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LET ME HAVE A LOOK 
 
FIGHTING WITH 
 THE U. S. ARMY 
 
 By 
 
 Captain Charles A. B.otsford 
 
 Canadian Expeditionary Force 
 Author of ** Joining the Co lor s^^^ etc. 
 
 Illustrations by 
 Dons^ld S. Humphreys 
 
 THE PENN PUBLISHING COMPANY 
 
 PHILADELPHIA 
 
 1919 
 
COPYRIGHT 
 
 1919 ^ Y 
 THE PENN 
 PUBLISHING 
 COMPANY 
 
 • • •• • 
 
 • • • • • 
 
 • • • ^* ••• 
 
 Fighting With the U. S. Array 
 
Introduction 
 
 In this present story, the second one of " The 
 Victory Series," the author has endeavored to pre- 
 sent without exaggeration a picture of conditions in 
 England and France as they existed when the ad- 
 vance divisions of the mighty American Army, that 
 upon the President's decision poured with such 
 amazing celerity in one unbroken stream across the 
 Atlantic, made a brief and welcome halt on their way 
 to a much longer sojourn in the training camps and 
 trenches of our great sister republic. 
 
 As in "Joining the Colors," the first of this 
 series, the hicidents of this second story of " The 
 Victory Series " are in no sense mere figments of 
 the author's fancy. Every one of them actually 
 happened, and the descriptions of the details also 
 are as accurate as a fallible memory will permit. 
 
 Since completing the story the writer has been 
 asked: "Was Baptiste, the French Canadian, 
 really killed in that raid? " and " Did * The Duke ' 
 finally recover? " The answer to both questions is, 
 " Yes." That trench away do^vn in Lorraine was, 
 and is, the last resting place of the brave French 
 
 M32071 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 Canadian; and " The Duke " is at this writing still 
 flying in and for France. 
 
 " In the Trenches," the third story of " The Vic- 
 tory Series," and now in press, will tell of the fur- 
 ther adventures of the Dale Academy boys in open 
 and trench fighting, and Jack Morgan will be there 
 with his " tank." 
 
 Captain C. A. Botsford^ C. E. F. 
 
 Ogdemburg, N. F. ; 
 
Contents 
 
 I. Two Friends 
 
 II. Jack Morgan . 
 
 III. The Second in Command 
 
 IV. The Special Idea 
 V. The Depth Bombs 
 
 VI. Zeebrugge 
 
 VII. News from Home 
 
 VIII. The Answer 
 
 IX. Baptiste . 
 
 X. The Gas Instructor 
 
 XI. The Class 
 
 XII. The Front 
 
 XIII. The Salient 
 
 XIV. The W^iggler . 
 XV. The Listening Post . 
 
 XVI. The Patrol 
 
 XVII. The Colonel Agrees 
 
 XVIII. The Raid . . . 
 
 9 
 26 
 
 43 
 61 
 
 76 
 
 89 
 
 ic6 
 
 121 
 
 133 
 152 
 
 162 
 
 184 
 
 204 
 
 221 
 
 237 
 258 
 
 279 
 
 ^93 
 
Illustrations 
 
 ** Let Me Have a Look " 
 
 The Cross of the " Legion d'Honneur " 
 
 Dover and Other Channel Ports , 
 
 The Victoria Cross or " V. C." 
 
 Zeebrugge — Harbor 
 
 ** We Are to Wait for a Signal " 
 
 " I'm All Right " . 
 
 How Zeebrugge Harbor Was Blocked 
 
 A French " Poilu " ... 
 
 The ** Penguin " — or Training Plane 
 
 He Straightened Up With a Snap . 
 
 An American Gas-Mask . 
 
 The Famous French " 75 " 
 
 Artillery Attack on Earthworks (i) 
 
 Artillery Attack on Earthworks (2) 
 
 Diagram of Fire-Trench . 
 
 Rifle Grenade — Often Called *' The Pippin *' 
 
 Cross-Section of a Trench , 
 
 Cross-Section of a Trench, Showing Dugout 
 
 7 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Frontispiece 
 12 
 47 
 
 55 
 
 64 
 
 65 
 
 96 
 
 98 
 
 124 
 
 138 
 
 H5 
 178 
 188 
 192 
 194 
 211 
 213 
 229 
 245 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Trench Periscope 249 
 
 The Sap . . . . . v 254 
 
 The " Saw-Buck " 263 
 
 The Mills Bomb (Exterior) 268 
 
 The Mills Bomb (Section) . . , . , . 270 
 ** He*s Trying for a Landing" , . , , .301 
 
 Hand Grenade 308 
 
 Fighting With the U. S. Army 
 
 8, 
 
Fighting With the U. S. 
 Army 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 TWO FRIENDS 
 
 **Come one, come all, to spend your lives and gold, 
 Come heroes, gentlemen, the hrave, the hold. 
 To France!*' 
 
 Private soldiers, hung with accoutrements like 
 Christmas trees, bumped up against staff officers 
 with never a salute nor " beg pardon, sir " ; porters 
 ran about with valises, bags and packs; subalterns 
 butted rudely into generals who merely smiled; for 
 this was at Victoria railway station, that great 
 dividing point for the khaki throng just up by train 
 from the cross-Channel boat from Boulogne to Lon- 
 don and points farther throughout the length and 
 breadth of " Blighty." 
 
 Everybody there had come to meet with eager 
 welcome somebody else. Among the arrivals there 
 were no broken men, for this train carried only 
 soldiers on well-earned short-leave, after months 
 spent in the inferno of the front-line trenches. 
 
 On the platform were relatives and friends, each 
 
 9 
 
FmWU^Q Jf^lTH: THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 anxiously looking for his or her own especially be- 
 loved one among those who scrambled promiscu- 
 ously from the coaches. Towering head and shoul- 
 ders above all the waiting throng that scrutinized 
 each officer as he passed by was one who attracted 
 attention even among that anxiously preoccupied 
 multitude. 
 
 One pensively pretty maiden, wearing on her 
 sleeve the national badge of proud mourning, said 
 eagerly to the sombrely gowned matron by her 
 side: 
 
 " Look, Mother, there's that American, the one 
 we have read so much about lately in the papers! 
 His picture has been in The Daily Mirror more 
 than once." 
 
 A young wife leaning fondly upon the arm of a 
 lame officer asked: 
 
 " Who is that distinguished-looking young of- 
 ficer, Arthur? He is the tallest man I ever saw." 
 
 The lame officer turned his glance from the pass- 
 ing arrivals to the direction indicated by his wife. 
 With a gleam of warm approval his eyes rested for 
 a moment upon the tall youth in the uniform of a 
 lieutenant of Canadian Infantry. 
 
 " That must be Van Home, V. C, of the Ca- 
 nadians. He is a young American who was per- 
 sonally decorated by the King at Buckingham 
 Palace only last week." 
 
 10 
 
TWO FRIENDS 
 
 " Have you ever met him? " asked his wife. 
 
 " No, but I am sure that's the man. He has 
 been described as the second tallest man in the 
 B. E. F/ There is but one other soldier who is 
 taller, a private in one of our Highland regiments; 
 they say he is over eight feet tall. Besides, he is 
 wearing the ribbon of the Victoria Cross on his coat. 
 Do you not see it? " 
 
 " Oh, yes," the lady replied, " I remember read- 
 ing about it. The papers all said it was one of the 
 finest and most unselfish things done since the war 
 began. With a handful of men he captured a 
 machine-gun emplacement, carried on his shoulders 
 a wounded man all the way across No Man's Land 
 under fire, and after he had reached the safety of 
 his own trench, though wounded, he left it again to 
 go to the rescue of an officer who lay dying out 
 there in a shell hole. That was the young Amer- 
 ican you meant, was it not, Arthur? " 
 
 " Yes, it was a bit of all right, that," replied her 
 husband in accents of keen admiration for the brave 
 deed of a comrade-in-arms, an action the true 
 significance and detail of which only one, who, 
 like himself, had been there, could really appreciate. 
 "And he * clicked ' another bullet the second time 
 in the head," he added. 
 
 " I do hope he is better of his hurts," the little 
 
 * British Expeditionary Forces. 
 II 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 wife said, looking up wistfully, though proudly, at 
 her own soldier hero who would always be lame 
 now. 
 
 Lieutenant Van Home, V. C, rendered from 
 long habit quite unconscious of the notice one of 
 his magnificent physique must attract in any gath- 
 ering, continued undisturbed his scrutiny of the 
 line of Pullmans. He paid no attention to the 
 happy laughing soldiers of various ranks who 
 passed. From where he stood he could view over 
 the heads of the crowd the whole length of the train. 
 He had come down to Victoria 
 that evening to meet his old 
 friend and schoolmate of former 
 days, Ralph Storm, now also a 
 lieutenant of the Canadian Ex- 
 peditionary Force, and who was 
 in reality that very same soldier 
 whom Van Home had carried to 
 safety across No Man's Land 
 amidst a hail of rifle and machine- 
 gun bullets. 
 Lieutenant Storm was return- 
 ing to London on furlough after three months of 
 continuous service in the trenches, during which he 
 had sufficiently distinguished himself in the eyes of 
 our gallant French allies to receive from them the 
 decoration of the "" Legion d'Honneur" 
 
 12 
 
 The Cross of the "Le- 
 gion d'Honneur" — 
 the decoration worn 
 by Ralph Storm. 
 
TWO FRIENDS 
 
 In that repulse of the " flammenwerfer " attack, 
 during which he had saved his friend's life when 
 the latter had dropped in the middle of No Man's 
 Land with a bullet in his knee, Rodman Van Home 
 had himself been much more severely wounded than 
 Storm. Although he was then fully recovered from 
 his wounds he had not as yet been returned to 
 France; but had been employed since his convales- 
 cence on staff duty in London. He was anxious to 
 meet Storm again, for there were many and serious 
 thmgs that he wished to talk over with him; so his 
 whole countenance brightened with a smile of great 
 satisfaction when he at length perceived his friend 
 emerging from one of the railway coaches. 
 
 His lion-like head and massive shoulders loom- 
 ing above the heads and shoulders of all others there, 
 and waving aloft one of his great hands in signal 
 to his friend, Van Home made his way irresistibly, 
 yet gently, through the crowd that parted with 
 smiling good humor for this eager young giant in 
 khaki. 
 
 They met like two big schoolboys, who greet one 
 another for the first time after the long vacation. 
 And after all they were really at heart but two big 
 American prep-school boys, in spite of their sol- 
 dierly bearing, smart uniforms, and fighting deco- 
 rations. 
 
 As their hands met in eager clasp, and their eyes 
 
 13 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 smiled into eyes that smiled again, they greeted 
 each other simultaneously. 
 
 "Hello, Ralph, old boy!" laughed Rod Van 
 Home joyously. 
 
 " Hello, Van, old top, how goes it? " cried Ralph. 
 
 " I heard about it, and was awfully glad, old 
 man," said Van Home, touching with the index 
 finger of his left hand the ribbon of the " Legion 
 d'Honneur" on the other's breast, while giving 
 Storm's hand an additional gentle squeeze with 
 his right that ordinarily would have caused the 
 latter to jerk his suffering fingers away. 
 
 Now, however, he merely retorted laughingly, 
 while at the same time pointing to the ribbon of the 
 Victoria Cross on his huge friend's coat: 
 
 "And Father told me just the other day in Paris 
 what a swell you were getting to be. Van. Calling 
 on the King, and by special invitation, no less, at 
 his royal palace of Buckingham! When you get 
 time, old top, you must tell me how it feels to walk 
 and talk with kings? I am just dying to know." 
 
 "All right," smiled Van. " But let's go and get 
 something to eat first. You must be good and 
 hungry, and I'm nearly famished ; I have been wait- 
 ing to have lunch with you." 
 
 Had some stolid and respectable British civilian 
 observed these two fine young officers pointing so 
 gleefully at each other's military decorations, and 
 
 14 
 
TWO FRIENDS 
 
 overheard them thus merrily chaffing one another 
 about them, he might well have thought that here 
 were two American schoolboys, who thought it a 
 huge joke to go down into the very jaws of death 
 and emerge therefrom wearing as their due the 
 badges of the highest award for acts of signal and 
 unselfish personal valor. 
 
 " Come on! " said Van Home, " let's duck out 
 of this before the people around begin to think we're 
 nutty!" 
 
 Together they passed out through the gate, and 
 there being a dearth of taxis in those days, they had 
 to be satisfied with a " growler." ' 
 
 " Claridge's ! " Van directed the driver, as he took 
 his seat beside Storm in the ancient horse-drawn 
 four-wheeler. 
 
 " Claridge's?" echoed Storm interrogatively. "I 
 say, Van ! I always knew there was nothing small 
 about you, from your hands to your feet, both in- 
 cluded. But there certainly is some class to 
 'Claridge's.'" 
 
 " Well, you see," explained Van Home apolo- 
 getically and with a little whimsical smile curling 
 up the corners of his mouth, " it was just like this. 
 You know, I'd never been in London before, and 
 when I asked the Commandant at the hospital what 
 hotel I had better stay at, he said that as I was 
 
 'Growler: London slang for cab. 
 15 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMY 
 
 about to be summoned to Buckingham Palace it 
 would perhaps be as well for me to go there for a 
 few days, even if it did come a bit high. Anyway, 
 my pay and allowance almost cover my hotel ex- 
 penses." 
 
 "All right, your highness ! " laughed Ralph. " I 
 suppose I can afford to stay with you there just 
 about long enough to have a good look at the office 
 clock." 
 
 "Nonsense!" said his companion, just a trifle 
 irritated by his friend's chaffing, " you are going 
 to stay with me just as long as you are in town." 
 
 As they drove along Storm began to look about 
 him curiously, and there was a momentary silence 
 between them. 
 
 "What's the matter, Ralph?" Van Home, 
 noticing the perplexed expression on his friend's 
 countenance, at length demanded. 
 
 " That's just the question I have been asking 
 myself," replied Storm, " and the answer has but 
 just now come to me. It's the darkened street 
 lights, the small dim twinkling will-o'-the-wisp 
 lamps of the cabs, and the shaded lights of the shop 
 windows. You know, it was before the air raids 
 when I was here last." 
 
 " Yes, in that case I can readily believe how 
 strange the appearance of the town must be to 
 you," observed Van Home. " Since I came up 
 
 i6 
 
 I 
 
TWO FRIENDS 
 
 two weeks ago there has been but one raid. It was 
 at night, and I knew nothing about it till next 
 morning." 
 
 " Great guns ! And you slept right through it ! " 
 ejaculated Storm. " I am quite sure that I'd feel 
 more nervous about bombs here than in the trenches, 
 where we are more or less used to hearing explo- 
 sions of one kind or another almost all the time." 
 
 " Tell me, Ralph," queried Van curiously, chang- 
 ing the subject, " about that bit of work for which 
 you were decorated. I read the brief oflBcial ac- 
 count of it; but you know how little real informa- 
 tion there is in them. Tell me the whole story, 
 Ralph." 
 
 "Oh, pshaw! I can't tell you much about it. 
 You know how it is yourself. A fellow taking part 
 in one of those little shows cannot describe after- 
 ward what took place half as well as some one 
 who was merely looking on. You do things on the 
 spur of the moment, scarcely realizing what you are 
 doing, or remembering faintly the details of it 
 afterward." 
 
 " From the official notice which I clipped from 
 one of the daily papers," observed Van, " I judged 
 that your * little show,' as you call it, somewhat 
 resembled that affair in which we were both 
 wounded, about six months ago." 
 
 " Not much! " replied his friend. " It was not 
 
 17 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 half so lively as that one. It was like it only in 
 that it was another machine-gun mix-up. Our 
 battalion, on the extreme British right, occupied a 
 point of * liaison ' with the French. They had lost 
 a minor position just on our right, and we jumped 
 in to help them get it back again. We succeeded. 
 I got an enemy machine gun myself, and got back 
 without a scratch. And that's about all I can tell 
 you about it." 
 
 Ralph was quite sincere, and was not at all en- 
 deavoring to assume an affectation of modesty. 
 He was no exception; the best fighting men as a 
 rule are those who can tell you least about the en- 
 gagements in which they participated. The offi- 
 cial Record Office report, however, which Van had 
 clipped from the newspaper, read as follows: 
 
 " By collecting all available men and charging 
 the enemy Lieutenant Ralph Storm regained a lost 
 position on our extreme right. On a second occa- 
 sion when his platoon was suffering heavy casual- 
 ties he rushed alone across the fire-swept ground 
 and attacked a hostile gun crew with bombs before 
 the gun could be got into action. He succeeded in 
 killing the whole crew, and in bringing back the 
 machine gun to our position. Lieutenant Storm 
 is by birth an American." 
 
 Before Van could question him further Storm 
 
 himself captured the offensive. 
 
 i8 
 
TWO FRIENDS 
 
 " Tell me about the performance at the Palace, 
 Ralph. I'm not fooling. I really want to know. 
 Although it is perhaps a bit previous to say any- 
 thing about it, I have been told on pretty good 
 authority that I am to be recommended for the 
 M. C in Haig's next list, so I'd like to know how 
 to perform, in case I too get a chance to line up 
 with the rest of you fellows who walk and talk with 
 kings." 
 
 At his friend's half -mocking request, and the 
 reminiscence which it called up. Van enjoyed a 
 quiet chuckle. 
 
 "'Performance' is good! That's what it was, 
 all right, so far as I was concerned, at least. But 
 I can't tell you much more about it than you can 
 tell me about your * little show ' over there. I 
 know I'd just as soon go over the top any day as to 
 go through that * performance ' again." 
 
 Van again interrupted himself with a hearty 
 burst of laughter. Storm, knowing his friend's 
 innate bashfulness on all such occasions, was able 
 to appreciate the latter's present merriment, and 
 smiled in sympathy, while at the same time he urged 
 the other to proceed. 
 
 " There must have been something very funny 
 about it, to make you laugh like this. Van? " 
 
 " I guess I was about the funniest thing there," 
 
 * Military Cross. 
 19 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 said Lieutenant Van Home. " I felt like a big 
 chump, and I know that I must have looked and 
 acted like one. You made some personal remark, 
 not in the best of good taste, I must say, about my 
 large feet and hands just a few minutes ago, Raljjh. 
 Well, that morning at Buckingham Palace I felt 
 as if I were all feet and hands. 
 
 " But here we are at Claridge's ! I'll tell you all 
 about it some other time," broke off Van as the 
 " growler " drew up before the great hotel entrance. 
 
 The two young American officers of the Canadian 
 Expeditionary Force took considerable time to 
 make even their simple soldier toilets, so continuous 
 was the rapid-fire exchange of question and answer. 
 
 " There is one subject in particular that I want 
 to talk over with you, Ralph," said Rod Van Home, 
 pausing in the act of smoothing down his unruly 
 top hair, his brush paused in momentary immobility 
 above his head as if he were stiffly posing for some 
 hair tonic advertisement. 
 
 "And I think I laiow what that subject is," re- 
 joined his friend, Ralph Storm, unfastening his 
 leggings, preparatory to changhig from riding 
 breeches to slacks for the rest of the evening. 
 
 "What do you think it is, then, Mr. Mind- 
 reader? " queried Van smilingly. 
 
 " You're getting homesick," replied Ralph. 
 
 "What do you mean?" demanded the other, 
 
 20 
 
TWO FRIENDS 
 
 dropping the hair-brush to his side, and turning 
 from the mirror to face the speaker. 
 
 " Simply this," smiled Storm, " now that the 
 good old U. S. A. has more than a quarter of a 
 million doughboys already in France and three 
 times as many more on the way, you are getting 
 lonesome to be among your own people again," 
 
 " I guess you are right, Ralph," confessed Van 
 Home, "but, besides the natural desire to be 
 among our own fellows, which I am sure you too 
 feel, I know that the United States has need of 
 every one of her sons who is already a trained sol- 
 dier, and she should have the first claim upon our 
 services." 
 
 " I thought so," returned his companion chaff- 
 ingly; " I told Father the last time I saw him that 
 I was as certain as I could ever be of anything that 
 you would resign your commission in the C. E. F. 
 as soon as you were finally discharged from hos- 
 pital, in order to enlist as a private soldier in the 
 army of Uncle Sam." 
 
 "And you were quite correct, Ralph," Van re- 
 joined gravely. 
 
 " Last week I tendered my resignation as a Lieu- 
 tenant of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, giv- 
 ing my reasons therefor just as I have but now 
 stated them to you. I am at present merely wait- 
 ing to be officially notified of its acceptance." 
 
 21 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMY 
 
 "And how about yourself, Ralph? " 
 
 "Well, dear old thing, knowmg just exactly 
 what you would be about under the circumstances," 
 returned Storm mockingly. 
 
 "And also feeling that you should always have 
 some level-headed friend handy in order to restrain 
 you from again attacking the whole German army 
 single-handed, I too put in my resignation last 
 week, and gave precisely similar reasons for do- 
 ing so." 
 
 " Good old Ralph! " said " Big Van " softly, and 
 with a pleased smile lighting up his whole strong, 
 homely countenance. " I rather thought you 
 would." 
 
 "And what do you think, Van? " pursued Storm, 
 " When I spoke to Father of my intentions, and 
 what I thought yours would also be, he got busy at 
 once, with the result that there is an appointment 
 waiting for each of us in the good old United States 
 Army as soon as we are free to accept them." 
 
 " Dad says that they will be glad to have us," 
 he continued. 
 
 " But we shall have to be satisfied to act as in- 
 structors for a while at least. They have as yet to 
 depend almost altogether on French and British 
 officers and N. C. O.'s * for instructors, and even 
 at that cannot get enough of them, although our 
 
 'Non-commissioned officers — sergeants, etc. 
 22 
 
TWO FRIENDS 
 
 allies are letting them have all they can spare for 
 the purpose." 
 
 " That will suit me, Ralph, and I cannot thank 
 you and your father enough, I am sure," rejoined 
 Van heartily, and then he went on even more 
 gravely: 
 
 " I would rather instruct than fight, any day. 
 You know, Ralph, I am by nature and at heart a 
 pacifist, after all." 
 
 "Ahem! Yes, I know," rejoined Storm without 
 looking up from the shoe he was lacing. 
 
 " And Uncle Sam wants just about five hundred 
 thousand more pacifists of the same stamp as you 
 are. If he had them he'd be in Berlin before 
 Christmas." 
 
 And then before Van could make reply he pro- 
 ceeded: 
 
 " Did you know that Father had been promoted? 
 He's a lieutenant-colonel now." 
 
 " No, I hadn't heard. But that is fine, Ralph. 
 And I am sure that he well deserved the promo- 
 tion." 
 
 " Yes, I think so too, even if he is my dad," said 
 Storm proudly. " He offered his services to Gen- 
 eral Pershing as soon as the latter arrived in 
 France; but the General thought that Father was 
 doing such good service for the combined Allied 
 Forces in connection with the Canadian Forestry 
 
 23 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 Corps that for the general good of all he had better 
 stay where he was." 
 
 For the benefit of our readers who are not al- 
 ready conversant with the adventures of Lieu- 
 tenants Van Home and Storm/ let us refer briefly 
 to events occurring previous to the opening of the 
 story. 
 
 Less than a year before Rodman Van Home and 
 Ralph Storm had been Seniors at a celebrated prep- 
 school in one of the Eastern States. Lieutenant 
 Storm's father, then Major Storm, was an officer 
 in the Canadian Forestry Corps, organized for the 
 purpose of converting the forests of France into 
 lumber for army use. He paid a visit to the school 
 to inform his son, Ralph, of the latter's appoint- 
 ment to a lieutenancy in the Canadian Expedition- 
 ary Force, and to take him back to Canada. This, 
 of course, was before the United States entered the 
 Great War. 
 
 Rodman Van Home, who, in spite of his ex- 
 traordinary stature and physical development, was 
 by nature and home training averse to fighting of 
 all kinds and under any circumstances, shared the 
 same room with Ralph Storm at Dale Academy. 
 From listening to the conversation of Major Storm 
 he became so interested in the Great War that after 
 the latter's departure from the Academy with his 
 
 *See "Joining the Colors." 
 24 
 
TJVO FRIENDS 
 
 son he, too, resolved to take a trip up into Canada 
 for the purpose of seeing for himself some of the 
 war preparations there going on. 
 
 The result of Van Home's trip was that while in 
 the City of Toronto he became so convinced of the 
 justice of the allied cause, and the urgent need for 
 every man's utmost in this cause, that he enlisted 
 as a private soldier in the C. E. F., in spite of his 
 abhorrence of fighting and bloodshed — a repug- 
 nance that bordered closely on cold-footed fear. 
 All this, as we have just said above, happened be- 
 fore that fateful day in April, 1917, when our great 
 and good President declared war to the limit of 
 force on Prussianism and all that it stood for. 
 
 25 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 JACK MORGAN 
 
 "Fais ce que dois, advienne que pourra!'' 
 (Do your duty, come what may!) 
 
 Next morning Rod Van Home accompanied his 
 friend to Canadian Headquarters, where the latter 
 had to report his arrival in London on leave. After 
 that they made their way to the United States 
 Army and Navy Club, which was at that time 
 located in a magnificent residence on Curzon Street, 
 which a British nobleman had generously lent to 
 the American officers for a home so long as the war 
 lasted. 
 
 In strange lands it is always a pleasant surprise 
 to meet with, or even merely to see, people from 
 one's own home. To afford mutual pleasure under 
 such circumstances it is not even necessary that the 
 persons interested should have been on former 
 intimate terms of friendship, nor even of acquaint- 
 ance. The mere fact of having known the same 
 familiar things, and having the power to recall 
 the same well-known incidents of ordinary past life, 
 
 is a sufficient bond between them. 
 
 26 
 
JACK MORGAN 
 
 Just such a surprise and pleasure the two friends 
 found in store for them at the Army and Navy 
 Club. 
 
 Lieutenant Van Home, during the period of his 
 enforced stay in London, had formed the habit of 
 dropping in there two or three times a week, in the 
 forlorn hope that he might find among the young 
 officers who already foregathered there in some 
 numbers, some one whom he had formerly known 
 at home; possibly some of the boys from his old 
 school, Dale Academy. 
 
 Although he had hitherto been disappointed in 
 this hope, it was nevertheless always a pleasure to 
 mingle with the alert and enthusiastic young 
 fellows who made the Curzon Street Club a rendez- 
 vous during their brief sojourns in the world's 
 metropolis on their way to France, or who were 
 over in " Blighty " on short furloughs from the 
 American training camps already established in the 
 country of the incomparable " poilu." 
 
 Ralph Storm had never been at the Club before, 
 
 but he eagerly accepted his friend's suggestion that 
 
 they should visit it. As the former was in the act 
 
 of paying and dismissing the driver who had piloted 
 
 their " growler " to Curzon Street, Van's attention 
 
 was attracted to a group of three young men in a 
 
 taxi, which had just pulled up at the curb in the 
 
 rear of the conveyance which he and Storm had 
 
 27 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 used. By their uniforms and the rank badges of 
 their cuffs and shoulder-straps he knew them to be 
 junior grade lieutenants of the United States 
 Navy. 
 
 Not at this first casual glance recognizing any 
 one of the trio as a former acquaintance, he was 
 about turning to accompany his friend into the 
 Club, when one of the blue-coated naval officers 
 cried boisterously: 
 
 " Why, look who's here! If that is not big Rod 
 Van Home, then my name's not Jack Mor- 
 gan!" 
 
 At the same time he advanced quickly toward 
 Van, his right hand outstretched in greeting, and 
 his flat face, brick-red from exposure to sun and 
 sea winds, beaming with the sudden pleasure that 
 he made no effort to conceal. 
 
 Van wheeled on hearing his name thus familiarly 
 used. 
 
 "Why, Jack Morgan, can it be really you! 
 Well, I surely am right glad to see you, old timer! 
 And in uniform, too; that's fine!" 
 
 "And here's old Ralph with me, too, Morgan," 
 said Van, at length relinquishing the sailor's hand 
 and drawing his attention to his companion. 
 
 Storm then also shook hands warmly with the 
 naval lieutenant; but it was quite evident that the 
 latter's greeting to Storm was not so spontaneously 
 
 2^ 
 
JACK MORGAN 
 
 hearty as it had been to Van Home. An old-boy 
 of Dale Academy might have wondered at this, for 
 it was not Ralph Storm, but Rodman Van Home, 
 who had fought Jack Morgan, the erstwhile school 
 bully, to a finish, down back of the old school pump- 
 house. 
 
 No recollection had they of the disagreeable 
 things that had sometimes happened perforce in 
 those dear old days at the Academy. As they 
 mounted the club-house steps side by side only the 
 never-to-be-forgotten happy incidents of their 
 school life recurred to their memories. In a quiet 
 bay-window of the reading room they drew up 
 three comfortable chairs, so that they might sit 
 knee to knee. Then for a long hour they chatted 
 animatedly about the past, the present, and the 
 future of all three. 
 
 " I knew that you were here, Van, for I had read 
 about you in the papers. And on one or two occa- 
 sions when I was on shore I tried to locate you, but 
 my time ashore was always very short, and I never 
 succeeded," began Jack Morgan. 
 
 " Morgan, have you had any news from the old 
 school lately?" 
 
 " No, I never wrote to anybody there after I 
 left. You know, I was never very popular among 
 the fellows," replied the naval junior lieutenant 
 bluntly. 
 
 29 
 
FIGHTING fFITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " I thought you might perhaps have run across 
 some of the fellows somewhere, before you came 
 over," said Storm. 
 
 " Well, now that you remmd me of it, I did meet 
 Jimmy Lawson, him we used to call * Shorty,' just 
 about three weeks before I sailed. You remember 
 him, I suppose? " 
 
 " Remember Shorty Lawson? Well I should 
 say we dol " ejaculated Storm. 
 
 " Of course you would. Silly of me to ask that 
 question, since it was he who refereed that scrap 
 between you and me, Van^" grinned Morgan who, 
 in spite of the fact that he had been soundly 
 thrashed on that occasion, always looked back to it 
 with evident pleasure, for it had proved a blessing 
 in disguise to him, because his friendship with Van 
 Home dated from that event. 
 
 " When did you meet Shorty, Jack, and what 
 was he doing? " 
 
 "At the Grand Central Station in New York. 
 He was on his way back to camp after a week-end 
 leave." 
 
 " Oh, so Shorty is in the army also? Which 
 branch of the service is he in, Jack? " 
 
 " He was wearing the uniform of a first lieu- 
 tenant in the Field Artillery. He seemed right 
 glad to see me in uniform, too," replied Morgan 
 with a glow of pleasure at the recollection. 
 
 30 
 
JACK MORGAN 
 
 " He looked smaller than ever in his tight-fitting 
 uniform; but as neat as a pin, and just as alert and 
 smart as he always was." 
 
 " I'll bet Shorty will make a rattling good artil- 
 lery officer," chimed in Storm. " He was always 
 a top-notcher in mathematics. Don't you think he 
 will. Van?" 
 
 " Yes, I am quite sure of it," rejoined the latter. 
 " Shorty always did put his whole heart and soul 
 into everything he took up. I hope that we may 
 run across him sometime over in France, when we 
 get our appointments in the United States Army, 
 Ralph." 
 
 ** Oh, and, by the way," pursued Morgan, " he 
 told me that Dick Fletcher, the ' Duke,' you know, 
 had failed to return to Dale Academy after the 
 same Christmas vacation on which I left; and that 
 even before the United States had entered the war 
 the Duke had gone up to Canada, and had joined 
 the British Royal Air Force at one of their newly 
 established depots up there. 
 
 " Shorty also told me that even at that time when 
 he and I were talking in the Grand Central Station, 
 the Duke was already flying in France." 
 
 " Good old Duke ! I do hope we may meet him, 
 too, some day." 
 
 " How long have you been in the navy, Jack? " 
 queried Van. 
 
 31 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMr 
 
 " I did not go back to the school the Christmas 
 after you and Storm left,*' replied Morgan. " Be- 
 fore the United States went into the war, you know, 
 I owned a fast motor yacht, sixty-six feet long, 
 thirteen feet beam, and drawing four feet of water. 
 She is equipped with two-hundred horse-power en- 
 gines. She has a speed of better than twenty-eight 
 miles an hour, and possesses all the other govern- 
 ment requisites for Naval Patrol work." 
 
 " Motor engines were always a hobby of yours, 
 Jack," commented Lieutenant Storm. 
 
 " Yes, and you may remember also," continued 
 Morgan, more particularly addressing Van, who 
 had been sergeant-major of the cadet battalion at 
 Dale Academy, " that I never had much use for 
 soldiering; that is to say, the turning, and wheeling, 
 and marching, and all that sort of stuff. So, after 
 the President declared war and the draft law 
 was enacted, I just thought that I had better 
 make the best of a bad bargain, and get into the 
 navy." 
 
 "What do you mean by 'bad bargain'?" in- 
 terrupted Storm sharply. " You are surely not of 
 the opinion that we might better have kept out of 
 this war?" 
 
 "Well," responded Morgan, regarding his in- 
 terrogator obstinately, and somewhat truculently, 
 out of his small near-set eyes, " I think it might 
 
 32 
 
JACK MORGAN 
 
 have been just as well if we hadn't been forced into 
 it, and I am not alone in that opinion among good 
 citizens of the U. S. A., either." i 
 
 " Jack Morgan, I am surprised at your speak- 
 ing so," returned Storm hotly, for he was almost of 
 as hasty a temper as Morgan himself. " Would you 
 have American ships sunk without warning, Amer- 
 ican subjects drowned without apology, as a matter 
 of German right? " 
 
 " No, and, as always, Ralph Storm, you are 
 picking me up before I have fallen," retorted Mor- 
 gan angrily. " What I mean to say is that I regret 
 that the Germans in the third year of the war 
 should have deliberately provoked America to de- 
 clare war against them, not that under the circum- 
 stances she was not right in doing so. 
 
 " I am not one of your pacifists," he pursued, 
 earnestly. " When Germany threw the Hinden- 
 burg Line over the shores of America, and told us 
 Americans that we could not cross it, I believe that 
 it was up to us then to show them that the place for 
 that line was not on the shores of America, nor on 
 the Atlantic either, but on the Rhine." 
 
 " Hear, hear! " murmured Van, and he added in 
 a tone meant to be conciliatory, while he looked re- 
 proachfully at his friend, Storm, for having ruffled 
 the feelings of the irritable Morgan, " I am sure 
 Jack's heart is in the right place, Ralph, even if he 
 
 33 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U, S. ARMT 
 
 does not as yet view things from the same angle as 
 you and I." 
 
 " Have you been in France yet at all. Jack? " he 
 then inquired. 
 
 "No such luck!" growled Morgan, "and I'm 
 heartily sick of the job I've had ever since crossing 
 over here, and just about ready to throw it over- 
 board." 
 
 " It is a pity that you have not had an oppor- 
 tunity to spend a little time with the boys in France. 
 I believe that if you had, your opinions would 
 change somewhat," said Van. 
 
 " In what way? " demanded Morgan. 
 
 " I think that you would then realize," replied 
 Van Home, " that America came into this war be- 
 cause she saw that it was a battle of honor against 
 perfidy, of freedom against despotism, and because 
 the peace which she desires can be obtained only by 
 striking down the great enemy of peace, and not 
 wholly for the selfish reasons you attribute to her, 
 Jack." 
 
 " Yes, Morgan," interposed Storm, " and I too 
 feel sure that if you had a chance to use your eyes 
 and ears in France, as we have had, you also would 
 see the light, and begin to fight for gallant bleeding 
 France because of the justice of her cause, and 
 would realize that that cause is also the cause of the 
 Allies, and of America." 
 
 34 
 
JACK MORGAN 
 
 " Haven't I just told you that I believe it is now 
 our cause? What do you suppose I gave my little 
 flivver to the Government for, and joined the navy 
 myself? I am not yet of draft age, and was not 
 obliged to join. I hope you fellows don't think 
 that I'm in uniform because I was afraid of being 
 forced into it? " 
 
 " No one who knows you as well as we do. Jack, 
 could doubt your courage for a minute, if that is 
 what you mean," answered Lieutenant Van Home; 
 " but what did you mean by saying just now 
 that you were thinking of giving up your job? 
 We know that you are no quitter. What's the 
 trouble? " 
 
 " Why, I think it ought to be great fun, with a 
 lot of excitement thrown in, to be in command of 
 a * flivver,' as the service calls the smaller class of 
 patrol boats such as yours," said Storm in his turn. 
 
 " Besides, the work they do is a very important 
 one, and I am told that no destroyers that have ever 
 been built keep the sea better than those same little 
 flivvers that we have been sending over in such 
 numbers." 
 
 " Important, yes, there's no doubt of that, al- 
 though thus far it has seemed to me like the work 
 of a park policeman. As for excitement, there 
 simply isn't any, unless you call it exciting to be 
 always on the lookout for what never seems to 
 
 35 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 turn up. Spotting every object on the waves, from 
 a chip to a whale, on the chance of seeing a peri- 
 scope, is about as interesting as looking for a needle 
 in a haystack," replied Morgan. 
 
 " Why, do you Imow, fellows," he contmued, " in 
 the whole three months that I have been chasing 
 that flivver around in these European waters I have 
 never even seen the trace of a U-boat, nor the sus- 
 picion of a periscope. It's the fearful dreary 
 monotony of it all that's getting on my nerves. I 
 never had much patience, anyway, and I feel that I 
 can't stand it any longer." 
 
 " You astonish me. Jack," said Van. " Some- 
 how or other I have always had the idea that you 
 chaps were continually chasing in the wake of some 
 one or the other of those yellow tin sharks." 
 
 " Where in the world have you been stationed, 
 and what have you been doing all this time, then? " 
 queried Storm. 
 
 " Until yesterday, when I was ordered back to 
 England to dock for overhauling — though why 
 there was any need for it I haven't the faintest 
 idea — and to await further orders before putting to 
 sea again, I was for two weeks loafing about the 
 entrance to a French harbor — ^just loafing about, 
 and never able to land because of orders — and that's 
 the nearest I have been to France yet," grumbled 
 Junior Naval Lieutenant John Morgan. 
 
 36 
 
JACK MORGAN 
 
 " Nevertheless you must have been stationed 
 there for some definite purpose, Jack? " queried 
 Van Home. 
 
 " I was. I had orders to stick around and go to 
 the rescue of any naval hydroplanes, if any of them 
 should get into trouble while out scouting. Why, 
 even my crew were fed up with the job, to a 
 man!" 
 
 " But you must have had some more exciting ex- 
 periences than that? " laughed Lieutenant Storm. 
 
 " Why, for three weeks previous to that," pro- 
 tested Morgan, " I was leading a fleet of steam 
 trawlers, skippered by old deep-sea fishing captains. 
 We were stationed just outside of one of the Eng- 
 lish harbors then, and it was our special duty to 
 sweep up the waters for enemy's mines day after 
 day, in order to make sure that the entrance to the 
 harbor was always clear of them, and so rendered 
 safe for shipping incoming and outgoing." 
 
