“And just think of building it in two days!” exclaimed Phil. “Why, ordinarily it would take local bridge-builders two or three weeks to put up such a thing as this.”
“Certainly, in war, speed is what counts,” answered our hero.
At the time appointed a road through the forest, with three bridges spanning as many gullies, was completed. And then one night, following a heavy bombardment and a barrage fire, the American forces moved forward.
This brought on a battle which lasted the best part of a day and a half. There were attacks and counter-attacks, and the din of the light and heavy field-pieces was terrific. The Germans did everything possible to shove the Americans and the French back, but in the end had to give way, and when the battle finally subsided the Allied forces had made an advance of from four to six miles on a front twenty-two miles long, and captured three villages.
“How is that for fighting?” cried Dave enthusiastically, when the news of the advance was confirmed. “We’ll show them yet what it means to bring Uncle Sam into this war.”
“That’s what we will!” returned Roger.
“If only we could rush them right along to the Rhine!” came from Phil.
It must not be supposed that the engineers were idle while this great battle was going on. They were called upon to repair two of the bridges, both of which were partly demolished by German shell-fire, and then they were sent to the front once more to lay out a new line of trenches. This was perilous work in the extreme.
“We’re going under fire again, men,” announced Captain Obray, when the command came to go to the front.
This meant that each engineer must carry his rifle as well as the entrenching tools assigned to him. Along with the load on his back this was a weight of eighty to ninety pounds per man, certainly something of a load to carry over rough roads and through a tangle of underbrush and loose and jagged rocks. More than one man grew exhausted, and had to either rest up or be carried to the rear.