CHAPTER XXI
THE TURNING OF THE TIDE
In the days immediately following their interview with General Petain,the lads saw much fighting; and with the close of each day there camebitterness to them, to the French troops, their officers and to thepeople of France and of all the allied nations.
For the armies of the German Crown Prince continued to advance steadilyin spite of the heroic resistance of the French; and it began to appearthat the "Gateway to France" must ere long fall into alien hands.
Day after day the Germans hurled themselves forward in herculean effortsto break the French lines; and most every day found them fighting alittle nearer to Verdun. In vain the French attempted to stem theonslaught of the invading forces; the Germans were not to be denied.
On the days when the fiercest of the German assaults were made, it waslearned that the Emperor of Germany had directed the assaults in person.From the top of a small hill, surrounded by his staff, the Kaiser lookeddown upon the battlefield for days at a time, showing no signs of emotionas his countrymen fell right and left, that the German flag might beplanted a few yards--sometimes only a few feet--farther westward.
While the German losses were something terrible in this continuousfighting, the French suffered untold hardships. The effect of the greatGerman shells, which fell within the French lines almost incessantly, wastremendous. It did not seem that flesh and blood could survive theirdeadly effect--and yet the French fought back gamely.
At last the Germans reached a point only three miles and a half from thecity of Verdun itself.
Then began the fiercest of the fighting.
After having been pushed back many miles by the German hordes, the Frenchnow braced suddenly and gave as good as they received. Instead of waitingfor the German attacks, General Petain launched offensives of his own. Atfirst these broke down easily under the German shells, but as theycontinued, the drives began to meet with more and more success. It becameapparent that at this point the advantage usually rested with theattacking party.
Battles--or what would have been called battles in any other war ofhistory, but now, in the official reports were merely referred to asskirmishes--raged for hours at a stretch, some of the most importantcontinuing for days, first with advantage to one side and then tothe other.
In vain the German Crown Prince hurled his men forward to pierce theFrench lines that now separated him from Verdun, less than fourmiles away.
While the German guns still continued to shell the city and thefortifications, there was little they could accomplish now. All walls andhouses in the path of the great guns had crumbled under their terriblefire days ago; there was nothing left to destroy, except at intervalswhere a small fort still stood and breathed defiance to the enemy.
But the German guns served one purpose. They afforded protection for theinfantry as it advanced to the attack. Only when the Germans advancedclose enough to come to hand grips with the French did the big gunsbecome silent.
But now came the turning of the tide.
From far back the French threw out reinforcements to the hard pressed menin front. Huge new field guns were brought up. Great masses ofammunition, which the French had been storing up for just such a chance,were rushed to the front. Soon the French guns were speaking as loudlyand as often as the great German 42-centimetres themselves.
The first work of the new French offensive was to clear the Germans fromDead Man's Hill, Hill No. 320 and Hill No. 304. These battles, among thefiercest of all history, however, were really little more thanskirmishes, when the entire movement was taken into consideration.Terrible though they were, after all they were nothing more than smallparts of the great battle of Verdun itself.
From Dead Man's Hill and the other two elevations captured by the French,the Germans now were pushed clear back to the banks of the river Meuse;and then they were driven beyond. Thiaumont farm, where Hal and Chesterhad seen hard fighting, came once more beneath the French tricolor; andthe German eagle went back farther still.
There was little or no rest for the men in the trenches on either side.Out would rush the Germans from their trenches in a grand attack upon thetrenches of the French. Hand-to-hand fighting would ensue. Perhaps theGermans would be driven back. If they were they would make a new effortan hour or so later.
Perhaps the French would give way and the Germans would occupy thetrenches. A short time later the French would re-form under the veryrifles of the enemy, and, by a grand charge, oust the Germans from theirnewly won positions. Then came the work of concentrating and fortifyingthe trenches all over again.
It was terrible work, these days before Verdun.
Hal and Chester played no small part in the advance of the French army.More than once they were despatched upon important missions; and theirfortune had been of the best. Not once had they failed to accomplish apiece of work entrusted to them. General Petain began to look upon themas among his best men. Many a piece of work that, a month before, hewould have entrusted to an older head now fell to the lot of either Halor Chester; and the boys did not complain. In fact, the more they had todo the better they liked it.
Nor, for the matter of that, was there complaint from any of the men inthe French army, officers or men. They stood to their work bravely andnever flinched under fire. Nor did they protest when they were forced togo for long hours without sleep, other than that they could catch betweenthe battles that raged almost incessantly and seemed to be nothing lessthan one continuous struggle.
Now came the day when the Germans had been pushed far east of theMeuse. For the moment the French, flushed with victory, paused for abreathing spell. It had been work well done, in the days that had justpassed, and men and officers alike realized it. Preparing their linesagainst attacks, under the command of General Petain, the French pausedfor breath.
The German Crown Prince, realizing the cause of this lull by the French,thought to take advantage of the foe, and launched assault after assault;but, tired out as the French were, there was still energy and courageenough among them to resist successfully the fierce charges of the foe.
And after awhile the Crown Prince gave up these attacks, realizing thathe could not hope, at that moment, to penetrate the French positions,and, for once, doing away with the needless sacrifice of men.
Upon an afternoon when the battle of Verdun was a little more than threemonths old, Hal and Chester were summoned to the quarters of GeneralPetain. They went eagerly, for they realized that there was importantwork ahead.
"Boys," said General Petain, for thus he had come to address them whenalone, after the official salutes had been returned, "I have here a pieceof work, that, because of the danger attached, I hesitate to select aman, or men, to perform."
Hal and Chester both smiled.
"And you want to give us the first chance at it, sir?" said Hal.
"Yes; I know that if you accept the mission it is more certain of successthan if I entrusted it to other hands."
"We shall be glad of the chance, sir," said Chester, quietly.
General Petain clapped his hands in satisfaction.
"I knew it," he said, "and yet I did not like to order you to perform it.You boys are true blue."
Both lads flushed with pleasure at this remark, but they made noreply. They stood quietly waiting until the general should tell themwhat was required.
"Boys," said the general, "it is absolutely essential to the success ofthis campaign that I have a more accurate knowledge of the enemy's linesand strength. My aviators have been sent in search of such information,but they have met with little success. The only man who got close enoughto learn what I am after, according to others who followed him, was shotdown. He failed to return. What he learned, of course, I do not know.But it is that which I must know. Do you think you can gain thisinformation for me?"
"We can at least have a try at it," said Chester, with a smile.
"We'll get it if it is humanly possible," agreed Hal.
"I am more co
nfident of success than I would be if the mission were inother hands," said General Petain, quietly.
"And when do you wish us to start, sir?" asked Hal.
"Immediately," was the reply, "though I believe it would be better towait until dark."
"And you would suggest an aeroplane?" asked Hal.
"I leave the means to you," returned the general. "I'll give you awritten order that will put anything in the French lines at yourdisposal, aeroplane, automobile or horses. You may take your choice."
The general turned to his desk and scribbled on a piece of paper. To whathe had written he affixed his signature and then passed the paper to Hal.
"I have no further instructions," he said. "But, be as quick as you can,and be careful."
He arose and extended a hand to each lad. He had come to be very fond ofthem, and he patted each on the back affectionately.
"May good fortune attend you," he said quietly.
The lads drew themselves up, saluted and left the tent. The generalstepped to the door and gazed after them.
"Good boys, those," he said quietly to himself. "May they return safely!"