 " I should think that fishing for live mines would 
 have been risky enough business to suit anybody. 
 Wasn't that dangerous enough work to suit you? " 
 asked Van. 
 
 "Dangerous enough, yes!" replied Morgan, 
 " but still more monotonous than the last job. And 
 before that I was engaged on cross-channel convoy 
 duty." 
 
 " Well now, Morgan, I am sure that that at least 
 
 37 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 must have been interesting work," chuckled Storm, 
 who, knowing of old that their former schoolmate 
 was a chronic grumbler with a perennial grouch, 
 rather enjoyed drawing him out. 
 
 " Huh! " snorted Morgan, " it's easy to see that 
 you don't know anything about it. The transports 
 full of doughboys move across the ocean between 
 a line of cruisers for all the world like a wedding 
 procession — and almost as safe at that — coming 
 down a church aisle escorted by the ushers. 
 
 "At a certain appointed point of latitude and 
 longitude over on this side we small fry of the mos- 
 quito fleet go out and meet them. We salute and 
 wigwag, and the big gray cruisers fade away like 
 ghosts into the mists. At the same time, if you 
 wanted to risk a crick in the back of your neck, you 
 could look up and see some small specks flying 
 about in the sky miles overhead; those would be the 
 watching hydroplanes. They say that the higher 
 up they are, the farther down into the water they 
 
 can see." 
 
 " That's certainly fine. Jack, and your descrip- 
 tion is almost poetic," interrupted Van seriously. 
 " I just wish that I might accompany you on one 
 of those trips." 
 
 "Poetic! Who, me?" ejaculated the sailor, 
 eyeing the last speaker quizzically to see if he really 
 meant what he was saying or not. Then being 
 
 38 
 
JACK MORGAN 
 
 satisfied that Van Home was not chaffing him, he 
 resumed: 
 
 "All right for the first time or so, maybe! But 
 once the transports steam safely into harbor don't 
 imagine that we also are allowed to tie up at the 
 wharves for a bit of a change and pleasure ashore. 
 No such luck! That's not on the program. We 
 just nose out to sea again, and repeat the per- 
 formance over and over, for the transports are ar- 
 riving in a constant stream nowadays, you know. 
 That's what makes it so all-fired monotonous." 
 
 " I dare say that the constant repetition must 
 pall upon one," acquiesced Ralph. 
 
 " You would appreciate the truth of what I say 
 about it if you could but make even one trip with 
 me. I am sure that you would not then be sur- 
 prised at my desire for a change. And, by the 
 way, now that I have happened to think of it, why 
 can't you two come out with me on my next trip ? " 
 demanded Morgan warmly, and then continued: 
 
 " There's no reason really why you should not, 
 even if we are not supposed to take passengers 
 aboard." 
 
 " Do you really mean that, Jack, or are you just 
 fooling? " queried Van. 
 
 " I really mean it. I'd like very much to have 
 both of you fellows come along with me," answered 
 the young sailor. 
 
 39 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " I am not sure for the next two or three days 
 just when I'll have to put to sea again, nor to what 
 duty I may next be assigned; but I could let you 
 know an hour or two ahead of time." 
 
 " What do you say, Ralph? " queried Van 
 Home. 
 
 " I am sure that I'd just be delighted to go," an- 
 swered the latter. " We'll have plenty of leisure 
 time on our hands for the next few days, I expect." 
 
 "All right then. That settles it. Where can I 
 let you know when I have orders to sail? " de- 
 manded Morgan. 
 
 " We are staying at Claridge's," answered Lieu- 
 tenant Van Home. 
 
 " It will have to be on my next assignment or 
 not at all," added Morgan, " for that in all prob- 
 ability will be my very last trip." 
 
 " Have you then actually made arrangements to 
 leave the service? " questioned Storm in surprise. 
 
 " I have formally applied for a transfer to the 
 ' Tanks,' " answered the naval lieutenant obsti- 
 nately, " and if my request is not allowed I have 
 made up my mind to resign my commission out- 
 right. I still possess that privilege, at any rate." 
 
 " The tanks ? What tanks ? The United States 
 have no tanks as yet, have they?" asked Van Home. 
 
 " No, not yet; but they are building them," re- 
 plied Morgan. 
 
 40 
 
JACK MORGAN 
 
 "And a detail of officers from our navy is about 
 to be sent to one of the British training quarters 
 for * Tanks,' to learn how to run them, and all 
 about them. There ought to be some fun in 
 running a tank over there in France." 
 
 " There surely is," commented Storm dryly. 
 " My platoon had occasion to work with one of 
 them not more than three weeks ago. They are 
 certainly some machines, now I can tell you." 
 
 " But I am afraid they have turned down my 
 application," pursued Morgan discontentedly. 
 " That would be just like my luck. I have no one 
 over here with any influence to put in a word for 
 me, and there are a good many more fellows apply- 
 ing than there are places on the detail. I put in 
 my application over two weeks ago, and have heard 
 nothing from it yet." 
 
 " I say, Ralph, what's the matter with your writ- 
 ing to your father, and asking him to put in a good 
 word for Jack, since he has set his heart on making 
 this change? " asked Van. 
 
 " I could do that with pleasure, although I don't 
 know whether it will do any good," acquiesced 
 Storm. 
 
 " I am sure it will," interposed the young sailor 
 eagerly. 
 
 "All that will be necessary to turn the trick, will 
 be to have the attention of our Headquarters spe- 
 
 41 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 cially directed to my application ; there is no reason 
 why they should not appoint me to the detail." 
 
 "All right then, I'll write to Dad about it to- 
 night." 
 
 " That's awfully good of you, Ralph, and I 
 shan't forget it," said Morgan, warmly grasping 
 Storm's hand. 
 
 " What's the matter with going for an omnibus 
 ride? " interrupted Van Home. " This is too fine 
 a day to stay inside, and we can talk just as well on 
 the roof of a bus as in here." 
 
 "Good idea!" agreed Morgan. "They go 
 slowly enough to give a fellow a good chance to 
 see the city, and take in the sights." 
 
 " Where shall we go? " demanded Storm, rising, 
 as did the other two. 
 
 " Let's just take the first omnibus that comes 
 along, and go to the end of the line," suggested Van. 
 " We have loads of time." 
 
 " Right oh ! " chorused the others. 
 
 42 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 THE SECOND IN COMMAND 
 
 *'For the wild North Sea, the hleak North Sea 
 Threshes and seethes so endlessly.'* 
 
 There followed days of waiting for Van and 
 Ralph Storm, but they were far from eventless. 
 For one of them the Germans chose for a cruel air 
 raid on London, and the boys will never forget the 
 horror of those hours during which a public school 
 was bombed and helpless children killed and 
 maimed. And on another day, as if in stern answer, 
 came the arrival of the first American troops, their 
 parade through London and their review by the 
 King. Morgan joined the others, and the three 
 friends were fortunately recognized by an officer 
 who gave them a place near the reviewing party in 
 front of Buckingham Palace. It was a glorious 
 day. 
 
 On their way back to Claridge's Hotel, the 
 three stopped for lunch at a restaurant. There 
 they fell to discussing further their proposed brief 
 trip to sea. 
 
 Morgan professed to be still discontented with 
 
 43 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 his lot. Had Van and Storm been left to form, 
 from that yomig sailor's accomit alone, their opin- 
 ion of the service being rendered by the mosquito 
 fleet of American motor-boats and destroyers, they 
 might have been pardoned for believing that the 
 work of these boats was not very hazardous, and of 
 little assistance in the maintenance of " The Free- 
 dom of the Seas." 
 
 To know, however, the real part that those small 
 craft were playing against the nefarious form of 
 submarine warfare that the enemy was waging, one 
 would have had to do more even than merely dip 
 into the log-books of some of the American des- 
 troyers engaged on anti-submarine patrols. In 
 one of those log-books, opposite a certain date, one 
 might have read some such entry as this: 
 
 " Shortly after dawn we engaged and sank by 
 gun-fire an enemy U-boat. We rescued and took 
 on board eight of her crew. She was of the latest 
 type, armed with two six-inch guns, and had a crew 
 of twenty-three." 
 
 But to know what really happened you would 
 have had to put to sea with the destroyer ; you would 
 have had to feel the smack of the sea air off the 
 foreland at dawn, as she crept around under the 
 lee of the misty cliffs, her lookouts gazing unwink- 
 ingly over the measureless waste of turbulent black 
 waters. 
 
 44 
 
THE SECOND IN tOMMAND 
 
 To realize the anxious and arduous life that her 
 crew were living from day to day, and taking all as 
 merely a part of the day's work, with no thought of 
 the unconscious heroism of it all, you must have 
 gone down to wallow with them and with her in 
 the cavernous troughs of the mountainous seas ; you 
 must have heaved and tossed about and panted for 
 air in the narrow confines of her cabin reeking with 
 the stench of burning lamp-oil. And this you must 
 have done while she buffeted her blind way through 
 the darkness far from the friendly shore lights, un- 
 able to distinguish anything anywhere, when all 
 that you could do was to sit tight and pray for 
 morning light and calm. 
 
 And then to get to grips with the adventure and 
 hazard of it all, when morning had scarcely yet 
 dawned and the troubled sea had not yet wholly 
 subsided, you must have been aboard her when she 
 caught sight of the desperate enemy, and swung 
 about just in time — and only just in time, to escape 
 the torpedo that scraped her side. You must have 
 felt the thrill of eternity weaken your spine when 
 the staunch little boat turned then, and made to ram 
 the sea-snake, and overrode the reptile as it dived. 
 
 And finally to share in the moment of victory, 
 that is the sufficient reward to her devoted crew for 
 all they have endured, you must have been present 
 on the deck of the plucky little destroyer when a 
 
 45 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 few moments later the submarine's reappearance 
 was greeted with a salvo of shells from the vicious 
 little six-inchers, and her crew began to scramble 
 out along the iron hull, their hands above thejr 
 heads and screaming for aid, ere the submarine 
 plimged into the depths for her very last dive. 
 
 And the whole night-long thrilling adventure 
 would at last be sunmied up and dismissed in a bald 
 and bare entry of two lines in the destroyer's log- 
 book, as just above quoted. 
 
 But this very willingness of the United States of 
 America to lay aside for a time their natural ambi- 
 tion to lead, that they might play the very strongest 
 and most serviceable part in the titanic struggle 
 then going on, indicated the trend of the new Amer- 
 ican thought. The somnolent young giant among 
 the nations had aroused himself from the easy self- 
 satisfied contemplation of his own growth. 
 
 The message that Jack Morgan had brought to 
 Van Home and Storm at the hotel just before they 
 went out to see the parade was that he was going to 
 put to sea again that night sometime before mid- 
 night. He had run up from Dover to London to 
 see the parade, and to deliver this message in ac- 
 cordance with the promise he had made them some 
 days before, and to repeat the invitation he had then 
 given the two lieutenants to accompany him. 
 
 " There's something big on," he said as they 
 
 46 
 
THE SECOND IN COMMAND 
 
 hastily consumed their coffee and hot rolls at the 
 restaurant. " Just what it is, I couldn't tell you 
 even if I wanted to. All I know is, that a dozen or 
 so other flivvers besides my own reported at Dover 
 for overhauling about the same time, and have been 
 laid up there for that purpose ever since. All of 
 our engines have been especially tuned up. 
 
 " To-day we all got the same notification. I 
 know several of the officers in command of the other 
 boats, and they all have the same brief notice; but 
 none of them as yet knows any more than I do. 
 
 " We have also all received orders to report for 
 final instructions at seven o'clock this evening," he 
 continued, " and it's altogether likely that after 
 that we shall have to go aboard our several craft, 
 and wait there for the signal to weigh anchor. So 
 if you wish to come out on this trip you had better 
 come down to Dover with me on the next train. 
 
 Scale of Miles ^ 
 
 (^ 2p 40 
 
 Ostcnd 
 BELGIUM 
 
 \ 
 
 DOVEE AND OTHEE CHANNEL POETS 
 
 " Somehow or other, I think that this is going to 
 
 47 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 be a bit more interesting than usual; I have a notion 
 that it is some special convoy work, but I am not 
 certain about it. ' In any case you will have to put 
 up with a tedious wait of some hours at anchor in 
 the harbor. But that can't be helped ; the waiting 
 stuff is all part of the game," he concluded. 
 
 " What's the next train for Dover? " asked Van, 
 looking at his watch. 
 
 " Three-fifteen," replied Morgan. " It's now 
 nearly two o'clock, so we haven't much time to spare 
 if you fellows wish to go to your hotel first." 
 
 " What shall we bring with us? " asked Storm, 
 rising from the table, as did the other two. 
 
 " You'd better each bring a sweater to wear 
 under your jackets," replied the sailor. " Both the 
 Channel and the North Sea get pretty cold at 
 night. 
 
 "And you had better bring your water-proof 
 coat, Van," he added. " I am afraid there is not 
 an oilskin on board large enough to fit you, in case 
 there should come on a blow before we get back." 
 
 At Dover the three young officers boarded a navy 
 launch, and were speedily conveyed out to where 
 Morgan's trim little yacht lay at anchor in line with 
 a number of other similar craft. There he made 
 them acquainted with his second in command, a 
 middle-aged sailor, Ned Harkness by name, who 
 by the crossed anchors on his sleeve they knew to be 
 
 48 
 
THE SECOND IN COMMAND 
 
 a boatswain's mate. Then Morgan left his two 
 companions, while he reported ashore for final 
 orders and instructions. 
 
 More than two hours elapsed ere the young lieu- 
 tenant returned. That interval Van and Storm 
 passed very agreeably in the company of the boat- 
 swain's mate. Harkness was a very intelligent 
 man. He had sailed out of nearly all ports of 
 the world in his time. He knew ships from keel 
 to masthead, from the stealthy submarine to the 
 majestic super-dreadnought, and what was more, 
 could talk interestingly about them all. 
 
 They first of all accompanied him over the curi- 
 ously camouflaged little motor-boat. Often Hark- 
 ness patted affectionately some part of the little 
 motor patrol with his horny palm, just as a lands- 
 man might have caressed a horse or some other 
 living, sentient pet that could feel the caress, as he 
 did so making some such remark as: 
 
 " She's a staunch little lady! " when praising her 
 seagoing qualities; 
 
 " She can show 'em a pretty pair o' heels ! " when 
 speaking of her speed, or; 
 
 " She has teeth too, the precious little vixen!"/ 
 when displaying to the two friends her tiny arma- 
 ment. ^ 
 
 When Harkness uncovered reverently the slender 
 rifled gun at the bow. Storm asked: 
 
 49 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " Who's your guiiner? " 
 
 " I am," replied Harkness proudly. " I have 
 worn the crossed cannons of a gunner's mate more 
 than once m my tune; but I've had no chance to 
 test this little barker yet. I suppose Lieutenant 
 Morgan has explained to you how that happens. 
 But it looks as if there might be something doing 
 this trip, though." 
 
 " What makes you think so? " asked Van. 
 
 " For several reasons," answered Harkness. 
 " For one, our old common shells were to-day 
 exchanged for a supply of the new diving 
 shells." 
 
 " Diving shells? " queried Van; " I never heard 
 of them before. Wliat are they? " 
 
 " I'll just show you one," said Harkness, extract- 
 ing one of the new shells from a locker. 
 
 He then proceeded to point out a new feature on 
 these shells, explaining how certain grooves or 
 flanges caused the missile to sink into the water in- 
 stead of ricocheting, or bounding, as the ordinary 
 shell was most likely to do when fired at such a 
 low-lying target as the submarine. 
 
 " I've often known one of the common shells to 
 travel more than a mile through the air after bound- 
 ing from the surface, before hitting the water 
 again," he added. " So you see what an improve- 
 ment these new diving shells must be." 
 
 50 
 
THE SECOND IN COMMAND 
 
 " But don't you always aim at the periscope of 
 a submarine? " queried Storm. 
 
 " Not always," smiled the boatswain's mate. 
 " You see the periscope's a mighty small target. 
 Even if it is from eighteen to twenty feet high, it 
 is for the most part only a five-inch pipe." 
 
 " Have you ever sailed on a submarine, Ned? " 
 asked Van. 
 
 "Aye, that I have ! But it's not me that's hanker- 
 ing for a berth on one again," replied Harkness 
 significantly. 
 
 "About how far can you see a ship through a 
 periscope? " queried Van Home curiously. 
 
 " That all depends on how far out of the water 
 the periscope is sticking up. If it is just barely 
 showing above the top of the water it could spot a 
 battle cruiser a mile away, and if it were pretty 
 nearly all the way up out of the water — say about 
 sixteen feet of it — it could see her about five miles 
 away." 
 
 " So far as that? " ejaculated Ralph in surprised 
 accents. " I had no idea that they could see any- 
 thing like that distance. Had you, Van? " 
 
 " No, that's a new one on me, too," replied Van 
 as they started to follow Harkness aft to where the 
 depth bombs were fastened to the stem. 
 
 There the boatswain's mate explained the ap- 
 paratus for carrying and discharging the depth 
 
 51 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 bombs. He pointed out the levers by pulling one 
 by which a bomb could be instantly dropped into the 
 sea astern. 
 
 " Is there no danger of them exploding too soon, 
 before your own boat has got far enough away from 
 them? " asked Storm. 
 
 " Not if you are careful," answered Harkness, 
 " and have set them to explode at a proper 
 depth." 
 
 At the same time he pointed out to them the 
 regulating device attached to the bombs, and ex- 
 plained how this could be set to explode the bomb 
 at any required depth below the surface. 
 
 " I know that you need not necessarily make a 
 direct hit with one of them in order to get results," 
 observed Van. 
 
 " But how close must you get to a submarine with 
 one of those bombs to damage it effectively? " he 
 asked. 
 
 " Each one of them," replied Harkness, pointing 
 to the bombs in question, " is loaded with two hun- 
 dred pounds of * T. N. T.' ' — and they are the small 
 size; the bigger boats carry much larger ones. 
 Even at that, the force of their explosion under 
 water is something enormous. It's good-night 
 U-boat, if one of them explodes anywhere within a 
 hundred feet of it." 
 
 * Trinitrotoluol — high explosive. 
 52 
 
THE SECOND IN COMMAND 
 
 " Have you ever seen them used, Ned? " asked 
 Storm eagerly. 
 
 " Aye, sir, many a time! " replied the latter. " I 
 was serving on a U. S. destroyer just before I was 
 detailed to help Lieutenant Morgan aboard this 
 tight little craft." 
 
 " Would you mind telling us," pursued Ralph, 
 " just how you set about attacking a subma- 
 rine? " 
 
 " Why, sir, we just goes at her head-on at full 
 speed, a-firin' from the bow-chasers as we goes. If 
 we don't hit her, and are a little distance away from 
 her when she first sees us, she'll likely have plenty 
 o' time to dive, for it takes one of them only about 
 three minutes to disappear." 
 
 " In that case we keeps right on and drops a 
 bomb just over the spot where she went down, and 
 then we turns, in case that was not enough, and 
 cuts across the track in which she was heading when 
 she dove, and watch for her trail of bubbles or oil 
 along the surface to get a line on a likely spot to 
 drop another bomb." 
 
 As they were making their way aft again Van 
 called the attention of the boatswain's mate to some 
 unpainted boxes pierced witH many small holes, 
 which were strung along the deck on both sides of 
 the boat. 
 
 " What are those for? " he demanded. " From 
 
 53 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 the way they are ventilated with holes one might 
 think you had some kind of live stock in them." 
 
 " They furnish another reason why I think there 
 are to be some big doings to-night," answered 
 Harkness. 
 
 " Those are smoke-boxes," he continued. "They 
 were brought aboard just to-day also. The boxes 
 are filled with chemicals, and when they are thrown 
 overboard the water rushes in through the holes, 
 and then a heavy thick white smoke is produced. 
 If enough of them are thrown overboard to leeward 
 the ship — or, for that matter, a whole fleet — can 
 be hidden just as if in a dense fog." 
 
 " That's even better than our method of produc- 
 ing a smoke-cloud from the trenches," commented 
 Storm. 
 
 " How do you soldiers make it, sir, if I might 
 ask? " queried the boatswain's mate respectfully, in 
 his turn. 
 
 " We fill empty ammunition boxes with coal-dust, 
 petrol and tallow. Then we push them over the 
 top of the parapet when the wind is right, and set 
 them off by means of fuses. 
 
 " Then we have what we call * Fumite Candles ' 
 too. They are made of cardboard tubes filled with 
 the same kind of stuff as the smoke-boxes. We 
 stick them up over the top of the parapet in groups 
 of three, and light them with matches." 
 
 54 
 
THE SECOND IN COMMAND 
 
 Harkness then led them to the small cabin to 
 show them the yacht's arsenal of small arms ; rifles 
 with their long straight bayonets attached, re- 
 volvers, and even some of the old-time cutlasses. 
 These decorated all four of the walls. Our two 
 friends, however, were not as interested in these as 
 they had been in the little vessel's outside armament. 
 There was nothing novel to them about the small- 
 arms equipment. 
 
 Before leaving the cabin Ned Harkness, who 
 had at the very moment of Van 
 Home's coming aboard noticed the 
 ribbon of the V. C. on the breast 
 of his coat, and had ever since been 
 aching to ask about it, could restrain 
 himself no longer, and blurted out in 
 an apologetic tone, addressing the 
 big American youth: 
 
 " Pardon me, sir, but I noticed 
 your decoration when you boarded 
 us, and naturally I'm mighty proud 
 to see an American wearing it, and I 
 am curious about it too. I hopes as how you'll not 
 think I'm makin' too bold, sir, but would you mind 
 telling me a bit about it, sir? " 
 
 Lieutenant Van Home smiled good-naturedly 
 at the diffidently respectful, yet independent, 
 manner in which this experienced Yankee sailor 
 
 55 
 
 The Victoria 
 Ceoss or "V. C. 
 
 The decoration 
 worn by Van. 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. 5. ^RMT 
 
 thus appealed to him and was about to reply, when 
 Storm took the word from him, saying hastily: 
 
 " I'll tell you about it, Ned. I know all about 
 it, for it was partly in saving my life that he won 
 it." 
 
 Storm then launched forth into a glowing ac- 
 count of the action in which Rodman Van Home, 
 at that time only a sergeant-major in the Canadian 
 Expeditionary Force, had won his commission as a 
 lieutenant and the Victoria Cross at the same time, 
 while his big friend, embarrassed, stood by and 
 listened. 
 
 Toward the last Storm particularly dwelt upon 
 the grievous nature of the wounds which the big 
 fellow had himself received on that occasion, and 
 the wonder of his complete recovery therefrom 
 at all. 
 
 When he had at length concluded, the sailor 
 gazed at Van with great admiration showing in his 
 keen gray eyes, and said: 
 
 "That was fine, sir, simply fine! I wish I'd 
 been there to see it." 
 
 "And ain't it simply wonderful, sir," pursued 
 Harkness, " what a man can go through sometimes 
 and still live to tell of it? A few of us had a turn 
 last winter that I wouldn't have believed any man 
 could pull through with his life, if I had not been 
 one of the bunch." 
 
 56 
 
THE SECOND IN COMMAND 
 
 " Tell us about that, Ned," demanded Storm at 
 once. 
 
 " You don't know how those tales of the sea in- 
 terest us soldiers. They are all so different from 
 the things that happen to us." 
 
 " There was nothing very exciting about it, sir. 
 That is to say, about the part I had in mind when 
 I made that remark just now. It was that matter 
 of human endurance I was thinking about. 
 
 " It happened in the North Sea last winter," 
 Harkness continued. "As I think I have already 
 told you, I was then serving as gunner's mate on 
 one of Uncle Sam's destroyers. 
 
 " For more than a week the weather had been as 
 steadily cold as it ever gets in that cold North Sea, 
 and you've said a mouthful when you've said that, 
 I can tell you. Every vessel above the water-line 
 was shrouded with a coat of white ice inches thick. 
 
 " The night the convoy was attacked by the sub- 
 marines was as black as the inside of a squaw's 
 pocket. Just how many of the U-boats there were 
 I don't know; but there must have been half a 
 dozen at least. We of the protecting destroyers 
 got into action as quickly as might be; but not be- 
 fore one of the largest of the liners was twice tor- 
 pedoed. She got 'em both at almost the same in- 
 stant, one aft and the other amidships, and she went 
 down like a stone. 
 
 57 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " Our skipper, a lieutenant of the Naval Reserve 
 not much older than either of you gentlemen, I 
 should say," continued Harkness with an involun- 
 tary shiver at the recollection, " steamed right into 
 the mess and switched on his search-light. Of 
 course it showed us up against the night, and made 
 us an easy mark for another torpedo. 
 
 "And we got it; but not before we were right 
 among the castaways of the liner. We could hear 
 their voices out of the gloom, the voices of men 
 whose blood was already thick with cold, as you 
 might say. And then the next instant we was 
 floundering in the ice-cold water among them, grop- 
 ing and splashing about in the darkness with no 
 sense of anything but to keep above water. 
 
 " Other destroyers dashed to the rescue, their 
 search-lights flashing as recklessly as ours had been. 
 Their lights began to pick us out, but it was all a 
 mere matter of chance, sir. The beams might 
 sweep right in front of a man, and yet miss him 
 altogether. 
 
 " One of the rays flashed over me, and the end of 
 a rope splashed in the water in front of me. I 
 managed to get hold of it, and began to pull it to- 
 ward me. It yielded, and I kept on pulling it to 
 me hand over hand, thinking all the time that in 
 the darkness the boat from which it led was drift- 
 ing down upon me, you see." 
 
 58 
 
THE SECOND IN COMMAND 
 
 Ned Harlaiess paused, gulped with emotion at 
 the recollection, and heaved a deep breath ere he 
 proceeded: 
 
 " Well, sir, you must imagine my feelings when, 
 after fisting my way along that rope, all but ex- 
 hausted I came to the end of it and found there was 
 nothing there. The other end had not been made 
 fast when it was thrown to me. 
 
 " I had given up, and in despair had stretched 
 my two hands up, still clinging to that end of rope, 
 when again the light shone full upon me. A noose 
 was neatly dropped over my hands and fell down 
 beneath my arm-pits. Ahnost unconscious, but not 
 quite, I was drawn on board a destroyer. 
 
 " And would you believe it, gentlemen," pursued 
 the boatswain's mate earnestly, " when I was pulled 
 aboard I still clung to that rope, and they could not 
 pry my hands open, so stiff was I with the cold. 
 They had to cut off the end of the rope between my 
 clenched fists, and it was more than an hour before 
 they could remove it. 
 
 "And others there were rescued in still worse case 
 than I, others who had been in the freezing waters 
 longer than I. Some were brought aboard as 
 rigid as statues from head to heel, and clinging to 
 bits of wreckage or life-belts from which they could 
 not be separated till long afterward. Some were 
 pulled out of the water all doubled up, too, and 
 
 59 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 could not be straightened out for an hour or 
 more. 
 
 "And yet, gentlemen, most of us thawed out and 
 limbered up and got well again. That's why I say 
 it's a marvel what a man can go through when he 
 has to." 
 
 In conversation like this, all of it most interesting, 
 the moments sped. It seemed almost no time since 
 Lieutenant Morgan had left them, ere the scrap- 
 ing of a navy launch along the " flivver's " side an- 
 nounced his return. And yet he had been gone 
 for more than two hours. 
 
 60 
 
CHAPTER ly 
 
 THE SPECIAL IDEA 
 
 **yi et armis," 
 {By force and arms.) 
 
 They knew by Jack Morgan's face, before he 
 opened his mouth, that big business was afoot. His 
 small eyes glistened with excitement, and a smile 
 of great satisfaction, almost genial, curled his 
 habitually close lips. 
 
 Van Home and Storm were still engaged in 
 animated conversation with Ned Harkness when 
 the skipper of the little motor-patrol boat came 
 aboard again. He beckoned them to the tiny 
 cabin, into which he himself at once disappeared. 
 
 As they entered it he was taking a folded docu- 
 ment from the inside pocket of his coat. This he 
 laid upon the small chart-table in the centre of the 
 cabin. Then he removed his coat, pushed his cap 
 far back upon his head, and as he drew a light 
 canvas stool up to the table, he said, addressing his 
 
 second in command : 
 
 6i 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 "At last, Ned, we are going to see a little ex- 
 citement, or I am very much mistaken." And 
 there was an exultant ring in his voice as he spoke. 
 
 "And you fellows, too," he added, glancing up 
 at Storm and Van Home, " are right in luck, to 
 happen along for just this particular trip." 
 
 He lowered his voice, as if even out there on the 
 waters of the harbor, with none near save these 
 three and the four trusty jackies who made up his 
 small crew, and who were at that moment yarning 
 away the time aft, the matter that he was about to 
 communicate to them was of such moment and 
 called for such great secrecy that it must needs be 
 spoken of in guarded accents, and with bated 
 breath. He had their absorbed attention at once. 
 
 " We are going to take part, — even if it is only a 
 very small part — in one of the biggest shows that 
 the British Navy has pulled oflP since the war began. 
 
 " Gather around close behind me here," he 
 directed them, at the same time motioning with his 
 free hand. 
 
 And then he paused to say to Van Home and 
 Storm, as if it were something that but just then 
 had occurred to him: 
 
 "And — ^by the way — it will perhaps be as well, 
 Van and Ralph, for you two to keep out of sight in 
 the cabin here till we up anchor. There's nothing 
 wrong about having you here, and yet this affair 
 
 62 
 
THE SPECIAL IDEA 
 
 is so special and absolute secrecy is so all important 
 to its success that the presence of even two army 
 officers on one of the patrol boats might at least 
 excite comment. You will not have to remain un- 
 der cover so veiy long, as we shall weigh anchor at 
 ten o'clock, and immediately put to sea. You get 
 me, eh? " 
 
 The two boys merely nodded their understand- 
 ing and acquiescence as they and Ned took up 
 positions behind the sitting skipper, so that they 
 could look over his shoulders, and examine the 
 paper which he then proceeded to unfold and 
 smooth out upon the table, saying, as he did so: 
 
 " This is a small scale diagTam drawing of the 
 chief German U-base on the North Sea, Zeebrugge 
 Harbor." 
 
 At this simple remark, although they were pre- 
 pared for something out of the ordinary, all three 
 of the young skipper's hearers were so startled that 
 they involuntarily straightened up for an instant 
 behind the speaker's back, and cast significant and 
 inquiring glances at each other. 
 
 " The first positive inkling that any of us got 
 as to what was really astir," pursued Morgan, turn- 
 ing his head parrot-wise to look up at his audience, 
 "was at this meeting of the commanders of the 
 destroyers and patrol-boats from which I have just 
 returned. 
 
 63 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " Each of us has his own cut-and-dried little stunt 
 assigned to him, and each of us has been warned to 
 
 Zeebrngge, on the Belgian Coast, lies about 70 miles across the 
 North Sea from Dover, England, and is about 135 miles from 
 London. A railway runs out almost to the head of the Mole 
 (or breakwater), the top of which is covered with sheds and 
 warehouses. 
 A—Entrance to Channel leading to Lock, steel swing-bridges, 
 
 and canal to Bruges. 
 B — Point inside Mole where troops from a cruiser and two 
 
 auxiliary vessels made assault. 
 C— Trestle bridge. 
 D-— Coast line. 
 
 EE — Railway running out onto Mole. 
 F— Canal Lock. 
 G — Turning Basin of Canal. 
 H — Lighthouse at head of Mole— Zeebrngge Light. 
 
 attend to that alone and never mind what the other 
 
 fellow is domg. 
 
 64 
 
WE ARE TO WAIT FOR A SIGNAL *' 
 
tec « ' 
 
 etc"- < ' ' ■■ 
 
THE SPECIAL IDEA 
 
 " Our particular job, Ned," he continued, look- 
 ing straight into the eager questioning eyes of his 
 second in command, " is to make a landing on the 
 Belgian coast somewhere about here." 
 
 And he indicated with a finger a point on the coast 
 line shown on the diagram of the Harbor of Zee- 
 brugge that lay outspread before them on the 
 table. 
 
 " I know the spot," volunteered Ned Harkness. 
 " Where you have your finger is just about half a 
 mile south of the point at which the breakwater 
 leads out from the coast-line to the mole. I have 
 been in the harbor more than once. Before the war, 
 that was." 
 
 " Good ! And you are right, Ned," agreed his 
 skipper. 
 
 "And our job," he continued, " is simply to lay a 
 course for Zeebrugge Light, and after we have 
 picked it up, to lie about half a mile off that part 
 of the coast I have just indicated. There we are to 
 wait for a signal, and when we get it, to make a 
 landing and set off about a dozen or so flares. That 
 is practically our whole job. The problem that is 
 up to us alone, is to make that landing unobserved 
 from the shore, if possible." 
 
 " Some problem, too! " rejoined Harkness, shak- 
 ing his head gravely. " German coast-guards will 
 be as thick as flies on a dead horse in June all along 
 
 6s 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMr 
 
 that coast-line now. I don't see how even a row- 
 boat could make it without being discovered." 
 
 " I know it's going to be some job," rejoined 
 Morgan, " but it's got to be done; that's all there 
 is to it. So it's up to us to think of some way to 
 do it; for do it I will, if I have to run the flivver's 
 nose smack up on shore, and fire the flares from her 
 deck!" 
 
 The speaker clamped his bulldog jaws together 
 and looked from one to the other truculently, in the 
 old way that Van and Storm remembered so 
 well. 
 
 " But you haven't told us what the 'special idea' ' 
 is, Jack. Nor what the immediate object of setting 
 off the flares there is. If we had some idea of what 
 the plan of operations is, perhaps we could help you 
 think of some less desperate way of doing your 
 share. Not that we for one moment would think 
 of objecting to your casting away the flivver if 
 there is no other way," ventured Storm. 
 
 " Perhaps Jack is under obligation to keep silent 
 about that, Ralph," observed Van, considerately 
 glancing at Morgan. 
 
 " No," replied the latter, " all the orders we had 
 were that we were not to discuss the matter with 
 
 * Special Idea — In all military "Operation Orders" the main 
 object to be accomplished is technically known as the "Special 
 Idea." 
 
 66 
 
THE SPECIAL IDEA 
 
 any one till we were aboard our own vessels again, 
 and that once aboard them we were on no account 
 to go ashore again before sailing time, nor to allow 
 any one else to do so. That was all.' 
 
 "And I have no objection to telling you all I 
 know myself," he added. " In fact, I intended to, 
 whether you had asked me or not. 
 
 " Outside of what concerned the part that each 
 fellow's own particular craft had to carry out, we 
 were informed just briefly as to what the special 
 idea was, and were given a scant outline of the 
 general plan, as a whole, so that we could see what 
 relation each bit had to the success of the * special 
 idea.' 
 
 " But, oh boy! if it all works out all right, we 
 are surely going to put one over on Fritz to-night 
 that he will not forget in a hurry! " he interjected 
 with a momentary burst of enthusiasm at the 
 thought. 
 
 Then relapsing into his mood of perplexity, he 
 continued : 
 
 "And as I have already said, we, each one of us, 
 had impressed upon him individually the impor- 
 tance of his own bit, as an absolutely essential part 
 of the whole machinery, and we were told that if 
 each one of us took care of his own part as ordered, 
 the whole thing was bound to be a success, and not 
 otherwise. 
 
 67 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 "And that's what's getting my goat just now," 
 he concluded lamely. " I never did have much of 
 a bean, anyhow!" 
 
 Van saw that the youthful skipper was so filled 
 with anxiety as to his part of the general plan that 
 he could not think coherently of anything unless he 
 were pinned down to definite questions, so he inter- 
 posed quietly, but firmly: 
 
 " Well, Jack, let us get down to brass tacks now! 
 And tell us, first of all, what is the * special 
 idea'?" 
 
 Van Home, as he spoke, placed one of his big 
 hands on Morgan's shoulder, and leaning over him 
 tapped the diagram on the table imperatively with 
 the index finger of his right hand. 
 
 "All right, Van! " Morgan readily replied, as if 
 glad of a lead. He placed the square tip of one of 
 his short, thick fingers exactly upon the entrance 
 to the channel of the great ship canal that leads 
 from the ancient city of Ghent far in the interior 
 of Belgium through Bruges to Zeebrugge on the 
 low lying coast of that devastated land, then he 
 added dramatically: 
 
 " The * special idea ' is just to sink five old battle 
 cruisers right there, and thus to bottle up whatever 
 submarines Germany may have resting in the canal 
 basins!" 
 
 Just here it may be stated tliat Morgan was not 
 
 68 
 
THE SPECIAL IDEA 
 
 strictly correct in saying tliat the enemy submarines 
 would be bottled up within the seagomg canal, pro- 
 vided its seaward entrance were blocked. From 
 Bruges, another, though lesser canal, led in a south- 
 westerly direction to Ostend, another of the Ger- 
 man U-bases on the Belgian coast. Zeebrugge was 
 their principal submarine base, however, and it was 
 the intention of the Allied Naval Forces to deal 
 with the Ostend outlet later. Suffice it to say here 
 that this matter was attended to within the fort- 
 night. 
 
 Jack Morgan paused and with his thick finger 
 still resting on the drawing before him, seemed 
 waiting for further questions, as if not knowing how 
 to proceed. 
 
 His three hearers for a moment were silent also. 
 Knowing, as each of them did, from their training 
 and past experience, the magnitude of the prepara- 
 tions necessary for so great an operation, they 
 paused in the effort to visualize them. 
 
 Ned Harkness was the first to break the momen- 
 tary silence. In tones that seemed something be- 
 tween a sigh and a gasp, he thought aloud: 
 
 "It's impossible! It can't be done! Those 
 blockade ships will be blown out of the water half 
 a mile or more before they can even make the 
 entrance to the harbor, let alone get right across it 
 to the mouth of the canal. Why, that mole and 
 
 69 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMr 
 
 harbor fairly bristle with guns of all sizes and 
 ranges — from * typewriters ' * to ' Berthas.' 
 
 " Besides, the whole harbor will be as bright as 
 in full daylight! What with the hundreds of 
 powerful search-lights they have always ready to 
 turn on, and the hundreds of thousands of star- 
 shells and Very lights they will send up! 
 
 " Why, they have guns there with which they 
 can drop shells accurately to the square yard for 
 twenty miles out at sea ! It can't be done ! " he con- 
 cluded, shaldng his grizzled head pessimistic- 
 ally. 
 
 The boatswain's mate was on just the right track 
 to rouse the young skipjper, and perhaps he knew 
 it. Jack Morgan was never patient in the face of 
 objection and contradiction. He flared up at 
 once, and striking the table forcibly with his 
 clenched fist, and half turning about on his stool so 
 as more nearly to face his second in command, he 
 asserted in a tone that brooked no argument: 
 
 " But it is going to be done, I tell you! We are 
 going to have a tremendous covering fleet of Amer- 
 ican, British, and French cruisers and monitors 
 armed with guns that will carry as far, and farther, 
 than their shore guns. The blocking cruisers are to 
 
 *" Typewriters "—machine guns. " Berthas "—German guns 
 of large caliber, so named by the allied troops because of Bertha 
 Krupp, one of the principal owners of the Krupp gun factory at 
 Essen. 
 
