The great counter-attack of Marshal Foch in July, 1918, put an end to the enemy attempt to advance and sealed the doom of Germany. After that time the Huns were steadily on the retreat, although they still put up some bitter battles. Frank and his comrades were in the front rank of the jubilant American army that was helping to drive the enemy back to the Rhine. In the battle of St. Mihiel, the Army Boys did their full share of the fighting. By an unfortunate chain of circumstances, Frank for a time seemed to be mixed up with the robbery of a paymaster’s messenger, but he was triumphantly cleared of the charge and Nick Rabig was discovered to be the real culprit. The story of the part the Army Boys played in the beating of the Huns is narrated in the fourth volume of the series, entitled, “Army Boys in the Big Drive; Or, Smashing Forward to Victory.”
The artillery fire that was searching out the American positions increased in intensity, and indicated that the attack when it did come would be a determined one.
“Fritz is sore,” remarked Tom grimly.
“Yes,” chuckled Billy, “he’s peeved because his little game didn’t work. He had it all framed up that he was going to get this position for nothing and now he finds he’ll have to fight for it.”
“It’s going to be a lovely scrap,” said Frank, peering through a chink in the log barricade that they had erected in consolidating their position. “I only wish that poor Bart could be here to share it with us. That boy would rather fight any time than eat.”
“Maybe some of us will be with Bart sooner than he will be with us,” muttered Tom, who, though he had the heart of a lion, was usually seeing the darker side of things.
Just then a shell came screaming through the air and dropped on the ground within ten feet of them.
“Duck!” cried Billy, and like a flash they all threw themselves flat on the ground, turning their helmets in the direction of the shell to give their heads as much protection as possible.
But the explosion they had nerved themselves to hear did not take place, and after a few seconds they raised their heads and looked curiously in its direction.
The shell lay harmlessly imbedded in the earth. From some defect, it had failed to explode.