“By this time the Kaiser has learned that the British can fight as well as ever they could in the past,” said Jack. “He called their army contemptible in the beginning, but I believe he meant in numbers, not bravery; and it was, compared with the millions he could throw into the field inside of two weeks, every man drilled and ready to do his part. But here’s where we skip, and say good-bye to our friends the gunners! They’ve slackened up speed for us; so jump, Amos, and be careful to land on your feet, not on your nose!”
CHAPTER XXIV.
WHAT LITTLE JACQUES DID.
Amos was smart enough to take all necessary precautions when jumping. He did not meet with any accident, and was in condition to wave a jolly farewell to the gunners in khaki, who had turned in their seats to see the last of the American boys carrying that autograph letter from the British commander.
“A rough and ready lot of fine chaps, I should say, Jack,” remarked Amos, after they had watched the caisson whirl past an obstruction that shut it out from their view.
“Yes, and it’s tough to think that perhaps not a corporal’s guard of the whole squad will ever go back again to their English homes,” replied the other. “To see the way they joke and make merry I don’t believe that bothers one of them the least bit. When you stop to think of it, the worst of a war in these times is that it takes off so many hundreds of thousands of the finest young men, leaving cripples, old fellows and those who are of little use in the world.”
“Now I hadn’t thought of that before,” admitted Amos, candidly. “It’s really a fact, though, isn’t it? Every soldier nowadays has to be physically sound, of a certain height, and even his teeth are examined to make sure they’re fit. When a million or two such athletes are cut off, the old world is going to take a step backward for years to come.”
“Let’s put our best foot forward, and get to what’s left of the village, Amos.”
They trudged along for a little while in almost absolute silence, each boy being busily occupied with his own thoughts. Perhaps Amos, as would be quite natural, was planning what arguments he should use when he came upon his brother. Jack on his part may have been thinking more of the fate that had overtaken the poor Belgian village which by the fortunes of war seemed to have been in the direct line of fire between the hostile armies.
As they reached a certain little knoll they were given an opportunity to take their first good look at the place where they had passed that never-to-be-forgotten night, when the roar of approaching battle had stirred their young blood to fever heat.