 70 
 
THE SPECIAL IDEA 
 
 make their way toward the harbor behind a smoke 
 cloud thrown out by a large number of destroyers 
 and flivvers that will precede them. As soon as 
 these last pick up the harbor light, before they fire 
 a single shot themselves, they will signal the great 
 covering fleet, which will at once open with all 
 that it has, and throw a blanket barrage right into 
 Zeebrugge itself. 
 
 " With the front line of small craft there is to be 
 one fast cruiser with two other swift auxiliary ves- 
 sels loaded to their gunnels with boarding troops 
 armed with bombs and flame-throwers. When the 
 monitors and cruisers open up with their long-dis- 
 tance barrage these three ships will scoot ahead of 
 all others. They will make for the inside curve of 
 the mole, and take it by boarding attack right about 
 here, if I understand the plan." 
 
 He indicated with his finger as he spoke a point 
 within the inner bend of the mole. 
 
 "And their signal is to be our signal, too. The in- 
 stant our barrage starts those flares must be lighted 
 down here." And he moved his finger to that place 
 on the diagram which he had first of all pointed out 
 to them. 
 
 Then again the young skipper came to an abrupt 
 pause, and once more Van, seeing that he was about 
 to lose himself again in a brown study, jolted hin) 
 back with a peremptory question. 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " Go on, Jack! You have not told us yet the 
 object of lighting those flares." 
 
 " Oh, yes, sure!" replied Morgan with a start, 
 as if suddenly aroused from dreamland. " I beg 
 your pardon, fellows. 
 
 " Those conventional marks there," he then con- 
 tinued, moving his finger to a point on the diagram 
 about midway between the head of the mole and 
 the junction of the ferro-concrete breakwater with 
 the shore, " are meant to indicate a trestlework 
 bridge joining the mole with the breakwater. The 
 break in the concrete there is to allow for the ebb 
 and flow of the tide, and so lessen the strength 
 of the wash around the head of the mole. 
 
 " Well, as soon as the general forward move- 
 ment starts, two old submarines are to dash up at 
 full speed and jam themselves right up among the 
 pile-work under that bridge. They will be loaded 
 to the neck with * T. N. T.' On that account they 
 can be only partly submerged, and may be detected 
 long before they reach their objective. It's to draw 
 the enemy's attention and fire from them, tempo- 
 rarily at least, that the flares are to be set off just 
 below the breakwater, just as if a landing in force 
 were being made there. 
 
 "As a matter of fact," he added, " the first plan 
 was to make a real landing with a force there ; but it 
 was finally decided that if a sufficient number of 
 
 72 
 
THE SPECIAL IDEA 
 
 flares were set off there it would do every bit as 
 well, as the enemy would then be fooled into think- 
 ing that a landing was being made. Don't you 
 see? " 
 
 " I see now. I get you, Jack! " interjected Van 
 just the least bit excitedly. " The submarines are 
 to be blown up under the trestlework. The plan, 
 as I see it now, is to make the enemy believe that 
 the main object is to destroy the mole and break- 
 water, and by doing so distract his attention from 
 the blockading cruisers. Then under cover of this 
 fierce assault on the mole they will slip into the 
 harbor and sink themselves at the canal entrance." 
 
 "Exactly!" rejoined Morgan, "and if we all 
 pull off our own little stunts the whole thing will 
 succeed like clockwork." 
 
 " The plan's a ticklish one, but it may work at 
 that," observed Harkness, who meanwhile had been 
 intently studying the diagram of the harbor. 
 
 " But what's going to happen to the crews of the 
 submarines when they blow up? " asked Lieutenant 
 Storm. 
 
 " Oh," answered Morgan carelessly, "there's half 
 a dozen flivvers detailed to chase them up closely 
 and take off their crews as soon as they are jammed 
 into position under the bridge, and the time fuses 
 that are to set them off have been lighted." 
 
 "And after the whole operation has been com- 
 
 73 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 pleted, then what?" queried Lieutenant Van 
 Home. 
 
 " Why, as soon as the blockade ships have been 
 sunk in position at the canal entrance the recall 
 signals will be fired, and we will then all pull out — 
 that is, all of us who can — and hike for home again. 
 
 " There's a whole raft of flivvers detailed to fol- 
 low up the blockade ships, and in fact all the other 
 craft that enter the harbor, to take off, or rescue 
 their crews, should that prove necessary. 
 
 "And, believe me, fellows," the young skipper 
 continued in a troubled tone, looking up at Van 
 Home and Storm, " I'm mighty sorry that I got 
 you two into this mess. I had no idea what we 
 were going to get up against." 
 
 " If it is on our account that you are worrying. 
 Jack, old man,"^ said Van, " why, just don't, that's 
 all ! And as for your getting us into this mess, as 
 you say, you are all wrong. If I remember rightly 
 it was we who insisted on your taking us." 
 
 "But, don't you see, Van?" persisted Morgan. 
 " I just have to set off those flares, no matter what 
 it costs. And if I have to run the boat ashore to do 
 it, we'll all be taken prisoners and be locked up for 
 the rest of the war. I just wish they had detailed 
 me as a tender to one of the larger ships, the same 
 as all of the rest of the flivvers are." 
 
 " If I were in your place, Jack," interposed 
 
 74 
 
THE SPECIAL IDEA 
 
 Ralph Storm, laying his hand lightly on Morgan's 
 shoulder, " I should feel highly complimented at 
 bemg chosen for the dangerous and important post. 
 Your superior officers, Jack, evidently knew the 
 man they were choosing to light those flares, when 
 they picked on you, old top." 
 
 "Anyhow, we are a long way from the German 
 prison camps yet," smiled Van reassuringly. 
 
 "And we will not cross that bridge till we come 
 to it, any more than those two old submarines will 
 try to blow up that bridge at Zeebrugge till they 
 get under it. What's worrying me more than any- 
 thing else just now is a gnawing emptiness under 
 my Sam Browne. Have you no chuck on board, 
 Jack?" 
 
 " Sure thing, I have! " cried the young skipper, 
 relieved to find his guests taking the matter so 
 coolly. " Why, what am I thinking of? None 
 of us has had anything to eat since lunch in Lon- 
 don. I am hungry myself, now that you have men- 
 tioned it! 
 
 " I say, Ned," he continued, turning to Hark- 
 ness, " tell Sam to fry us up a mess of bacon and 
 eggs, and make some coffee. Hustle him up ! And 
 come right back yourself, Ned, so that we can talk 
 over our plans further! " 
 
 75 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 THE DEPTH BOMBS 
 
 '*When will a year of man's short life count more 
 than here and noivf 
 
 Ned Harkness left the cabin to order Sam, who 
 prepared such " al fresco " meals as in cases of 
 emergency it was necessary from time to time to 
 serve aboard the motor patrol, to fry eggs and 
 bacon, and to prepare coffee for four to be served 
 without needless delay in the tiny cabin. 
 
 Storm then observed to the young naval lieu- 
 tenant, " Now, Jack, I don't wish you to think that 
 I'm butting in on your business, nor get the idea 
 that I think I know more about running this affair 
 than you do. But two heads must be better than 
 one, even if one is a cabbage head, and not coupling 
 you up with the vegetable kingdom either." 
 
 Storm spoke lightly, for he knew Morgan's sensi- 
 tive nature and hasty temper. As he paused Mor- 
 gan looked up at him inquiringly, with an air of 
 some surprise, but said nothing. 
 
 "And without meaning any offense, Jack," con- 
 tinued Lieutenant Storm, " I think that I may say 
 
 76 
 
THE DEPTH BOMBS 
 
 that Van here and I have had a bit of training and 
 experience in things military, and so I should like 
 to make a suggestion to you about those flares." 
 
 " Well, what in thunder are you beating about 
 the bush for?" burst out the young skipper. 
 " What do you take me for, anyway? By all 
 means, let's hear it. I always did say you had 
 some bean, Ralph." 
 
 "All right then! I have the floor," laughed 
 Storm. 
 
 " In the first place, then, we soldiers, before mak- 
 ing a move of any kind, always find out all we can 
 about the territory we are going to operate over, 
 and the disposition of the enemy's forces." 
 
 " Yes, I know that," said Morgan. 
 
 " Hush, I'm supposed to have the floor, remem- 
 ber! If it is at all possible we make a reconnais- 
 sance to get this necessary information. If we 
 cannot do that we study maps, provided we have 
 them. And if we have no maps we question some 
 one who has already been over the ground. This 
 last alternative is the only one open to us in the 
 present case." 
 
 Just at this moment the boatswain's mate re- 
 turned to the cabin, and Storm turned to him, say- 
 ing: 
 
 " Ned, what sort of a beach is there where we 
 have to set off those flares? " 
 
 77 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " It's a wide stretch of sandy beach, sir. It 
 slopes away gently up from the water to the sand- 
 dunes half a mile or more inland." 
 
 "And how about the water? " 
 
 " It shoals very, very gradually out to sea." 
 
 " How near to making a landing could we get, 
 without running aground? " 
 
 " We'd run her nose into the sand bottom per- 
 haps two hundred yards from high or low water 
 mark ; it depends on how the tide might be running," 
 positively and promptly asserted Harkness. 
 
 " I thought as much," said Storm. " So, you 
 see, Jack, that settles your desperate plan of cast- 
 ing away the flivver. It would be absolutely of no 
 use to do so; we should still be too far out to de- 
 ceive any one on the shore into thinking that the 
 flares were meant to show the way for a landing of 
 troops." 
 
 Even the young skipper could not help seeing the 
 truth in his words. His jaw fell, his little near-set 
 eyes opened wide, and he stared at the speaker in 
 helpless disappointment. 
 
 Ralph had something else up his sleeve, how- 
 ever. He turned to Harkness again: 
 
 " Under ordinary circumstances, Ned, how near 
 to the shore could we get without risk of being 
 seen? " 
 
 " If the night is clear, as it promises to be," an- 
 
 78 
 
THE DEPTH BOMBS 
 
 swered the boatswain's mate, " we can use our 
 smoke screen effectively to within half a mile of the 
 land. We'll have to leave the smoke behind us 
 then, and can be easily picked up by the shore 
 search-lights. 
 
 " But there's generally a haze hanging over that 
 part of the North Sea o' nights at this time of the 
 year, no matter how fine the weather otherwise may 
 be. You can almost depend upon it. And if the 
 night is hazy we could run in just as far as the 
 depth of water will allow us to." 
 
 "Good!" said Storm, much to Morgan's sur- 
 prise, for to him the information that the boatswain 
 had just afforded seemed anything but good. 
 Even Van seemed a little bit surprised. But 
 neither of them ventured to interrupt the dialogue. 
 
 " Supposing, then, that we can run the flivver to 
 within about two hundred and fifty yards of the 
 shore, what would the prospect be for making the 
 remainder of the way in a small rowboat such .as 
 one of these we carry?" was Storm's next ques- 
 tion. 
 
 Morgan pricked up his ears and leaned a little 
 forward on his stool in the direction of the speaker. 
 Van Home threw him an approving glance. They 
 thought they were beginning to see through his 
 plan. 
 
 " The chances would be fair," said Ned Hark- 
 
 79 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMY 
 
 ness slowly and thoughtfully. " With muffled 
 oars, of course. There'd have to be at least two 
 men in the boat also, one to stay by her, and the 
 other to land and set off the flares." 
 
 The grizzled veteran, as he spoke, however, had 
 lowered his glance to the planking of the cabin 
 floor, and was shaking his head dubiously. 
 
 " Only fair, eh, you think, Ned? " 
 
 " There's big risk even in that way, sir," an- 
 swered Harkness, looking up again. " You see, 
 sir, there's the oar-wake of the boat. No matter 
 how easy you rowed it would show for nearly 
 twenty-five yards behind you in still water. Even 
 if the flash-light missed the boat — and their long 
 beams are all night long playing over the water, 
 sweeping hither and yon and crossing each other — 
 the chances are they'd pick up her wash. Then the 
 light would leap for the boat herself, and then the 
 shells from the quick-firers and the bullets from the 
 
 * typewriters ' would get you before you could say 
 
 * torpedo.' 
 
 " There's just a chance that you'd make the 
 landing without mishap," he continued; "but I 
 doubt if one of our small oared boats even could 
 ever make its get-away again." 
 
 " It would have a much better chance than the 
 motor-boat, though, eh, Ned?" 
 
 "Aye, for the fliwer'd have no chance at all." 
 
 80 
 
THE DEPTH BOMBS 
 
 " In a nutshell, then, the whole thing boils itself 
 down to this," pursued Storm; " the smaller the ob- 
 ject on the surf ace of the water, the less chance of 
 its being picked up by the lights. One man 
 swimming alone on the water would be taking a 
 great deal less risk than if he were in a boat, eh? " 
 
 "Why, surely, sir!" replied Ned. "Besides 
 showing nothing but his head and shoulders above 
 the water at any time, a man could watch the 
 lights, and when one made as if to come near he 
 could quietly sink under water at once and wait 
 till it had passed over." 
 
 Storm turned his attention to the young skipper 
 again; but before addressing the latter he cast a 
 significant glance at his friend Van Home. They 
 exchanged a quick wink of mutual understanding. 
 
 Storm's fleeting glance said plainly, " Don't butt 
 in, leave this to me." 
 
 And the answering twinkle of his friend's eyelid 
 replied just as plainly, " Fire ahead, I'll stand 
 pat!" 
 
 "About a dozen flares, I think you said, would be 
 enough, Jack? Did you not? " 
 
 " Yes, less than that would do, if they were 
 scattered along the beach far enough," replied 
 Morgan in a puzzled and inquiring tone. He was 
 about to ask a question, but Storm proceeded with- 
 out pausing: 
 
 8i 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " Well, Jack, you know that I am a crack 
 swimmer. You remember that I captained the 
 swimming team at the old school. Now I could 
 easily carry three dozen of those flares if it were 
 necessary, tied up in a bundle on my shoulders, and 
 there would be little or no risk." 
 
 "Not if this court knows itself!" burst forth 
 Morgan before Storm could proceed further with 
 the development of his project. 
 
 " I'm the party responsible for the lighting of 
 those flares, and if anybody sets them off, I'm going 
 to do it. Besides, I'm some swimmer myself. 
 What's two hundred and fifty yards! " 
 
 Then the young skipper in his turn was inter- 
 rupted by the appearance in the cabin doorway of 
 Sam, the jolly faced young jacky who had been 
 detailed to prepare their supper. 
 
 Sam, smiling from ear to ear, bore aloft, bal- 
 anced in true waiter style on the outspread thumb 
 and fingers of his right hand, a tray laden with 
 shiny dishes, a platter of deliciously browned eggs 
 and bacon, sweet as nuts, and a huge pot of steam- 
 ing hot coffee that filled the tiny cabin with its 
 appetizing fragrance. In his left hand he carried 
 a bunch of napkins and knives and forks, and from 
 the deft way in which he sifted these down in front 
 of each of the party about the table no one would 
 have dreamed that just the week before Sam had 
 
 82 
 
THE DEPTH BOMBS 
 
 captured the International Heavyweight Boxing 
 Championship of the Mosquito Fleet. 
 
 All four of them began to sniff the appetizing 
 odors which Sam had introduced into the cabin with 
 himself, and for the moment they omitted all fur- 
 ther discussion. 
 
 As Sam was in the act of serving each of them 
 with his ration, however, Storm did not forget to 
 cast a fleeting glance of triumph and an almost 
 imperceptible wink in Van's direction, and received 
 a quick smile of complete understanding. 
 
 Storm had not for one moment thought that 
 Morgan would allot to any one but himself the post 
 of danger. He had merely worked up to the crux 
 of his plan by thus plying Harkness with questions 
 in order not to provoke stubborn objection and 
 argument on the part of the junior naval lieutenant, 
 till his complete project had been presented. 
 
 " Well, thank goodness, that part of it is settled, 
 at any rate! " volunteered the young skipper when 
 Sam had again departed, just as if there could have 
 been no possible objection from any of them to the 
 last statement he had made in regard to swimming 
 ashore from the flivver and lighting the flares him- 
 self. 
 
 " You have taken a load off my mind, Ralph," 
 he went on. " Simple and all as your plan is, I 
 might not have thought of it till too late. In my 
 
 83 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMr 
 
 usual thick-headed way I suppose I should have 
 cast away the yacht, and then we'd all of us have 
 had to swim the rest of the way for it, and would 
 have had nothing to make our get-away in after- 
 ward. You certainly have a head, Ralph!" he 
 concluded admiringly. 
 
 Neither Van Home nor Storm had any mind to 
 claim the honor of lighting the flares. They would 
 have been glad to do it, either of them; but they 
 knew that it was Morgan's right, and that were the 
 positions reversed they would do as he was doing. 
 And, of course, so far as Harkness was concerned, 
 it was not his place to gainsay his superior officer. 
 
 Storm merely asked, although he could at once 
 almost have bitten his tongue off for doing so, so 
 near did he come to meddling with what concerned 
 him not at all : 
 
 "And if anything should happen to you. Jack, 
 what shall we do then? " 
 
 Morgan, however, seemed to find nothing amiss 
 with the question, and answered simply: 
 
 " Ned automatically succeeds to the command of 
 the flivver when I am not on deck, and he will know 
 how to carry on. 
 
 " Ned does all the real navigating, anyway," he 
 frankly added. " I'm only a figurehead after all, 
 eh, Ned? " 
 
 " 'Tisn't every young officer, sir, as would have 
 
 84 
 
THE DEPTH BOMBS 
 
 sense enough to let me run her," smiled the boat- 
 swain's mate. 
 
 Van Home could not help smiling when Storm 
 muttered, " Carry on, sergeant!" 
 
 When they had finished supper, and the chart 
 table had been again cleared, they again fell to dis- 
 cussing the whole blockading operation, and the 
 time, until ten o'clock came with its signal for 
 weighing anchor, passed very quickly. 
 
 Weather conditions at the start were quite all 
 that could be desired. A light northwest wind was 
 blowing; but the sea was tranquil enough to be 
 favorable to small craft. There was a clear sky, 
 and the visibility was good. 
 
 Some cruisers and a force of monitors from the 
 Harwich command there were ; but the greater part 
 of the attacking and blockading squadron was made 
 up of the destroyers and motor-boats from Dover. 
 The operation they were undertaking was a par- 
 ticularly intricate one, and had to be worked out 
 to a time-table. On the part of each individual 
 vessel, great and little, it demanded delicate and in- 
 dependent navigation on a hostile coast, without 
 lights, and largely under unknown navigational 
 conditions. There was the added danger of en- 
 countering mine-fields, also. 
 
 The outward passage from the narrow Strait of 
 Dover into the trackless depths of the inhospitable 
 
 85 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 North Sea was made without untoward incident. 
 The larger craft followed in the wake of the motor- 
 boats which led the column. 
 
 They moved out of the harbor like shadows, 
 showing no lights, and, turning one by one into the 
 outer channel, hugged the coast for a way, the 
 smoke of the destroyers and larger craft drifting 
 grayly to leeward. 
 
 Then they turned from the land in a northeasterly 
 direction, and began to deploy at wider intervals 
 apart until they quite lost sight of each other, each 
 vessel steering its own desperate course. 
 
 The motor-boats still led, and gradually in- 
 creased the distance between themselves and the 
 destroyers that in turn increased their lead on the 
 cruisers and monitors following in their wake. 
 Several British submarines were sneaking their 
 hidden way along somewhere in their midst or ahead 
 of them. 
 
 They had been at sea for more than an hour. To 
 all intents and purposes Morgan's little flivver was 
 all alone on the wide North Sea. 
 
 An experienced sailor was at the wheel and 
 Harkness stood close to him. The young skipper 
 with his two old schoolmates had taken up a posi- 
 tion well forward. 
 
 They were not saying much. They earnestly 
 scanned the waters ahead and to each side as far 
 
 86 
 
THE DEPTH BOMBS 
 
 as they could see. On either side and astern mem- 
 bers of the crew were stationed as lookouts, also. 
 
 Without warning the periscope of a submarine 
 came up with a sudden rushing splash not more 
 than one hundred yards dead ahead of the little 
 flivver, then speeding along at about twenty-five 
 miles an hour. It would have been impossible to 
 shift her course effectively, even had her skipper 
 been of a mind to do so. Obviously the only course 
 was full speed ahead. 
 
 The U-boat caught sight of the oncoming flivver 
 at the same time, and at once began to submerge. 
 
 At the first rushing splash of the periscope above 
 the water Jack Morgan had himself leaped to the 
 wheel, crying aloud to Harkness as he did so: 
 
 " It's a German boat. The depth bombs, Ned! " 
 
 The boatswain's mate leaped to obey. 
 
 Morgan, fearful of having her sides ripped open, 
 steered his little craft so as to avoid hulling the sub- 
 marine. 
 
 It seemed to Van Home and Storm, standing 
 tense in the bow, that scarcely had they passed over 
 where the periscope had been, when there was an 
 upheaval of the ocean that literally lifted the 
 staunch little boat out of the water. And then al- 
 most before they had time to realize what had al- 
 ready happened they perceived that the yacht was 
 already circling around, and though still rocking 
 
 87 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U, 5. ^RMT 
 
 crazily from side to side from the concussion, was 
 about to return to the fatal spot again. Jack Mor- 
 gan meant to make sure; he was intent on giving 
 Harkness a chance to drop another bomb. 
 
 Fortunately for them they were still more than 
 a hundred feet from the point where the submarine 
 had sunk, when a veritable geyser of white foaming 
 water spouted high into the air from the spot, and 
 then subsided into a spreading film of oil on the 
 surface of the sea. 
 
 Some small pieces of wood arose to the surface; 
 but nothing more, although they lay-to there and 
 scanned the surrounding surface of the water for 
 several minutes. 
 
 Harkness came forward, and as Morgan re- 
 linquished the wheel to him, that he might lay the 
 yacht on her proper course again, the young skipper 
 breathed to his second in command: 
 
 ** I guess we got her, Ned? " 
 
 " Sure thing! " replied the boatswain's mate in a 
 matter-of-fact tone. " That second explosion 
 could have been made only by the blowin' up o' his 
 compressed air tanks." 
 
 Morgan rejoined his two friends in the bow; but 
 none of them had anything to say for some time. 
 The awful horror of it had appalled them; silence 
 was the only thing. It was the first time, too, that 
 Morgan had come to grips with the enemy. 
 
 88 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 ZEEBRUGGE 
 
 *'No mound of moldering earth shall show 
 The fighting place of the men helow; 
 But a swim of seas that gather and spill, 
 And the wind's wild chantry whistling shrill,'^ 
 
 When those on board the motor-boat were at 
 length assured that there were to be no survivors 
 from the destroyed submarine, the little craft re- 
 sumed the gentle throbbing of its interrupted way, 
 and some two hours later Harkness had unerringly 
 picked up the Zeebrugge Light. 
 
 As the boatswain's mate had earlier predicted, a 
 thin haze rendered the visibility low. They were 
 then two and a half miles off shore. The time was 
 one-thirty a. m. 
 
 " We have half an hour to the good," said the 
 young skipper to the boatswain's mate, who, now 
 that they had entered the dangerous waters, had 
 himself taken charge of the wheel, and would re- 
 main at that post till the night's work was done. 
 
 ** Run in slowly opposite the point where you 
 think I ought to land," he went on. 
 
 89 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " Put two men in the bow with boat-hooks to 
 fend her off from pushing her nose too solidly into 
 the sand and getting stuck there. Then as soon as 
 I have slipped overboard with the flares back her 
 off, and lay-to about a half mile out, or at what- 
 ever distance you think best. Use your own judg- 
 ment for the rest, Ned! " 
 
 "Aye, aye! " replied Harkness sententiously. 
 
 Morgan turned to Van and Storm, who were at 
 his shoulder. Storm was holding in his hands a 
 haversack containing the flares, the strap of which 
 he was adjusting so that the sack might be carried 
 well up on the bearer's shoulders. The flares were 
 incased in tin, to keep them dry. 
 
 " We have arrived on the ground almost ac- 
 cording to schedule, and I've no doubt the rest of 
 the motor-boats are lined up at intervals north of 
 us. The destroyers will about now be overhauling 
 them, as all close in on the land. The cruisers and 
 monitors will finally line up about where we are 
 now, and open fire from here. The troop ships 
 will make a dash for the harbor entrance as soon 
 as the smoke screen is abandoned. Then the fun 
 will commence." 
 
 The speaker, barefooted and stripped to the 
 waist, looked like anything but an officer of the 
 United States Navy. His arms, shoulders, neck, 
 and face were black with malodorous engine grease. 
 
 90 
 
ZEEBRUGGE 
 
 As he was speaking, Storm and Van Home were 
 strapping the pack firmly upon his big-muscled 
 bare shoulders in such a manner as to interfere as 
 little as might be with his swimming powers. They 
 had barely completed this task when the slow- 
 gliding motion of the motor-boat ceased, softly yet 
 solidly. 
 
 With a low, " Good-bye, Jack, old man! " from 
 his two friends, and a "Good luck, sir!" from 
 Harkness, Morgan without a word slipped over- 
 board into the black waters of the North Sea, and 
 a few yards away was lost to the straining eyes 
 that strove to follow him. 
 
 The motor-boat was then pushed off again by the 
 sailors in the bows with their boat-hooks. The 
 boatswain's mate elected to remain as close inshore 
 as possible to await the return of his young com- 
 manding officer, and was satisfied to back out just 
 far enough to give him sufficient sea-room to turn 
 around. 
 
 For nearly fifteen minutes that was certainly; as 
 the French say, " Un mauvais quart d'heure." 
 The attention of the boat's passengers and crew 
 alternated between the coast-line directly opposite 
 them and the mole of Zeebrugge to the north. 
 
 It was pitch dark all about, save for the intermit- 
 tent flashing of the search-lights, rendered distant 
 by the haze, and none of them penetrating seaward 
 
 91 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 for more than four hundred yards. Upon the sea 
 all was perfectly still; even the little breeze that 
 had been blowing earlier in the night had died down. 
 
 Then in one moment it was all different. The 
 swift cruiser chosen to lead the attack upon the 
 mole was picked up by one of the lights. In that 
 same instant star-shells, brighter than anything the 
 onlookers had ever seen, pierced the gloom and 
 showed the attacking cruiser and her two consorts 
 as clearly as if in broad daylight. 
 
 In another second it seemed as if every shore 
 battery had concentrated upon them. Seventeen- 
 inch shells and smaller ones fell all about them like 
 hail. The cruiser was hit, but she plunged on and 
 turned inward at the head of the mole. Her twin 
 consorts followed close at her heels. It was such a 
 picture as no man may hope to see twice in his life. 
 
 The first shot had been the signal for the out- 
 lying cruisers and monitors to bombard the shore 
 batteries. The work of the American monitors in 
 this respect was particularly fine. 
 
 The scene became a wild one. There was at once 
 a thundering of guns on sea and land, augmented 
 by the deafening and constant explosions of hun- 
 dreds and hundreds of shells and bombs. More 
 than two hundred shells were fired at the three 
 attacking ships alone. 
 
 Search-lights crisscrossed one another, and 
 
 92 
 
ZEEBRUGGE 
 
 darted lance-like through the haze. Star-shells, and 
 floating parachute flares in the air, and stationary 
 flares on mole and quays, illuminated the whole 
 scene with the brilliance of midday. Such was the 
 picture stupendously magnificent for more than an 
 hour. 
 
 At the first burst of fire naturally all eyes were 
 turned toward the opening picture of the drama 
 at the mole-head; but almost at once Van and 
 Storm bent their anxious glances shoreward. Far 
 down the shore line — farther than they had ex- 
 pected — one magnesium flare burst the pitch 
 darkness there with its scintillating white light; 
 then another and another in two lines above the 
 beach at varying intervals apart broke into sudden 
 illumination, till the anxious watchers aboard the 
 motor-boat counted eleven in all. 
 
 There should have been twelve, and the failure of 
 the twelfth flare to ignite filled them all with poign- 
 ant suspense. 
 
 " Are you sure there were twelve in the haver- 
 sack, Ralph?" breathed Lieutenant Van Home 
 anxiously. 
 
 ** Yes, I am sure," replied his friend in as low a 
 tone, straining his vision shoreward. 
 
 The ruse was successful. The batteries along 
 that section of the breakwater nearest the shore be- 
 came alarmed. They thought that a force was 
 
 93 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMr 
 
 landing there to make a flank attack upon them, 
 and directed a searching fire upon that part of the 
 beach where the flares had been set off, their whole 
 attention for the moment distracted from the sea in 
 front of their position. 
 
 Before these batteries had discovered the trick 
 that had been played upon them the two old British 
 submarines laden with high exj^losive, which were 
 destined to blow up the bridge connecting break- 
 water and mole, had almost undetected dashed in 
 so close to the high sea-wall of the mole, that it 
 was then impossible to depress the guns sufficiently 
 to bear upon them. 
 
 Four satellite motor-boats trod upon the heels 
 of those two old submersibles to pick up the crews, 
 who were to leap overboard as soon as their charges 
 had been safely rammed in among the piles, and the 
 short time fuses ignited. 
 
 The enemy star-shells which were being set off 
 from the top of the bridge merely served to show 
 the way for the submarines. A whole company of 
 more than two hundred German soldiers rushed 
 out upon the top of the bridge, and stood shouting 
 and gesticulating immediately above the two old 
 submersibles wedged fast among the piles beneath. 
 They apparently thought that these had lost their 
 way, and were rejoicing in the belief that they were 
 about to capture them. 
 
 94 
 
ZEEBRUGGE 
 
 The old " subs" pushed under the bridge still 
 farther, and when their cargoes of trinitrotoluol 
 were touched off they blew up the bridge and all 
 standing upon it, so that for a little time afterward 
 fragments of men and wreckage were falling into 
 the water all about. 
 
 By the blowing up of the bridge the mole was 
 isolated, and no heli^ could be sent from the shore 
 to the enemy forces already being attacked on the 
 mole-head by men from the three troop ships. 
 
 But meanwhile there was great anxiety in Jack 
 Morgan's little motor-boat. When the first flare 
 was lighted Harkness at once headed down the 
 coast, and when directly opposite the position on the 
 shore where the brilliant magnesium lights were 
 breaking out, began to run cautiously toward the 
 land. Approaching it as nearly as he thought safe, 
 he brought the motor-boat's own small but power- 
 ful search-light into play, despite the risk of draw- 
 ing the enemy's fire. And that this was no purely 
 imaginary danger was soon evidenced by the angry 
 shriek of an eighteen-pound shell that passed over 
 them and fell into the water beyond. 
 
 This first shell was followed by another and an- 
 other, each nearer and nearer the motor-boat. Un- 
 heeding them, the boatswain's mate continued to 
 flash his narrow beam of light over the intervening 
 sea, searching for, and as a guiding signal to, the 
 
 95 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 ** landing party." Then, as suddenly as they had 
 begun, the shells ceased to come that way. The 
 two old British submarines had been sighted, and 
 the shore batteries had more pressing business to 
 attend to, nearer home. 
 
 And still there was no sign of the young skipper. 
 Harlmess was in a quandary. He turned to Van 
 Home, standing near him at the wheel, and in- 
 quired anxiously: 
 
 " Don't you think we'd better put off a boat, sir, 
 and land a couple of men to search the beach? " 
 
 Van was about to agTce, when a voice from out 
 the darkness on the flivver's port side called 
 hoarsely: 
 
 " Douse that glim, Ned! I'm all right! " and in 
 another moment the well-nigh exhausted skipper 
 was floundering in the water alongside. 
 
 In order to give the yacht as much chance as pos- 
 sible of remaining under cover of the darkness, 
 Morgan on landing had crept do^vn the beach for 
 several hundred yards, to await there the proper 
 moment for firing his flares. After setting them 
 off — all except one, the percussion cap of which 
 had failed to explode when the striker had been re- 
 leased — ^he ran back along the shore, and swam out 
 to sea in the direction in which he judged that the 
 yacht would be waiting for him. 
 
 After swimming out some distance he stopped, 
 
 96 
 
I M ALL RIGHT 
 

ZEEBRUGGE 
 
 and treading water began to look about in the dark- 
 ness for some sign of his boat. Backwards over 
 his shoulder he had seen the flashing search-light 
 of the yacht away down opposite the spot where 
 some of his flares were still burning fitfully. He 
 had at once turned and started to swim down to- 
 ward the light. The swim was a long one, the 
 water was very cold, and he was almost exhausted 
 when his eager friends drew him on board. 
 
 But those on board the boat did not get this ex- 
 planation till some time later. As soon as Morgan 
 could control his panting breath sufficiently he 
 directed the boatswain's mate to steer a course for 
 the bridge, about which at that moment evidences 
 of great excitement were beginning to show. 
 
 They had barely started upon their new course, 
 and were still nearly a quarter of a mile distant 
 from the bridge when the explosion of the sub- 
 marines, as already described, took place. Jack 
 Morgan, exhausted though he still was, at once 
 sprang to take the wheel himself. All on board 
 were awed momentarily to silence by the dreadful 
 magnificence of the lurid spectacle. 
 
 They speedily drew near the gap in the break- 
 water where the bridge had been. There the four 
 plucky motor-boats that had taken off the crews 
 of the submarines were still cruising about among 
 the floating debris, looking for survivors of the ex- 
 
 97 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. 5. ARMT 
 
 plosion, if such there might be any on the water. 
 The batteries on the breakwater and mole were 
 silent. 
 
 When the young skipper saw that the services of 
 his boat and her crew were not needed in the vicinity 
 of the bridge he steered a course concentric with the 
 outer curve of the mole, with the intention of actu- 
 ally entering the harbor itself. He was not alone 
 in his reckless daring among the youthful com- 
 manders of the little American mosquito fleet. 
 
 How Zeebrugge was Blocked 
 
 A— Position of the three cement filled cruisers blocking 
 the entrance from the Harbor of Zeebrngge to the 
 great canal for seagoing ships. 
 
 B—Great basin for ships lying at anchor. 
 
 C— The Harbor. 
 
 Others there were who were actuated by the same 
 brave spirit. One and all the little motor launches 
 
 98 
 
ZEEBRUGGE 
 
 had behaved in the most gallant manner, dashing 
 into the harbor utterly regardless of their own 
 safety in order to see that no one was at last left 
 behind on the blockading ships when they were 
 sunk at the mouth of the canal, nor on the mole 
 when the signal to withdraw should be finally 
 given; and all this under conditions of light as 
 bright as day and amid an incessant hail of shrapnel 
 and high-explosive shells. Every commander and 
 every crew displayed the greatest pluck and de- 
 termination. 
 
 As Morgan's launch skirted along the mole those 
 aboard her could see silhouetted against the bright 
 lights of the harbor inside the masses of soldiers 
 fighting hand to hand singly and in groups on its 
 top. The sight was rendered all the more awesome 
 by the raging conflagration of the huge freight 
 sheds there, which had been set on fire by de- 
 tails of the attacking forces who had been especially 
 armed with flame-throwers and fumite bombs for 
 that purpose. Every now and then the explosion 
 of an ammunition dump within one of the sheds 
 added to the light and uproar. The noise of the 
 firing, mingling with the shouts and cries of the 
 men, was terrifying. 
 
 Two miles out at sea the cruisers and monitors in- 
 cessantly stabbed the darkness with a spurting arc 
 of red flame as they despatched their shrieking mes- 
 
 99 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 sengers of death against the batteries on the quays 
 and farther inland. 
 
 From the three attacking transports more than 
 six hundred men were landed upon the mole. The 
 Germans, as soon as they saw the attacking party 
 land, shouted almost with one voice: 
 
 "Americans ! It's the Yankees ! " ' 
 
 While these various auxiliary operations were 
 being carried out, under cover of them the old 
 cruisers laden almost down to their gunwales with 
 cemented concrete, which were intended to block 
 the canal, made their way through the harbor ac- 
 companied by only one submarine as escort. There 
 were five of them at first; but only three of them 
 reached their goal, the other two being prematurely 
 smik by shell-fire. 
 
 The three which won their way through were 
 anchored and swung around on their cables. In 
 sinking them machinery was used which enabled 
 their crews to do this without exploding any bombs 
 within them, and within twenty-three minutes of 
 the time their anchors were dropped. Not a shot 
 was fired from any of them. 
 
 The net l^esult of this famous and daring opera- 
 tion on the Harbor of Zeebrugge was the destruc- 
 tion of every gun on the great mole, the complete 
 
 *This fact has been vouched for by British sailors who par- 
 titipated in the assault on the mole of Zeebrugge Harbor. 
 
 ICO 
 
ZEEBRUGGk 
 
 annihilation of the great sheds along its entire 
 length, and along with them immense stores of 
 ammunition, and, most important of all, the ef- 
 fectual blocking of the canal and waterway leading 
 through the harbor. 
 
 When Morgan's little " flivver " at length turned 
 the lighthouse at the mole-head and made her way 
 into the harbor proper her young skipper was for 
 a moment undecided which way to turn. His first 
 intention was to make for the position where the 
 three blockading cruisers were even then in the act 
 of swinging about on their cables. 
 
 Van, on perceiving that this was his evident in- 
 tention, plucked him by the sleeve, and pointing to 
 where the troop transports lay alongside the mole, 
 shouted in his ear: 
 
 " The wounded! They are taking them off ! " 
 
 Morgan seemed to catch his drift at once. In- 
 deed, he could hardly help having done so, had he 
 been never so dull of comprehension. A steady 
 stream of casualties were being carried doAvn the 
 steep, sloping gangways from the top of the mole 
 to the transports, and thence across their decks to 
 motor-boats that lay alongside of them. By these 
 smaller vessels the wounded would be carried with- 
 out delay to the great cruisers of the bombard- 
 ing squadron. 
 
 A launch that had already received its quota of 
 
 lOI 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S, ARMT 
 
 wounded pushed off from the largest of the attack- 
 ing ships, and Morgan, without orders or instruc- 
 tions, guided the flivver quietly into the place 
 left vacant. The stretcher-bearers — who had no 
 stretchers there — began to pass the casualties over 
 the side at once. Every one on board Morgan's 
 boat lent a hand, and the wounded were laid groan- 
 ing side by side along the decks. Thirty-two men 
 and two wounded officers in all they took on board, 
 and then they pushed off to make room for still 
 another launch. 
 
 This, the grisly and horrible phase of war, was 
 Morgan's first experience with it, and he never in 
 all his after life forgot it. For himself it was a good 
 thing that this gruesome aspect of it all was pre- 
 sented to him first. Afterward in the heat of the 
 fray the recollection of it tempered the vengeful 
 fury that would have been his. 
 
