Two hours’ march brought Colonel Adams’ column to the far edge of a small but dense wood. Beyond could be seen a few twinkling lights in the village of Dun.
Colonel Adams called a halt. Here the Americans would wait until an hour after daylight, at which time Colonel Gregory would advance to the attack from the west of the village.
The hours passed slowly and the men fidgeted. They would be cool enough when the time for action arrived, but resting quietly in the darkness and being allowed to utter no word, they grew restless.
Gradually it grew light and the men recovered their spirits. The hour of attack was approaching and the troops were anxious to be about their work.
Hal glanced at his watch in the half light.
“Must be about time,” he muttered.
The words had hardly left his mouth when the signal came, the shrill clear notes of a bugle sounding a charge.
A wild Yankee cheer followed the bugle call and the Americans dashed forward at the double.
In this particular section of the field there were no trenches to be won. The German positions had been fortified so recently that the enemy had had no time to dig himself in. But with the warning of the advance, the German commander rushed his men into formation and awaited the attack.
Machine guns were hurried forward and brought into play upon the men in khaki advancing across the open field.