211The Germans, Cowan told him, had been stopped at Chateau-Thierry in an epic stand made by the 2nd and 3rd Divisions, A.E.F., and a few days later the Marines had crowned themselves with a new glory when, in liaison with the French, they had stormed the edges of Belleau Wood, gained a foothold, and then tenaciously pushed slowly forward in the bloodiest and bitterest battle yet waged by the untried American forces. Counter-attack after counter-attack had been met and repulsed, with the net result that the Germans had been definitely stopped in the Marne salient. Their hope of breaking through to Paris was shattered, and though they were still pounding hard, their sacrifices were vain.
It was, Cowan declared, the real turning point of the war, and even now men were joyously declaring that the war would be won by Christmas.
As for the air forces, they had delivered beyond the fondest hopes of the high command. The casualties had been high, Cowan admitted, but not higher than might be expected and not without giving even heavier losses to the enemy. The squadron losses could have been held down had the members been less keen about scoring a personal victory over von Herzmann. Every pursuit pilot along the entire front was willing to take the most desperate chances in the hope of plucking the crest feathers of this German war eagle.
“I guess there’s one member not particularly anxious 212to pluck any of the eagle’s feathers,” McGee put in at this point.
“No?” Cowan’s voice was quizzical. “Who’s that?”
“Siddons,” McGee replied tersely.
A look of aggravation, or of pained tolerance, crossed Cowan’s face.
“We won’t discuss that,” he said, deserting for the moment his air of good-fellowship and returning to the quick, testy manner of speaking which was so characteristic of him in matters of decision. “I take it you have said nothing to Larkin, or anyone else, concerning your–ah, our suspicions?”
“Nothing, sir. But I can’t–”
“Good. Let Intelligence work it out, Lieutenant. One little rumor might upset all their plans. I can assure you, however, that G 2 knows all that you know. They are waiting the right minute–and perhaps have some plan in mind. Silence and secrecy are their watchwords. Let them be yours.” He arose and extended his hand. “I must be moving along. I’m glad to see you doing so nicely. You’ll be more than welcome when you get back to the squadron. Don’t worry. There’s plenty of war left yet.”