 At her top speed of twenty-eight miles an hour 
 the little motor-yacht cut her way through the 
 water to the double line of cruisers and monitors 
 two miles out at sea. Her sad load was quickly 
 transferred to one of these, and again Morgan 
 headed her back toward Zeebrugge. 
 
 When they were half-way there the terrific bar- 
 rage from the bombarding ships suddenly ceased for 
 a moment, and the recall signals were given. This 
 meant that the blockading ships had been sunk at 
 
 102 
 
ZEEBRUGGE 
 
 their appointed berths, and that the " special idea " 
 of the operation had been accomplished. Accord- 
 ing to orders upon this signal the retirement was to 
 begin at once, and each vessel, when its appointed 
 task was finished and it had cleared the harbor, was 
 to make without further orders for its own home 
 port. 
 
 Jack Morgan had already exceeded his instruc- 
 tions, which had regard to the setting off of the 
 flares only; so on perceiving the recall signal he 
 turned over the wheel to the boatswain's mate, who 
 all the time had been standing fast by his young 
 skipper's shoulder, saying in a tired voice merely: 
 
 "Home, Ned!" 
 
 Harkness took a squint at the stars, and then by 
 them and his compass proceeded forthwith to lay 
 a course for " Blighty." 
 
 The bombing ships had resumed their barrage in 
 order to cover the withdrawal of the vessels still 
 within the harbor. 
 
 Jack Morgan turned to his two friends, and in 
 a tone unusually mild for him, said: 
 
 " I must go aft for a minute, fellows, and wash 
 up, and get some clothes on." 
 
 He was still attired only in the wet trousers and 
 black engine grease he had worn during his swim 
 ashore. 
 
 "All right, Jack!" replied Van and Storm to- 
 
 103 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 gether and in almost an affectionate tone, although 
 no response at all was necessary. 
 
 Morgan, washed and dressed, rejoined them in 
 a few minutes. Alreadj^ the conflagration and 
 flares of Zeebrugge were growing less bright, and 
 lower on the horizon astern. The bombardment 
 too had ceased, and from this they knew that all 
 of their comrades who would ever leave Zeebrugge 
 had cleared the harbor-bar. 
 
 " Suppose we turn in for a while, boys? " asked 
 the naval lieutenant. " For my part, I am very 
 tired. The watches are set, and if anything un- 
 usual is sighted Ned will call us." 
 
 Van and Ralph also felt strangely wearied. Al- 
 though their physical exertions had been incon- 
 siderable, the emotional strain had been tense and 
 exhausting. So they were glad to follow the young 
 skipper to his cabin. 
 
 There, after seeing that the port-hole covers were 
 in place, Morgan turned on the blue-shaded light 
 that served little more than to make the darkness 
 visible. He produced blankets from the lockers 
 beneath the cushioned benches along the cabin's 
 sides. It was then found that these benches were 
 all too short for Van Home's great length of body, 
 and with some subdued merriment they made him a 
 bed diagonally across the cabin floor and between 
 the legs of the chart-table immovably fastened to 
 
 104 
 
ZEEBRUGGE 
 
 the middle of the floor. Aiid in spite of what thej^ 
 had just gone through these three wholesome 
 American boys were soon fast in dreamless 
 sleep. 
 
 105 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 NEWS FROM HOME 
 
 **Take up our quarrel with the foe. 
 To you from falling hands we throw 
 The torch — he yours to hold it high; 
 If ye break faith with us who die, 
 We shall not sleep, though poppies grow 
 In Flanders' Fields/' 
 
 —Col. John McCrae, C. E. F. 
 
 Next morning Rod Van Home was the first of 
 the trio to awake. At first he could not place him- 
 self, and for a moment lay quiet, gazing up in mute 
 wonder at the unfinished bottom of the chart-table 
 between the legs of which he lay outstretched upon 
 the cabin floor. 
 
 It was bright daylight once more and Morgan's 
 little yacht again swung upon her anchor chain in- 
 dolently and safely in Dover Harbor. 
 
 Van glanced at his wrist watch, and perceiving 
 that it was high time for them to be astir, if Ralph 
 and he were to catch the eight o'clock train for 
 London, as they had intended, he proceeded care- 
 fully to extract his long frame backwards from be- 
 neath the table. 
 
 He got to his feet and, as was his wont on rising 
 
 zo6 
 
t^EWS FROM HOME 
 
 of a morning, attempted to stretch his great arms 
 full length above his head ; but in the still dim light 
 of the cabin he had not yet fully realized his posi- 
 tion. The top of his bared head itself almost 
 grazed the cabin roof, and the sharp and sudden 
 rapping of his knuckles against the low rafters 
 awakened him painfully and fully to a clear knowl- 
 edge of his surroundings. 
 
 Smiling sleepily, while ruefully caressing the 
 knuckles of one hand with the palm of the other, he 
 glanced around at his two friends still fast asleep, 
 outstretched upon their backs on the cushioned 
 benches that ran along either side of the cabin. 
 
 Storm, his arms folded across his chest and his 
 rolled coat beneath his head for a pillow, slept as 
 quietly as any babe. He scarcely seemed to 
 breathe. 
 
 Morgan, on the other hand, muttered uneasily 
 and unintelligibly in his sleep. One of his hands 
 hanging down over the side of the bench opened 
 and clenched again at times. In his uneasy sleep 
 he looked even more ugly, if possible, than when 
 awake. He had not fully removed the engine- 
 grease with which he had camouflaged his face and 
 body the night before; it was still quite thick about 
 his eyes and ears. 
 
 " Poor Jack," muttered Van Home to himself 
 as he gazed at the uneasy sleeper, " you got your 
 
 107 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U, S. ARMT 
 
 baptism of fire last night all right; but you are not 
 blooded yet!" 
 
 Then he turned again to Storm, who was nearest 
 him, and, leaning over his friend, pressed the palm 
 of his big hand gently yet firmly upon the sleeping 
 boy's face. 
 
 It was a trick he had learned in the trenches. A 
 man awakened thus seldom cries aloud or even 
 speaks at once. His first impulse is to grab at the 
 hand. By that time he is fully awake and knows 
 where he is. To be sure, there was no need of such 
 precaution just then; Van Home merely did it 
 from force of habit and training. 
 
 Storm at once raised his hand to the hand resting 
 lightly upon his face, and then opened his eyes and 
 looked up. 
 
 " Time to get up, Ralph, old man," smiled Van. 
 
 "Yes? What time is it?" queried Storm, at 
 once fully awake, and swinging his feet off the bunk 
 and his body simultaneously to a sitting position 
 upon it. 
 
 " It's just six-thirty," replied Van Home. 
 
 " Great guns! " yawned Storm, " it seems as if 
 I had but just this minute stretched out to go to 
 sleep. Where are we now, anyway. Van? " 
 
 "At anchor, I should judge," replied his friend. 
 " We must be safely back at Dover. I have just 
 now awakened mj^self." 
 
 io8 
 
NEIVS FROM HOME 
 
 The sound of their voices disturbed Morgan. 
 With a loud cr}^ : 
 
 " The bombs, Ned, the depth bombs! " he sprang 
 to his feet with one bound. 
 
 He regarded the two friends dumbly for a mo- 
 ment. Then, grinning sheepishly and digging his 
 thick knuckles into his two little near-set eyes, he 
 fell back into a sitting position on his bunk again, 
 saying: 
 
 " Guess I must have been having an awful night- 
 mare, fellows. I thought we were just going to 
 run over that awful submarine again. What time 
 has it got to be, anyway? " 
 
 Then glancing at his watch he sprang to his feet 
 again, saying as he hurriedly left the tiny cabin to 
 receive the report of his second in command: 
 
 " By thunder! I forgot to leave Ned orders to 
 call me at six o'clock, as I had intended, and here it 
 is six-thirty." 
 
 A moment later he returned, and addressing his 
 friends in an apologetic tone, said: 
 
 " Sorry, fellows, but I'm due to report ashore at 
 seven. I'll not have time to have breakfast with 
 you fellows; but Ned will see to it that some 
 breakfast is ready for you two before you go 
 ashore." 
 
 " Not at all ! That will not be necessary, old 
 man. Don't mind us ! We wish to catch that train 
 
 109 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. 5. ARMT 
 
 for London that leaves Dover at eight o'clock, and 
 we can get a bite at the railway station restaurant," 
 rejoined Van Home. 
 
 " It doesn't seem like treating you just rights to 
 let you go away hungry," observed Morgan, " but 
 I suppose it can't be helped now." 
 
 " That's all right, Jack, we'll accept your good 
 intention for the real breakfast," laughed Storm. 
 
 "While they were washing up at the buckets 
 astern the crew had been lowering one of the yacht's 
 boats alongside. 
 
 After bidding Harkness a hearty good-bj^e with 
 the added wish that they might all meet again some 
 time Van and Storm took their places in the boat, 
 in the stern of which Morgan had already seated 
 himself. With Sam, the sturdy handy-man of the 
 yacht, at the oars they were soon landed upon the 
 quay. 
 
 There they paused before separating to go their 
 different ways, Morgan to repair to Admiralty 
 Headquarters to compile his report of his share in 
 the doings of the night, and Van Home and Storm 
 to make their way to the railway depot. 
 
 " I want to thank you, Jack," said Van, grasp- 
 ing the young sailor's hand, " for an experience that 
 I would not have missed for the world. I have 
 scarcely yet begun to realize what a big show it 
 
 was." 
 
 no 
 
NEWS FROM HOME 
 
 " It was certainly some night," grinned the 
 junior naval lieutenant. 
 
 " ' Them 'ere's my sentiments too,' " quoted 
 Storm smilingly, while extending his hand for a 
 good-bye hand-shake with the young skipper. 
 
 And as he did so he could not refrain from ob- 
 serving mischievously: 
 
 " You can hardly expect us to agree with you, 
 Jack, in any statements you may after last night 
 make regarding the monotony of your job in the 
 Navy. Are you still of a mind to transfer to the 
 tanks?" 
 
 " Why, yes, I surely am. Why not? " rejoined 
 Morgan in accents of surprise. " Just as likely as 
 not I'll be ordered out on harbor patrol again to- 
 day. And, anyhow, even last night it was more 
 like going to a moving-picture show than anything 
 else, for all the part that we had in the actual fight- 
 ing. At least that's the way it struck me." 
 
 " Well, it was certainly some * movie,' at that," 
 laughed Storm. "Any film company that could 
 have photographed one-tenth of what we saw last 
 night would never need to worry about their next 
 film. Their fortunes would have been made there 
 and then." 
 
 "Good-bye, Jack!" said Van again. "And 
 when you do get into the * tanks ' I hope we'll meet 
 you somewhere in France." 
 
 Ill 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " Thanks, I hope so, too. Good-bye and good 
 luck to both of 3^ou! " 
 
 In London and at their hotel once again Van and 
 Ralph found several letters awaiting them. 
 
 There were three for Storm ; one from his father, 
 which of course he opened first; one officially 
 stamped " O. H. M. S.," which means " On His 
 Majesty's Service "; and one, the address of which 
 he recognized to be in the once familiar handwriting 
 of Doctor Wilde, principal of their old school. Dale 
 Academy. 
 
 Van Home had a like number of epistles; one 
 official, another also from the good Doctor Wilde, 
 and the third addressed to him in an unfamiliar 
 hand. 
 
 Presently Lieutenant Storm broke in upon Van 
 Home's perusal of the Doctor's letter, saying in a 
 tone of boyish excitement that he could not help, 
 even though all along he had been expecting to re- 
 ceive just such tidings: 
 
 " Good news, old sobersides ! Dad says for us to 
 come right over to France at once, even if our dis- 
 charges from the C. E. F. have not yet officially 
 come through. 
 
 " He says that we shall be put to work as in- 
 structors almost at once," pursued Storm, " in one 
 of our own camps, as we are very much needed 
 there. If necessary we can get our leaves ex- 
 
 112 
 
NEWS FROM HOME 
 
 tended, he says, after we get there, and there will 
 be no difficulty about that." 
 
 " That's fine, Ralph," smiled Van, looking up 
 from his perusal of Doctor Wilde's letter, in which 
 he had been deeply interested. 
 
 "And he writes, too," pursued Ralph, " that he 
 has just had a communication from our Overseas 
 Naval Headquarters in reply to his personal re- 
 quest regarding Jack Morgan's transfer to the 
 ' tanks.' " 
 
 " I do hope that it is good news for good old 
 Jack," interjected Van Home fervently. 
 
 " It is," rejoined his friend. " Dad tells me that 
 he has been advised that Jack's application has re- 
 ceived favorable consideration." 
 
 " That's good news," observed Van Home. " But 
 look here, Ralph," he continued, " aren't we rather 
 imposing on your father's generous good nature by 
 always asking him to do things for us? " 
 
 " Not at all," returned Ralph with assurance. 
 " Father likes to do those things for us. I know 
 he does. Why, I'll bet it gives him just as much 
 pleasure to put those applications through for us as 
 it gives us to have them go through. 
 
 " But I see you have a letter from the old 
 school, too," he volunteered, changing the sub- 
 ject. 
 
 " Yes, here's one from Doctor Wilde, much like 
 
 "3 
 
FIGHTING TFITH THE U. 5. ^RMT 
 
 yours, probably. What has the good old Doctor to 
 say?" 
 
 " His letter is almost all about young Matson, 
 that youngster the boys used to call * Wiggler.' 
 You remember him, don't you? " 
 
 " Yes, I think I do," replied Storm a trifle dubi- 
 ously, for at Dale Academy Ralph had not con- 
 cerned himself much with what he was at that time 
 wont to call " the small fry." 
 
 " Rather a mischievous kid, wasn't he? A pal of 
 young Brooke's, if I remember rightly?" 
 
 " Yes, that's the youngster. Full of mischief he 
 was, all right, just as you say," replied Van Home, 
 " but a good-hearted little beggar, and just as 
 honest as the sun, even at that." 
 
 " Well, what about him? " queried Storm with- 
 out much apparent interest, as he picked up his 
 official letter and proceeded to tear it open. 
 
 " He has run away from the old school, and Doc- 
 tor Wilde seems to be in a peck of trouble about it." 
 
 "What's that got to do with us?" demanded 
 Storm carelessly, proceeding meanwhile to unfold 
 his letter. 
 
 "Listen!" rejoined Van Home. 
 
 " The Doctor says that the old school is fairly 
 boiling over with patriotism. Every boy in the 
 school, big and little, he says, wants to join either 
 the Army or Navy, or so at least it seems to him. 
 
 114 
 
NEWS FROM HOME 
 
 " This year's senior class, he writes," pursued 
 Van Home, " have ahnost all gone; in fact all of 
 them, to a boy, who were eligible and fit, have 
 signed up in either one branch of the Service or the 
 other." 
 
 " Good for the old school! " interjected Storm, 
 listening with more show of interest. " I hope that 
 we may run across some of them over there. 
 
 " But what about young Matson? " he queried. 
 
 "As I have already told you, the lad has run 
 away from the school. They can find no trace 
 of him, and it is suspected that he has joined either 
 the Army or Navy under an assmned name. He 
 was a pretty well developed youngster physically, 
 you know, even when we were there, Ralph, and 
 could easily pass for a year or two older than he 
 really is." 
 
 "Well, why is the Doctor writing to us about 
 it? I suppose he wants us to keep an eye open for 
 the kid over here, eh? " 
 
 " Yes, Ralph, that's it, and he wants us to write 
 him, if we run across the youngster, or hear any- 
 thing about him." 
 
 " Well, I for one," rejoined Storm, glancing 
 again over the official document now outspread be- 
 tween his hands, " glory in the youngster's spunk, 
 and I'll not feel very much inclined to squeal on 
 him if I do chance to run across him, 
 
 "5 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE XL S. ARMT 
 
 " I think it would be a shame," he continued, ** to 
 have the kid ignominiously dragged back home like 
 a baby, after he has been man enough to make 
 his way over here; provided always that he has 
 done so." 
 
 " That's not the Doctor's idea, either," smiled 
 Lieutenant Van Home, glancing again at the letter 
 in his hand. 
 
 "It is not to drag him back, as you put it, that 
 Doctor Wilde wishes to find out his whereabouts. 
 Wiggler has two brothers considerably older than 
 himself, it seems. They are very anxious to locate 
 the boy so that they can keep tabs on him to some 
 extent at least. They do not intend to claun a 
 discharge for him against his will if he is found to 
 be in either branch of the Service. 
 
 " The dear old Doctor himself is very careful to 
 exi)lain that he would not for one moment ask us 
 to play the spy on the kid." 
 
 " Then what does he want? " queried Storm. 
 
 " He merely wishes us to tell the boy, in case we 
 come across him. And we are to assure him that 
 they will give their consent to his remaining in the 
 Service, if he will only write to them occasion- 
 ally." 
 
 " Oh, that's different," observed Storm. " That 
 puts quite another face on it. In that case I'll not 
 only tell the kid to write home; but I'll jolly well 
 
 ii6 
 
NEWS FROM HOME 
 
 see that he does it too, if I should ever happen to 
 run into him. 
 
 " But, I say, Van," Storm pursued, as he held 
 out his other letter: 
 
 " This is the official acceptance of my resignation 
 as an officer of the C. E. F., and I guess yours is 
 in that long blue envelope beside you, also." 
 
 Van Home hastily tore open his official envelope 
 and quickly scanned its meagre contents. 
 
 " Yes, this is mine also," he sang out joyfully. 
 " Now we need lose no further time in getting over 
 to France, and mixing up once more with the fel- 
 lows from the good old U. S. A." 
 
 The eyes of the usually and naturally self -re- 
 strained Van Home shone with delight and excite- 
 ment, and he hastily arose from his chair. 
 
 Whereat Storm began to laugh, saying, "Are 
 you going to walk over, or will you wait for the 
 boat? But I see you have still another letter there. 
 Van. Perhaps you had better see what it is about, 
 too, before we start? " 
 
 " That's right, Ralph," agreed Van Home, re- 
 suming his seat a bit shamefacedly at having so 
 boyishly displayed his great joy at the prospect of 
 getting into immediate active service again, and 
 especially as a soldier in the A. E. F. 
 
 Then relapsing into silence, he picked up and 
 proceeded to open his remaining letter, the one ad- 
 
 117 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 dressed in an unfamiliar hand, while Storm became 
 immersed in the contents of the letter which he too 
 had received from the principal of Dale Academy. 
 
 Presently Van observed, " I say, Ralph, I guess 
 the Duke was here in that air raid a few days ago, 
 all right enough." 
 
 " The Duke? Oh, yes. You mean Dick 
 Fletcher, eh? " queried Storm, looking up from the 
 letter and evincing great interest at once in this 
 new topic of conversation. 
 
 " What makes you think so? " 
 
 " This is a letter from that Lieutenant Harding 
 on the H. Q. Staff of the B. R. A. F.' We met 
 him, you may remember, at the Army and Navy 
 Club some few days ago." 
 
 " Yes, I remember," rejoined his companion. 
 
 " You asked him to find out for us whether the 
 old Duke was flying in England or France, and to 
 let us have his address, if he could. What has he to 
 say about it? " 
 
 " He says that there has been a Lieutenant Rich- 
 ard Fletcher attached for instructional duty to the 
 London Division of the Flying Force for some 
 weeks past; but that he is no longer there." 
 
 " I'll just bet you it was the old Duke himself. 
 Just like our luck to miss hmi ! Does Harding say 
 where he is now? " 
 
 * British Royal Air Force. 
 Ii8 
 
NEWS FROM HOME 
 
 " Last Saturday only, so he says, Lieutenant 
 Fletcher was temporarily detailed for duty at the 
 great French Aerial Training Camp near Paris. 
 He also adds that the Duke — that is, if this par- 
 ticular Lieutenant Fletcher is really the old Duke — 
 is one of the best * stunt ' flyers in the B. R. A. F." 
 
 " If he is not far from Paris," observed Lieu- 
 tenant Storm, " perhaps we may have a chance to 
 visit the flying camp there before we are assigned 
 to work with our own army." 
 
 " I certainly should like to see him if we possibly 
 can manage it," assented Van. Then he added 
 suddenly, " I wonder if he is as finicky about his 
 dress and appearance as he used to be." 
 
 " Trust the old Duke for that," laughed Lieu- 
 tenant Storm. 
 
 " I'll bet he really does sport an eye-glass now. 
 Do you remember how we used to tease him about 
 the report that he was seen wearing a monocle one 
 summer down at Atlantic City? " 
 
 " Yes," smiled Van reminiscently, " but he was 
 always there with the goods when the pinch came, 
 no matter what he went into, the good old Duke ! 
 
 " But seriously, Ralph, let's get busy. I think 
 that we had better first of all report to United 
 States Army Headquarters here in London, before 
 we try to make any arrangements for crossing over. 
 What do you think? " 
 
 119 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U, S. ARMr 
 
 " Good idea! " assented Storm, rising, " and we 
 had better stop in at some tailor shop on our way 
 to H. Q. and see about having our new uniforms 
 made." 
 
 " Oh, yes," agreed Van, " I had not thought of 
 that at all." 
 
 120 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 THE ANSWER 
 
 **Fear not that ye have died for naught, 
 The torch ye threw to us is caught, 
 Ten million hands will hold it high, 
 And Freedom* s light shall never die. 
 We've learned the lesson that ye taught 
 In Flanders' Fields." 
 
 — America's Answer. 
 
 The two friends left London for Paris by way 
 of the Waterloo Station, touching briefly " en 
 route " at Southampton, loitering for the greater 
 part of one day in the quaint, splendid and stately 
 town of Le Havre in France, and having an en- 
 forced wait of a few hours in the ancient and inter- 
 esting city of Rouen. 
 
 The journey teemed with interesting sights and 
 incidents, a vivid remembrance of which Ralph and 
 Van carried with them throughout all their after 
 life. And not the least interesting part of the jour- 
 ney was the wonderful port of Southampton, in 
 which the two young American soldiers found them- 
 selves waiting for the cross-channel passenger boat 
 just two days after their conversation last above 
 described at Claridge's Hotel in London. / 
 
 121 
 
FIGHTING TFITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 They were not crossing on a regular troop trans- 
 port, for it must be remembered that they were no 
 longer in the service of King George, and had not 
 yet been officially enrolled in the American Ex- 
 peditionary Force. 
 
 The port of Southampton had long been one of 
 the sea-gates of old England; during the course 
 of the Great War it had become most emphatically 
 a sea-gate of the world. 
 
 Two opposing streams of humanity flowed con- 
 stantly through it; by night and day two moving 
 lines that seemed as they must never terminate, 
 one coming, one going. The one coming bore the 
 scars of war, and was decorated with that wliite 
 badge of honor, the bandage. The second fared 
 forth to fill the gaps that the incomers had reluc- 
 tantly left behind them. Nearly all of them wore 
 " the smile that doesn't come off — ever." 
 
 It was early the following morning, not yet quite 
 eight o'clock, when the two friends landed in the 
 great French port of entry, Le Havre, the South- 
 ampton of France; but much more beautiful than 
 that English city. There also the two streams, 
 going and coming, converged and passed each other. 
 It is just one hundred and twenty-five miles from 
 Paris. 
 
 Their first move on landing was to ascertain at 
 what time the next passenger train left for the 
 
 122 
 
THE ANSWER 
 
 French capital. To their regret, for they were 
 very eager to press on, they found that owing to 
 military exigencies there was but one regular pas- 
 senger train leaving Le Havre daily for Paris, and 
 that this one was scheduled for half -past three 
 o'clock in the afternoon. 
 
 To pass the time away Ralph and Van resolved 
 to stroll about the famous old seaport leisurely, and 
 just " rubber," as the boys at their old school used 
 to say. 
 
 Shortly before noon at a corner of the Boulevard 
 de Strasbourg, a really superb thoroughfare, re- 
 markable for its generous width, they had paused to 
 listen to a " soap-box " orator, a Belgian, who was 
 eloquently expatiating on the wrongs his native 
 land had suffered at the hands of the Hun. They 
 imderstood but little of what he was saying; but 
 they could readily perceive that his audience was 
 in warm sympathy with him. 
 
 The crowd, as Storm expressed it, was a regular 
 movie show of bronzed American, British soldiers 
 and sailors, French " poilus," picturesque police- 
 men, and quaintly attired civilians. 
 
 All at once a sudden burst of music — ^brass band 
 music — burst upon their unbelieving ears; unbe- 
 lieving, for the air was none other than the old 
 familiar, " Hail, hail, the gang's all here! " 
 
 The gigantic Van Home at once began to plough 
 
 123 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. 5. ^RMT 
 
 his way through the crowd — and on this occasion 
 not with his wonted gentleness and consideration 
 
 toward others lacking in his 
 great strength and bulk — in 
 that direction from which the 
 inspiriting music came. 
 
 With a little inarticulate cry 
 of joyful surprise Lieutenant 
 Storm made haste to follow in 
 the wake of his huge friend. 
 
 Hardly had they reached 
 the outskirts of the crowd 
 when a regiment of real Amer- 
 ican soldiers headed by their 
 regimental band and with 
 " Old Glory " flying proudly 
 in front, marched briskly into 
 view. 
 
 Brown, alert, erect, intelli- 
 gent, and dangerously fit, with 
 more than the hint of a swagger to their broad 
 shoulders, the regiment approached with a swing, 
 and passed. It was a sight to thrill any American 
 on foreign soil. 
 
 The Belgian orator lost his audience. Along 
 both sides of the wide street the people turned and 
 followed those braves from the sister republic over 
 the seas, for they knew that this particular regiment 
 
 124 
 
 A Feknch " POILU " 
 
 The word means "hairy 
 
 one." 
 
THE ANSWER 
 
 was on its way to entrain for the front. Ralph and 
 Van, as enthusiastic as any American schoolboy 
 when a free show is on, joined the moving throng 
 that escorted the regiment. 
 
 At the railway depot the waiting train of empty 
 passenger coaches was drawn up on four parallel 
 tracks. The troop train was thus divided into four 
 sections; each section waited, all ready to move 
 off when loaded with its human freight, on one of 
 the parallel side-tracks. Each battalion of the 
 regiment, and the H. Q. staff, had been previously 
 allotted to its respective section of the train. 
 
 To a civilian the systematic dispatch with which 
 the battalions broke away from each other, filed 
 out onto the open spaces between the tracks, each 
 beside its own section, and then entrained in one 
 steady unhesitating stream till the very last man 
 with all his impedimenta was aboard, would have 
 seemed marvelous indeed. Yet the whole pro- 
 ceeding occupied the space of but a few minutes. 
 It was a simple but excellent example of the value 
 of consistent and rigid training and discipline. 
 
 Van Home and Storm looked on with glistening 
 eyes, their hearts away up in their throats. And 
 oh, how they wished that they, too, might right 
 there and then have gone along with those other 
 fellows from home. 
 
 The coach-windows were already open, and very 
 
 125 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 soon each framed a group of two or three whole- 
 some, sun-tanned American faces, full of eagerness, 
 full of curiosity, full of expectation in regard to the 
 near future, and above all full of the fresh clean 
 lives they had been living in the open-air camps of 
 their own dear old U. S. A. 
 
 The engine attached to the first section had al- 
 ready given two or three laboriously protesting 
 preliminary puffs. Its driving wheels had gripped 
 the slippery rails, and the first two or three coaches 
 had already felt the reluctant, shuddering jolt of 
 the first intention to start, when another train 
 pulled softly and silently into the great military 
 depot of Le Havre, and stopped noiselessly and 
 without a jar on the next track. It was but one 
 of the many Red Cross trains that arrived there 
 many times daily. 
 
 From its open windows looked and leaned the 
 " sitting-up " and " walking " cases. 
 
 Most dramatic was the situation. The robust 
 soldiers from the New World — " going in " — were 
 face to face with the broken heroes of the Old 
 World — " coming out." But a foot or so of space 
 separated them. So close were they that they 
 might have clasped hands; but for a space in a 
 silence that was tense they merely gazed deeply 
 into each other's eyes. Deep had met deep. 
 
 Our two profoundly impressed young American 
 
 126 
 
THE ANSWER 
 
 officers, looking on with almost bated breaths, could 
 plainly see in the faces of their own raw troops the 
 most intense interest and the deepest admiration 
 and respect — almost amounting to awe — for those 
 comrades in arms of theirs who had already proved 
 themselves, and had not been found wanthig. 
 
 And in the eyes too of those fresh young faces 
 from overseas, Ralph and Van saw also a strange 
 dumb kind of promise that they too in their turn 
 would carry on where those war-worn veterans had 
 been forced to leave off. 
 
 For a space no man spoke. Silently the vet- 
 erans gazed appraisingly into the faces opposite 
 their own as the American troop train gradually got 
 under way and began to glide past them. Then all 
 at once a thin voice, from one whose face was stuck 
 together with adhesive plaster, and whose bandaged 
 left arm rested in a sling, broke the emotion-fraught 
 hush with the old familiar cry: 
 
 " Are we down-hearted? " 
 
 The tension snapped. A roar arose from both 
 trains that would have done your heart good to 
 hear. 
 
 It brought smiles to the lips of Lieutenant Van 
 Home and Storm; but it brought unshed tears to 
 their eyes too. 
 
 "No, no, no-o-o!" the American soldier lads 
 roared back the answer ; and there was magic music 
 
 127 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 in the prolonged rise and fall of sound that rolled 
 and rolled and died away in wave after wave till 
 the train at rest and the moving one were separated 
 by more than a hundred yards. Even then the 
 music of it died away reluctantly and slowly. 
 
 " Wasn't that wonderful. Van? " breathed Storm 
 with a sigh of relief. 
 
 " Simply great! I wouldn't have missed it for 
 the world," responded his huge companion fer- 
 vently. 
 
 Then the two boys relapsed into silence again as 
 the other sections of the American train in their 
 turn picked up the cheering as each section one 
 after another was afforded a view of the Red Cross 
 train, and belatedly learned the reason for the pre- 
 ceding successive outbursts. 
 
 It took the two friends all of fifteen hours to cover 
 the one hundred and twenty-five miles by railway 
 from Le Havre to the French capital. 
 
 When they did eventually arrive in Paris they 
 were met at the great Gare * St. Lazaire by Ralph's 
 father, who gave the boys a warm welcome and at 
 once bundled them off to his hotel. There Lieu- 
 tenant-Colonel Storm informed the two young 
 soldiers that they were both to be detailed for duty 
 as soon as they reported at the United States Army 
 Headquarters, and that so far as he then knew, 
 
 *Gare: French for railway station. 
 128 
 
THE ANSWER 
 
 they were destined for the same training camp as 
 instructors. 
 
 " You, Ralph," the Lieutenant-Colonel said to 
 his son, " I believe, have been temporarily attached 
 as a bombing instructor. 
 
 "And you, Rodman," he went on more posi- 
 tively, addressing his son's gigantic chum, " I am 
 glad to be able to inform you, have been placed in 
 charge of the instructional classes for * Gas 
 Officers ' at the same camp. 
 
 " Of course you have both been permanently 
 appointed as lieutenants to the same regiment, now 
 down on the Lorraine sector; but I believe that 
 these temporary appointments have been based 
 upon inquiries officially made as to your respective 
 special qualifications." 
 
 " That suits me," interjected his son. " How 
 does it strike you. Van? " 
 
 " I'm satisfied," rejoined Van Home gravely. 
 " You see, I qualified as a * Gas Officer ' at one 
 of the new schools of instruction in England while 
 I was a ' walking-out ' case at the convalescent hos- 
 pital. I found it very interesting." 
 
 " I have no doubt of it, you dear old thing," 
 laughed Storm, who was just bubbling over with 
 happiness at the good news they had received. 
 
 " You know. Father, Van would much rather 
 save life than destroy it, even for a German, I do 
 
 129 
 
FIGHTING TFITH THE U. S. ARMY 
 
 believe. And it's the * Gas Officer's ' main business 
 to make us all safe from the gas, you know." 
 
 " The feeling is a commendable one, Ralph," re- 
 joined his father gravely, " and I hope that you, 
 too, share it, my son. 
 
 " But I have not much time to spend with you 
 two boys to-day, I regret to say, for I have several 
 important appointments which will occupy all of 
 this morning." 
 
 Then glancing inquiringly at them, for they were 
 both still wearing their Canadian uniforms, he 
 asked: 
 
 " What have you done about getting your new 
 American uniforms? " 
 
 " We have ordered complete outfits in London," 
 replied his son. " They ought to be here by the day 
 after to-morrow. 
 
 " I was able to get a coat to fit myself, all ready- 
 made; but they had nothing in stock large enough 
 for Van, and we both want to report for duty at 
 the same time." 
 
 " That being the case," returned his father, " it 
 will be as well to await the arrival of your uniforms 
 before reporting. I am sorry, boys, that I cannot 
 be with you to-day. Perhaps I shall have more 
 leisure to-morrow." 
 
 They then told the Lieutenant-Colonel about 
 Dick Fletcher, their old friend, " The Duke," and 
 
 130 
 
THE ANSWER 
 
 how they had learned that he was then attached as 
 an instructor to the Aviation Camp, located but 
 a few miles beyond the outer fortifications of 
 Paris. 
 
 " You will need a pass to visit the Camp," vol- 
 unteered Lieutenant-Colonel Storm, " and if yon 
 will accompany me to the H. Q. of the C. E. F. 
 where I am presently going, I will procure one for 
 
 you." 
 
 Before they left the hotel Ralph had also made 
 his father acquainted with the contents of their re- 
 cent letters from Doctor Wilde concerning the run- 
 away, " Wiggler." The Lieutenant- Colonel prom- 
 ised to keep his eyes open, too, for the youngster, 
 and to pass the word along throughout the Fores- 
 try Corps, to be on the lookout for the lad. 
 
 "And I have no doubt that you boys will meet 
 many of your other old schoolmates over here by 
 this time, for reinforcements are now arriving from 
 the United States in a steady stream," observed the 
 elder Storm. 
 
 " Yes, I think that we shall. Father," responded 
 his son. " Already we know of another class- 
 mate who is in the U. S. Artillery. You remember 
 Shorty Lawson, don't you, Father? I introduced 
 him to you that last time you were down at the 
 old school." 
 
 " I can't say that I do, Ralph," smiled his father. 
 
 131 
 
FIGHTING IVITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " You introduced me to so many of the boys then, 
 you laiow. But I shall be very glad indeed to meet 
 any of them again." 
 
 132 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 BAPTISTE 
 
 '*A year ago the captain was instructor in a college, 
 The sergeant was a plumber, and the corporal a clerk; 
 The privates had no glimmering of military knowledge, 
 For they'd never run across it in their ordinary work," 
 
 Having secured the necessary passes, Van and 
 Ralph, via La Rue d'Allemagne, motored out to 
 the Aviation Camp situated some few miles beyond 
 the outer fortifications of the city. For Paris, 
 be it known, is entirely surrounded by three sepa- 
 rate girdles of fortifications ; the inside belt was con- 
 structed between 1840 and 1844; the outer one is 
 the last word in defensive military engineering. 
 
 Lieutenant- Colonel Storm had also procured for 
 them a letter of introduction to the Captain Adju- 
 tant of the Flying School, a precaution which 
 smoothed the way for them. Lieutenant Fletcher, 
 they were informed, although they were not yet sure 
 that this was the Dick Fletcher of their acquaint- 
 ance, had but an hour or so before their arrival 
 taken his class up for their morning's schooling. 
 
 The " Duke," if it were really he, was then acting 
 
 133 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 as chief instructor to the finishing class consisting 
 of those embryo aviators who, having successfully 
 navigated all the perils — and they were many and 
 unforeseen — of the lower grades, had at length ar- 
 rived at that period of their course where they re- 
 ceived finishing instructions in manoeuvring and 
 flying in formations. 
 
 Their informant could not tell the two young 
 officers exactly when the young American in- 
 structor would return with his " escadrille." It 
 might be before noon, and perhaps not till later in 
 the day. That was a matter that rested solely with 
 him. If everything went favorably with them, 
 and the enemy's " avions de chasse " were not too 
 much in evidence, for observation practice the esca- 
 drille might even fly as far as their own front lines. 
 
 Would they care to wait? 
 
 The above information had been politely af- 
 forded by the adjutant in person, to whom their 
 letter of introduction was addressed, and he it was, 
 too, who had gracefully asked them the last ques- 
 tion. 
 
 Van and Ralph decided to wait till midday at 
 least, and expressed a desire to see something of 
 the process of training that prospective bird-men 
 had to undergo. 
 
 The adjutant thereupon dispatched an orderly 
 to find the Officer of the Day. This young officer 
 
 134 
 
BAPTISTE 
 
 was formally presented to the two friends, and the 
 object of their visit to the Aviation Camp made 
 known to him. In graceful English he welcomed 
 them cordially, and at once offered to show them 
 about. 
 
 "Ah, yes," he volunteered, as they were leaving 
 Camp Headquarters, " Lieutenant Fletcher left 
 more than an hour ago, and when the Hawk flies 
 no one may be sure when he will return. I know 
 the Hawk very well," he continued. " He is a 
 very good friend of mine." 
 
 At the aviation officer's first use of the word 
 " Hawk," the two American boys had passed it over 
 without comment, but when he used it the second 
 time in connection with one whom they believed 
 to be their old schoolmate, the " Duke," they 
 glanced in inquiring surprise, first at him, and then 
 at each other. 
 
 Storm ventured the query, " Is that the name by 
 which Dick Fletcher is known here? " 
 
 " The Hawk? Yes, all the Air Force know him 
 by that name. Didn't you know that was his fly- 
 ing title? " 
 
 " No," replied Storm; " at school we used to call 
 him ' The Duke.' " 
 
 " Mais oui," laughed the French aviation officer, 
 " I know the reason for that, I think. Notre ami, 
 Fletcher, is so very, very particular, n'est-ce pas? " 
 
 ^135 
 
FIGHTING WITR THE U. 5. ARMT 
 
 " Yes, that was it," answered Van. " But why 
 is he now called * The Hawk '? " 
 
 " C'est bien simple," rejoined the flight lieu- 
 tenant. " Your friend and mine was one of 
 the first of us flyers who ever took prisoners 
 and personally conducted them back into our 
 lines. 
 
 " It was during one of the recent big shows. 
 The Hawk was flying low over the battle-field, 
 letting the Germans have * what for ' from his 
 M. G.,' when he saw a full platoon of the enemy 
 headed for their own rear. 
 
 " The Hawk attacked them alone. After a few 
 shots only he suddenly and unexpectedly ran out 
 of ammunition. 
 
 " But that didn't bother the Hawk much," went 
 on the young aviator smilingly. " He just dropped 
 down lower still and began shooting off his signal 
 rockets at them. This was so unusual — it's not laid 
 down in the rule books, you know — it scared and 
 confused the Germans so that they threw up their 
 hands, and turning began to flee at full speed 
 toward our lines. 
 
