Whether the man went suddenly insane or whether he knew fully what he was about, Hal can not say to this day; but under his own finger, the finger on the trigger tightened. There was a flash, a m.u.f.fled report and the form of Matin fell limp in the lad's arms. Hal stepped back and Matin slid to the floor. Hal stooped over and laid a hand over the man's heart.

"Dead!" the lad exclaimed, and added: "but not by my hand. He pressed the trigger himself!"

CHAPTER x.x.x

THE ADVANCE

A bugle sounded.

The sleeping French camp sprang suddenly to life. Men, half dressed, sprang from their cots--they had not disrobed entirely the night before--and hurried to their positions, adjusting their clothing as they did so. Regiments formed hurriedly in the darkness that is always more intense just before dawn. Officers shouted and swore; horses whinnied from the distance, indicating that the French cavalry, as well as the infantry was forming.

A second bugle sounded; then many more. More commands from the various officers. Aides rushed hither and yon delivering sharp orders to division commanders. The men stood quietly in line. Came other sharp commands all down the line:

"_En avant_!"

The troops began to move.

Overhead, screaming French sh.e.l.ls from the big guns in the rear flew as they raced for the distant German lines. This was no new sound. For more than twenty-four hours now these big guns had been hurling sh.e.l.ls into the German ranks; and the men had become so used to the sounds of their voices that they would have been almost unable to sleep had they become silent.

This bombardment, continuing for more than twenty-four hours as it had, was the opening of the greatest offensive by the French at Verdun--an offensive by which General Petain, the French commander, hoped to drive back the foe that for months had pressed on so hard, and thus to insure the safety of Verdun, "The gateway to France," against the German invader for all time to come.

Each move of this gigantic effort had been thought out well in advance.

All contingencies had been provided for and against. The blow was to be struck at the psychological moment, when it would be deemed by the French general staff that it was sure of success.

And now this moment had come.

The information placed in the hands of General Petain days before by Hal and Chester had been the one link in the chain that had been missing. Now the general staff felt sure of the success of this great effort, though there was not a man who had taken part in the preparations who did not know that the victory--if victory there should be--would be won at tremendous cost.

But, with the fate of Verdun in the balance, it had been the opinion of each member of the general staff that now was no time to hesitate.

So, upon this morning in June, just before dawn, the French advanced all along their entire front.

Under the protection of their big guns they would be able to progress for some time; and as they attacked the German first line trenches in a charge, the fire of the big guns would continue, firing overhead at the German second and third line trenches beyond.

And it was in this manner that the advance was made.

The day dawned while the French were still some distance from the German first line trenches; and the German guns, far to the east, and the German defenders in the trenches opened on them with a vengeance. But the French were prepared for this. There had been no thought of a surprise attack in the plans of the general staff. It was known that the Germans would realize what was about to happen when the duel of big guns began more than twenty-four hours before.

Before sun-up the French infantry sprang forward in its first charge. It was thrown back. Immediately a second charge was ordered. This met the same fate as had the first. A third brought no better results.

On the next charge, as the French advanced the Germans left their trenches and sprang forward to meet them. The big German guns became still as the infantry struggled hand to hand.

There issued from the French left at this juncture, heavy bodies of French cavalry. Into the thick of the struggling ma.s.s the hors.e.m.e.n charged. This attack had been a surprise. The Germans were cut down in large numbers. As they scrambled back to the protection of their trenches, French troops scrambled over with them. Again the infantry alone was engaged, but this time in the enemy trenches.

Whole squadrons of cavalry were ordered from their horses and also sprang into the German trenches. Reinforcements were hurried up. The Germans also rushed up supports; but they had delayed too long.

The Germans broke and fled for safety to the second line trenches.

Immediately the French turned the field pieces captured with the German trenches upon the fleeing enemy and mowed them down in great numbers.

Others of the French troops fell to work consolidating the newly won trenches. The big German guns opened again; but by this time the French were pretty well secured against this arm of fire.

More French reinforcements were rushed up to hold the captured trenches.

Batteries of field guns braved the German sh.e.l.l fire and dashed across the open to the captured trenches. Immediately these guns were brought into position, they opened upon the German second line of defense.

From their posts of vantage, mounted upon slight elevations, and from behind trees and other secure places, the great French guns protected the advance of the cavalry and infantry.

Hal and Chester, who had stood close to General Petain during most of this battling, had watched the conflict with the greatest interest.

"Look at them fall!" exclaimed Chester, as through his gla.s.ses, he witnessed the last desperate attack of the French.

"It's a terrible sight," agreed Hal, "and yet there will be many more just as terrible before this war is won."

"Indeed there will," agreed Chester.

"Lieutenant Crawford! Lieutenant Paine!"

It was General Petain who spoke.

"My compliments to General Bordeaux, Lieutenant Paine, and tell him that the left of the newly won trenches must be held at all hazzards!"

Hal sprang upon a nearby motorcycle and soon was speeding toward the front.

"Lieutenant Crawford! The same instructions to General Ducal on the right!"

A moment later Chester was speeding forward.

His message delivered, Hal stopped for a moment to gaze about the trenches won at such terrible cost.

There had been no time to bury the dead, or even to have the bodies removed; and the trenches were piled high with French and German dead. In between the rows of corpses, which had hurriedly been pushed to one side, the other troops worked, apparently without thought of their fallen comrades. Red Cross physicians and nurses were working among the wounded, lightening the suffering.

Hal looked at his watch.

"Twelve o'clock!" he muttered. "It seems as if this single battle had been going on for days!"

He made his way slowly back to General Petain.

Chester, his message delivered, also had taken account of the French position on the right. There the fighting had been particularly severe, and the newly won positions presented ghastly spectacles. Chester shuddered:

"And this is war!" he said.

He made his way back to headquarters and rejoined Hal.

"Wonder if we shall try for the second line defenses to-day?" Hal said to his chum.