. The order hadbeen passed along the line that there must be no talking. It would bewell to advance as close to the village as possible without beingdiscovered by the enemy.
From the distance the German artillery still hurled shells toward theAmerican lines at infrequent intervals, but there was nothing now in thenature of a consistent cannonading.
Two hours' march brought Colonel Adams' column to the far edge of asmall but dense wood. Beyond could be seen a few twinkling lights in thevillage of Dun.
Colonel Adams called a halt. Here the Americans would wait until an hourafter daylight, at which time Colonel Gregory would advance to theattack from the west of the village.
The hours passed slowly and the men fidgeted. They would be cool enoughwhen the time for action arrived, but resting quietly in the darknessand being allowed to utter no word, they grew restless.
Gradually it grew light and the men recovered their spirits. The hour ofattack was approaching and the troops were anxious to be about theirwork.
Hal glanced at his watch in the half light.
"Must be about time," he muttered.
The words had hardly left his mouth when the signal came, the shrillclear notes of a bugle sounding a charge.
A wild Yankee cheer followed the bugle call and the Americans dashedforward at the double.
In this particular section of the field there were no trenches to bewon. The German positions had been fortified so recently that the enemyhad had no time to dig himself in. But with the warning of the advance,the German commander rushed his men into formation and awaited theattack.
Machine guns were hurried forward and brought into play upon the men inkhaki advancing across the open field.
Under the commands of their officers, the Americans broke their closeformation and scattered out, thus making a more difficult target for theenemy. Nevertheless, the enemy rifle and machine-gun fire took a heavytoll in the advancing ranks.
To the far left of the German line, on Hal's right, a machine gunner wasdoing fearful execution with a gun that was hidden in a clump of treesat that point.
"By Jove!" muttered Hal. "That fellow is tearing things up. We've got tostop him."
To think with Hal was to act.
As his men dashed forward, he told off half a dozen and, turning overhis command to Lieutenant Edgerton, led them sharply farther to theright. Thus they were able to approach the clump of trees without beingexposed to the full force of the concealed machine-gun fire.
Bullets from other parts of the field fell among the little party,however, and three men dropped. Besides Hal, this now left three of theoriginal party of seven.
The four were almost upon the little clump of trees before the Germanwho was hidden there with his machine gun noticed their approach, sointent had he been upon his other foes. When he espied them, he turnedhis gun sharply.
A hail of bullets swept the field.
With a cry to his men, Hal had thrown himself flat upon the ground evenbefore the German had turned his gun in their direction, and thus Halescaped unscathed. Two of his men, however, were not so fortunate.
Besides Hal, there was now but one man able to fight. Together he andHal sprang to their feet and dashed forward. Again they escaped whatseemed almost certain death by hurling themselves to the ground. Amoment later they were up and dashing forward again.
Hal sprang at the German machine gunner from the left, while theremaining marine attacked him from the right. Unable to fire effectivelyagain, and caught between two fires, the German rose, stepped quicklyback and produced a revolver.
He took a snapshot at Hal, but the bullet went wild.
Before he could fire again, the marine was upon him and sent himstaggering back to escape a bayonet thrust.
Immediately the German dropped his revolver, raising both hands.
"Kamerad!" he cried.
Hal lowered a revolver which he had trained upon the Boche and themarine lowered his rifle.
As he did so, the German suddenly dropped his hand to his belt, drew asecond revolver and fired point-blank at the marine. The latterside-stepped swiftly, but although he moved promptly enough he was notequal to the task of escaping the bullet altogether. The ball which theGerman had aimed at his heart pierced the man's left arm.
Before the German could fire again and even before Hal could bring hisown revolver to bear, the marine jumped forward with a roar.
"Treachery, eh!" he shouted. "I'll show you!"
He dropped his rifle as he jumped and threw both arms around the German.With his right hand he pinioned the man's left arm while he seized hisopponent's right wrist with strong fingers. Gradually the man's armsdescribed an arc until his own revolver was pointed at his head. Therewas a flash and a sharp report. The marine stepped back and the Germancrumbled up on the ground. The marine surveyed him disdainfully.
"Kamerad, eh!" he muttered. "Well, I guess you won't fool anybody else."
Hal looked at the marine in some amazement. The man was terribly angryand as Hal gazed at the powerful figure he could not keep thinking thatthere were few soldiers in the German ar
my could stand against him.
"Come!" said Hal sharply. "Man the machine gun there. Wheel it about andopen on the enemy to the left."
"Very well, sir," said the marine quietly, and followed instructions.
Unaware that Americans had approached so close in this section of thefield, and probably placing reliance upon the machine gun that Hal andthe marine had just captured, the Germans exposed themselves somewhatrecklessly. Thus they were caught in a trap when their own weapon wasturned against them.
With loud cries of alarm, the enemy ranks broke and the troops fled inutter rout. This confusion soon spread to other detachments and theenemy fell back upon the village.
From the west, meanwhile, Colonel Gregory had been pushing his attack asColonel Adams' columns advanced. Farther back, General Lawrence washurrying supporting columns to the front. To the very streets of thevillage the Americans pursued the enemy, and then entered after them.From houses and from around corners the enemy fired upon the Yankeetroops, who dashed forward with reckless courage.
Gradually, however, they retired from the village also, as theircommanders realized that the American advance could not be stoppedthere.
At the very edge of the village Colonel Adams halted his men. On thewestern outskirts, Colonel Gregory did likewise. There they awaitedorders before advancing farther.
Soon the orders came.
"Forward!" was the cry.