 "All the way back until they were taken into cus- 
 tody by some of our men the Hawk circled above 
 them like the bird of prey itself that he's named 
 after, every now and then letting them have a 
 
 * Machine gun. 
 
 136 
 
BAPTISTE 
 
 rocket to keep them moving at the double, and to 
 keep their hands up." 
 
 " The dear old thing! " chuckled Storm. " That 
 sounds just like the old Duke. Don't you think 
 so, Van?" 
 
 Van smiled assent, but said nothing, for his at- 
 tention was just then all taken up by the strange 
 panorama that was gradually unfolding itself as 
 they leisurely surmounted the crest of a gentle 
 elevation. 
 
 A smoothly undulating stretch of country, bald 
 of all obstacles save those placed there by the hand 
 of man for his present purposes, about two miles 
 long by more than a mile across, was the field of 
 practice upon which more than a hundred embryo 
 bird-men were then disporting themselves, as if 
 playing with some strange gigantic toys in a man- 
 ner most curious and most grotesque. 
 
 The three officers paused for a moment on the 
 crest of the low eminence to take in the general 
 aspect of what seemed at first glance, to the two 
 lieutenants of infantry at least, but one vast play- 
 ground given over to the untrammeled antics of 
 hundreds of raving maniacs, each one of whom 
 seemed intent on some stunt more fantastic than the 
 one his neighbor was attempting. It was wonder- 
 fully interesting, and at first view strangely funny. 
 
 Later, Van and Storm knew that the great prac- 
 
 137 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 tice field was definitely divided into four sections 
 running parallel with each other. The students 
 also, they later perceived, were divided into classes. 
 
 Their guide, the Orderly Officer of the Day, told 
 them that each class had its own apportioned sec- 
 tion of the practice ground. 
 
 It was the varied and widely differing perform- 
 ances of the several classes all going on at once, 
 combined with the untoward vagaries of individual 
 performers, that lent to the whole such an in- 
 describable and bewildering " tout ensemble.*' 
 
 The "penguin " — or training plane, usually made by shortening 
 the wings of an ordinary scouting plane so that it has not 
 much lifting power. It therefore makes short flying hops, like 
 the awkward bird for which it is named. 
 
 Nearest them was a group of stunted planes that 
 scudded and skipped along the smooth sward like 
 a flock of crazy chickens, all meaning to go in the 
 same direction, but zigzagging hither and thither 
 as if without any settled purpose. They ran right 
 toward each other, missed colliding by miracles, 
 and scooted away from each other, onlv to turn 
 
 138 
 
BAPTISTE 
 
 again as if with a sudden and desperate resolve to 
 run each other down for sure; they seemed simply 
 frantic, so erratic were they. 
 
 " That certainly looks like some sport," laughed 
 Ralph. 
 
 "Yes," smiled the young "ace" who accompanied 
 them. " But it's hard work, too. We call those 
 short-winged planes * rollers ' or * penguins,' be- 
 cause they do not leave the ground." 
 
 " This is the * a^ b, c ' class, eh? " queried Ralph. 
 
 " Yes, you might call them that," replied the 
 aviator officer. 
 
 " On those machines the students are merely 
 learning to steer straight with their feet. It is very 
 difficult at first. That is the first stage of their 
 work in real live planes that can move at all. Up 
 till now they have been practicing inside with sta- 
 tionary machines only." 
 
 "A little further over there they all seem to be 
 just flopping up and down off the ground? " ob- 
 served Van in an inquiring tone, at the same time 
 pointing with his stick to the group he wished to 
 indicate. 
 
 " That's just what they are doing," replied their 
 mentor. 
 
 " That's what we call ' pan-caking.' The ma- 
 chines those fellows are using can rise only five or 
 six feet off the ground. The trick they are learning 
 
 139 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMr 
 
 is to light flat on both wheels without striking their 
 tails or wings against the ground." 
 
 "And a pretty good name for it, too," volun- 
 teered Storm. 
 
 " They look to me for all the world like great 
 giants throwing themselves flat upon their stom- 
 achs on the ground, with their arms spread out as 
 far as they can get them. Every time I see one 
 of them about to flop I expect to hear it 
 grunt." 
 
 " Those you see farther on over there, rising 
 quite a little way up into the air, about fifty feet or 
 so," smiled their aviator companion, " and then im- 
 mediately starting to come down again head first 
 at a pretty sharp angle, are practicing ' piquing.* 
 That's the third stage of our education. 
 
 " To make good landings is one of the most 
 difficult things we have to learn," he continued. 
 
 " Piquing is the ordinary method of landing. 
 When you judge you are near enough to the 
 ground, you pull back your ' control ' so as to throw 
 up the tail-elevator; then you run along for a little 
 way and land gradually. It's some stunt when the 
 ground is rough." 
 
 " I can quite agree with you," observed Van 
 sententiously. " I fear that I shouldn't be of much 
 use in the Flying Corps." 
 
 " The fourth class," pursued their courteous 
 
 140 
 
BJPTISTE 
 
 young mentor, "is * La Classe de Perfectionne- 
 ment.' Your friend, Lieutenant Fletcher " 
 
 " The Hawk? " interposed Storm with a grin. 
 
 " Yes," smiled the other, and went on, " He has 
 the fourth class out on reconnaissance practice to- 
 day; otherwise you would be able to see them try- 
 ing out some very interesting and more or less 
 dangerous stunts here. Theirs is the most inter- 
 esting work of all to watch." 
 
 " What kind of stunts do they try? " queried 
 Storm. " Such things as looping the loop and that 
 sort of thing, I suppose? " 
 
 " Yes, that, and sliding on their wings or their 
 tails, going into corkscrews — and getting out of 
 them again, which is far harder and more im- 
 portant," the young " ace " added dryly. 
 
 " This afternoon," he volunteered, " the whole 
 school will have machine-gun practice ; some on the 
 ground and some in the air." 
 
 The trio then moved down from the little hill 
 on which they had been standing, and went in turn 
 as closely as was safe to each group or class in order 
 to get a more intimate view of their individual per- 
 formances. So interested and amused were they 
 for some time as to be quite oblivious of its passing, 
 and it was midday before they realized it. 
 
 Lieutenant Fletcher, or "The Hawk," as his 
 colleagues of the Air Force called him, had not yet 
 
 141 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U, S. ARMY 
 
 returned with his " escadrille," and our two young 
 friends were reluctantly compelled to begin their 
 return journey to Paris without having had the 
 pleasure of meeting their old schoolmate. 
 
 All France at that time was but one tremendous 
 tragedy made up of millions of minor heart-breaks. 
 Many were the pathetic groups resting by the way- 
 side, or plodding along painfully and patiently 
 afoot, that the two friends passed that day, as in 
 their hired motor-car they sped along La Rue 
 d'Allemagne, one of the great cobblestoned 
 arteries leading direct to the heart of Paris from a 
 northeasterly direction, on their return journey 
 from the aviation camp. 
 
 Coming from the city they passed soldiers only; 
 the civilian travelers were all going the other Avuy — 
 " Nach Paris," as was at one time the German war- 
 cry. 
 
 Storm called his friend's attention to the manner 
 in which the stocky " poilus," even when without 
 their great heavy packs on their backs, walked from 
 force of long habit with feet apart and stiff-legged 
 from hip to heel. They all had that gait. Months 
 and months of heavily burdened marching along 
 roads that were such in name only, through com- 
 munication trenches with slimy beveled bottoms, 
 and over shell-pocked fields, had given that labored 
 
 attitude to them. 
 
 142 
 
BAPTISTE 
 
 " Yes, I have noticed it," replied Van, " but, 
 though their bodies are war-worn and weary, their 
 indomitable gay spirit always remains. It shines 
 from their eyes, and smiles from their lips always. 
 
 " But I was paying more attention to those poor 
 refugees whom we see constantly passing," he con- 
 tinued. " We have room for two more in this car, 
 and I am sure the chauffeur will not object if we 
 offer to pay the extra fare." 
 
 " Great minds think alike. Van. I was just 
 thinking something similar. But all the groups we 
 have passed so far seemed to be * en famille,' as the 
 French themselves say, and composed of too many 
 for us to take the whole group on. 
 
 " But look! " he added, seizing his friend's arm 
 and pointing directly ahead along the straight, 
 poplar-bordered stretch of road. " There is a 
 lonely pair for whom we have lots of room ! " 
 
 The taxi was rapidly overhauling a strangely 
 assorted pair, plodding along by the roadside; a 
 man and a little girl — a tiny tot who could not 
 have seen more than five previous summers. 
 
 When Ralph first drew the attention of his friend 
 to them, the man was carrying the little one on his 
 back, pick-a-back fashion; but even as they looked 
 he lowered her carefully to the cobblestones. Even 
 her inconsiderable weight was proving too much for 
 her companion. 
 
 143 
 
FIGHTING fFITH THE U. S, ARMT 
 
 It was not altogether the difference in age and 
 size that at first glance made the couple seem so 
 ill-assorted; it was their dress more than anything 
 else. 
 
 The man's attire was as variegated as Joseph's 
 coat of many colors. His head was covered with 
 the battered cap of a Canadian infantryman. His 
 back and shoulders were draped with the long, 
 washed-out-blue coat of a French poilu, and his 
 legs were clad in the striped trousers of a German 
 prisoner of war. On his left foot he wore the 
 heavy hobnailed ankle shoe of the British " foot- 
 slogger," and on his right the cast-off top-boot of 
 a Prussian Officer of the Guard. 
 
 The dress and bonnet of the little girl, whom the 
 derelict was leading by the hand, were of a mode 
 and material such as were worn only by the chil- 
 dren of the wealthier classes, as they existed before 
 the war broke out. Her garments, although they 
 must have seen considerable recent rough usage, 
 were still comparatively clean, and her little bonnet 
 was made of real lace of Valenciennes. She clung 
 with desperate solicitude to a poupee, or baby doll, 
 that had evidently been dressed for her by loving 
 hands not a great while before. 
 
 The man walked weakly, leaning heavily on a 
 stout stick that might have been a bit of trench 
 wattling. Before they had quite caught up with 
 
 144 
 
HE STRAIGHTENED UP WITH A SNAP 
 
BAPTISTE 
 
 the pair the two friends in their hired car deemed 
 the man's debility to be that of old age. But when 
 the car abruptly halted beside the waifs and Van 
 Home sprang from it to the road, he at once per- 
 ceived that the man was still comparatively young. 
 His unkempt hair and beard were jet black and 
 luxuriant. He was nothing but skin and bone, as 
 if his body had long been starved. 
 
 At the sudden stoppage of the taxi beside them 
 the two forlorn wayfarers also arrested their steps. 
 They had been paying no heed to its approach, for 
 there was a constant stream of wheeled vehicles 
 passing up one side of the Rue d'Allemagne and 
 down the other, and when that almost seven feet of 
 young American brawn and bone suddenly alighted 
 on the slippery cobblestones before them, the man 
 merely raised his eyes — listlessly at first. 
 
 Slowly his gaze traversed the figure of the big 
 American youth till his eyes rested on the latter's 
 smiling countenance. For one brief instant he 
 stared full into Van Home's eyes. 
 
 Then, letting his staff fall to the ground and at 
 the same time releasing the hand of his little com- 
 panion, he straightened up with a snap. He 
 tottered forward three steps till both of his trem- 
 bling outstretched hands rested upon Van Home's 
 broad breast, and still gazing into the latter's eyes, 
 with evident unbelief in his own powers of vision 
 
 145 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 plainly depicted in his own eyes, he cried hoarsely, 
 half-doubtingly: 
 
 " Dieu soit beni! C'est impossible! " 
 
 A pause, and then he cried again, and this time 
 with trembling joy, "Mais oui, c'est vrai! C'est 
 mon sergeant, mon brave Yankee!" 
 
 Van's first thought when that human scarecrow 
 made toward him was that the man was but an- 
 other of those unfortunates — of whom there were 
 then so many in France, alas — who had been driven 
 insane by suffering and privation and the loss of 
 all they held dear in this world. 
 
 But at the first sound of the poor fellow's voice 
 the young lieutenant recognized him, and grasping 
 him firmly by both arms to steady him, for he 
 seemed about to fall down, he trembled so. Van 
 Home in his turn cried aloud in sheer unbelieving 
 amazement: 
 
 " Baptiste, Baptiste Trudeau, as sure as I'm 
 alive!" 
 
 Then he called, " Ralph, Ralph, look who's here! 
 It's Baptiste — Baptiste Trudeau, our old cor- 
 poral!" 
 
 But Storm was already out of the taxi, crying 
 as he came over to them : 
 
 " Great Caesar's ghost ! Old Baptiste, alive and 
 
 kicking, or I'm a living sinner! " 
 
 And he grasped one of the stranger's hands and 
 
 146 
 
BAPTISTE 
 
 began to shake it almost too vigorously for one in 
 the latter's weakened condition. 
 
 It was in truth their old corporal and comrade- 
 in-arms, Baptiste Trudeau, the French Canadian, 
 the same who had enlisted along with Rodman Van 
 Home on that far-off memorable night in Toronto, 
 when the latter had first and suddenly made up his 
 mind to don the khaki, and who had been made a 
 prisoner by the Germans in that same fierce engage- 
 ment in which Van Home and Storm had both 
 been wounded. 
 
 By this time the tears of joy were streaming 
 down poor Baptiste's cheeks, and to keep from cry- 
 ing out loud he had begun to laugh hysterically. 
 Then their attention was attracted to the corporal's 
 little companion, who, finding herself temporarily 
 forgotten and neglected, began to whimper plain- 
 tively. 
 
 At once Baptiste turned toward her, saying in a 
 tone of great self-reproach, "Ah, ma pauvre petite, 
 
 je " 
 
 But even as he turned about, from sheer weak- 
 ness he fell forward on the rounded cobblestones. 
 
 Van waited for no more. Baptiste had been a 
 German prisoner, and his pitiful condition told its 
 own tale. In his mighty arms Van gathered him 
 up off the road as if he weighed no more than a 
 baby, and saying to Storm, " Bring the little one, 
 
 147 
 
FIGHTING fFITH THE C7. S. ARMT 
 
 Ralph!" he hustled the former corporal of Ca- 
 nadians into the taxi. 
 
 On the seat beside Baptiste Storm placed the 
 still whimpering child, who never ceased to cling 
 tightly to her dolly, and then he himself momited 
 to the seat alongside of the driver. 
 
 Baptiste was not very long in comforting the 
 little one, and then he had leisure to reply to the 
 volley of questions that were shot at him as the 
 car sped once more on its way toward Paris. 
 
 The French Canadian's account of his captivity 
 in the infamous German prison camp at Witten- 
 berg was so full of harrowing details that it made 
 his hearers' very blood run cold. 
 
 Even the peace-loving Van Home found him- 
 self clenching his huge fists till they hurt, when 
 Baptiste drew their attention to the half-healed 
 scars upon his throat and right breast, while he told 
 of the manner in which those scars had been made 
 by the teeth of savage, half-bred wolf-hounds that 
 had been set upon himself and some others of his 
 fellow prisoners for no other reason than that they 
 had failed to obey immediately a signal to go in- 
 doors that they did not understand. Three rifle 
 shots were fired, but they had not been previously 
 instructed what these shots were to mean. 
 
 The taxi was once more speeding through the 
 streets of Paris before Baptiste reached the part of 
 
 148 
 
B^PTISTE 
 
 his narrative that concerned the little girl by his 
 side. It was a very simple incident; just one of 
 the pitifully dramatic things of which hundreds 
 were happening every day and hour along the sad 
 roads of that desolated section of France then being 
 evacuated by the enemy after years of a merciless 
 occupation — merely another tale of a poor little 
 waif, lost and homeless, being picked up by a pass- 
 ing refugee, himself in straits almost as dire as 
 her own. 
 
 It had been two days before, Baptiste told the 
 two young officers. He was picking his way along 
 with his staff, weary and weak, with bowed head and 
 averted eyes, over the rut-furrowed and shell-pitted 
 trail of what had once been a smooth straight road 
 symmetrically bordered with graceful Lombardy 
 poplars, of which there still stood but a shell- 
 shattered skeleton every here and there, when his 
 attention was aroused and arrested by the touching 
 plaintive wail of a little child, who in her own 
 pretty French, in which were mingled many terms 
 of childish endearment, and in tear-choked accents 
 was beseeching some one to, " Please, please wake 
 up, my dearie! " 
 
 The child was fruitlessly endeavoring to arouse 
 an old woman — who would never wake again. She 
 had evidently been the child's companion, and had 
 sat down to rest by the wayside in the small shelter 
 
 149 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 of an overturned and shattered Army Transport 
 wagon that had been wrecked by a high explosive 
 shell. Her gray head had fallen forward on one of 
 her poor old arms that rested against the hub of a 
 broken wheel. 
 
 On investigation, Baptiste found that the old 
 woman was indeed resting — sleeping her last long 
 sleep. She had died of want and exposure, Bap- 
 tiste thought, although beside her was a small 
 basket containing a bottle with some milk in it, and 
 some broken pieces of black bread. She had been 
 feeding the little one and starving herself, he 
 thought. 
 
 In the basket along with the bread and the bottle 
 of milk there was also a sealed letter addressed to 
 some one — evidently a lady — in Paris. The simple 
 and good-hearted French Canadian was taking 
 the little one to the address on the envelope; that 
 was all. 
 
 As he was concluding, Baptiste took the letter 
 from the pocket of his coat, and handed it to Lieu- 
 tenant Van Home. After reading the address on 
 the envelope the latter passed it on to Storm, who 
 had all the time been leaning over the back of his 
 seat in front with the chauffeur, and listening at- 
 tentively to Baptiste's story. 
 
 Ralph at once suggested that both Baptiste and 
 the little girl be taken to his father's hotel before 
 
 150 
 
BAPTISTE 
 
 any other definite steps were made to find the per- 
 son to whom the letter was addressed. Baptiste had 
 been much troubled about how best to proceed in 
 the matter, and was more than pleased to agree to 
 the young lieutenant's proposal. 
 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Storm, with his usual prompt 
 and businesslike method of doing things, had soon 
 disposed of both Baptiste and his little traveling 
 companion. The former was forthwith bundled off 
 to bed in the hotel, and placed under the care of 
 an army doctor, there to remain till further orders. 
 
 By means of the telephone the Lieutenant- 
 Colonel was soon in touch with the Comptesse de 
 Lotbiniere to whom the sealed epistle was ad- 
 dressed. That titled lady lost no time in claiming 
 both the letter and the tiny waif, who proved to be 
 her niece, the only child of her sister. The letter 
 contained just one more of those sad and sordid 
 tales of a once happy French country home ravaged 
 and laid waste by the ruthless enemy. 
 
 But so far as this present story is concerned the 
 incident ended when the countess departed from 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Storm's suite with the little 
 one whose guardian angel had directed the tottering 
 steps of the all but worn-out French Canadian to- 
 ward La Rue d'Allemagne that day. 
 
 151 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 THE GAS INSTRUCTOR 
 
 ''Since at 'somewhere* in France they were landed, 
 In many a billet they*ve been, 
 Exceedingly strange, to be candid, 
 Are some of the things they have seen." 
 
 On the following day, their new uniforms having 
 arrived safely from London, the two young lieu- 
 tenants duly reported for duty at the Headquarters 
 of the American Expeditionary Force in Paris. 
 There they found a surprise, at first not altogether 
 to their liking, awaiting them. 
 
 From the information Lieutenant-Colonel Storm 
 had been enabled to give them upon their arrival in 
 the French capital they had been led to believe that 
 they were to be appointed to the same regiment, 
 and that although they were both to be temporarily 
 detailed to one of the wonderful American training 
 camps as instructors, they would eventually find 
 themselves together again on the firing-line, or in 
 the front-line trenches. 
 
 But it is always the unexpected that happens, 
 and this is especially true of army life. The for- 
 
 152 
 
THE GAS INSTRUCTOR 
 
 tunes of war must vary with every fleeting minute; 
 and " brass-Jiats " ' must change their plans and 
 shift their men about to suit the urgent demands of 
 the unforeseen. 
 
 The information that Ralph Storm's father had 
 received, and in turn had imparted to the boys, in 
 regard to the disposition that was about to be made 
 of them had no doubt been correct ; but by the time 
 they reported for duty, short though the interval 
 had been, other plans had been cut and dried for 
 them. 
 
 In brief. Lieutenant Storm was ordered to report 
 at once to his regiment, then in reserve billets of the 
 Toul sector of the Lorraine front. Lieutenant 
 Van Home, on the other hand, owing to the recent 
 special training that he had received, was, in accord- 
 ance with the original intention of Headquarters 
 concerning him, detailed as " Gas Instructor " at 
 the great camp that was not far from the city of 
 Harfleur. He too was ordered to take over his 
 new duties with the least possible delay. 
 
 The two returned to the hotel to say good-bye to 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Storm, and to pack up their 
 kits. 
 
 Their respective destinations lay in quite opposite 
 directions from Paris, and both intended leaving 
 
 * Brass-hat: The private soldier's name for a high officer, 
 whose cap shows much gold braid. 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 by the first available trains. Van Home found that 
 a train for Harfleur was leaving within the hour, 
 and Storm, whose own train did not leave till later 
 in the day, pitched in and helped him to pack. 
 Each of them, although they mutually regretted 
 having to separate again so soon, was well pleased 
 with his new appointment. 
 
 Ralph on his part was eager to get back to the 
 excitement of the front line, where to him every- 
 thing partook more or less of the nature of a glori- 
 fied football game with its storm and stress, and 
 the thrill that was never altogether absent there at 
 any time. 
 
 Van Home, on the other hand, never looked for- 
 ward to the actual fighting without experiencing 
 that cold, nervous, shivering sensation that had once 
 even made him afraid of himself — afraid lest he 
 should, when the pinch came, actually feel afraid 
 and yield to that fear in spite of himself. 
 
 To be sure, he had long since proved himself to 
 himself, and was no longer possessed of that former 
 nameless dread; yet he could always understand 
 and sympathize with that Scottish Highlander who, 
 when on the point of leaving for France once again 
 after a brief week-end furlough in " Blighty," on 
 being asked if he were going back to the trenches 
 once more, and if he were glad to go, made reply in 
 his broad burring accent: 
 
 154 
 
THE GAS INSTRUCTOR 
 
 "Aye, ahm a-goin' back. Ahm a-goin' back 
 a-richt; but ahm nae just a-bur-r-rstin' tae go! " 
 
 And it was the answer of a real hero — a man who 
 could not be frightened from his duty. And so it 
 was always with the big lad, Lieutenant Rodman 
 Van Home. 
 
 Before the latter bade good-bye to his friends in 
 Paris, however, he had the satisfaction of loiowing 
 that his old friend Baptiste was going to be cared 
 for. When they were all driving back to Paris in 
 the taxi, Van Home and Storm had informed the 
 French Canadian that after that memorable raid 
 in which they had all taken part he had been re- 
 ported among the casualties, first as missing, and 
 then later as dead; and that he had been in conse- 
 quence officially " struck off the strength " of his 
 old battalion in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. 
 
 This information had set him thinking, and that 
 morning Baptiste, feeling really like a giant re- 
 freshed, after a good night's sleep in a real bed, 
 some clean and new clothes, and his first good well- 
 cooked breakfast in many a long day, had quietly 
 made his way also to the Headquarters of the Amer- 
 ican Expeditionary Force, and had enlisted as a 
 private soldier under the Stars and Stripes. 
 
 After hearing his story, and learning of his 
 former connection with the two well-known young 
 American officers who had so recently been serving 
 
 155 
 
FIGHTING ff^lTH THE U. S. ^RMT 
 
 with the Canadians, they placed Baptiste upon the 
 strength of the same regiment to which Storm and 
 Van Home had themselves been appointed, and 
 that afternoon he was to accompany Lieutenant 
 Storm when the latter set out to join the regiment 
 do^vn on the Lorraine front. 
 
 That afternoon on reporting at the gi*eat Amer- 
 ican training camp near Harfieur Van Home 
 found that he indeed had his work cut out for him. 
 It was with some slight misgivings that he at first 
 took hold. 
 
 Van was always a little dubious about himself 
 till he got warmed up to his work and forgot him- 
 self altogether. Yet without at all at such times 
 intending to do so, or even being aware that he was 
 about to do anything of the sort, Big Van, as the 
 boys at Dale Academy used to say, more often than 
 not " started something," and when he did he 
 " pushed it along." 
 
 His interview with the Camp Commandant 
 shortty after he reported there for duty was brief 
 and to the point. The Commandant informed him 
 that a number of American officers and N. C. O.'s 
 were even then taking courses in gas offense and 
 protection methods at several of the schools of in- 
 struction in England, and that pending their arrival 
 back in France Van Home's services would be most 
 
 welcome and appreciated. 
 
 156 
 
. THE GAS INSTRUCTOR 
 
 He wished to have particular stress, the Com- 
 mandant said, laid upon the latest protective devices 
 and the methods of using them. Van Home's in- 
 struction would give those of his officers who could 
 not for obvious reasons be absent from their com- 
 mands an immediate chance to learn those things, 
 and to put them into practice with their various 
 units. 
 
 " But, all details I leave to you, sir," he went 
 on. "All I ask is that you do your best to impart 
 just what you yourself have been taught. The 
 junior officers and the N. C. O.'s will be divided up 
 into squads. One or more of these squads will be 
 sent to you each working hour of the day after the 
 nine a. m. parade daily. 
 
 " You can arrange your schedule accordingly. 
 When any member of a squad has completed his 
 course of instruction to your satisfaction you will 
 have him report to my adjutant, and we shall set 
 them at once to teaching new men." 
 
 " Very good, sir," said the young instructor. 
 
 " Do not be surprised," continued the Com- 
 mandant, smiling, " if some of us senior officers 
 drop in on your classes occasionally. We all need 
 this, and I shall advise all to take advantage of the 
 time you are with us here. When can you begin? " 
 
 " When you please, sir. That is to say, with the 
 theoretical part of the work," replied Van Home 
 
 157 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 modestly. " But some appliances and apparatus 
 will be necessary as we go on." 
 
 " Very good," concluded the Commandant. 
 " Then you can begin to-morrow. Order what you 
 need in the meantime from the Q. M. stores. I 
 shall leave instructions that you are to be supplied 
 at once with all that you may require." 
 
 " Very good, sir. Thank you, sir," said Van 
 Home, saluting and turning away, followed by 
 the appraising and admiring eyes of the Com- 
 mandant — an old West Pointer, who knew a soldier 
 when he saw one. 
 
 The duty then thrust upon Lieutenant Rodman 
 Van Home, V. C, late of the Canadians and now 
 of the American Expeditionary Force, was in good 
 truth an onerous one. 
 
 The development, or rather evolution, that had 
 taken place in the use of poisonous gas as a weapon 
 of offense and defense, since that remote day at the 
 second battle of Ypres, when wholly unprotected 
 against it the Canadians of the British forces, and 
 the Turcos of the French Army had had their lungs 
 burned out, had been one of the most remarkable 
 features of the countless marvels that the great 
 World War had wrought. 
 
 As from time to time new methods of using and 
 projecting the gas were invented, fresh ways of 
 fighting it had to be found, and they were. And 
 
 158 
 
THE GAS INSTRUCTOR 
 
 as the nature of the gas used changed — for several 
 kinds quite different in their effects upon the human 
 body had come to be used — again the defense 
 against it had to be altered or improved. 
 
 At that precise period of the war when Van re- 
 ceived his appointment as a " Gas Instructor " to 
 the A. E. F. the Allied armies had even found it 
 necessary to appoint one special officer to at least 
 every battalion. This officer's sole duty was to see 
 that his own particular unit was alwaj^s in a state of 
 thorough preparedness against the insidious and 
 dread weapon. He was generally a lieutenant who 
 had been fitted for his responsible post by a special 
 course of instruction. 
 
 When Van left the Headquarters of the Camp 
 Commandant he went direct to his own tent, and 
 sat down to make out a regular schedule for his 
 classes. 
 
 Roughly he divided his course up into three parts. 
 In the first part he proposed to lecture on the vari- 
 ous kinds of gas and their effects ; one hour of this 
 to each fresh squad, he thought, ought to be suf- 
 ficient. Then he would proceed to the ways of de- 
 tecting the gas and the methods of warning troops 
 of its threatened approach. The third part, and by 
 far the greater and most important part of the 
 course, he resolved to devote to the methods of pro- 
 tection adopted, with plenty of practical work 
 
 159 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 thrown in as soon as he could secure the necessary 
 appliances therefor. 
 
 He made out a list of the things he should be 
 likely to require, and proceeded with it to the Q. M. 
 stores. The Q. M. had on hand plenty of masks of 
 the latest design accepted by the U. S. Army, and 
 Van Home requisitioned thirty of these. 
 
 The Q. M. S.' j)romised to have a special marquee 
 pitched for him in some convenient location before 
 nine o'clock next morning, and fully supplied with 
 long camp mess-tables with their accompanying 
 benches, enough to accommodate about from thirty 
 to forty men at a time. He also promised, although 
 it was something that would have to be specially 
 made by the pioneers in the meantime, to have an 
 easel blackboard, all ready for the young in- 
 structor's use by that time. 
 
 But when Van Home asked for a dozen trench 
 fans, the Q. M. S. opened his eyes wider and as- 
 sumed a look of puzzled surprise. In an injured 
 tone, as if he resented this young officer's springing 
 something entirely new on him, an old soldier, he 
 protested: 
 
 " Trench fans, sir? Why, I never heard of such 
 things, sir! What might they be like? " 
 
 " I'll show you," replied the lieutenant, with a 
 disarming smile. 
 
 * Quartermaster Sergeant. 
 i6o 
 
THE GAS INSTRUCTOR 
 
 " They certainly are something quite new to all 
 of us. But you can easily make them for me, I 
 know. Just let me have a bit of paper and a pencil, 
 and I'll show you." 
 
 Our young instructor then made a rough sketch 
 of a trench fan, explaining the simple details of its 
 construction to the Q. M. S. as he proceeded. 
 
 The latter promised to have them ready for him 
 in the morning also; but the next article on Van 
 Home's list he was not so ready to undertake. 
 When the big lieutenant was making out his list he 
 had included among the items " one gas chamber 
 for demonstration purposes," and had attached a 
 rough pencil plan of the same, with specifications as 
 to size and material. The chamber had to be con- 
 structed partly underground, and was to have an 
 outlet at each end, so that one might enter at one 
 end and pass out through the other without having 
 to turn back, once within it. 
 
 The Q. M. S. had no doubt about the ability of 
 his pioneers to construct it; but suggested that it 
 would be as well if the lieutenant himself super- 
 vised its construction. This was agreed upon, and 
 Van Home forthwith set apart a portion of the 
 next morning early for that purpose. The Q. M. S. 
 promised to indent on the Ordnance Department 
 for the necessary chemicals and apparatus for pro- 
 ducing the chlorine gas. 
 
 i6i 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 THE CLASS 
 
 *'TMs is their JiigJiest guerdon. 
 Never to shrink from the task; 
 But, if life or death he the burden. 
 To share it is all they ask/' 
 
 Rod Van Horne was nothing if not thorough 
 in all that he undertook. In his classes at Dale 
 Academy dogged perseverance and persistence had 
 more than once placed him ahead of those who were 
 much quicker to learn than he. 
 
 The night before he began his work of instruc- 
 tion at the American Training Camp he sat up, 
 poring over the notes he had taken on " gas " pro- 
 tection at one of the training schools in England, 
 till the nightly bugles softly blew that weird and 
 lonesome call, " lights-out," " lights-oout," that 
 always makes the rookie's heart sit heavy in his 
 bosom when he hears it for the first time as a soldier. 
 
 As a sort of a lecture he planned to afford all 
 that information regarding the different kinds of 
 gas that has already been briefly dwelt upon in the 
 preceding chapter. At first he thought of writing 
 out something, memorizing what he had written, 
 
 162 
 
THE CLASS 
 
 and then delivering it in set form to each succeed- 
 ing class or squad in turn as they appeared before 
 him for instruction throughout the day. 
 
 But he had never been able to make much of a 
 fist of it as a speaker in the debating society at Dale ; 
 generally getting stuck before he got started, no 
 matter how well he had previously memorized his 
 speech. So on this occasion he wisely concluded to 
 content himself with reading over his notes care- 
 fully and slowly, and to let the morrow take care 
 of itself. 
 
 Betimes next morning he saw to it that a working 
 party under the command of a pioneer sergeant was 
 set to work on the construction of the " gas-cham- 
 ber," and he himself supervised their labors till nine 
 o'clock, the hour set for his first class. 
 
 The day was fine, and the front of the marquee 
 that had been pitched over night and furnished 
 ready for him had been thrown wide open for air 
 and s,unshine, as is the custom with all tents in all 
 camps when the weather permits. 
 
 As Van drew near it he could hear much merry 
 laughter and talk from within. His first class of 
 junior officers — first and second lieutenants — was 
 already assembled there. As their new instructor 
 paused at the tent entrance, and took in what was 
 going on inside, he could not help smiling broadly 
 in sympathy with them. 
 
 163 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 The whole class was gathered about a table on 
 which the Q. M. S. had left a pile of gas-masks. 
 The junior officers were examining them and trying 
 them on, just as any other group of mere schoolboj^s 
 would have done, during the teacher's absence, and 
 were having much fun over their awkward en- 
 deavors to adjust the uncomfortable contrivances, 
 and at the grotesquely ugly appearance that each 
 presented when he had finally succeeded in cover- 
 ing his face with it. 
 
 Van Home's immense stature and broad shoul- 
 ders darkened the entrance to the tent, wide open 
 though it was ; and one of the merry group of young 
 officers looked up. Now the fame of their gigantic 
 young instructor had already gone abroad in the 
 camp, and more than the junior officers then as- 
 sembled in the marquee were curious to have a look 
 at the young giant from the good old U. S. A. who 
 had achieved the Victoria Cross, that decoration so 
 highly prized by the British soldier, from the low- 
 est to the highest ranks. 
 
 It is safe to say that the junior officer who first 
 caught sight of him, standing with his back to the 
 light in the front of the marquee, had never before 
 set his eyes on a human figure of such generous and 
 at the same time symmetrical proportions. 
 
 At once he recognized Lieutenant Van Home for 
 what he really was, and in a " boiler-maker's whis- 
 
 164 
 
THE CLASS 
 
 per " that could be heard by every one — Van Home 
 himself included — he cried: 
 
 " Cheese it, fellows! Here's the instructor!" 
 
 At the same time the speaker dropped the mask 
 he had just removed from his face, and " ducked " 
 for a seat on the nearest bench. 
 
 Then again the twenty-nine others behaved them- 
 selves just like a bunch of grown-up schoolboys. 
 Some made a mad dash for the benches, and hastily 
 seated themselves at the tables, and tried to look 
 virtuous. Some of them stood their ground and 
 looked stupid. One, who had succeeded in push- 
 ing his face into a mask that was too small for him, 
 tugged frantically, and unavailingly in his hurry, 
 to remove it. All tried to look suddenly serious 
 and dignified, as became commissioned officers, and 
 succeeded but indifferently well in doing so. 
 
 Two or three ventured a hearty " Good-morning, 
 sir!" 
 
 Van Home's responsive and hearty " Good- 
 morning, fellows ! " accompanied as it was by that 
 rare smile of his that ever won all hearts when it did 
 make its appearance, set them at their ease again 
 almost immediately. They perceived at once that 
 this new instructor of theirs was a " regular fel- 
 low." 
 
 Answering smiles broke out over all their faces, 
 and they replied in chorus, all of them: 
 
 165 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " Good-morning, sir! " 
 
 Thus was the ice broken, and Van at once felt 
 that, for his part, he would have no trouble in 
 getting along if they were all anything like the sam- 
 ple then before him; his heart went out to them 
 right away. And in fact it would have been the 
 fault of any instructor himself who failed to get 
 along with those magnificent young fellows as a 
 whole; they were of the pick of the brawn and brain 
 of young America. 
 
 Then each one quietly found a seat for himself 
 on the long benches that ran along one side of each 
 of the tables, and thus left them when seated facing 
 the instructor's table, with the newly painted black- 
 board behind it not yet dry, and so not yet ready 
 for use. 
 
 Van found this out by getting a black smudge 
 upon his finger when he tested it. When he turned 
 to do this they sized up his great back admiringly, 
 and then glanced significantly and furtively at each 
 other, which glances said as plainly as so many 
 words : 
 
 " Some officer, eh, what! " 
 
 But as it turned out Van Home had not much 
 use for the blackboard that day. At first he was 
 at a loss how to begin; not that he was at all em- 
 barrassed or confused when he looked into the thirty 
 pairs of eager expectant young eyes that looked 
 
 i66 
 
THE CLASS 
 
 steadily bacK into his own. They were of his own 
 kind. 
 
 And, as usual with Big Van, he did the right 
 thing at the right time; he was just his natural self. 
 
 " This is a new game to me, fellows," he started 
 off. " I mean this instructing business. 
 
 "And I never was much good at talking single- 
 handed, anyway, so I guess you'll have to help me 
 out — by asldng questions, or something. Not that 
 I'll be able to answer everything you ask; but I'll 
 answer all I can. But don't all speak at once," he 
 added with a smile. 
 
 Then the young instructor paused as if waiting 
 for some one of them to start the ball rolling; but 
 none of them ventured a question immediately. 
 The fact of the matter was that all of them had so 
 many questions to ask that none of them knew 
 which to ask first. 
 
 The sound of his own voice, however, seemed to 
 have stimulated Van Home's flow of thought, and 
 at length he went on quite naturally and conver- 
 sationally, as if he were merely taking part in a 
 friendly " chin " with some of his friends. And 
 that indeed was just how he really felt. 
 
 " Last night when I was studying over this busi- 
 ness I thought that I would just begin this morn- 
 ing by telling you something about the gas, what 
 its effects are, and all that sort of thing. 
 
 ' 167 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " Maybe some of you already know all this. If 
 so, all the better. Then you'll be able to help me 
 along if I get stuck. 
 
 " I'll tell you why you should know all about the 
 gas, how it's made, and what it is, and so on. It's 
 just so that you fellows can tell it again to your 
 platoons when you in your turn are instructing 
 them. 
 
 " Maybe you wonder what good it can do the 
 men to know what the gas is composed of, and how 
 it is made. Well, in the first place, it has been 
 found out in both the British and the French armies 
 that the very bad effect the gas had on the morale 
 of the rank and file generally was mainly due to the 
 surprise and mystery surrounding it. It was some- 
 thing they didn't know and didn't understand; there 
 was that dread uncanniness about it that always 
 accompanies whatever is mysterious and intan- 
 gible. 
 
 " Later when the men were shown how it was 
 made, and that there was nothing mysterious at all 
 about it, and how it could be rendered absolutely 
 harmless they then always remained absolutely 
 cool, instead of going off in a panic as they did at 
 first. 
 
