"I guess that will stop that," Hal told himself.
He was right.
When the enemy's cavalry withdrew a second time it did not reform for a third charge. Instead, it fell back upon its infantry and artillery supports, apparently fearing that the American infantry would pursue and annihilate it.
"I thought so," said Hal.
In the meantime, the German retirement in other parts of the field had become more rapid. The lines before Sedan were abandoned gradually and at last there was nothing to keep the Americans from entering the city save the cannonading of the German artillery from far to the rear of the town.
But although the bulk of the German army had retired safely to the east of Sedan, fortune had not been so kind to the two brigades which had formed the wedge between the Second and Forty-second American divisions.
When General Lejeune's men had pushed back the cavalry attack, General Rhodes, to the south, had gained an inkling of what was going on. Accordingly he had ordered an attack upon the hard-pressed foes.
Caught thus between two fires, the Germans tried first to hold their ground, and, finding this could not be done, to retreat orderly.
But they had delayed too long.
Three regiments of the First brigade of General Lejeune's division had been hurried forward to cut off a movement, and the Germans, when they found flight blocked, became disheartened. In spite of the fact that they outnumbered the little force between them and the bulk of their army, thousands of men threw down their arms and surrendered. This forced the others to follow suit or be annihilated.