CHAPTER XIV
HAL LEADS A SORTIE
Hal sprang forward and gave a quick look at the enemy.
Apparently, the assault was to be made on the same plan as before. After the last retreat of the enemy, their officers had succeeded in re-forming them beyond the zone of French fire and now were about to hurl the troops forward in another grand offensive against the farmhouse. The Germans moved forward silently and doggedly.
"It'll be a little warmer this time," Hal muttered to himself.
And the lad was right.
Straight on came the Germans at the charge in spite of the withering fire poured in among them by the French; straight up to the side of the house they rushed, though there were many men who did not get that far; and then the German troops deployed.
While perhaps a hundred men remained at the front of the house, apparently to seek entrance through the doorway blocked with their own dead, the others divided and dashed round the house, some to the right and some to the left.
Now, for the first time, French troops who had not been posted at the front windows came into action.
As the Germans rushed around the house, these French troops leaned from their windows on the side of the house and poured volley after volley into the German ranks. They were almost directly above the Germans and the latter were at a great disadvantage; for they could not return the fire of the French without pausing in their mad rush; and when they did pause and bring their rifles to bear upon the windows above, there were no French heads to be seen there.
But when they dashed on again, the French heads reappeared and again the
Germans fell in large numbers.
But the losses of the French by this time, in spite of the comparative safety afforded by their position, had been extremely heavy, considering the size of the original force. Chester, in the basement, still had suffered no casualties, but fully a third of the men on the two floors above had been killed or wounded.
And there had been no time to care for these wounded, except for the brief respites occasioned by the retreat of the Germans. Now that the fighting was on again the wounded were left to shift for themselves; and the air was filled with moans and groans.
The Germans in front of the house again had tried in vain to force a passage of the doorway, choked with their own dead and dying. This had failed, for the French, under the direction of Captain Leroux, had poured in such a galling fire that the Germans dropped as fast as they appeared in the doorway.
From above, the defenders at the front of the house, also, had done heavy execution among the enemy below. Again the Germans wavered; then retreated; and the French mowed them down as they ran.
Suddenly Hal bethought himself of a daring plan. Dashing down stairs he confided it to Captain Leroux. The latter clapped his hands in approval.
"You shall direct the move," he exclaimed. "I'll take your post and see that the Germans in front continue to fall back; also I shall be able to cover you to some extent."
He ran quickly upstairs.
Quickly Hal picked fifty men.
"Clear away those bodies," he said, pointing to the German dead that blocked the doorway.
It was the work of but a few minutes.
"Now," said Hal, "when we go out the door, I want half of you to go around the house to the left. The others follow me."
He divided the men into two squads.
"We'll catch the fellows who got behind us by surprise," the lad explained. "They are still engaged with the men at the windows above. We can't afford to be surrounded. We must drive them off."
Silently, the men filed from the house.
The strategy of Hal's plan was at once apparent. The Germans who had circled the house, after dividing after the grand assault, still were unaware of the retreat of their fellows. They did not know that this support had been lost to them. Therefore, they were sure to be at a great disadvantage when attacked from a position that they believed to be held by their comrades.
Above, the defenders still continued to fire rapidly, seeking to keep up the delusion.
There was only one thing that worried Hal—one thing that he felt possibly might bring disaster following his surprise attack. He knew that the Germans who had recently retreated from before the farmhouse would understand his plan the minute he led his men from the farmhouse. This would mean another grand assault. The question in Hal's mind was whether he could get his men back inside the house before the main force of the enemy could advance and cut him off.
But he was depending upon the French still within the house to hold the foe off until he could get back.
As the French dashed suddenly around the house, there came a wild cry from the distant German lines to the east. The ruse had been discovered and Hal realized that the bulk of the enemy would be upon them before long. Therefore, he knew he must hurry.
"Quick!" he cried to his men.
The latter needed no urging.
Swiftly they dashed around the house in either direction and fell upon the Germans, who had sought shelter at the far side, with their bayonets. The enemy, taken completely by surprise, uttered cries of consternation and sought to retreat; for their officers had no means of telling the numbers of these new foes.
But the French pressed them closely. Although the Germans were taken at a great disadvantage because of the suddenness of the attack, they, nevertheless fought bravely.
No quarter was asked.
For safety's sake the enemy pressed close to the French, engaging them hand-to-hand. In this was their only hope of success, for every time a man strayed from the struggling mass, a keen-eyed French soldier above dropped him with a rifle bullet.
But the struggle could have only one end. Bewildered by the sudden appearance of the French, the Germans never gained time to recover themselves. The French pushed the fighting; and soon it was all over.
There remained now only half a score of Germans standing.
"Surrender!" called Hal.
With the exception of one, the men threw down their weapons. The exception was a German officer, who evidently had been in command. He sprang toward Hal with a cry and thrust with his sword.
The move had been so unexpected that the lad was caught completely off his guard and the sword must have pierced him had it not been for the quickness of a French soldier who stood near. Without taking thought to his own danger, this man sprang forward and grappled with the German.
The latter hurled the French soldier from him with a sudden powerful move and again advanced on Hal. But now the lad was ready for him and his sword met the sword of the German officer neatly.
In vain the German officer sought to break down Hal's guard. Hal foiled him at every turn. The German was furiously angry, but Hal was smiling easily. The lad realized that he probably owed his life to the German's anger, for at the first touch of swords the lad had realized that the German was clearly his master. Therefore, the lad jeered at the officer as he fought.
Hal became more certain of the outcome of the duel as it continued, for with every thrust and parry the German became more and more angry because he could not overcome this boy. Perspiration rolled down his face and he panted with rage.
"I'll get you!" he cried.
"Oh, not for some time yet," Hal grinned back at him.
The German swore.
"Now! Now!" said Hal. "That's no way for a nice German officer to do.
What would the emperor say?"
The duel was interrupted at this point by a sudden cry from the farmhouse.
"Never mind him, Lieutenant! Back into the house quickly!"
It was the voice of Captain Leroux and the tone told Hal how urgent was the call. Taking a quick step forward, he caused the German officer to retreat a few paces. Then Hal lowered his sword, and calling to his men to follow him, dashed toward the front of the house.
Behind, the German officer broke into a torrent of abuse and would have continued it had not a French soldier, who cared nothing for the etiquette of duelling, put an end to him with a rifle bullet.
To the half score of men who had thrown down their arms, Hal cried:
"Back to your own lines quickly or you shall be shot down! No," pausing and levelling his revolver as one of the Germans sought to stoop and pick up his discarded rifle, "never mind the gun. Another move like that and you'll all be shot down. Move, now!"
The Germans wasted no further time and made for the shelter of their own lines at top speed.
And their own lines were advancing rapidly to meet them.
"Quick, men!" cried Hal. "Into the house!"
They had now reached the front door again and Hal stood to one side that his men might enter first.
Above, the fire of the defenders had broken out afresh, but the Germans rushed forward in spite of it. Bullets hummed close about Hal's head as he stood beside the doorway, but none struck him; and at last all the men were inside.
Hal went in after them.
From without came a cry of rage as the advancing Germans realized that, for the moment, at least, they had been deprived of their prey.
"Guard the door there, men!" shouted Hal. "Get back and to one side out of the line of fire. Save your bullets until they cross the threshold, then shoot them down."
The men moved into position. Hal glanced quickly around to make sure that all was in readiness and at that moment Captain Leroux descended the stairs.
"Good work, Mr. Paine," he said quietly. "If I live, I shall report this piece of work. I will take command here now. Return to your post above."
Hal saluted and did as commanded.
Hardly had he reached position above when he heard Captain Leroux below give the command:
"Fire!"