 "And when your men keep cool, you can smash 
 up the enemy infantry when they try to follow up 
 the gas cloud or barrage, whichever it may be, be- 
 
 i68 
 
THE CLASS 
 
 fore they get any nearer than your own barbed 
 wire. 
 
 " But right there is where you have to go slow 
 again, and dwell uiDon the terrible effects of the 
 gas unless the men are unceasingly vigilant and on 
 guard against it. You can't impress that too 
 strongly upon your platoons, fellows. The French 
 when they have their masks in position say that 
 they are wearing them at the ' alerte/ and that's a 
 mighty good word. Try to drive it into your men 
 so that it will stick, that they must always be on 
 the * alerte ' against the crawling, deadly stuff. 
 
 " That's why we have to keep telling the men 
 over and over again about the danger of it ; to keep 
 them keyed up, lest they forget for but one minute 
 just at the wrong time. You see, if green troops 
 don't happen to get a severe dose of it the first time, 
 unless the continued danger is reimpressed on 
 them, they have a natural tendency to underrate 
 the effects of the gas, and to be careless about their 
 masks and dugout flaps; and then the next time 
 they get it so good and plenty that those who sur- 
 vive can never forget." 
 
 Every young officer in the class was hanging 
 upon the gigantic instructor's words, as he warmed 
 up to his work, and every now and then slammed 
 one huge brown fist with a resounding thwack into 
 the palm of his other hand. 
 
 169 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 "And you can take it from me, fellows," he con- 
 tinued, " that when a man is gassed nowadays — that 
 is, provided he has had proper instruction — m 
 ninety-five cases out of a hundred it is his own 
 fault. 
 
 "And if he has not been properly instructed and 
 drilled, why then it's our fault, and his death lies at 
 our doors. Think of that ! 
 
 " I'm telling you all this beforehand to try to 
 impress upon you the importance of thoroughly in- 
 structing your men, and not only instructing them, 
 but drilling them as well. You should give your 
 men a regular gas attack drill every day till it be- 
 comes just as easy and natural a thing for them to 
 keep their masks in good shape and ready at hand 
 always, and to be able to slip them on easily and 
 quickly, as it is for them to keep their rifles cleaned 
 and oiled and to carry them at the high port in a 
 charge over No Man's Land. At every gas-drill 
 you should personally inspect some or all of their 
 gas-masks, and make it a serious crime to find one 
 out of order. 
 
 "And constant drill is the only thing that will do 
 this, just as it is the only way to secure high ef- 
 ficiency in anything, in the army or out of it." 
 
 Van Home had by this time quite forgotten him- 
 self, and in his own homely style was talking away 
 quite fluently, if not eloquently. 
 
 170 
 
THE CLASS 
 
 With his first words he had captured their atten- 
 tion, and what was better he held it throughout the 
 hour. This was very encouraging to the young 
 lecturer, as the introduction was the dryest and 
 least interesting part of the course of insti*uction 
 he had mapped out for his classes. 
 
 He detailed the composition, effects, and modes 
 of projecting the gas, in that first lesson, making it 
 interesting by quoting concrete instances and ex- 
 amples. 
 
 The hour passed very quickly for both Van Home 
 and his audience. No questions were asked. So 
 interested did they all seem to be in the speaker's 
 words that they appeared content merely to listen. 
 The sole interruptions to his discourse were made 
 by the young lecturer himself, when he occasionally 
 paused and advised them to make a note in their 
 books of some particular point. 
 
 Toward the close of his talk to this first batch 
 of his pupils he told them that he would talk to 
 them about the different means of guarding against 
 and of overcoming the gas attacks, and promised 
 them that after that their work would be more 
 interesting, as it would then consist mostly of prac- 
 tical work. 
 
 Finally He said, glancing at his watch : 
 
 " We have just three minutes more before the 
 next class comes on. I wish to thank you for the 
 
 171 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 patient attention you have given me, fellows. Has 
 any one any question to ask? " 
 
 Whereat a bright youth, who with evident diffi- 
 culty had been repressing his exuberant spirits all 
 through the class, inquired with a grin: 
 
 " What about the rats we hear so much about, 
 sir? Does the gas effect them too? " 
 
 A burst of laughter greeted the question, but 
 subsided at once as Van replied smilingly: 
 
 " Yes, after a heavy gas attack dead rats, big 
 gray fellows almost as big as a cat, and all sizes of 
 rats down to the smallest size, lie about the trenches 
 and dugouts everywhere. One never realizes what 
 swarms of them there must have been alive there 
 till he sees their bodies lying all about after the gas. 
 We have masks for our horses, our mules, and our 
 Red Cross dogs; but the Q. M. doesn't supply any 
 for Mr. Rat, you know." 
 
 "And how about the ' cooties,' sir? " queried 
 the same young irrepressible who had already 
 spoken. 
 
 " Our intimate little friend, the cootie, seems to 
 be the only living thing, so far, that thrives upon 
 * gas.' He seems, if possible, to be more lively after 
 a good dose of it than before. But perhaps we may 
 yet find some better way of dealing with him, too, 
 than by simply picking him off a shirt and crack- 
 ing him between thumb-nails." 
 
 172 
 
THE CLASS 
 
 The class one and all filed out of the marquee 
 laughing heartily. 
 
 Five separate batches of junior officers appeared 
 before Van Home that day, so he felt that he had 
 his opening talk " down pretty fine " before it 
 ended. He had succeeded as well in making him- 
 self solid with more than one hundred and fifty of 
 his fellow lieutenants of the A. E. F., and not a few 
 of the senior officers, some of whom introduced 
 themselves to the young instructor, and congratu- 
 lated him on the high honor he had won while with 
 the Canadians. 
 
 The following day the apparatus which he had 
 requisitioned from the Q. M. stores was ready and 
 he began to take up the more interesting and prac- 
 tical work with his classes. 
 
 Before proceeding to the actual " mask drill," 
 however, he dwelt at some length on the ways and 
 means of detecting the approach and presence of 
 the gas, and some of the devices used for spreading 
 the alarm. 
 
 "And here again I want to point out to 
 you fellows," he said, " another reason why 
 you should have your gas drills regularly and 
 often. 
 
 " False alarms, due to panic, or perhaps to nerv- 
 ousness, have a very bad effect on the morale of 
 your men. 
 
 173 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMr 
 
 " By them men are disturbed who should be 
 taking their rest. 
 
 "And if they happen too often the alarm becomes 
 like that old cry of ' Wolf, wolf! ' Too often re- 
 peated, no attention is paid to it. Men will wake 
 up, and turn over, and go to sleep again, without 
 ever bothering to put on their masks. Many thou- 
 sands have lost their lives just that way. 
 
 " Besides, regular gas drill has a steadying effect 
 on everybody. Sentinels who have had it are not so 
 likely to start a false alarm, that every time, remem- 
 ber, will extend as far back, and beyond the reserve 
 trenches, as those who have not had such constant 
 practice. 
 
 " Drill 'em, drill 'em, I repeat. You can't give 
 your platoons too much of it. They will not like 
 it, I know, and will grouse their dear old heads off; 
 but the only thing you can do in that case is to try 
 and make them realize that it is all for their own 
 good. 
 
 " But, just to get down to brass tacks again, 
 fellows, I want to tell you some of the commonest 
 ways of knowing when it is most necessary to be 
 on your guard when No Man's Land is not very 
 wide across, and how to send out and spread the 
 alarm. 
 
 " Not that accidents will not happen, mind you; 
 no matter how careful you may be. When the 
 
 174 
 
THE CLASS 
 
 enemy trench is close to you, and you have men 
 out in listening j)osts or saps, it's sometimes simply 
 impossible to get a warning to them in time." 
 
 Van paused a moment, as if to get his second 
 wind, and one of his pupil officers asked: 
 
 " What do you do in that case, sir? " 
 
 " Nothing," replied Van Home gravely. " I 
 once saw a sergeant and four pioneers come out of a 
 covered sap, and walk right into a heavy gas cloud. 
 The sergeant and two of the men died; they of 
 course had known nothing of what was going on 
 aboveground. But, as the French say, ' C'est la 
 guerre.' " 
 
 Van paused, and glanced thoughtfully down 
 at the heap of gas-masks on the table before him, 
 as if they had just awakened some painful recollec- 
 tion. Then he resumed in a low tone: 
 
 " Once when I was with the Canadians my pla- 
 toon got it thick in the support trenches — second 
 line, you know. I was a platoon sergeant then, 
 and we had no * gas ' officers in those days. 
 
 " The platoon lost nine men out of forty-eight. 
 It was at night, and the men not on duty were 
 sleeping in the dugouts. Seven of the nine were 
 in the dugouts, and afterward we found their 
 masks still under their greatcoats, which they had 
 been using folded for pillows. They could not get 
 at their masks in time to get them on in the dark- 
 
 175 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 ness. The two sentinels killed did not have their 
 gas-masks on their persons neither. 
 
 " After that I always insisted on the men of my 
 platoon wearing their masks always attached by 
 the straps — no matter what they were doing while 
 in the trenches, sleeping or waking. 
 
 " I know that this is a standing order now; but 
 you'll have to watch your men closely, boys, to see 
 that it's carried out." 
 
 " May I ask a question, sir? " broke in one of the 
 junior officers. 
 
 " Certainly, that's what I'm here for," smiled 
 Van. 
 
 " Is the gas officer responsible for the condi- 
 tion of the men's masks, or are we responsible 
 for our own platoons, sir? Who inspects the 
 masks?" 
 
 "A very sensible question, and I'm glad you 
 asked it," replied Van Home. 
 
 " There is a chain of responsibility. The buck 
 private is expected to care for his mask as well as 
 he does for his rifle, and you all know what that 
 means. The corporals are responsible for their 
 squads to the sergeants; the sergeants are re- 
 sponsible to you lieutenants who command pla- 
 toons, and you must answer to the captain, who in 
 his turn is responsible for his whole company to 
 the officer commanding the battalion, and so on. 
 
 176 
 
THE CLASS 
 
 All are responsible and must answer for the life of 
 every soldier. 
 
 " The gas officer will carry on independently of 
 you all, and check you all up. As the M. O.' is 
 supreme in his sphere, so is the gas officer in his." 
 
 " Thank you, sir," replied the young officer who 
 had sought enlightenment. 
 
 " But to get back to our subject, alarms," smiled 
 Big Van, nodding pleasantly to the last speaker. 
 
 " Of course you must bear in mind that I am 
 referring now to gas clouds when the opposing 
 trenches are close together. As for the shell, they 
 arrive first, and we know of their presence only 
 when we have smelled or felt them. 
 
 "And right here let me caution you, lest I should 
 forget it later ; never allow your men for any reason 
 whatever to remove their masks once they have been 
 ordered to put them on, until they are just as specif- 
 ically ordered to take them off again. Get that 
 into your mask drills, too. 
 
 " One of the Boche tricks is to follow up the 
 first gas wave by another just about the time we 
 are beginning to think all clear; it may be two 
 hours after the first one. And usually this second 
 one is followed up closely by their bombers; so 
 always look out for it, fellows, whether it comes 
 or not. 
 
 * Medical officer. 
 177 
 
FIGHTING tVITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " To begin with, of course, if there is no wind, or 
 if the wind is blowing from us toward the enemy, 
 
 there is little danger of any 
 new gas cloud, so it is up to 
 you to keep tabs on the wind 
 always. 
 
 " To do that is easy 
 enough in the daytime; but 
 not so easy at night. You 
 can have made some very 
 small windmills, just such 
 as we used to make at school 
 for amusement," smiled the 
 young instructor, "and stick 
 them up on the parapet of 
 your bit of trench, or even 
 a piece of woolen yarn from 
 your sock, tied to the branch 
 of a twig and stuck up 
 there will do, so long as you 
 can see it. 
 
 " The speed of the wind ought also to be taken 
 into consideration." 
 
 Lieutenant Van Home ceased speaking again, 
 and smiling broadly, queried: 
 
 " By the way, how many of you know what 
 Beaufort's Scale is? 
 " Hands up, please? " 
 
 178 
 
 An American Gas-Mask 
 
 The "doughboys" learned to 
 
 adjust it in seven seconds. 
 
THE CLASS 
 
 Four of the young officers raised their hands, but 
 not very high and rather hesitatingly. 
 
 " All right! " said Van Home. 
 
 " Well, it will be worth your while making a note 
 of it, fellows. 
 
 " It's a rule-of -thumb for gauging the wind 
 that has long been in use among sailors. It was 
 many years ago compiled by an English admiral 
 named ' Beaufort.' 
 
 " Better take this down in your note-books and 
 memorize it; I'll just giYe you the part that applies 
 on land especially," he added. 
 
 " How shall we head the note, sir? " asked one 
 of the class. 
 
 " Just, * Beaufort's Scale,' B-e-a-u-f-o-r-t," re- 
 plied his instructor, and then he slowly dictated: 
 
 '*Wind speed, (nil) — Smoke goes straight up. 
 
 Wind speed, 2 mi. per hour — Smoke slants. 
 Wind speed, 5 mi. per hour — Wind felt on face. ' 
 Wind speed, 10 mi. per hour — Loose bits of paper and 
 
 leaves move about. 
 Wind speed, 15 mi. per hour — Bushes sway. 
 Wind speed, 20 mi. per hour — Tree-tops sway. 
 Wind speed, 30 mi. per hour — Wind whistles through 
 
 tree-tops. 
 
 " That's all, and it's worth knowing," he con- 
 cluded. 
 
 179 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMY 
 
 " But that can't be of much use at night, sir? " 
 protested one of his pupils inquiringly. 
 
 " No, that's true," replied Van Home. 
 
 " To detect the gas at night you must depend 
 chiefly upon your nose. But you can get a line on 
 the direction of the wind by taking an occasional 
 squint at your wind-vane, if you happen to have 
 an electric torch handy; but that is always 
 risky. 
 
 " Snipers or machine gimners across the way 
 will quickly mark down the spot where the flash 
 appears more than once. A better way is to 
 moisten one side of your face, and then turn your 
 head slowly about. Even when you cannot notice 
 the wind at all on the dry side, you can feel it on 
 the wet cheek. 
 
 "At night it is all the more necessary to give the 
 alarm promptly. 
 
 "Any of you who have ever tried on a mask," the 
 speaker pursued with a dry smile at the recollection 
 of their occupation when he had first entered the 
 marquee, " can readily understand that it is alto- 
 gether impossible to shout or whistle a warning with 
 one on, or to blow a bugle. Yet it would never do 
 for the sentinel to wait till after he had given the 
 alarm before putting on his own mask. 
 
 "And so we have always had to use some out- 
 side means of making a different loud noise — the 
 
 1 80 
 
THE CLASS 
 
 louder the better — that would be recognized by all 
 who heard it as the dread gas alarm. 
 
 " Bells and gongs and auto horns have been 
 tried. The motor horns are good; but we never 
 could get enough of them, some way or other. The 
 best of the gongs, because the handiest and most 
 plentiful, is an empty shell case hung by a cord from 
 a stick laid across the angle of a traverse where it 
 joins the fire-bay." 
 
 A member of the class held up his hand, signify- 
 ing his wish to ask a question, and Van Home 
 nodded. 
 
 " Which is the better of them, sir, the gong or the 
 horn? " 
 
 " The shell-gong, I should say," replied his in- 
 structor. " But even that can only be used for a 
 local warning. At an alarm of gas, you know, 
 everybody has to turn out, and if the alarm is only 
 good locally sentinels must awaken men and of- 
 ficers in dugouts and billets, and if there are any 
 inhabited villages or farms just back of the lines 
 messengers must be dispatched to them. 
 
 "And although we still make an emergency use 
 of the shell-gong, at present as soon as possible 
 after they have been organized our trenches are 
 equipped with a mechanical alarm that can be 
 heard above the clatter of machine-gun fire, or even 
 the din of bursting shell. 
 
 i8i 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " It is called the * Strombos Horn/ These are 
 installed in the fire-trenches, one for every four 
 hundred or five hundred yards, and at longer and 
 longer intervals apart down through the com- 
 munication trenches and clear out to brigade and 
 divisional headquarters. 
 
 " By means of them an alarm started in the fire- 
 trench can be passed along and clear out back of the 
 lines almost as quickly as sound itself can travel. 
 The noise they make is " 
 
 On the table in front of the speaker, along with 
 the other appliances he had requisitioned from the 
 Q. M. was an iron compressed-air cylinder having 
 at one end a stop-cock surmounted by an odd-look- 
 ing funnel-shaped contrivance. 
 
 As Van Home was about to make the remark 
 just above quoted he bent abruptly over the cylin- 
 der and gave a twist to the stop-cock. The re- 
 sultant, ear-splitting and prolonged shriek brought 
 every member of the class to his feet with a jump. 
 The sudden piercing noise was almost deafening. 
 Most of the class involuntarily clapped their hands 
 to their ears. An instant they stood thus. 
 
 Their instructor then turned off the excruciating 
 
 screech as abruptly as he had turned it on. The 
 
 whole class sat Aown like one man as suddenly as 
 
 they had arisen. They had moved up and down 
 
 like marionettes upon a string. , 
 
 182 
 
THE CLASS 
 
 Van smilingly finished his interrupted sentence: 
 
 " The noise they make is — that," he said. 
 
 The class began to laugh, and in their laughter 
 were joined by a fresh group of young officers who 
 had appeared at the front of the marquee, just as 
 Van Home turned on the Strombos Horn. To 
 the latter's surprise he saw that the next class had 
 arrived. He glanced at his wrist watch. 
 
 " Time for the next class, fellows. Sorry we 
 did not get down to the practical work this morn- 
 ing; but to-morrow will be another day. Good- 
 morning! " 
 
 The one class filed out through the rear of the 
 marquee while another filed in from the front and 
 took their places. 
 
 .183 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 THE FRONT 
 
 ^'This is the song of the gun — 
 The muttering, stuttering gun. 
 The maddening, gladdening gun — 
 That chuckles with evil glee 
 At the last, long drive of the Hun," 
 
 Later on that same day that Rodman Van 
 Home left Paris for the training camp, Ralph 
 Storm, accompanied by Baptiste Trudeau, took his 
 departure also from the French capital, bound for 
 Toxil, then the hub of active American operations 
 down in the Lorraine sector of the Western Front. 
 
 Early the following morning they arrived in that 
 ancient fortress surrounded by her grass-concealed 
 ramparts of steel. Toul is one of the oldest, and is 
 the strongest but one of all the fortified cities of 
 that part of Lorraine which the Prussians had left 
 to France after the Franco-Prussian War of nearly 
 a half century ago. 
 
 Both Lieutenant Storm and Baptiste were eager 
 to get on, and they met with no untoward delay 
 there. After a good breakfast for both at the 
 
 184 
 
THE FRONT 
 
 Hotel de la Comedie, Ralph reported at divisional 
 headquarters and there had no difficulty in procur- 
 ing motor transport clear through to the Post of 
 Command of his own regiment. He was there 
 informed also that it would not be necessary for 
 him to stop at Brigade Headquarters, then at the 
 considerable town of Domevre. 
 
 The main wagon-road leading directly north 
 from Toul — an old Roman road dating back to 
 the days of the Caesars — was as congested with four 
 distinct streams of traffic as was every highway 
 leading to and from a divisional headquarters in 
 France. Two streams of heavy wheeled traffic — 
 lorries, motors, guns, and mule teams without end — 
 in the centre; one coming, one going; and one of 
 foot-sloggers on the outer edge of each side of the 
 road. 
 
 All this was an old story to Ralph Storm, who 
 had already participated in two campaigns, and it 
 interested him but little more than it did his com- 
 panion, Baptiste, who was already fast asleep on 
 his seat in front with the khaki-clad driver. His 
 predominant feeling was merely impatience at the 
 snail's pace at which they were forced to proceed; 
 none could move faster than the slowest of the 
 plodding mule-teams and heavy, lumbering guns 
 ahead. 
 
 About three miles north of Toul, however, the 
 
 185 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. 5. ARMT 
 
 main wagon-road forked, and they turned off into 
 that branch which led in a northwesterly direction. 
 
 There the going for a space was better. About 
 fifteen miles further on they turned to the right 
 again at a crossroad, and the enforced slowness of 
 their progress again from there on, and the in- 
 creasing roughness of what had once been one of 
 the smoothest metalled ' roads of France suddenly 
 awakened Ralph to the realization that they were 
 already in that part of the sector that had been 
 bloodily fought over but three years before, when 
 the brave French under General Castelnau had 
 succeeded in driving the invader back to the line 
 which he at present held. 
 
 The villages through which they were then pass- 
 ing — or rather, what had once been the tiny hamlets 
 dotting the road, sometimes not more than a mile 
 apart — had been ground down into bricks and 
 brick-dust for the most part. The trees along the 
 roadside had been shattered half-way up their 
 trunks, or had their tops broken and lopped off; 
 they somehow reminded one of the stumps of old 
 brooms. 
 
 The road itself, although it had been made 
 passable again by the French engineers, and had 
 been later worked over by our own engineers, was 
 
 1 tt 
 
 Metalled" is a term applied to stone roads capable of 
 bearing the heaviest kind of traffic. 
 
 I86 
 
THE FRONT 
 
 still very rough and uneven where the big shell had 
 fallen thick, and in many places the craters made 
 by " coal-boxes," too wide and deep to be easily 
 and quickly filled in, had been rudely bridged over. 
 
 The stretch of land on either side of the road was 
 derelict and desert. Although no shell were fall- 
 ing there just then, they might at any time. And 
 so no effort had been made since to cultivate the 
 land, whose gently undulating surface was a mass 
 of long coarse grass and weeds, the green of it re- 
 lieved every here and there by yellow mustard and 
 blue corn-flower, or the blood-red poppy. In spots 
 where the suffering soil had been churned up be- 
 yond endurance even the poppy had been killed, 
 and the land lay bare and naked. 
 
 Although the traffic there was not nearly so great 
 as on the main roads there was something or some 
 one coming or going all the time, and for the most 
 part they were Americans. Lieutenant Storm 
 eyed them curiously and with much interest. On 
 the whole his experienced verdict on the way they 
 were carrying on was one of approval. 
 
 All at once they found themselves passing two 
 companies of blue-steel helmeted poilus going in 
 the same direction as themselves, but on another 
 road a little distance to the right, and parallel to 
 the one on which they were. Ralph surmised that 
 these must be some of the few French soldiers who 
 
 187 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S, ARMT 
 
 were still left to leaven the raw Yankee boys, as the 
 latter gradually took over on their own a broader 
 and broader frontage there. 
 
 Suddenly apparently out of nowhere a mounted 
 American artillery officer clattered across the road 
 just ahead of them. Not two hundred yards from 
 the road he reined up and slipped from the saddle 
 all in the one and same movement. He blew a 
 sharp attention-attracting blast on his whistle, and 
 barked out a series of commands that reminded one 
 of the signals shouted by a football captain. 
 
 These were followed in another minute by the 
 sharp query: 
 
 " Piece number five, ready? " 
 
 Over on the road in the motor car they could 
 hear his words quite plainly. 
 
 The Famous Fbench "75 
 
 " Stop ! " said Ralph to the chauffeur. 
 The reply to the artillery officer's query came 
 quickly from piece number five: 
 
 i88 
 
THE FRONT 
 
 "Ready, sir!" 
 
 And the same answer followed in quick succes- 
 sion from the other four pieces of the battery of 
 field artillery. 
 
 Squatting flat in the long grass and wild flowers 
 of the neglected meadow was this battery of " Char- 
 lottes," as the French soldiers affectionately call 
 their redoubtable 75's, loaned to our artillerymen 
 till such time as our own guns arrived from over- 
 seas. 
 
 Only the slender noses of those famous little 
 field guns, pointing skyward at an angle of forty- 
 three and a half degrees,* showed above the sur- 
 rounding grass and weeds and wild flowers. So 
 cunningly camouflaged were they with mottled 
 gTeen and yellow paint, blending so well with their 
 immediate neighborhood, that Lieutenant Storm 
 might well have driven past them without ever 
 knowing that they were there, had not the galloping 
 officer attracted his attention. 
 
 " Fire! " barked the lieutenant of artillery. 
 
 The response was marvelous. 
 
 A faint puff of white fume scarcely discernible 
 from each slender nose; a clear, terrible bark from 
 each iron throat that merged into one savage yelp; 
 
 'A gun of any size has its farthest trajectory when pointed 
 at an angle of 43.5 degrees. If pointed either higher or lower, 
 the shell fall at a shorter distance. 
 
 189 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U, 5. ARMr 
 
 the slender noses disappeared, to reappear again 
 instantly, as if by magic! 
 
 Four times was this action repeated almost as 
 quickly as a sniper could empty the magazine of 
 his rifle. 
 
 Then all was still. 
 
 Twenty-five 75 m. m. shell (2.9 inches), each 
 weighing fifteen pounds and loaded with three hun- 
 dred shrapnel bullets, had sought and found their 
 German billets nearly five miles away. 
 
 In less than half a minute it was all over and the 
 guns were silent again. 
 
 From one of those French 75's a crack crew can 
 fire twenty roimds a minute, which means a spray 
 of 6,000 shrapnel bullets in just sixty seconds. 
 It is no wonder that the graceful " Charlotte " is 
 considered by the Allies to be the Empress of the 
 Battle-field. She is a typical little French lady, 
 dainty, lithe, superb, and she gets her own way 
 everywhere — always . 
 
 "Good work, sir!" grunted the chauffeur to 
 Lieutenant Storm. 
 
 " Fine! " acquiesced Ralph. " Drive on! " 
 
 Just a short distance further on was located the 
 regimental Post of Command. Ralph Storm 
 would not have known that he had reached his 
 destination, had he not been so informed by the 
 Army Service chauffeur, who made frequent trips 
 
 190 
 
THE FRONT 
 
 out of Toul daily, carrying staff officers bent on 
 tours of inspection from divisional and brigade 
 headquarters to the various regimental P. C/s of 
 that sector. 
 
 This information the chauffeur volunteered to 
 Ralph as they were crossing a trestlework of tim- 
 ber with the bark still on. To Storm's experienced 
 eye it was quite clear that the great gap in the 
 old Roman road-bed, till then solid and undisturbed 
 since Csesar's time, had been made by a mine. 
 
 Even as the soldier chauffeur was speaking an 
 attentive ear might have discerned the faint sound 
 of rifle-fire, and the subdued purr of a machine gun. 
 Lieutenant Storm's eyes gleamed exultantly and 
 he muttered half aloud: 
 
 "Just as I thought they would! Our fellows 
 will not give Fritz a chance to forget that they are 
 on the job, now that they are here! " 
 
 From the other side of the bridge the straight 
 road ran on right through another of those little 
 towns of French Lorraine that once had names. 
 There never was, and never will be, a more com- 
 plete illustration of the German invader's mania for 
 destruction than was there presented. To a 
 civilian's eye it might have appeared that the little 
 place had been heavily shelled. Ralph knew at 
 once, however, that such had not been the case. 
 
 As a matter of fact not a single shell had ever 
 
 191 
 
FIGHTING fFITH THE U. S. ARMY 
 
 fallen there; yet to left and right of the single 
 straight street every structure had been burned and 
 pulled to pieces literally till not a single wall stood 
 
 Aetillery Attack on Earthwoeks (1) 
 
 Showing the action on bursting of Time Shells, fitted with a time fuse 
 set so as to detonate the shell a certain number of seconds after it has 
 been fired from the gun or howitzer. Time shells may be of the H. E. 
 type ; but more generally are of the shrapnel variety. 
 
 The width of the area and [ground struck by the bullets of an effective 
 shrapnel is about 25 yards. The length of the forward spread of the 
 bullets of shrapnel burst at effective range is about 200 yards, 
 
 A — Entrenched ground with trenches facing left. 
 
 B — Shrapnel Shell with time fuse, fired from a gun, and having \ slope. 
 
 C — Common H. E. Shell with time fuse, fired from gun, and having \ slope. 
 
 D— Shrapnel Shell with time fuse, fired from a howitzer, and having f 
 slope. 
 
 where it had been. The wreck was complete. 
 When fire had done all that it could, great wire 
 cables had been threaded through the windows of 
 the walls that still stood. Teams of horses had 
 then been hitched to the ends of the cables, and the 
 
 192 
 
THE FRONT 
 
 horses cruelly flogged till they pulled the steel 
 cables through what remained of the walls between, 
 and brought the whole tumbling down into the 
 street. 
 
 The Hun thought to level it so that it could 
 afford no shelter to the pursuing poilu. He little 
 thought then that the crushed heaps of brick and 
 mortar would one day afford the very best kind of 
 overhead shelter to the American doughboys who 
 now burrowed beneath them. 
 
 The car stopped, and the soldier chauffeur 
 pointed to a heap of mixed broken brick, mortar, 
 and charred beams, distinguished from the other 
 similar heaps along both sides of the road only by 
 its size. It was larger than any of the other heaps, 
 and in fact represented what was left of the town's 
 once most imposing residence. 
 
 About three feet of one brick wall running at 
 right angles to the road was all of the structure that 
 remained intact. 
 
 " That's it, sir," said the chauffeur laconically. 
 " You get in through a hole under that bit of brick 
 wall there." 
 
 They all got out of the car and piled the few 
 articles of Ralph's kit and Baptiste's pack by the 
 roadside. When this was done, the chauffeur, after 
 receiving a substantial tip, or " pour-boire," as the 
 French say, turned his machine about, and with a 
 
 193 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 parting wave of his hand started on his way back 
 to Toul. 
 
 Followed by Baptiste, Ralph picked his way over 
 the skirts of the rubbish heap and around in front 
 
 Artillery Attack on Earthworks (2) 
 
 Showing the action on bursting, of Percussion Type Shells, or shells that 
 
 burst only when they strike some objective. 
 A — Entrenched ground with trenches facing left. 
 B — H. E. (High Explosive) Shell fired from a gun and striking with \ 
 
 slope. 
 C — H. E. Shell fired from howitzer, and striking with \ slope. 
 D — H. E. Shell fired from howitzer, and striking with ^ slope. 
 
 of the bit of wall beneath which the chauffeur had 
 said he should find a hole. 
 
 An armed sentry sprang to attention and saluted 
 the young officer at the entrance to a ditched in- 
 cline that led steeply down to a low square open- 
 ing broken through the thick cellar wall of stone. 
 A pair of heavy gray army blankets were draped 
 
 194 
 
THE FRONT 
 
 above the orifice, and were just then propped apart 
 by two or three long poles in order to admit some 
 light and air to the Post of Command. Ralph 
 knew that the blankets were there to close the hole 
 against gas in case of emergency. 
 
 Just as they were about to descend the short 
 steep incline a soldier emerged from the hole and 
 began to ascend it. He wore his grass-green trench 
 helmet and carried his gas-mask at the " alerte." 
 He saluted Lieutenant Storm as he passed; then 
 hesitated an instant and, half-turning, looked back 
 at the young officer and his companion curiously 
 and with a somewhat startled expression. And 
 again he looked back with a faint grin on his face 
 as he proceeded to mount a motor-cycle that had 
 been leaning against the bit of brick wall. Ralph 
 merely recognized in him a messenger, as he glanced 
 casually at the young soldier in returning his sa- 
 lute. 
 
 Stooping low the pair entered the headquarters 
 of their regiment for the first time. They found 
 themselves in a square room, low, heavily beamed, 
 and reinforced on all sides with concrete. 
 
 The first thing that either of them noticed was 
 the fragrant smell of hot coffee that seemed to fill 
 the place. _In spite of the fact that it was broad 
 day outside two oil lamps gleamed redly on three 
 strong faces that looked up from a roughly C9,r- 
 
 195 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 pentered table that stood in the centre of the room 
 when the figures of Storm and his companion dark- 
 ened the entrance. 
 
 The table was littered with papers and some 
 charts. Off to one side and near the wall was an- 
 other, smaller table, at which sat a fourth officer, a 
 lieutenant, listening at the receiver of a field tele- 
 phone, and making some notes on a pad of paper 
 as he listened. 
 
 The ceiling was too low for Storm to stand quite 
 erect; yet he clicked his heels together and managed 
 a salute, though not a very smart nor graceful one. 
 Baptiste stood at attention behind him. 
 
 " Lieutenant Storm and Private Trudeau, sir, 
 reporting for duty! " said Ralph, deferentially ad- 
 dressing the central officer of the trio, whom he 
 recognized as a lieutenant-colonel by his rank 
 badges, and at once correctly surmised to be 
 Colonel Richards, the officer in command of his 
 regiment. 
 
 " Oh, yes," returned that senior officer, rising and 
 extending his hand across the table to Ralph. 
 
 " How are you, Storm? We were expecting 
 
 you." 
 
 The two other officers moved around the table to 
 where Ralph was standing, and each in turn men- 
 tioned his name as they, too, extended their hands 
 in greeting and welcome to a comrade. One of 
 
 196 
 
THE FRONT 
 
 them was Captain Sparks, adjutant of the regi- 
 ment, and the other Captain John Goring, then in 
 command of "A" Company, the one to which 
 Storm's platoon belonged. 
 
 The last mentioned officer gave Ralph an espe- 
 cially warm hand-clasp, saying: 
 
 " Glad to have you with us. Storm. We have 
 been keeping a platoon open for you for more than 
 two weeks. 
 
 " You have come just at the right time,- too," he 
 added smilingly and meaningly, " as you will very 
 soon find out for yourself." 
 
 " Let us step outside where we can see one an- 
 other better," said the colonel. " I think we have 
 cleaned up everything inside here for the present. 
 Have we not. Captain Sparks? " 
 
 " Yes, sir. Everything that needs your immedi- 
 ate attention, sir." 
 
 " Where is the other one — the big fellow — ^whom 
 we were expecting along with you? I believe he 
 is a friend of yours? " queried Colonel Richards as 
 they emerged into the sunshine again. 
 
 " Lieutenant Van Home, sir? " asked Storm. 
 
 " I believe that was his name, was it not, 
 Sparks?" 
 
 " Yes, sir," replied the adjutant. " When we 
 were notified of his appointment to the regiment it 
 was mentioned that he possessed special qualifica- 
 
 197 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U, S, ARMT 
 
 tions as a gas officer; and you had him slated for 
 that position with the regiment, sir." 
 
 " I remember," rejoined Colonel Richards, and 
 again addressing Ralph, he queried: 
 
 " Have you any information concerning him? 
 Why he has not also reported to me? " 
 
 " Yes, sir. Yesterday he was unexpectedly or- 
 dered to report for duty at the Training Camp near 
 Harfleur, to carry on there as a gas instructor till 
 further orders." 
 
 " That's not a fair deal for us," observed 
 the colonel, and his thin lips tightened deci- 
 sively. 
 
 " Take the matter up with Paris Headquarters 
 at once. Captain Sparks ! " he continued. " Insist 
 strongly on Lieutenant Van Home's being allowed 
 to report to his own regiment without delay. 
 Dwell upon the fact that we are here in the front 
 line, right up against the enemy trenches — in some 
 places within actual bomb throwing distance of 
 them — and that we are forced to make shift with an 
 acting gas officer who has had no special training 
 for the post. Make it strong. Sparks ! " 
 
 While the C. O. was speaking he had been 
 silently but unobtrusively giving Ralph the " once 
 over." The latter was aware of this, of course, and 
 felt somewhat embarrassed under his superior's 
 swift mental inventory. 
 
 198 
 
THE FRONT 
 
 " Who is this man with you? " the colonel then 
 abruptly inquired, glancing at Baptiste, who had 
 silently followed the four officers from the dugout, 
 and was again standing stiffly at " attention " 
 hard by. 
 
 Ralph rendered the C. O. a brief account of the 
 French Canadian's past service and experience as a 
 soldier, and of his recent enlistment under the Stars 
 and Stripes. 
 
 Before Ralph had quite finished his narration the 
 C. O. threw a kindly, though fleeting, smile to Bap- 
 tiste, and uttered the simple command, " Rest! " 
 
 Baptiste saluted, and was only too glad to as- 
 sume an easier position than that of " attention." 
 
 " Put Private Trudeau in 'A' Company, Captain 
 Sparks," said Colonel Richards when Storm had 
 concluded, " and I dare say, Captain Goring, that 
 you can find room for him in Lieutenant Storm's 
 platoon. He will probably prefer it that way." 
 
 Ralph and the French Canadian exchanged a 
 quick glance and a little smile. Baptiste was 
 pleased at the prospect of being in Storm's platoon ; 
 and the latter already knew the French Canadian 
 to be a brave man and a first class soldier. Later 
 Captain Goring instructed his sergeant-major to 
 detail Private Trudeau as Storm's " striker," or sol- 
 dier servant. 
 
 The C. O., with a wave of his riding-crop, sig- 
 
 199 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 naled to an orderly who had been leading a 
 magnificent bay charger up and down the road 
 near by, and as he prepared to mount said to Ralph: 
 
 " Captain Goring will look after you, I am sure, 
 Lieutenant Storm, and see that you are properly 
 bestowed as to quarters, and assigned to work. 
 Good-morning, gentlemen ! " 
 
 The adjutant turned back into the P. C. dug- 
 out. 
 
 Captain Goring made arrangements with a 
 sergeant to have Ralph's and Baptiste's kits con- 
 veyed to their billets. Baptiste would have had to 
 carry his own pack had not Lieutenant Storm called 
 the captain's attention to his still weakened con- 
 dition, due to the privation and suffering he had 
 undergone while a prisoner of war among the 
 Germans. 
 
 " We'll pass your billet on the way to Company 
 H. Q.," said Captain Goring to Ralph. " I'll point 
 it out to you." 
 
 Then to Storm's surprise they began to walk 
 down the road in the very direction from which he 
 had come in the car but a short while before. He 
 had expected to go in quite the other direction, up 
 nearer the trenches. 
 
 " Just two days ago," the captain began, as they 
 fell into step side by side, " we came out of the fire- 
 trench after our second spell at it there. We are 
 
 200 
 
THE FRONT 
 
 now in billets at a little place back there that Fritz 
 seems to have overlooked, or for some inexplicable 
 reason saw fit to leave intact. Perhaps, as it is a 
 little out of the way, it was deemed too insignificant 
 to divert their shell fire toward it." 
 
 " Rather close to the front line for rest billets, is 
 it not, sir? " queried Storm. 
 
 "A little more than five miles," rejoined Captain 
 Goring. 
 
 "And we can scarcely call them rest billets. In- 
 deed I think the men would be more likely to call 
 them work billets." 
 
 " In most cases ' work billets ' would certainly 
 be the more suitable name for it; what with daily 
 drills, extra fatigues, work parties, and carrying 
 parties," acquiesced Ralph with a reminiscent smile. 
 
 "And in our present case most certainly so," 
 agreed the captain. 
 
 " This time we were pulled out of the trenches 
 two days before our trick was up. The men at 
 once suspected that there was something special do- 
 ing, and now that they are certain of it they are 
 taking hold of the work as if it were a game, bless 
 their hearts." 
 
