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 came bitterness to them, to the French troops, their officers and to the people of France and of all the allied nations.

For the armies of the German Crown Prince continued to advance steadily in spite of the heroic resistance of the French; and it began to appear that the "Gateway to France" must ere long fall into alien hands.

Day after day the Germans hurled themselves forward in herculean efforts to break the French lines; and most every day found them fighting a little nearer to Verdun. In vain the French attempted to stem the onslaught of the invading forces; the Germans were not to be denied.

On the days when the fiercest of the German a.s.saults were made, it was learned that the Emperor of Germany had directed the a.s.saults in person.

From the top of a small hill, surrounded by his staff, the Kaiser looked down upon the battlefield for days at a time, showing no signs of emotion as his countrymen fell right and left, that the German flag might be planted a few yards--sometimes only a few feet--farther westward.

While the German losses were something terrible in this continuous fighting, the French suffered untold hardships. The effect of the great German sh.e.l.ls, which fell within the French lines almost incessantly, was tremendous. It did not seem that flesh and blood could survive their deadly effect--and yet the French fought back gamely.

At last the Germans reached a point only three miles and a half from the city of Verdun itself.

Then began the fiercest of the fighting.

After having been pushed back many miles by the German hordes, the French now braced suddenly and gave as good as they received. Instead of waiting for the German attacks, General Petain launched offensives of his own. At first these broke down easily under the German sh.e.l.ls, but as they continued, the drives began to meet with more and more success. It became apparent that at this point the advantage usually rested with the attacking party.

Battles--or what would have been called battles in any other war of history, but now, in the official reports were merely referred to as skirmishes--raged for hours at a stretch, some of the most important continuing for days, first with advantage to one side and then to the other.

In vain the German Crown Prince hurled his men forward to pierce the French lines that now separated him from Verdun, less than four miles away.

While the German guns still continued to sh.e.l.l the city and the fortifications, there was little they could accomplish now. All walls and houses in the path of the great guns had crumbled under their terrible fire days ago; there was nothing left to destroy, except at intervals where a small fort still stood and breathed defiance to the enemy.

But the German guns served one purpose. They afforded protection for the infantry as it advanced to the attack. Only when the Germans advanced close enough to come to hand grips with the French did the big guns become silent.

But now came the turning of the tide.

From far back the French threw out reinforcements to the hard pressed men in front. Huge new field guns were brought up. Great ma.s.ses of ammunition, which the French had been storing up for just such a chance, were rushed to the front. Soon the French guns were speaking as loudly and as often as the great German 42-centimetres themselves.

The first work of the new French offensive was to clear the Germans from Dead Man's Hill, Hill No. 320 and Hill No. 304. These battles, among the fiercest of all history, however, were really little more than skirmishes, when the entire movement was taken into consideration.

Terrible though they were, after all they were nothing more than small parts 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 Chester had seen hard fighting, came once more beneath the French tricolor; and the 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 the trenches of the French. Hand-to-hand fighting would ensue. Perhaps the Germans would be driven back. If they were they would make a new effort an hour or so later.

Perhaps the French would give way and the Germans would occupy the trenches. A short time later the French would re-form under the very rifles of the enemy, and, by a grand charge, oust the Germans from their newly won positions. Then came the work of concentrating and fortifying the 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 their fortune had been of the best. Not once had they failed to accomplish a piece of work entrusted to them. General Petain began to look upon them as among his best men. Many a piece of work that, a month before, he would have entrusted to an older head now fell to the lot of either Hal or Chester; and the boys did not complain. In fact, the more they had to do the better they liked it.

Nor, for the matter of that, was there complaint from any of the men in the French army, officers or men. They stood to their work bravely and never flinched under fire. Nor did they protest when they were forced to go for long hours without sleep, other than that they could catch between the battles that raged almost incessantly and seemed to be nothing less than one continuous struggle.

Now came the day when the Germans had been pushed far east of the Meuse. For the moment the French, flushed with victory, paused for a breathing spell. It had been work well done, in the days that had just pa.s.sed, and men and officers alike realized it. Preparing their lines against attacks, under the command of General Petain, the French paused for breath.

The German Crown Prince, realizing the cause of this lull by the French, thought to take advantage of the foe, and launched a.s.sault after a.s.sault; but, tired out as the French were, there was still energy and courage enough among them to resist successfully the fierce charges of the foe.

And after awhile the Crown Prince gave up these attacks, realizing that he 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 three months old, Hal and Chester were summoned to the quarters of General Petain. They went eagerly, for they realized that there was important work ahead.

"Boys," said General Petain, for thus he had come to address them when alone, after the official salutes had been returned, "I have here a piece of work, that, because of the danger attached, I hesitate to select a man, 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 success than 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 no reply. They stood quietly waiting until the general should tell them what was required.

"Boys," said the general, "it is absolutely essential to the success of this campaign that I have a more accurate knowledge of the enemy's lines and strength. My aviators have been sent in search of such information, but they have met with little success. The only man who got close enough to learn what I am after, according to others who followed him, was shot down. 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 this information 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 confident of success than I would be if the mission were in other 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 to wait until dark."

"And you would suggest an aeroplane?" asked Hal.

"I leave the means to you," returned the general. "I'll give you a written order that will put anything in the French lines at your disposal, aeroplane, automobile or horses. You may take your choice."

The general turned to his desk and scribbled on a piece of paper. To what he had written he affixed his signature and then pa.s.sed the paper to Hal.

"I have no further instructions," he said. "But, be as quick as you can, and be careful."