"Young man!" he exclaimed heartily, catching sight of Jacques, "you did splendid work. You saved our lines and made possible this counter-attack. You disappeared though and I feared you had been lost."
"I saw our men coming forward and I could not resist the temptation to join them, sir," said Jacques modestly.
"Well, I'm glad to see you again," said the officer. "We need men like you."
"They're all as good if not better," exclaimed Jacques earnestly.
"That's right too," agreed the officer. "Every Frenchman is a hero in these days of trouble."
He passed on and Jacques turned again to his comrades.
"Tell me," he exclaimed, "what has happened here?"
"Everything," said Earl grimly. "They certainly did pepper us and it was only a few minutes before you came back that they let up at all."
"They're still fairly busy I should say," remarked Jacques.
The shells were bursting all around in endless succession but fortunately the fire of the German batteries was directed mostly upon the positions to the right and left of those occupied by the douzième.