 Lieutenant Storm cast a quick glance of sur- 
 prised interrogation at the speaker; but there was 
 no need to voice his curiosity. Captain Goring 
 went on: 
 
 20I 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " You see, it's just like this: there happens to be 
 a big dent in our front line just about the middle 
 of the section that our regiment is responsible for. 
 It was left so by the French when we relieved them. 
 Fritz has pushed out a nasty salient right opposite 
 it; and the whole arrangement has been a thorn in 
 the C. O.'s flesh ever since we * took over.' 
 
 " But I can explain that better to you when we 
 get to the Company P. C, where I have a good map 
 of ours and the enemy's front-line trenches, show- 
 ing their relative positions to each other. 
 
 " The long and short of it is," continued Cap- 
 tain Goring, " that the C. O. has at last obtained 
 permission to straighten up our front — he's a West 
 Pointer, you know, and they listen to him at Divi- 
 sional H. Q. 
 
 " Before we can straighten up our own line, how- 
 ever, we must smash in that salient. The C. O. 
 has done *A'^ Company the honor to choose us as 
 the ' Sturm truppen,' as the Germans say, to do the 
 smashing. And it is our part, as star performers 
 in the show, that we are now rehearsing back here." 
 
 "Great Csesar, you don't say so!" ejaculated 
 Storm, his eyes sparkling with eager enthusiasm. 
 " That is certainly fine, and I surely am glad that 
 I got here in time for it! 
 
 " I only wish Van were here for it, too," he 
 added. 
 
 202 
 
THE FRONT 
 
 "You mean your friend, I suppose? The one 
 who was sent down to the training camp, instead of 
 coming with you? Is he another fire-eater, also? " 
 laughed Captain Goring ehaffingly, although at the 
 same time he was highly pleased at his new platoon 
 commander's evident enthusiasm at the imminent 
 prospect of a brush with the enemy. 
 
 " No, he's not exactly what you would call a 
 fire-eater," replied Ralph, flushing a little at his 
 captain's raillery. 
 
 "At least he thinks he's not; but he is simply 
 great when he does get into a scrap, just the same. 
 You ought to see him, sir. He's a regular giant." 
 
 And then Ralph launched into a glowing account 
 of his chum's prowess. 
 
 Captain Goring not only listened attentively, but 
 showed his sincere interest as well by asking several 
 pertinent questions regarding Rodman Van Home. 
 
 Still conversing thus they turned off to the right 
 on a narrow crossroad over which there had evi- 
 dently been but scant vehicular traffic for some time. 
 
 2C3 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 THE SALIENT 
 
 *' They've mud on their hands and their faces, 
 They've mud in their ears and their hair, 
 They've mud on their coats and their braces. 
 And everything else that they wear, 
 
 **No matter what joy may he fall them, 
 No matter how gay be their path, 
 When homeward the President calls them 
 The first thing they'll ask is a bath," 
 
 Three-quarters of a mile along the neglected 
 local crossroad Captain Goring and Lieutenant 
 Storm found themselves descending the single 
 street of the little communal French village in 
 which Company "A" was then billeted. 
 
 To an American eye, like every other farm vil- 
 lage of France, at first sight it presented a de- 
 cidedly uninteresting and almost ugly aspect. 
 
 It nestled in a somewhat deeper depression than 
 was common in that generally rolling champagne, 
 and was quite hidden from the traveler on the main 
 road. 
 
 There were no sidewalks. Blank brick walls 
 built right out to the road edge shut off the view 
 
 204 
 
THE SALIENT 
 
 abruptly on either side. Other brick walls ran back 
 in straight lines from the front walls, dividing off 
 and surrounding on three sides each separate barn- 
 yard, for the " back-yard " always seemed to be in 
 front, or nearest the public highway. In the 
 centre of this plot of ground, exposed to view 
 through the double gates that broke the dull red 
 monotony of the front walls at regular intervals, 
 one could always see the inevitable and highly 
 prized manure pile. Stables, j)ig styes, poultry 
 sheds, and other outhouses surrounded the odor- 
 iferous centre heap on three sides, and leaned 
 against the inside surfaces of the brick walls. 
 
 If the back of the yard was at the front, to even 
 things up the front of the house was at the back. 
 There were admirably laid out and kept vegetable 
 and fruit gardens there, and beautiful hedges began 
 where the ugly separating walls left off, and con- 
 tinued to mark the boundaries between the narrow 
 farms. 
 
 Beyond the gardens and another fine hedge were 
 the meadows and fields of grain. One was typical 
 of all. 
 
 As they were passing one of those inhospitable 
 pairs of gates Captain Goring said to Ralph: 
 
 " That is your billet, in there! " 
 
 The latter noted at once with some satisfaction 
 that the American Military Police had already been 
 
 205 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. 5. ^RMT 
 
 busy there, as always, about billets. The usual 
 monumental heap had completely disapjDeared from 
 the foreground. He made as if to halt in front of 
 the gates indicated; but the captain said: 
 
 " Never mind it just now, Storm ! No use going 
 in there till your kit comes. I want you to come 
 over to the Company P. C. with me at present. 
 You can wash up over there before noon * chow.' " 
 
 Then with a kindly afterthought he added, " But 
 Private Trudeau might as well go in and rest there 
 till your stuff arrives." 
 
 Baptiste saluted gratefully, and turned in at the 
 gate. 
 
 The Company Post of Command was located in 
 another thoroughly policed chaumiere. 
 
 When they had entered it the captain, after sum- 
 moning an orderly, said: 
 
 " Make yourself at home for a few minutes, 
 Storm! I have a few routine orders to dispatch. 
 I am going to send for Lieutenant Barrows, too. 
 He has command of number one platoon, and you 
 and he will have to cooperate to some extent in the 
 little show we are going to put on some time next 
 week. 
 
 " Ever heard of ' Chuck ' Barrows? " he asked. 
 
 " Not * Chuck ' Barrows of Princeton, last year's 
 
 great half-back? " queried Storm doubtingly. 
 
 " The same," chuckled the captain. " Seems 
 
 206 
 
THE SALIENT 
 
 funny, doesn't it? More than once I played against 
 him myself, and we always had it in for each other 
 in those days." 
 
 It gradually dawned upon Ralph that this genial 
 and unpretentious senior officer of his was none 
 other than the famous " Goring of Yale," and last 
 year's renowned All- American left tackle. 
 
 Ralph became strangely silent and subdued for 
 a space after this overpowering realization came to 
 him. The mere prep-school boy had all at once 
 found out that he had been cheekily talking-up to 
 a Varsity champion. 
 
 The captain, however, did not allow him to re- 
 tain this feeling of inferiority for long. Of course 
 he was wholly unaware of his young lieutenant's 
 entertaining such a feeling at all. 
 
 Captain Goring had not quite finished the clerical 
 work upon which he was then engaged along with 
 his Company Q. M. S. when a quick, firm tread 
 resounded on the stone step of the chaumiere, and 
 thence across the neatly tiled floor. 
 
 Ralph at once recognized the lean brown face of 
 the newcomer as that of one of the heroes of his 
 recent schoolboy dreams. He had often seen it in 
 the sporting columns of the newspapers, and had in 
 the olden time followed Chuck's gridiron career 
 with more than lively interest. 
 
 Lieutenant Barrows crossed the room, halted 
 
 207 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 three paces from the captain's table, clicked his 
 heels together, and saluted smartly. 
 
 Ralph, who was himself tall and well built, 
 thought, as he silently sized up the newcomer, that 
 he had never in all his life perhaps seen but one man 
 of finer physique than Charles Barrows, and that 
 other one was his friend, Rodman Van Home, of 
 course. 
 
 Captain Goring looked up, returned the salute, 
 and said: 
 
 "'Lo, Chuck!" 
 
 Then indicating Ralph, who had risen to his feet, 
 he went on : 
 
 "Shake hands with Lieutenant Storm, Chuck! 
 I was just telling him that you were in command 
 of number one platoon, and that as he will have 
 number four, you know, you and he will have to 
 pull off some team work together. 
 
 " I'll be through here in a minute or two. In the 
 meantime you two can be getting better ac- 
 quainted." 
 
 The captain again fixed his attention on the work 
 before him, and then Ralph got one of the surprises 
 of his young life. While he was still wondering 
 whether he ought to offer his hand first, or wait 
 upon the other's initiative, Lieutenant Barrows, on, 
 hearing the captain pronounce Ralph's name, had 
 quickly turned toward the latter with an expression 
 
 208 
 
THE SALIENT 
 
 of evident pleasure and plain admiration in his keen 
 eyes. 
 
 He took a step forward, extended his right hand 
 rather diffidently toward Ralph and in a tone of 
 marked respect, such as one employs only when 
 addressing a recognized superior, began: 
 
 " I am proud to know you, sir. We were all glad 
 when we learned that you and Lieutenant Van 
 Home had been appointed to our regiment. You 
 will find us very green, sir; but good learners, I 
 hope." 
 
 "And I can assure you that I, too, am right glad 
 to be with you, sir," responded Ralph, leaping to 
 grasp the other's hand, and at the same time ex- 
 periencing a warm glow of pleasure at finding him- 
 self thus accepted on terms of more than equality 
 by these two erstwhile heroes in his eyes. 
 
 " Greener than ' Paddy ' green ! " contributed 
 Captain Goring, who had caught Lieutenant Bar- 
 rows' last remark, and without looking up from the 
 papers before him added, " But, as Chuck says, not 
 too proud to learn. Storm ! " 
 
 Ralph and Lieutenant Barrows were soon en- 
 grossed in conversation, and the former had al- 
 ready been well initiated into the whys and where- 
 fores of the projected raid, ere the captain, having 
 at last dismissed his Q. M. S., interrupted them. 
 
 " If you two gentlemen will now draw up your 
 
 209 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. jiRMY 
 
 chairs, one on each side of me, we'll get together on 
 some of the details of this forthcoming little affair 
 that's going to liven things up a bit for us and our 
 friend, Fritz, next week. 
 
 " But first, perhaps, it will be just as well if we 
 run over the general situation again for the benefit 
 of Lieutenant Storm," the captain proceeded, ad- 
 dressing himself to Lieutenant Barrows, and at the 
 same time spreading and smoothing out a neatly 
 executed field sketch on the table before him. 
 
 " This," he went on, " is a fairly accurate diagram 
 of our fire-trench, and also of the enemy's bit of 
 front line right opposite. Support and reserve 
 trenches, and all the rest of the system are not 
 shown here, because not necessary for our immedi- 
 ate purposes. 
 
 " From this chart we are now constructing what 
 you might call a full size skeleton model for re- 
 hearsal purposes — the whole company are working 
 on it right now — but this afternoon you will be able 
 to see for yourself what we are doing in that 
 respect.'*' 
 
 " From 'A' to ' E ' is our section of the front 
 line," pursued the captain, pointing with his pen- 
 handle to each particular point on the chart as he 
 mentioned it. 
 
 " Note this almost semicircular reentrant almost 
 in the middle of it. It was primarily due to a low, 
 
 210 
 
THE SALIENT 
 
 soft piece of ground there that is always water 
 soaked. The French after pushing ahead as far 
 as they could on either side of it evidently joined up 
 the break in the line by ditching around it, and that 
 in spite of the fact that there is solid ground com- 
 
 'c 
 
 Diagram showing section of Fire-Trench held by Colonel Richards' regi- 
 ment, with the bend in the line which they straightened out, and the 
 salient in the German Fire-Trench opposite which they wiped out. 
 
 A, B, C, D, E~AlIied line— front trench. 
 
 B, C, D — Bow or " re-entrant " into allied line. Machine guns at M. 
 
 F, G, H, I, J — German line. 
 
 G, H, I — The salient. Machine guns at M. 
 R, R — Road, crossing both lines. 
 
 paratively from ' B ' to * D ' just beyond the hollow, 
 and nearly in line with the straight stretches of 
 trench on each side of it." 
 
 " I don't see why they didn't join them up 
 straight across from ' B ' to ' D ' in the first place," 
 observed Lieutenant Barrows. 
 
 " We must remember that the French originally 
 
 211 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 constructed this line under constant heavy shell fire 
 and in the face of strong counter-attacks," rejoined 
 Captain Goring. 
 
 " They probably considered the piece of marshy 
 (ground an added protection for the trench built 
 around it ; but whatever their reason was, there the 
 dent in the line still remains." 
 
 " What is the distance across it, sir? " asked 
 Ralph. 
 
 " Erom * B ' to ' D ' is something more than three 
 hmidred yards, and the bend is about one hundred 
 and fifty yards deep. 
 
 " Now, our main objective is to straighten out the 
 line by running a new trench almost directly across 
 on the fairly solid groimd from ' B ' to * D.' " 
 
 " That faint line, I suppose, represents the posi- 
 tion of the proposed new piece of trench," observed 
 Ralph; " but what are the dots just above it for? " 
 
 " They show the position for our new wire 
 entanglements," replied Captain Goring, and 
 went on: 
 
 " The enemy at some time or other evidently 
 pushed out a sap from a point midway between * G ' 
 and * I ' on their line to the point * H ' on the dia- 
 gram. The head of this sap they then succeeded 
 in joining up with the points * G ' and ' I,' thus 
 creating a nasty salient right opposite the depres- 
 sion in our line. 
 
 212 
 
THE SALIENT 
 
 "And what is worse/' pursued the captain, " at 
 * H ' they have now established a strongly con- 
 creted machine-gun emplacement that commands 
 our parapets both ways with an oblique fire. You 
 get me? " 
 
 " Yes, sir," replied Storm. "And I can plainly 
 
 Rifle Geenade—Often Called " The Pippin " 
 
 The above is one of the simplest and most effective type of 
 rifle grenade used by the Allies. On exploding it has an 
 effective and deadly radius of about 13 yards. 
 A — Percussion-cap Striker that sets off detonator, " B." 
 B — Special detonator that explodes H. E. charge, ''€." 
 — Explosive Ammonal Charge which bursts grenade into 
 
 small pieces. 
 D — Cast-iron Body, serrated. 
 
 E — Steel rod, 15 inches long, and of almost the same di- 
 ameter as bore of rifle from which it is fired. 
 
 see that our second objective must be to wipe out 
 that same salient." 
 
 " Exactly," rejoined Captain Goring. " Other- 
 wise it would be of little avail to straighten out the 
 
 213 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 line. We simply must smash that machine-gmi 
 nest. They have another one at * 1/ and wrecking 
 that will also be a detail of the raid." 
 
 " Do those parallel lines intersecting both lines 
 of trenches and marked ' R/ ' R ' represent the 
 road? " queried Ralph. 
 
 ** Yes, but it is of no more use to either side than 
 No Man's Land. The enemy artillery and snipers 
 have every yard of it spotted clear back to our re- 
 serve trenches. They pay their compliments to it 
 every once in a while at any old time, and always 
 vary the range. 
 
 " Our guns, you may be sure, are returning the 
 favors in kind, and a little over for good measure. 
 We have a particularly lively and efficient little 
 battery commander back there near the road — at 
 least that's where he was earlier this morning; but 
 he keeps shifting his guns about up and down the 
 line just to keep Fritz guessing." 
 
 " I believe I saw him at work this morning when 
 I first came up along the road," said Ralph with 
 a smile at the pleasing recollection. "At first I 
 could scarcely believe that it was a battery of our 
 own guns. They worked like real French gunners 
 themselves." 
 
 "And that's certainly handing them a bouquet, 
 all right," smiled Captain Goring. 
 
 " But, now for the plan of operation, and more 
 
 214 
 
THE SALIENT 
 
 particularly that part of it for which you and Chuck 
 must be responsible," he continued. 
 
 " Just one minute, sir," interposed Ralph. " Tell 
 me, about what is the distance between the trenches, 
 please? " 
 
 " To the right of ' The Devil's Saucer '—that's 
 what the boys call the soft spot there, you know, 
 and at that they have merely translated the name 
 the French had for it before, ' La soucoupe du 
 diable ' — No Man's Land narrows down to within 
 one hundred and fifty yards, and gradually widens 
 out to about two hundred yards on our extreme 
 left. 
 
 " But to-morrow I intend sending you up into 
 the front line to look things over for yourself. 
 Storm. And you and Barrows will have to do one 
 or two night patrols in order to thoroughly recon- 
 noitre their wire before the show comes off. ' 
 
 " It has just occurred to me. Chuck," resumed 
 their Company Commander after a second's 
 thoughtful pause, " that perhaps it would be a good 
 idea for you to have Storm with you when you go 
 over to look over your bit of it. He's had experi- 
 ence in that sort of thing and might find an open- 
 ing in the wire where you'd pass over it. What 
 do you think? " 
 
 "Delighted!" replied Lieutenant Barrows with 
 hearty approval of his captain's suggestion. 
 
 215 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 "And I'd like to go with you when you take your 
 own patrol out also," he added, turning to Lieu-^^ 
 tenant Storm. 
 
 "All right," acquiesced Ralph with equal hearti- 
 ness, " we'll patrol both sections together." 
 
 " You can get together then over those details, 
 and settle them for yourselves," said Captain Gor- 
 ing, glancing down at his wrist watch. 
 
 " It's getting on toward noon ' chow ' and I want 
 to give Storm here some idea of the * Old Man's ' 
 scheme as a whole, before mess call blows, as I shall 
 be very busy all this afternoon. 
 
 " First of all," he said, again turning to the chart 
 before him on the table, * B ' Company, you must 
 know, are now in the fire-trench. ' C ' Com- 
 pany will take over from them in due course on 
 Monday, and will still be there when the show 
 comes off. The day and hour I cannot tell you as 
 yet. 
 
 " But it will be their part to dig the new ditch 
 from ' D ' to *A,' and to put out the new wire in 
 front of it. They will continue to hold the front 
 line, too, after the operation has been completed, 
 and to be ready in the event of a counter-attack. 
 But we don't need to bother about that; that's their 
 lookout. 
 
 " It will be up to us of Company *A' to make it 
 possible for * C to carry out that work; or, in other 
 
 216 
 
THE SALIENT 
 
 words, we are to be the storm troops of the occa- 
 sion, to raid the whole section of enemy trench from 
 
 * F ' to * J,' and finally to capture and blow up 
 the machine-gun emplacement at * H.' Do you 
 follow me?" 
 
 " Yes, sir! " they answered together. 
 " You, Chuck, with number one platoon, will 
 have that part of the enemy trench from ' F ' to 
 
 * G ' to look after. And, Storm, you must take 
 care in a similar manner of the section * I ' to ' J ' 
 with number four platoon. 
 
 " How you are going to get through the enemy 
 wire is up to you yourselves, and of course is a de- 
 tail that cannot be decided upon as yet; but get 
 through and into the trenches you must. 
 
 " Once there you. Chuck, will throw up a * block' * 
 at * F,' and you. Storm, will do the same 
 at ' J.' 
 
 "At ' G ' and * I ' also you will block the enemy's 
 main trench back of the salient. After that you 
 must bomb your respective ways along the salient 
 from ' I ' to ' H,' and from * G ' to * H,' meeting 
 and joining forces at the apex of the salient, * H.' 
 You both get me, eh? " 
 
 " Yes, sir," replied Ralph. 
 
 " It's very simple," grinned Chuck Barrows. 
 
 'Block: Technical term for sand-bag obstruction across a 
 Section of trench. 
 
 217 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " It sounds so," smiled Captain Goring 
 enigmatically. 
 
 "And what will numbers two and three platoons 
 be doing all the time that we are enjoying ourselves 
 in Fritz's trenches, sir? " queried Lieutenant Bar- 
 rows. 
 
 " They will quietly take post in No Man's Land 
 between our proposed new piece of trench and the 
 salient opposite. When you two go over the top 
 number three platoon will file out from * B ' and 
 number two from * D.' They will meet and 
 form a silent line in front of where our new wire 
 is to be placed, as shown by the string of dots 
 here. 
 
 " Their duty will be to cover the workers in case 
 of a counter-attack, and also to cover your with- 
 drawal after you have completed your task. Theirs 
 I consider the most trying job of all." 
 
 " So do I," agreed Lieutenant Barrows. " I 
 should never fancy that quiet waiting business out 
 there in No Man's Land." 
 
 " Now you both have the general scheme," said 
 Captain Goring. 
 
 " The details of our several parts in it we will 
 rehearse during the next few days in so far as we 
 can. 
 
 " We are not constructing any practice trenches, 
 as we should likely do if we were farther back of the 
 
 218 
 
THE SALIENT 
 
 front line," he added, again turning toward Lieu- 
 tenant Storm. 
 
 " We must be careful to avoid attracting the at- 
 tention of hostile air observers, so we are merely 
 staking out the outlines of our own and the enemy 
 front-line trenches. In this way every man may at 
 least know exactly the positions he is to take up, 
 and have some idea of the relative distances. 
 
 " To-day, as I have already told you. Storm, we 
 are staking out those positions. We have a detail 
 also at work making portable barb-wire obstruc- 
 tions of the * saw-buck ' or * cylinder ' variety, which 
 it will be our duty also to carry up as far as the 
 reserve trenches as soon as we have them con- 
 structed. 
 
 "And as we will not particularly need you, 
 Storm, until we have everything ready for a full- 
 dress rehearsal I think you had better go up the 
 front line this afternoon and prowl around there. 
 
 " I have no doubt that after you have sized up the 
 actual situation there you will be able to make some 
 suggestions of value to us." 
 
 Ralph cast a furtive glance of inquiry across at 
 Lieutenant Barrows. 
 
 But the captain, intercepting it, shook his head 
 smilingly. 
 
 " No," he said, " there's no need for ChucK to go 
 up with you. He has already been there, and be- 
 
 219 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 sides there is plenty of work for him to do right 
 here to-day. 
 
 " I'll arrange with the adjutant to have a 
 ' runner ' meet you up at the Regimental P. C, who 
 will show you the way up front. You will please 
 meet him there not later than 2 p. m.^ Lieutenant 
 Storm," said the captain, rising. 
 
 "And now we'll just have time to wash up before 
 * chow,' " he concluded. 
 
 220 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 THE WIGGLER 
 
 *' * Untrained Americans,* they jeered; 
 But where the red flame lights the sky 
 The rolling thunder down our lines 
 Must he the sum of our reply, 
 
 ** * Untrained Americans' will find 
 No counter taunt from us, except 
 The bark of rifles down the field- — 
 The bloody sods our guns have swept." 
 
 At two o'clock sharp that same afternoon Lieu- 
 tenant Storm, accoutred in full fighting kit — since 
 no man can foretell what may happen in a front- 
 line trench — consisting of belt, revolver and its 
 " ammo," compass, field-glasses, two water-bottles, 
 helmet, gas-mask, iron rations, and rubber ground 
 sheet, reported at the Regimental P. C. a mile or 
 so further up the line. 
 
 Not far from the dugout entrance to the cellar 
 in which the Post of Command was located, scuf- 
 fling in rough horse-play or gossiping with much 
 noisy laughter, was a group of very young and very 
 active soldiers whom Ralph recognized by their 
 light accoutrements white with dust, and the fact 
 that they were thus apparently idling unmolested 
 
 221 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 in the near vicinity of Headquarters, to be of those 
 wonderful picked fellows who, when an action 
 starts and other soldiers seek the shelter of their 
 dugouts, merely tighten up their belts another hole, 
 hitch their mask-bags up to the " ready," pull down 
 their " tin hats " a little further forward over their 
 eyes, and start out with messages that cannot be 
 held back even though the bearer must twice pass 
 right through the barrage of death, once going, and 
 again returning with the answer. 
 
 He knew them to be " runners," those nerves of 
 the army, without whom whole divisions would dis- 
 joint and clash, without whom disciplined battalions 
 would disintegrate into senseless mobs. 
 
 In a class all by themselves, like scouts and 
 snipers, they are picked for their agility, activity, 
 quick intelligence, and sheer intrepidity. When 
 all other means of communication — wireless, field 
 telephones, rockets and other signals — fail, the 
 " runner " still must, and does, deliver the goods. 
 Sometimes he is mounted, then again he rides a 
 motor-cycle, but more often, closer up the line, he 
 must depend solely upon his own two sinewy legs. 
 
 The loss of one " runner " at a critical moment of 
 an advance has meant on more than one occasion 
 the useless sacrifice of a thousand lives. They must 
 therefore always be "hand-picked"; and so, al- 
 though ever noticeable for the playful exuberance 
 
 222 
 
THE WIGGLER 
 
 of their youthful high spirits when off duty, they 
 nevertheless form a " corps elite." 
 
 Captain Goring had evidently already been in 
 communication with the adjutant, for the latter 
 immediately upon Ralph's appearance within the 
 dugout, after punctiliously returning the latter's 
 salute of course, turned to the R. S. M., who hap- 
 pened to be present at the time, with the terse 
 command : 
 
 " Detail a runner at once to show Lieutenant 
 Storm up the line, Sergeant-Major Brooks ! " 
 
 " Very good, sir! " replied the R. S. M., spring- 
 ing smartly to attention, saluting, and facing about 
 in three distinct movements, yet all in one and the 
 same instant of time. 
 
 " Drop in on your way back. Storm! " called the 
 adjutant as Ralph, too, saluted and turned away. 
 
 The Regimental Sergeant-Major was a little in 
 advance of Lieutenant Storm, and the latter did not 
 distinctly catch the name that he called aloud imme- 
 diately on emerging from the ruined cellar. Ralph 
 was followed closely enough upon the sergeant- 
 major's heels, however, to observe one of two 
 youngsters, who at the moment were performing a 
 sort of bear-dance to the jig-time music produced 
 with no mean skill by a third on a mouth-organ, 
 hastily disengage himself from his partner's em- 
 brace and jump to attention. 
 
 223 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 " You will take this officer up the line now, and 
 bring him back again when he is ready! " ordered 
 R. S. M. Brooks with the shadow of a smile flicker- 
 ing about his keen gray eyes, although his firmly 
 chiseled lips relaxed not at all. 
 
 "All right, sir! " chirped the boy in a clear treble, 
 and somewhat startled tone. 
 
 " Thank you, Sergeant-Major! " said Lieutenant 
 Storm, returning the senior N. C. O.'s parting 
 salute. 
 
 And as Ralph again turned his eyes in the direc- 
 tion of the young soldier who was to be his guide 
 he could not help remarking that the boy had al- 
 ready pulled his grass-green steel helmet so far 
 down over his nose that his eyes were quite hidden 
 from view. 
 
 That peculiar fashion of wearing his head-gear 
 excited no undue surprise at the moment, how- 
 ever, to one of Ralph's veteran experience. He 
 well knew that a soldier up front quickly acquired 
 the habit of wearing his tin hat that way. And 
 any one who has ever done sentinel duty on a fire- 
 step, or who for any other reason has had frequent 
 occasion to squint over the lip of a parapet, knows 
 how that habit is formed. 
 
 The lad saluted snappily, and inquired: 
 
 " Shall I go in advance, sir? " 
 
 " Yes," smiled Ralph ; " lead on! " 
 
 224 
 
THE WIGGLER 
 
 The boy had ah-eady turned, and without further 
 parley he started for the road. From the first the 
 going was rough, no two cobblestones seeming to 
 have the same level. Just beyond the limits of the 
 ruined village it was like crossing a dry brook on 
 stepping-stones, to make their way along it. 
 
 The necessity of constantly picking their steps 
 precluded any continuity of conversation. Yet 
 Ralph was eager for the information which he knew 
 his youthful guide must be the possessor of in his 
 capacity as a " runner," who went everywhere and 
 saw a bit of everything that was going on. 
 
 During the first half mile, as they plugged along 
 over the abominable pave, he asked many questions, 
 to which the young soldier made answers tersely, 
 even confining himself to monosyllables when the 
 proper answer permitted; always deferentially as 
 befitted a private soldier when replying to the 
 queries of an officer; yet without ever turning his 
 face toward his inquisitor. 
 
 Once Lieutenant Storm paused to look upward, 
 then backward, and then forward again. His 
 guide halted too on hearing the footsteps behind 
 him cease to slip and slither over the uneven cobbles. 
 Yet even then the boy persisted in looking to his 
 front. 
 
 When he glanced overhead, Ralph saw naught 
 but the blue sky above him. Behind him he ob- 
 
 225 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S, ARMT 
 
 served, showing high above the horizon, several cap- 
 tive American balloons in a row, strange small 
 shapes like half -curled maggots suspended away 
 up in the air. Ahead, far ahead, were three air 
 craft, moving about and about in small circles like 
 tiny birds. 
 
 " I suppose those are our planes ahead of us? " 
 queried Ralph as he started forward again. 
 
 " Yes, sir," answered the guide, stepping out at 
 the same time, and always maintaining his respect- 
 ful distance in advance. 
 
 The road became worse and worse. Several 
 times they had to skirt huge wide holes scooped out 
 by " Jack Johnsons," and some deeper, narrower 
 ones, also dug there by " Little Willies." 
 
 They passed some sorrowful little graves, too, in 
 rows, each with its pathetic little white cross of 
 wood roughly fashioned by a comrade's hand. 
 
 Then they left the road altogether, and began to 
 make their way over and through the but half- 
 healed scars of the desolated fields. Far off to their 
 left front they could hear the muffled boom of heavy 
 guns, and in the middle distance now and then off in 
 the same direction a sudden haystack-like block of 
 black smoke showed them where a stray German 
 " H. E." had found a useless billet. 
 
 For a half-mile or more the young officer and his 
 still more youthful guide trudged on after leaving 
 
 226 
 
THE WIGGLER 
 
 the road — that is to say, a half-mile as the crow 
 flies, but more than double that distance if the ups 
 and downs and the deviations from a straight course 
 caused by the innumerable shell-holes and mine 
 craters had been taken into consideration. 
 
 Even Lieutenant Storm wondered how the 
 runner was able to find his way with such assurance, 
 for the latter plodded steadily on without hesitation 
 and seemingly without any bearings whatever. 
 Then, when the horizon in all directions had begun 
 to look alike to Ralph, the boy commenced to 
 descend the sloping side of an old " crater," greater 
 in diameter than any they had yet come across. 
 
 Its bowl-shaped sides were grass and weed over- 
 grown; for more than two years Nature had been 
 vainly trying to cover over the scars of old Mother 
 Earth there. 
 
 On the far side of the great bowl a newer wound 
 had been man-made, and Ralph recognized it at 
 once as the entrance to a communication trench, and 
 knew that they were getting well up to the " line." 
 
 The bottom of the bowl was filled with slimy, 
 stagnant water, and from his past experience the 
 young officer could form some idea as to what the 
 trench bottom itself would be like, even before he 
 actually entered it. He had had the foresight, 
 however, to don his high water-proofed trench 
 boots before setting out from his billet. Runners 
 
 227 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 despised such heavy impedifnenta to rapid locomo- 
 tion; they were wont to consider the ordinary ankle- 
 boots and spiral woolen puttees good enough at all 
 times. 
 
 The pair skirted the slushy green bottom of the 
 crater and turned into the fresh cutting in its side. 
 Down a steep slope they ran with slipping steps for 
 about ten yards, propping themselves up with their 
 hands against the mud sides of the narrow cutting, 
 as they slithered down it to the level muddy bottom 
 of the communication trench proper. Even 
 Ralph's head was then a good two feet under cover 
 from view. 
 
 It was nothing more than a neat crack in the 
 earth, with a sharp corner every few zigzagging 
 yards. The mud became deeper and thinner the 
 farther they went. Here and there was a hidden 
 length of duck-board, to be sure; but that only made 
 the going worse. 
 
 Now, a length of duck-board is made by laying 
 a pair of six or eight foot lengths of scantling side 
 by side about eighteen inches apart, and then nail- 
 ing across them ladder-wise narrow strips of board 
 with an interval of two or three inches between 
 strips. 
 
 These gratings make the finest of trench flooring 
 provided they are laid end to end consecutively 
 without any gaps between the successive lengths, 
 
 228 
 
THE WIGGLER 
 
 and especially so if they rest on trestles driven deep 
 down into the mud bottom of the trench. 
 
 But, for good and sufficient reasons, unhappily 
 
 they are never found thus in communication 
 
 trenches that have been in use for any length of 
 
 A 
 
 CSlvss-sectiou of a trench, showing : 
 
 A — Parapet built up with sand -bags. D — Solid earth. 
 
 B — Parados built up with sand -bags. E — Fire-step, 
 
 C — Loose earth. H — Duck-boards. 
 
 time. Firewood is a scarce and highly prized com- 
 modity up in the " line," and for a brief space the 
 duck-walks of the zigzag communicating trenches 
 afford the nearest source of supply. To tamper 
 with them is strictly against orders, of course; but 
 the nights are very dark back there in those narrow 
 ditches. Then, too, the sergeant likes to have his 
 own coffee hot, and is not over-apt to ask awkward 
 questions as to how it was heated. 
 
 And so it was that, going up, Ralph and his 
 guide found those doubly useful contrivances be- 
 
 229 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 neath their feet only occasionally. Even then so 
 deeply down were they hidden beneath the slushy 
 ooze that they made their presence known only 
 when one or the other of the boys suddenly tripped 
 over them, and precariously saved himself from an 
 inglorious mud bath by clutching wildly for sup- 
 port at the clammy clay walls that rose squarely 
 up on either side. 
 
 There is always mud in the up-going trenches. 
 So narrow are they and so deep that the sun never 
 has a chance to shine directly down into them long 
 enough to dry them up from rain-fall to rain-fall, 
 and no pumps are ever used back there, as they 
 constantly are in the " line " trenches. The sides 
 and tops are always caving or falling in, for usually 
 the one is not wattled nor the other sand-bagged, as 
 in the fire-trenches. 
 
 Doughboys ploughing their way up and down 
 day and night make the mash mashier. Whizz- 
 bangs and H. E.'s, descending from on high, churn 
 up and mix the dough till it becomes porridge. The 
 result is the mud that the trench poet sang about at 
 the beginning of chapter thirteen. 
 
 For more than a quarter of an hour the two had 
 been silently and arduously ploughing through that 
 muck. Already they had branched off from the 
 original ditch into another one of the same ilk. 
 Ralph, as eveiy one does when for the first time 
 
 230 
 
THE WIGGLER 
 
 making the acquaintance of a new trench system^ 
 had completely lost all sense of direction. 
 
 There was apparently nothing to guide one there. 
 Beneath and on all sides there was naught but mud. 
 Above there was only the narrow streak of blue 
 sky. No wonder Ralph admired the unhesitating 
 assurance with which the runner turned aside from 
 the crack they had first been following, just as if 
 he had merely been turning about a street corner 
 and knew exactly where he was going. 
 
 All at once the latter stepped upon the end of a 
 totally submerged duck-board, the middle of which 
 must have been resting teter-like on some rock or 
 hidden hump of solid soil. The end he stepped 
 upon went down with a sudden squash, and the 
 other end quite as unexpectedly came up with a 
 sudden splash that showered the mud backward 
 over both of them. 
 
 Lieutenant Storm was at the moment following 
 close upon the heels of his young guide. The 
 runner's feet slipped from under him on the greasy 
 boards. He threw up his arms, floundered crazily 
 about for a second, and then in a final desperate 
 effort to save himself from falling flat, threw his 
 arms wildly about Ralph's waist, ejaculating in- 
 voluntarily as he did so: 
 
 ** Hold 'em, Dale! Hold 'em, Dale! " 
 
 The words were uttered under the youngster's 
 
 231 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S, ARMT 
 
 breath ; yet Storm heard them distinctly ; and hear- 
 ing, could scarcely believe his own ears. 
 
 Many a time and often in the past — the past that 
 now seemed so long ago — ^he had heard those self- 
 same words. It was the old school yell that the 
 rooters of Dale Academy were wont to chant from 
 the bleachers when the Dale goal seemed in peril. 
 It was the last desperate resort call to the gridiron 
 warriors of his old school to put forth their mighti- 
 est efforts. It had also become a byword among 
 the juniors, addressed to themselves by themselves 
 sotto-voce, when any one of them wished to en- 
 courage himself to " hang-on," no matter what the 
 immediate occasion for redoubled effort might be. 
 
 No wonder Ralph Storm was astonished to hear 
 it once again away down in that reeking ditch in 
 the historic land of Jeanne d'Arc. He seized the 
 youngster by the shoulders, jerked him to his feet, 
 and still holding him by one shoulder, with his free 
 hand he tilted back the boy's " tin hat " so that he 
 could have a good square look at his face. 
 
 From the lean, boyish, mud-spattered counte- 
 nance a pair of little twinkling gray eyes smiled 
 quizzically, half-doubtingly up into Storm's, and 
 the runner's lips parted slightly in a queer little 
 smile. 
 
 " Matson ! Wiggler, you young scamp ! " ejacu- 
 lated Ralph wonderingly. 
 
 232 
 
THE WIGGLER 
 
 "Yes, Storm! 
 
 " I mean, ' sir,' " he corrected himself, immedi- 
 ately remembering the other's superior rank as a 
 commissioned officer, and making a funny effort 
 to salute while Ralph still held him by the shoulder 
 with one hand, and was tilting back his steel helmet 
 with the other. 
 
 But Storm intercepted Wiggler's hand even as 
 the latter raised it in the act of saluting, and crush- 
 ing it warmly in his own strong grasp, demanded: 
 
 "Why didn't you let me know? Why didn't 
 you speak to me, eh? " 
 
 And then remembering the letters that he and 
 Lieutenant Van Home had received from the 
 principal of Dale Academy but a few days before, 
 and the references made therein to this same 
 precocious youth, he went on with a smile of com- 
 plete understanding: 
 
 " But I guess I know why, without your telling 
 me. You were afraid I'd squeal on you, you young 
 scamp." 
 
 " I didn't put it exactly that way. Storm — I 
 mean, * sir.' " 
 
 " Never mind the * sir,' Wiggler; that is to say 
 when we are alone, of course," interrupted Lieu- 
 tenant Storm. 
 
 " Yes, sir — I mean, * Storm,' " replied Wiggler, 
 this time correcting himself with a grin. 
 
 233 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U, S. ARMT 
 
 " But, honest, I have always been afraid that my 
 brothers would find out where I am, and take me 
 out of the army. And this is the life after all, isn't 
 it. Storm? 
 
 " But you'll not let them know where I am, like 
 a good fellow, will you not, Storm? " 
 
 " Why, you're all right, kid. You needn't 
 worry," answered Ralph, and standing right there 
 in the middle of the communication trench and 
 sinking deeper and deeper into the ooze as they 
 stood, he gladdened Wiggler's heart by informing 
 him of the contents of Doctor Wilde's letter, and 
 by telling him that his older brothers would not 
 interfere with his remaining in the army, if he 
 would only write to them and keep them informed 
 as to his whereabouts from time to time. 
 
 "And you must, Wiggler, and right away, as 
 soon as you can! And that's an order! You get 
 me, eh? " concluded the lieutenant. 
 
 " You bet I will, Storm; and only too glad to! " 
 replied the lad. 
 
