On the other hand, could they only thrust the French aside here, a gap would open in the defences through which access could be obtained to the inner lines; and a glorious victory loom up before them.
Gradually the battle spread before the eyes of the little audience of scouts on that isolated pinnacle two miles away. They could see charging masses flung back by the fierceness of the fire from hundreds of machine guns, together with others of larger bore. The ground must be covered with dead and wounded, still the human tide continued to pour over the low ridge like the water passing down the sluice leading to the wheel of a grist mill.
“I never dreamed men could be so reckless of life and death,” Allan shouted in Thad’s ear, for ordinary talking was of course next to impossible in all that horrid din. “They seem bent on breaking through at all costs. I think it must be they mean to tire the French out in this one spot by continuous fighting. Then again perhaps the ammunition may run low, and that will give them the chance they want.”
“Oh! it’s just awful, awful!” declared Bumpus, putting a hand before his eyes as if to shut out the sight; though a short time later found him staring as hard as ever, such was the dreadful fascination of the ever-changing war picture.
The German guns were trying to blast a way through at the same time. Here, there and everywhere the boys could see shells bursting. Often these threw up geysers of earth and stones as they exploded after burying themselves in the ground; and no doubt vast craters began to appear all along the French front, to remind those who saw them at a later date how terribly the modern machinery of war worked.
As time passed it became plainly evident that the French line was holding sturdily. Somehow this apparent fact seemed to give Thad and his chums a feeling as of relief. While they were none of them as yet wholly committed to the cause of the enemies of the Teuton race, at the same time they felt a deep sympathy for the French. Besides, most American boys always feel for the under dog in a fight, and that was what France seemed when pitted against the enormous resources of men and munitions and guns controlled by the Germans.
“I guess it’s going to be a sort of draw for today, after all,” suggested Giraffe, as the sun sank lower, and the battle still continued, with neither side seeming to make any perceptible advance worth mentioning.
“But since it was the Kaiser who attacked,” Allan went on to say positively, “it must be set down as a defeat for the Germans that they failed to carry their point. And depend on it, the French will be nerved for greater things tomorrow. They have proved that they can hold the enemy up; and that will give them courage to attack in turn. Am I right, Thad?”
All of the boys were tired under the strain, but already they could detect signs telling them that the fighting would soon be discontinued, for that day at least. The Germans had been beaten back again and again, no matter how they varied the form of attack. If they gained small advantages in some sectors it was to lose in others. During the night doubtless hurried councils of war would be held, and by the time another dawn broke the battle, if continued at all, would develop upon some new basis.
Gradually the firing dwindled down until as the sun sank out of sight, save for the regular booming of certain guns that had been given a special mission to carry out, the myriad batteries had ceased operations.