“We’re with you!” shouted Tom and Billy, and the three fearless Americans raced for this new obstacle. It seemed strange that the Germans did not open fire on them, but they thought at first this was because the Germans had not yet seen them. They themselves were on a slightly elevated portion of ground, and over the Germans’ parapet could see the men standing about, but making no move to stop them.
The boys did not stop to figure out the reason for this, however, but raced toward the position, and with shouts of triumph climbed over the pile of stones and sand bags. They were on the point of falling savagely on the Germans, when suddenly Tom exclaimed:
“There’s no use wasting ammunition on these fellows. They’re about as dead as they can be, already.”
And it was indeed as Tom said. Caught, probably, by the gas from a bursting poison shell, they had died as they stood, and, leaning against the barricade, most of them had remained in a standing position, although two or three lay stretched out on the ground.
“We had our worry for nothing, here,” observed Frank, “although we took the position, and that’s about all anyone can do, after all.”
The boys had outstripped all their companions, so they took a brief breathing spell while they were waiting for the others to come up. Soon they could see their comrades approaching, and at the same time a machine gun about a hundred feet to their right, of whose presence they had not been aware up to this time, started in a savage fusillade against the approaching boys in khaki.
“We’ll put a stop to that!” exclaimed Frank, and, as the others caught his meaning, all leaped to the German machine gun, and in a few seconds had it trained on the enemy. The Hun position was only lightly defended on the sides, and the machine gun projectiles bored through these, and wrought instant execution among the startled Germans. The fire from their machine gun died out, and the boys knew that here was one more menace disposed of. The Americans, with this handicap removed, rushed forward with cheers, and soon the three friends were surrounded by their comrades in arms.
The line pushed forward again, the places of those falling being taken by others eager to get their chance at the hated Boche. Machine gun after machine gun was taken, and trench after trench cleared out, but the defenses were so elaborate and so numerous that progress was at times heartbreakingly slow. Shells from the American batteries in the rear fell constantly before them, helping somewhat to clear the ground, but still leaving much to be done by the infantry. About the middle of the afternoon a halt was called, the Americans crouching in captured trenches for a brief period of recuperation.
“Gosh!” exclaimed Billy, “I may be all wrong, fellows, but just the same I have a feeling that the Boches don’t want us to capture the Argonne Forest. Don’t know what gives me that feeling, but I’ve got it all the same.”
“You certainly have wonderful powers of observation,” said Frank, dryly. “But come to think of it, I shouldn’t wonder if you were right. But before we get through with them they’ll wish they had made us a present of it in the first place, and saved themselves a bad licking.”