CHAPTER XIX
THE AFTERMATH OF BATTLE
"Was it real, and did we see that bridge knocked into flinders?" askedBuster, when the terrific racket had in the main died out and it waspossible for them to exchange comments or ask each others' advice.
"As genuine as anything that ever crossed our path," replied Josh. "Ugh!wasn't it fierce, though, to see those poor Austrians crawling like antsall over the old thing when it began to break up? Some of them werebadly wounded, too. I tell you, we'll be seeing that sight many a timewhen we wake up from a bad dream."
"But what are we going to do now, fellows?" George wanted to know.
"The way is clear again," suggested Josh, helplessly.
"And will be right along to-night, unless those Austrian engineers tryto shove out another lot of their pontoons, to be smashed into kindlingwood," George said.
"There they begin firing again!" exclaimed Buster, in a fresh tremor;"oh! I wonder what's in the wind now."
"It's all from over the river on the Austrian side, you notice," Jackremarked, after the crash of a shell had been heard not a sixth of amile below them and apparently close to the bluff that marked theriver's edge.
"They're as mad as hops over the smart way the Serbs knocked theirbridge down, seems like," suggested Buster.
"That's where your head's level, Buster!" exclaimed Josh; "if they can'thave the game go their own way they won't play in the Serbs' back-yard.So now they're meaning to shell the river bank over here."
"What for?" asked the fat chum wonderingly. "They can't see a single oneof the Serbs' batteries, or even a man for that matter."
"But they've located the different spots where that hot fire came from,and are hoping to get a few of the enemy guns with their big shells,"continued Josh, who could always be depended on to do the explainingwhen he grasped a subject himself.
"Well, then, I do hope they won't drop a shell over this way and give usa bad scare," said Buster.
"That's a fact; that gun by which the bridge was cut to pieces did getin its work from near by here!" added George uneasily.
"I heard men talking and horses whinnying between the bursts of firing,"said Jack; "so I reckon they cleared out just as soon as their work wasdone. That's the case, too, all along the line, the batteries and theirsupporting columns falling back to new positions so as to avoid thebombardment they know mighty well is going to come."
Sitting there in the boat, they watched the fitful flashes of fire onthe ridge far back from the river. It was much more thrilling than anystorm they had ever seen; and then would come the crash as each enormousshell exploded on the southern side of the hotly contested stream thatserved as the border between the hostile countries.
Once there was a frightful detonation not far away from where the boyshuddled aboard the little motorboat. The Austrian gunners had commencedto send missiles toward the spot from which the Serb gun had barked.Doubtless a terrible hole had been knocked in the bluff, a cavity thatlooked like a crater resulting from the explosion.
Every one of them had felt the shock attending the bursting of the highexplosive shell, though luckily none of the fragments chanced toscatter in their direction.
"Oh! that was an awful crack!" groaned Buster, as though his heart mighthave tried to jump into his throat and partly choke him. "I do hope theywon't give us an encore. A hundred feet further this way and our namewould have been Dennis."
"Huh!" grumbled George, "better say it would be Mud, because we'd havegone into the river with tons of the earth here."
"Listen! The Serbs are replying now!" said Jack.
"And that gun sounded exactly like the one that knocked the bridge tobits," added Josh.
"Let's hope, then, the fellows across on the hills there recognize itsbark!" George exclaimed with considerable fervor, "and realize that itisn't around this region any longer. Then they won't bother wasting anymore of their ammunition in bombarding this place."
Apparently this was just what happened, for that shell was not followedby others, much to the relief of the boys. Buster in his heart evenforgave the Austrians all they had done to nearly frighten him to deathbecause of their forbearance now.
"No use wasting your good stuff any more, Mr. Austrian General," heannounced, "because the bully little Serbs have been too smart for you.They shot their bolt and then changed partners, just like you might doin dancing the Lancers. So call it off and settle down again."
The firing still kept up, however.
"They've got oceans of ammunition up there," remarked George, "and havebeen just aching to expend some of it, which is why they keep onwhanging away when they haven't any more chance to hit anything thanyou'd meet with in finding a needle in a haystack."
"But they won't try to keep it up all night long, I hope?" Busterobserved.
"Not much danger of that," Jack told him, knowing the other wasfretting.
