As the avengers raised their rifles and waited for the deliberate word to aim and fire, their eyes fixed upon those gray-green figures in the open grove, they heard the whine of the great shell and amid the many long streaks of flame, the volcanic-like dust, smoke and flying particles of a great explosion, the entire Hun squad, with the long gun and the boxes of shells exploding also, disappeared. For many minutes the Americans crouched there in silent awe.
“First message from our lines! Good omen!” Herbert declared.
“Effective, anyway, but awful,” Don said.
“Our boys are coming up through the valley!” Farnham exclaimed. “Didn’t you hear that yell down there? It was a Yank cheer, sure!”
They all stood, listening intently and were swiftly convinced. The firing had become very rapid; there were other sounds of battle as though an attack, fast and furious, were being made. The positions of the Hun platoon far down the hill and just below the spruces were being assailed.
“Let’s go meet them!” Herbert shouted; then turned, laughing. “Any of you fellows had dinner recently?”
“Me for chicken, waffles and ice cream, P.D.Q.!”
“Mush and molasses wouldn’t go bad, but I could stand steak!”
“A good old Irish stew for mine, with plenty of gravy!”