"I wonder if the boy and his kid sister will manage to get intoBelgrade, and also find their mother alive?" Josh went on to say,showing that even in the midst of all that horrible confusion he couldlet his thoughts stray to the pair whom they had so generously assistedin their great trouble.
"We'll hope so, anyway," George added, for he, too, had been greatlydrawn to the winsome little lassie with the bright eyes, now able to seeas well as any one.
"I can see lights moving across the river and low down," announced thekeen-eyed Josh just then, and his words gave Buster a thrill.
"My stars! I wonder if those stubborn Austrians are meaning to tacklethe job again and try a second bridge? They may have a new lot ofpontoons, you know, and want to use them. Some people never can take ahint, it seems, and that one from the Serbs was as strong as anythingcould be. 'No trespass' was the sign they nailed to that bridge whenthey scattered it over the water."
"'Keep off the grass,' you'd better say, Buster," corrected Joshwhimsically.
"I hardly think they're reckless enough to make another attempt at thisplace to-night," Jack told them. "When they get ready to try again itwill be in a locality further removed from Belgrade. They can alwayshope to catch the Serbs off their guard, you know."
"But then what are those lights moving around over there for?" demandedBuster.
"You can see others further down the river in the bargain," Joshexplained. "In my humble opinion they're looking up their wounded, andtrying to pick up any who managed to swim ashore below."
"You notice that the Serbs are not interfering with them at all," Jackcontinued, "which goes to show they believe just as Josh here said, andthat it's the Red Cross corps working along the river bank."
"I guess the Serbs feel satisfied with what they've done to-night,"was George's comment. "Not only have they smashed the bridge of theAustrians, but must have killed and wounded hundreds of the enemy. Allthis with little loss to themselves. It's going to make them feel theiroats, let me tell you."
"Still Austria is so powerful that sooner or later a force three timesas big as the Serbian army can be thrown across the Danube to invade thecountry. When it does come to that, though," added Josh, "I give you myword for it, they'll fight like tigers."
"You notice that the firing is dying down again, don't you?" asked Jack.
Only an occasional shot still sounded. When it did come the deepgrumbling echoes rumbled back and forth between the opposing heightsuntil they died away in softer cadence in the distance.
"How will we go from here, Jack?" questioned George. "Will it be safe tostart up the engine while we're so close by?"
"I was studying that very thing, George," replied the other, "and hadabout made up my mind that it would be much better for us to repeat whatwe did before."
"That means push out with the pole, and let the boat float on thecurrent, eh, Jack?"
"After we get a mile or two further down the river we can think of usinga little power and increasing our speed. But this is dangerous ground,you know," was what the skipper went on to say.
Buster knew
that the time was coming, and very soon now, when they wouldagain be on the move. He was glad of it, and yet at the same time viewedthe approaching change of base with fresh anxiety. So many perils seemedto yawn in front of them, and all with ominous aspect.
He stared out upon the darkened river, though, of course, it was littlehe could see. Still, to Buster just then it was peopled with enemies ofevery type, men in boats moving around seeking trouble, and ready tostrike hard at the first sign of opposition.
Buster found himself between the two horns of a dilemma; he wanted toget away from there, and at the same time hated to incur fresh perils.As generally happened with him, in the end he decided to put himselfentirely in the hands of his three mates and let them settle the matteras they thought fit.
Which was possibly the best thing Buster could have done.
By the time another ten minutes had crept past Jack began to bestirhimself.
"Is it time?" asked Buster dubiously.
"The firing seems to have stopped entirely," he was told, "and if that'sthe case, the sooner we're out of here the better."
Of course, there would be Serb sentries posted all along the river bank,unseen in the darkness, but ever vigilant to detect and report anythingsuspicious that might take place. On the other hand, some of theAustrians might have put out in boats stationed below on purpose,meaning to search for wounded men among the floating fragments of thepontoon bridge.
Once Jack put some of his strength into his work and they could feel theboat gliding away from the shoal water where they had been lying quietlyfor such a length of time.
Buster drew a long breath, and tried to pierce the gloom by which theywere surrounded. If there was anything he hated it was that sense ofimpending evil, with not the slightest chance to ward it off. Still hegot a grip on himself, and determined that if the others could stand ithe must do the same.