 " I often wanted to write home, especially when 
 I saw the other fellows getting letters, and when 
 it fell my turn to fetch up the mail myself. We 
 runners have to do that sometimes, you know. I 
 seemed to be the only one who never got a letter 
 from home, and you bet it made me feel pretty 
 lonesome and homesick sometimes." 
 
 234 
 
THE WIGGLER 
 
 " That's all right then," said Ralph, affection- 
 ately patting the boy's shoulder while he straight- 
 ened up the " tin hat " on his head. 
 
 " I'll write to the good old ' Doc ' too, and to 
 some of the fellows at the old school. lYou can just 
 bet your identification tag on that, sir," asserted 
 Wiggler enthusiastically. 
 
 Storm could not help smiling in sympathy with 
 the lad's evident great pleasure, and then Wiggler 
 queried: 
 
 " Where's Big Van? You know I have to hang 
 about the P. C. a good deal, and I overheard the 
 *Adj ' say that he was coming with you. I was 
 scared half to death when I first heard that you two 
 were to join our outfit; but I was mighty glad, too. 
 Storm." 
 
 " Van will join us before long, I hope," answered 
 Storm. 
 
 " He was sent down to one of the training camps 
 as an instructor for a while. But the C. O. has 
 written to H. Q. asking that he be sent on here 
 right away. 
 
 " But if we stand here much longer we'll be up 
 to our knees, so we'd better be getting on, Wiggler. 
 You can come down to my billet whenever you are 
 off duty, and we'll have a good old * chew ' to- 
 gether. 
 
 " How much farther have we to go before reach- 
 
 235 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. 5. ^RMT 
 
 iug the Company P. C. up the line? " he demanded 
 as he pulled one foot up out of the mud with a suck- 
 ing, squshy noise, preparatory to stepping out. 
 
 " We will be up to the support trench in about 
 ten minutes more now," replied Wiggler, care- 
 fully feeling with one foot for the end of the treach- 
 erous duck-board over which he had just stumbled. 
 
 " The Company P. C. is just around the corner 
 as you leave this ditch we are in now," he added 
 cheerfully as he again began to splash his way along 
 the muddy bottom. 
 
 236 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 
 THE LISTENING POST 
 
 ''WeVe hack again to trenches and to Huns, 
 To snipers, mortars, mines, and hand grenades, 
 To working half the night with picks and spades; 
 From dawn to dusk they hang those heastly guns; 
 We're hack again.'* 
 
 The runner's "ten minutes further to go" turned 
 out to be nearer twenty ere they at length reached 
 the support trench. And when they did reach it, it 
 seemed at first glance to be as lonesome as a grave 
 untenanted; but this state of affairs surprised 
 neither Lieutenant Storm nor his guide. They well 
 knew that the soldiers resting there would be for the 
 most part sleeping in their dugouts before again 
 taking their turn in the fire-trench. 
 
 Wiggler, leading, turned to the right after leav- 
 ing the communication trench and rounded a 
 massively squared traverse. Opposite a square 
 hole in the wall of the parados, framed in roughly 
 hewn timbers, from the top one of which hung a 
 curtain of heavy cloth matting, then pinned in a 
 fold to one side by a rusty bayonet — a German 
 weapon at that, Ralph noted — driven through it 
 
 237 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 and into one of the supporting side joists, the 
 runner halted, saluted smartly, and pointing to the 
 hole, volunteered the information: 
 
 "There it is, sir!" 
 
 "Good! Wait here, Wiggler!" ordered Lieu- 
 tenant Storm briefly, and forthwith dived do^vn 
 three low, flat steps into the Company P. C. ; other- 
 wise the captain's dugout. 
 
 In pushing the matting further to one side Ralph 
 noticed that it was quite dry. It should have been 
 wet to have been of any avail as a protection against 
 gas, the sole reason for its being there at all. 
 
 Storm mentally agreed with the remark that 
 Colonel Richards had made to the adjutant in his 
 hearing that morning regarding the regiment's 
 urgent need of the services of an experienced " gas- 
 officer," one of whose duties would be to see that all 
 such protective curtains were kept always in a moist 
 condition. 
 
 The ceiling of the dugout was heavily rough- 
 beamed, and so low that Ralph had to stoop both 
 head and shoulders uncomfortably and to keep 
 them so. On the left hand side as you entered was 
 a small table, and built up against the opposite 
 side were two narrow board bunks, one above the 
 other. There was just enough room for a man to 
 pass between the side of the table and the sides of 
 the bunks. 
 
 238 
 
THE LISTENING POST 
 
 Captain Forbes of " B " Company was sitting at 
 one end of the table, and facing the entrance so 
 that the light might fall on the papers before him. 
 The combination receiver and transmitter of a field 
 telephone lay on the table at his elbow. 
 
 On the lower bunk, outstretched upon his back, 
 a lieutenant fully dressed lay peacefully sleeping; 
 one hand and one foot dangled over the side of the 
 narrow pallet. A great gray rat that had been 
 sitting up on its haunches and sniffling curiously 
 with wiggling nose at the dangling boot scurried 
 under the bed at Storm's disturbing entry; but it 
 impudently crept out again almost immediately to 
 resume its interested inspection of the sleeper's 
 foot. 
 
 At Ralph's entrance Captain Forbes looked up 
 from his work quietly and without the least indica- 
 tion of surprise in his glance, for he never knew who 
 or what might drop in upon him at any time. 
 
 In a low tone, out of deference to the sleeper, 
 Ralph briefly introduced himself and explahied his 
 mission there. 
 
 Captain Forbes came around the table and 
 grasped his hand, saying in equally low accents: 
 
 " I am glad to meet you," and then with an ex- 
 planatory glance toward the resting officer on the 
 bunk: 
 
 " Let us step outside. Moran there was out on 
 
 239 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMr 
 
 patrol last night, and goes on duty again to-night at 
 * stand-to.' " 
 
 Outside the captain returned Wiggler's salute 
 with a smile of recognition. It was evidently not 
 the first time that he had seen the youngster, and 
 for some reason the latter flushed and cast down his 
 eyes under that officer's humorous glance in his 
 direction. 
 
 The captain and Ralph conversed animatedly 
 for some few minutes. The former was eager to 
 hear news of the outside world at first hand; and 
 Ralph was equally eager for information regarding 
 the enemy's latest doings in that sector. Captain 
 Forbes was able to inform him that, judging from 
 the reports of last night's patrol, and still later re- 
 ports from flight observers, the enemy opposite 
 them was just then contemplating no new offensive 
 operations, nor expecting any. No undue activity 
 had been observed among them. 
 
 " Lieutenant O'Brien is just now in command 
 of the platoon on duty in that part of our trench 
 that will be of particular interest to you, from what 
 you have just told me, Storm," said Captain Forbes 
 finally. 
 
 " You will find him either in his dugout or up the 
 line. I will join you up there presently, after I 
 have finished the work I was doing when you came 
 along just now." 
 
 240 
 
THE LISTENING POST 
 
 Then glancing again at Wiggier he said, " I see 
 you have Runner Matson with you. He knows 
 the way." 
 
 Of Wiggier himself he demanded, " You know 
 where Lieutenant O'Brien's dugout is. Mat- 
 son? " 
 
 " Yes, sir," replied Wiggier solemnly; " it's num- 
 ber three, Hogan's Alley." 
 
 " I thought he would know," said Captain Forbes 
 to Ralph with a dry smile, and he added enigmatic- 
 ally: 
 
 "And I have no doubt that he will be able to 
 give you some original information concerning No 
 Man's Land too, if you ask him." 
 
 Whereat Wiggier again flushed guiltily and cast 
 his eyes downward, as if suddenly finding some- 
 thing of great interest in his muddy boots that he 
 had never seen there before. 
 
 When the captain had left them and they were 
 once more proceeding along the support trench to- 
 ward the narrow cutting, known as " Hogan's 
 Alley," which connected that part of the support 
 trench with the fire-trench, Ralph demanded of his 
 young guide: 
 
 " "What did Captain Forbes mean by that last 
 remark of his about No Man's Land, Wiggier? " 
 
 " Well, you see, sir " the boy began, a mis- 
 chievous glint in his little gray eyes, as he threw a 
 
 241 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S, ARMT 
 
 backward glance over his shoulder at his inter- 
 rogator. 
 
 But Ralph interrupted him, shaking his head 
 f rowningly in disapproval, and once more Wiggler 
 hastily corrected himself. 
 
 " ' Storm,' I mean," and then went on with his 
 story. 
 
 " The other night I happened to be up the line 
 when a patrol was crawling out over the top, and I 
 just tagged on after them. I didn't mean to dp 
 anything wrong, you know. I never once thought 
 I was really going against orders, for I'd never 
 been actually told not to go, you know. 
 
 ** Besides, you know. Storm, we runners never 
 would get a chance to see for ourselves what 
 * patrol ' was like unless we took a chance like 
 that sometimes. Others of the fellows had done it, 
 and so I simply couldn't resist, and I went." 
 
 " Now, Wiggler, that's mere sophistry on your 
 part," interrupted Lieutenant Storm sternly, as 
 befitted an officer under such circumstances. 
 
 " You knew very well that you had no business 
 there. Even if you were not actually disobeying 
 orders, you were certainly guilty of an act that was 
 not * conducive to good order and military dis- 
 cipline.' 
 
 "And that's just the trouble with too many of 
 our fellows. They don't seem to realize the abso- 
 
 242 
 
THE LISTENING POST 
 
 lute necessity in the army of instantaneous, un- 
 questioning and automatic obedience in all things, 
 the little as well as the great ; obedience to the spirit 
 as well as to the letter of orders." 
 
 Ralph was quoting verbatim from one of his own 
 former sergeant-instructors ; but Wiggler of course 
 didn't know that. 
 
 At the lieutenant's first admonishing words he 
 had turned his head quickly " eyes-front " again, 
 and relapsed into stony silence ; but had Storm been 
 able to view his face he would not have observed 
 much evidence of repentance there. 
 
 " I sincerely hope that I shall never have to 
 speak to you again in this way, Wiggler," gravely 
 Ralph concluded his homily. 
 
 " Yes, sir," replied Wiggler, feeling that some 
 answer was due ; he knew not exactly what. 
 
 They proceeded a few steps in silence, which 
 Ralph eventually broke by demanding: 
 
 " How did Captain Forbes happen to find out 
 about it? " 
 
 " Why, that was just my usual luck again, you 
 know," resumed Wiggler. 
 
 " I always did get caught, somehow or other; it 
 was always just the same way at the old school too. 
 Other fellows could pull off stunts and nothing ever 
 happened to them; but maybe you remember, 
 Storm, how I always was getting a lecture from 
 
 243 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 some one or other of the masters, for what seemed 
 nothing at all sometimes." 
 
 Then it was Ralph's turn to grin surreptitiously 
 behind the youngster's back, as the latter went 
 on: 
 
 " Out about the middle of No Man's Land we 
 ran into — or rather crept into, for we were all 
 wriggling along flat on our stomachs — ^a Boche 
 patrol. Then you can just bet your identification 
 tag there was some mix-up out there in the dark for 
 a few minutes. My eye! But it was great while 
 it lasted. Then the enemy turned loose his * type- 
 writers ' right into the whole bunch of us — their 
 own men as well as us. 
 
 " Our lieutenant shouted for us to fall back, 
 every man for himself, and you bet I was about the 
 first to reach the home plate again. I didn't pick 
 a spot to light on when I left the parapet in a flying 
 leap, and it was just my luck to jump right on top 
 of the captain, who was coming up the line on the 
 double time to see what the row was all about." 
 
 " What did he say to you? " asked Ralph. 
 
 " Nothing much just then; but he had me up be- 
 fore him next day, and gave me a lecture just about 
 the same as you have just done." 
 
 The two of them had before this turned into 
 Hogan's Alley, and had already passed two holes- 
 in-the-wall. Wiggler halted before the third, 
 
 244 
 
THE LISTENING POST 
 
 saluted, and said, pointing with his left hand at the 
 same time: 
 
 " That's where Lieutenant O'Brien hangs out, 
 sir!" 
 
 Ralph poked his head into the hole; his nostrils 
 were greeted with that peculiarly penetrating odor 
 of deep damp earth, so gruesomely suggestive. 
 That was all; there was nobody at home. The 
 
 Cross section of a trench, showing dugout with deep entrance 
 nnder the parados. 
 
 A — Loose earth. F — Entrance to dugout* 
 
 B — Sand- bags. G — Dugout. 
 
 C— Solid earth. H— Duck-boards. 
 
 D— Fire step. 
 
 platoon commander's domicile was little more than 
 a dog-house; in it there was barely room for one 
 bunk, all there was there in the way of furniture. 
 
 They moved on up the narrow communicating 
 ditch, and in another minute turned into the fire- 
 trench itself. And what a trench ! 
 
 This was no yawning rift in the ground, wider 
 
 245 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 at the top than at the bottom, and gaping with open 
 jaws to welcome any stray shell or grenades that 
 might happen to come its way. On the contrary 
 its walls were clean cut squarely and vertically 
 down, for the most part reinforced with withes 
 closely wattled in and out between stout posts 
 driven deep into the trench floor close against the 
 wall, just as are countless other miles of French 
 trenches; but where even this cunning osier work 
 had proved insufficient the skilled hand of the 
 American engineer was in evidence, and the weak- 
 ened sppts had been doubly shored with heavy 
 planking. 
 
 The sand-bags that lined the parapet lip were 
 new and plumply filled. The fire-step was shapely, 
 and the duck-boards were dry and clean; the trench 
 must have been well drained. 
 
 It was indeed a fighting trench to satisfy the eye 
 of any connoisseur in such matters, and Lieutenant 
 Storm, who had seen many a mile of fire-trench in 
 other parts of France, was delighted with it. How 
 the men must have worked, he thought — and 
 digging is dull, dour work and much less fun than 
 fighting — to get it into such fine shape! It was an 
 almost perfect first line of defense. 
 
 Comparatively quiet it was there also; and yet 
 there was life and action of a kind all about too. 
 Ralph felt a glow of just pride and confidence steal 
 
 246 
 
THE LISTENING POST 
 
 over him as he paused in his stride, the better to ob- 
 serve in detail his immediate surroundings; it was 
 the first time that he had ever been in a real Amer- 
 ican fire-trench. 
 
 The day was fine, and in the first " bay " that he 
 and Wiggler turned into, in a corner near one of 
 the massive traverses — the wary trench veteran al- 
 ways likes a corner, for in case of a shell or bomb 
 happening to drop into the bay he may have time 
 to duck round the traverse and place a wall of solid 
 earth between himself and the deadly missile ere it 
 explodes — one small group of the men were having 
 afternoon tea, if you please. Some were blowing 
 on the hot brew in their pannikins, while others ate 
 a savory mess of stew from another part of their 
 mess tins. All of them were heartily enjoying 
 their " al fresco " repast. 
 
 Over in the other angle of the bay another off- 
 duty group were reading and animatedly discuss- 
 ing the ball news in a three-weeks-old New York 
 daily paper. Still another little knot were laugh- 
 ing over the comic section of the same jour- 
 nal. 
 
 Though "off duty" for the moment, in the 
 sense that they Had not been detailed as sentinels 
 or to some special work-party, these idle groups 
 were fully accoutred from head to heel, gas-masks 
 at the alert, and rifles ready to their hands. 
 
 247 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 On the fire-step about the centre of the bay a 
 sentinel with his rifle resting on the parapet and 
 set for instantaneous action was at his post of duty. 
 At his feet his relief lay outstretched on the fire- 
 step, basking comfortably upon his back in the 
 agreeable sunshine. 
 
 When Ralph and Wiggler first entered the 
 trench the soldier on sentinel duty was busily rec- 
 onnoitering the landscape in front of him through 
 a box periscope, and in order to bring his face closer 
 to the aperture through which the lower mirror 
 showed, had pushed his steel helmet well back upon 
 his head. 
 
 So engrossed was he in his task that he failed to 
 note the newcomers' approach, and did not look 
 round even when they paused below and behind 
 him. Even from a side view of his countenance 
 Ralph could see that his eyes were earnest and 
 steady and that the expression of his face was one 
 of alert and resolute fearlessness; and yet he was 
 but a mere boy with all a boy's natural impulsive- 
 ness. 
 
 Just at that moment he saw, or thought that he 
 saw, something of more than usual interest reflected 
 in the mirror, and evidently not quite satisfied with 
 the clarity of view to be obtained therein, the young 
 sentinel straightened up from the stooping attitude 
 he had been holding, and raising himself on his 
 
 248 
 
THE LISTENING POST 
 
 tiptoes took a squint over the top of the parapet 
 itself. 
 
 Ralph, as in duty bound, placed his hand gently 
 on the boy's shoulder, and commanded him in a low 
 
 tone; 
 
 Trench Pkeiscope 
 Showing interior of the box, arrangement of mirrors, and top 
 
 and bottom openings over mirrors. 
 AA — Openings. 
 BB — Mirrors. 
 
 Dotted line with arrows shows line of direction of the reflection. 
 A pair of field-glasses properly focussed, and used at the lower 
 
 aperture to view the picture reflected on the mirror inside, will 
 
 magnify the scene reflected upon it, and render details of the 
 
 picture much more distinct. 
 
 ** Pull your helmet down in front, my lad! '* 
 " Yes, sir," replied the youthful soldier cheer- 
 fully, looking around to see who the strange officer 
 was, and complying with the order at once. 
 
 " I thought I saw something moving out there 
 
 249 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 just now; but I guess I was mistaken," he volun- 
 teered, and immediately resumed his position of 
 observation at the periscope. 
 
 " Let me have a look," demanded Ralph. 
 
 The sentinel moved to one side, Ralph mounted 
 the fire-step and proceeded to glue his eyes to the 
 lower aperture of the periscope. Wiggler moved 
 over to the group who were laughing over the comic 
 supplement. 
 
 Gazing intently for a space into the depths of the 
 mirror on which was reflected a very small part of 
 that lifeless terrain between the opposing trenches — 
 that ugly, decaying, and abhorred strip of degrada- 
 tion, death and stagnation that wound its snaky 
 course through Belgium and France for hundreds 
 of miles from the shores of the North Sea to the 
 rugged barriers of Switzerland — Ralph slowly re- 
 volved the periscope from side to side and back 
 again. 
 
 From forty to fifty paces in depth out from the 
 parapet extended our own barbed wire with its 
 twisted tangle of bent and upright wooden stakes 
 and iron standards. It had to be sufficiently deep 
 to prevent a hostile patrol from creeping up near 
 enough in the blackness of the night to hurl a shower 
 of bombs into the trench, and thirty yards is about 
 the limit for accurate bomb throwing. 
 
 Beyond the wire for a space nothing living, mov- 
 
 250 
 
THE LISTENING POST 
 
 ing, was visible, nothing audible; naught but a 
 wilderness of bare earth pitted with conical holes 
 from three to eight feet deep, the edges of which in 
 places broke into each other, so thick were they. 
 Here and there between the shell-holes was an old 
 log, a battered stump, or a dead body whose fester- 
 ing rags fluttered sickly in the small breeze then 
 blowing. 
 
 And beyond that stretch of arid desolation was 
 depicted on the mirror the hazy threads of the Ger- 
 man entanglements, and still further on the dull 
 gray line of his parapets. It all seemed quite dead 
 and harmless; yet Ralph knew he had but to raise 
 his head above the parapet to bring a bullet dipping 
 with a soft almost noiseless " flick " into the sand- 
 bags in front of him, or into the loose earth of the 
 parados behind him. 
 
 He turned away from the periscope, and address- 
 ing the sentinel whom he had displaced, inquired: 
 
 " Where shall I find your platoon commander? " 
 
 " Lieutenant O'Brien is down there, that way, 
 sir," he replied, pointing in the direction he wished 
 to indicate with his finger, and added: 
 
 " He has a work-party down there filling up sand- 
 bags, so as to have them ready to fix up a piece of 
 the parapet that was smashed in by a * whizz-bang ' 
 last night." 
 
 It was not till they had almost reached the right 
 
 251 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 flank of the section of trench occupied by their regi- 
 ment that they at last found Lieutenant O'Brien 
 busily directing the efforts of his work-party. In 
 every bay, as they made their way along, Ralph 
 had paused, however, to scrutinize that portion of 
 No Man's Land and the enemy's trenches immedi- 
 ately opposite. The sentinel on duty in each bay 
 was furnished with a periscope, and the various 
 groups and individuals of each bay as they passed 
 along were more or less similarly occupied as those 
 already described in the first bay they had entered. 
 
 Lieutenant Storm was not at all satisfied with his 
 periscopic observations, and so expressed himself 
 when he met Lieutenant O'Brien. Through a 
 loophole between the sand-bags of the parapet the 
 latter then pointed out to Ralph the entrance to a 
 zigzag passage through their own wire, for use by 
 night patrols. For further use Ralph made a care- 
 ful note of the bearings of this passage. 
 
 Lieutenant O'Brien also informed him that up 
 near the road, at the other end of the section then 
 occupied by his platoon — that is to say, not far 
 from " D " on Captain Goring's sketch, already 
 mentioned — they had constructed a sap, leading 
 from the trench and passing under their barbed 
 wire out into No Man's Land. At the end of the 
 sap there was a carefully camouflaged " listening 
 post " that was constantly occupied. 
 
 252 
 
THE LISTENING POST 
 
 He suggested that Lieutenant Storm could get a 
 closer and better view, and with the naked eye, of 
 the enemy defenses from that point — ^particularly 
 of the " bulge " that it was proposed to destroy, 
 and offered to conduct Ralph to it himself. 
 
 They at once began to retrace their steps along 
 the fire-trench, Wiggler trailing along after the two 
 young officers. 
 
 Saps are of different kinds and intended for dif- 
 ferent purposes. There is the open kind — a mere 
 ditch leading out from the trenches. If it happens 
 to be one of the enemy's it can sometimes be seen 
 eating its way slowly day by day out into No Man's 
 Land; but this species, the commonest because the 
 easiest to construct, is generally worked forward 
 under cover of night. 
 
 Then there is the covered or tunneled kind, which 
 is much more difficult and slower of construction; 
 but is also the more valuable because of its se- 
 crecy. 
 
 Saps are used as " jumping-off " places for raids 
 and patrols. Snipers make use of them to ap- 
 proach nearer the enemy's trenches. They make 
 the best kind of listening posts. Others are con- 
 structed for the sole purpose of planting mines at 
 the sap-heads. Sometimes they approach so near 
 the opposing trench that bombs may be conveni- 
 ently hurled from them into these defenses. Then 
 
 253 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 again some are dug or excavated solely for the 
 purpose of establishing convenient observation 
 posts. Whatever their nature they are always a 
 menace. 
 
 The sax3 in question had been constructed by the 
 
 ^ 
 ^ 
 
 The Sap 
 
 A A — Road crossing both Allied and German lines, 
 
 BB — Fire trench — the front line. 
 
 CC — Support or second line trench. 
 
 DD — Commanication trench. 
 
 E — Sap— or trench leading to listening post. 
 
 F — The listening post. 
 
 American engineers with great labor to serve both 
 as an observation post by day and as a jumping-off 
 place for our patrols by night. The zigzagging 
 tunnel out to the listening post was so low that 
 one had to crawl on hands and knees along it. 
 
 254 
 
THE LISTENING POST 
 
 Ralph, creeping after Lieutenant O'Brien, on 
 reaching the listening post, a circular chamber at 
 the end of the sap, so confined that it barely per- 
 mitted the two lieutenants to crowd in alongside 
 of the two soldiers already on duty there. 
 
 A narrow slit cut laterally through the turf al- 
 lowed the observer a wide view of No Man's Land 
 to the right, and to the left a section of the road 
 and the " bulge " in the German trench on the other 
 side of it. A trap-door of boards that the en- 
 gineers had cunningly camouflaged with a covering 
 of sods and stones cemented thereon, blocked the 
 entire exit with the exception of the narrow slit 
 above mentioned. This skilfully constructed door 
 could be raised and lowered at will from the inside ; 
 but was never opened except at night. The fact 
 that the enemy's eyes, always glaring across No 
 Man's Land, had not discovered the sap, which had 
 then been in use for several weeks, spoke volumes 
 for the cunning skill of the American engineers. 
 
 For what seemed a long time to Lieutenant 
 O'Brien in his cramped quarters, and still longer 
 to the disappointed Wiggler who had been com- 
 pelled to remain back in the fire-trench, Ralph 
 patiently surveyed inch by inch the terrain there 
 exposed to his eager view, while he strove to photo- 
 graph on his mind all its more salient details. 
 
 Near where the " bulge " began just across the 
 
 255 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 forbidden road he could plainly see a work-party 
 of German soldiers repairing a great breach in their 
 parapet. Although they were under cover from 
 direct fire in front, they were quite exposed to an 
 oblique fire from the sentinels in the listening 
 post. 
 
 Lieutenant Storm glanced from the enemy sol- 
 diers, so plainly in view, to the rifles of the sentinels 
 in the post, and then inquiringly at Lieutenant 
 O'Brien. The latter shook his head with a dry 
 smile. The two American doughboys were also 
 smiling broadly, for they too had noted and cor- 
 rectly interpreted Ralph's glance of questioning 
 surprise. 
 
 No other reply was necessary. Ralph realized 
 at once that it was considered of far more impor- 
 tance to maintain the secrecy of the listening post 
 than to shoot two or three of the enemy, and that 
 the men had orders under no circumstances to risk 
 giving away the location of their hiding place for 
 the pleasure of a pot-shot, no matter how great 
 the temptation to do so might be. That they could 
 have resisted the itching they must have felt to draw 
 a bead on such a fine target promised well for the 
 discipline of the regiment. 
 
 After leaving that interesting spot Storm sur- 
 veyed the remainder of the front line occupied by 
 his regiment, making as many observations of the 
 
 256 
 
THE LISTENING POST 
 
 conformation of the ground between the opposing 
 lines as possible, and it was already becoming dusk 
 ere he and Wiggler started to make their return 
 trip through the communication trenches. 
 
 257 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 
 THE PATROL 
 
 *'And men with vigil in their eyes 
 And a f ever-light that never dies — 
 Men from the city, hamlet, town. 
 Once white faces turned to hrown — 
 Stand to the watch of the parapet 
 And watch with rifles, bayonets set,'* 
 — Sergeant J. W. Streets 
 
 {Killed in action.) 
 
 Guided again by Wiggler, and this time accom- 
 panied by Chuck Barrows, Ralph paid another 
 visit to the fire-trench the following night. He 
 knew that locating oneself in the trenches after 
 nightfall was quite another matter from making 
 one's way about there in daylight, and had wisely 
 made up his mind to familiarize himself with the 
 surroundings under both conditions. 
 
 The idea that possessed all three of them as they 
 floundered up through the communication trench 
 and past the support trench was the utter lone- 
 someness of it all. Night had long fallen ere they 
 started, and everything for the moment was un- 
 cannily, appallingly quiet, for they knew that all 
 about them, in their near vicinity, were hidden away 
 
 258 
 
THE PATROL 
 
 hundreds and hundreds of men, continually waiting 
 by their arms, ready for instant call. 
 
 Yet they saw not one of them till they had at last 
 turned into the fire-trench itself, and there came 
 upon the first sentry grayly vigilant at his post, with 
 his " relief " sitting silently at his feet on the dimly 
 outlined fire-step. 
 
 Reassuring the sentinel with a word, they 
 mounted the step on either side of him, Wiggler as 
 well as the two young officers, to peer out over the 
 parapet between the gaps of the sand-bags into No 
 Man's Land. 
 
 "Anything doing? " queried Lieutenant Bar- 
 rows of the sentry in a low whisper as he stepped 
 up beside him. 
 
 " No, sir. All quiet! " answered the latter in an 
 equally guarded tone. 
 
 Both knew and remembered that they were not 
 much more than one hundred and fifty yards re- 
 moved from the German front-line trench, and for 
 all they knew to the contrary might be within fifty 
 yards of an enemy advanced listening post. 
 
 All was solid blackness out there at first, and they 
 could not even discern the faintest outline of their 
 own barbed wire, thick and tangled mass though 
 it was. 
 
 But the German, in spite of the stolidity with 
 which before the war we were wont to attribute him, 
 
 259 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 was always as nervous as a flea when he knew that 
 it was the " Yanks " who held the ditch in front of 
 him, and his nervous curiosity was insatiable. He 
 suspected that they were always up to something — 
 and he was not far wrong at that. 
 
 Even as the three young soldiers vainly endeav- 
 ored to pierce with their eyes the opaque wall of 
 darkness in front of them two or three flares shot 
 up from the trenches directly opposite, and sailed 
 in a graceful parabola of beautiful silver-green 
 light over the intervening desert space. Then as 
 if the enemy had suddenly become excited over 
 something they suspected and feared was going 
 on out there, or farther back in the American 
 trenches, they began to send up rockets enough, and 
 to fire off powder enough to put an old-fashioned 
 Fourth of July celebration quite in the shade. 
 
 Soaring rockets and innumerable flares with their 
 silver-green and glaring white lights all at once 
 iluminated No Man's Land with startling vivid- 
 ness. Ralph and his companions on the fire-step 
 could see each other's features distinctly. Details 
 of the trench interior, the strange shapes of the 
 barb-wire stakes outside, and the pitted terrain in 
 front of them, all sprang into view with the abrupt- 
 ness of screen pictures. 
 
 An instant thus of dazzling light, and then that 
 wonderful silence that had hitherto reigned was 
 
 260 
 
THE PATROL 
 
 shattered by the savage chatter of machine guns. 
 The " ssh " of bullets overhead and their soft 
 " flick, flick " into the sand-bags in front caused 
 the five eager watchers — the " relief " had also 
 mounted the fire-step to view the beautiful pyro- 
 technic display — in that particular fire-bay to duck 
 their heads with one consent below the shelter of 
 the parapet lip. 
 
 The lights died out as suddenly as they had come. 
 Like the abrupt closing of a book darkness fell over 
 all and shut out the view again. It was just a 
 nervous flutter on the part of Fritz, and was over 
 within a minute. But he might have another fit of 
 the " jumps " in yet another minute. He always 
 had " the wind-up " when he knew our fellows were 
 there, and no matter how quiet a line trench at night 
 might be for the moment, it was always the treach- 
 erous quiet of nerve tension stretched almost to the 
 breaking point. 
 
 Several such outbursts on the part of the enemy 
 Ralph Storm and " Chuck " Barrows witnessed 
 that night, as piloted by the young " runner," they 
 made their stumbling way up and down the dark- 
 some trench, pausing in each separate fire-bay to 
 peer over its parapet and question the sentry on 
 duty there as they went along. In spite of the 
 fact that both Storm and Barrows were due to go 
 out on reconnaissance patrol the following night, 
 
 261 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMr 
 
 they remained up there in the fire-trench till just 
 before " stand-to " at dawn. 
 
 That afternoon while Ralph Storm was super- 
 intending the construction of some of the portable 
 barb-wire obstructions that were to be carried up 
 the line in readiness for the raid upon the bulge, 
 Captain Goring brought him the welcome news 
 that Rod Van Home had been relieved of his duties 
 at the training camp, and had been ordered to re- 
 port forthwith to his own regiment. 
 
 "A paragraph to that effect appeared in yester- 
 day's Daily Orders from General Headquarters, a 
 copy of which arrived at our P. C, to-day," added 
 the captain. " So I suppose that we may expect 
 your friend, Lieutenant Van Home, to join us at 
 any time now." 
 
 " I wish he would arrive in time to go out with 
 me on that patrol to-night," said Lieutenant Storm. 
 
 " I hardlj'^ think that he would find the time for 
 that, even if he were here," rejoined Captain Gor- 
 ing. " I understand that the adjutant has plenty 
 of work cut out for him as ' gas officer ' as soon as 
 he arrives." 
 
 So saying the captain continued on his tour of 
 inspection, evidently quite satisfied with the man- 
 ner in which his newest lieutenant was carrying on 
 with the job he then had in hand. 
 
 And in truth Ralph, with his coat off and his 
 
 262 
 
THE PATROL 
 
 shirt-sleeves rolled, was laboring manfully. The 
 men were new to the work and needed constant 
 supervision and instruction. The " saw-buck " ob- 
 stacles, or " knife-rests," as the British Tommy had 
 been used to call them, had of necessity to be of 
 certain specified dimensions in order that they might 
 be carried up through the narrow and crooked com- 
 munication trenches, and they had also to be 
 strongly put together in order to serve the pur- 
 pose for which they were intended. 
 
 The **Saw-Buck 
 
 This particular species of barb-wire obstacle was 
 mostly used for emergency or stop-gap occasions. 
 The framework of each section was made of small 
 tree-trunks about ten feet long and four feet square, 
 covered with a jumble of long, sharp barbed wire, 
 most difficult and unpleasant to handle. 
 
 The method of using them sounds simple enough. 
 The " saw-buck " was carried along the trench to 
 the part that required " wiring." Then it was 
 
 263 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 hoisted over the top of the parapet and pushed out 
 a little way. That was all. 
 
 But in actual practice the task was a difficult one 
 and far from desirable. A trench at the best of 
 times is usually not more than three feet wide, and 
 is broken in length every few yards by the rough 
 corners of a traverse around which the awkward, 
 prickly things had to be lugged. The parapet was 
 never any too high, and any unusual movement in 
 the trench was sure to attract the attention of the 
 enemy's trench mortars and rifle grenades. 
 
 Then, too, the narrow trench always had its own 
 regular complement of men, rifles, mortars, and 
 sand-bag piles already there, so that to pass along 
 the heavy " obstacle " with its loose waving strands 
 and stray ends of barb- wire that caught into every 
 one and everything on the way was no light task, 
 as we have already observed. And yet that was the 
 safest method of wiring a trench. 
 
 The easier and more common way, although the 
 more dangerous, was to creep out into No Man's 
 Land on some very dark night and drive into the 
 ground rows of stout wooden stakes with muffled 
 wooden mallets, every muffled thud of which 
 sounded like an ominous knell of death to the 
 novice, putting him into a very bath of perspira- 
 tion even on a cold night, setting his " goose-flesh " 
 
 all aquiver, and causing every hair of his head to 
 
 264 
 
THE PATROL 
 
 stand on end with the sound of each dull thump. 
 Whenever they were available iron screw standards 
 were worked into the ground corkscrew fashion, and 
 were used instead of the wooden stakes. 
 
 About the stakes or standards the wire had then 
 to be wound in and out, and fastened in a tangled 
 jumble. The barbs seemed to clutch at your limbs 
 and clothes like living things that were just trying 
 to show how troublesome and nasty they could be. 
 
 Added to that, at every star-shell you had to 
 stand as still as a statue or fall on your face in the 
 tangled jumble of wood and wire, praying and 
 hoping that Fritz would not detect the wiring 
 party and open up on you with his " typewriters." 
 And if by any chance he did detect or even sus- 
 pect the presence of a wiring party out there you 
 had to give it up for that night, and as likely as 
 not, as the poilu used to say, experienced " Un 
 mauvais quart d'heure " before you got back to the 
 shelter of your own blessed trench again. 
 
 After one experience on a wiring detail no sol- 
 dier ever hankered for a second, for of all things 
 unpleasant there was none that surpassed it. 
 
 On his way up the line that night with his little 
 patrol, Ralph halted for a moment at the Regi- 
 mental P. C. to ascertain if Lieutenant Van Home 
 had as yet reported there. He had not as yet done 
 so, although he was that night expected to report, 
 
 265 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 and so the little party of four continued on their 
 way. 
 
 The reconnaissance patrol, as chosen by Ralph, 
 was to consist of four only. Lieutenant Barrows, 
 Sergeant Hayes of Ralph's platoon, Baptiste 
 Trudeau, the French Canadian who was an old 
 deer stalker and just the man for such an occasion, 
 and Ralph himself. The French Canadian had 
 been sent up the line earlier in the day in order to 
 familiarize himself with the lay of the land, and 
 would be waiting to join them up there. The three 
 then on their way up were again guided by young 
 " Wiggler " Matson, the runner, at Ralph's special 
 request. 
 
 When giving Baptiste his instructions that after- 
 noon Lieutenant Storm had told him to take par- 
 ticular note of the ground immediately in front of 
 and beyond his own wire at about where the zigzag 
 alley had purposely been left for a passage through 
 it. Ralph had determined to use that more diffi- 
 cult means of getting on the other side of his own 
 barbed wire, rather than the easier way out into 
 No Man's Land by means of the sap. The easier 
 and quicker way would be used during the coming 
 raid, and he feared risking the attraction of the 
 enemy's attention to it prematurely. 
 
 The purpose of the patrol being solely to obtain 
 information, Ralph would have preferred making it 
 
 266 
 
THE PATROL 
 
 accompanied by the French Canadian alone. But 
 for the reasons already mentioned Lieutenant Bar- 
 rows' presence was deemed necessary on this occa- 
 sion, and as Sergeant Hayes was to have charge of 
 a special section of his platoon during the raid it 
 was most advisable that he too should become 
 familiar with the appearance of the enemy's wire 
 and trenches under the obscurity of night, a very 
 different matter from merely viewing them across 
 the space between by daylight. 
 
 As a matter of fact the American patrols con- 
 sisted generally of not more than two or three to- 
 gether. And more often than not, both with our 
 forces and the British, that fascinating and perilous 
 duty was performed by a single scout. Under no 
 circumstances were they to court an encounter with 
 a hostile patrol that was as likely as not to be prowl- 
 ing around on its stomach out there in the inky 
 darkness at the same time. 
 
 The sole duty of a scout on patrol was to find 
 out without being found out, to get as close to the 
 enemy wire as possible, to lay his ear to the harassed 
 soil every now and then and listen with bated breath 
 for the " pick-pick " and " scrape-scrape " of a 
 possible sapping party bent perhaps on preparing 
 a mine, or to crawl along the enemy's wire to ascer- 
 tain if he had repairing parties out, or was making 
 preparations for a raid in force on our trenches. 
 
 267 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 Another reason why our scouts had to avoid en- 
 countering an enemy patrol, to see without being 
 seen, to hear without being heard, was because the 
 Hun always patrolled in strong parties spread out 
 like a wedge with its apex pointing toward our 
 trenches. The only proper thing for our patrol to 
 
 The Mills Bomb (Exterior) 
 
 This fearful little lemon-shaped bomb has been fonnd especially 
 efl&oient in clearing out the enemy's dugouts. In exactly four 
 seconds after one of these apparently harmless little lumps of 
 cast iron rolled down into an ordinary size dugout there would 
 usually be nothing left alive inside. 
 
 do when he suspected an enemy in front of him was 
 to back up crab fashion lest he should become en- 
 trapped among the crawling members of a wing of 
 the wedge. 
 
 268 
 
THE PATROL 
 
 Ralph had forbidden the mdividuals of his party 
 to carry firearms of any kind. He himself was 
 armed, as were the others, with but a heavy trench 
 club and a short trench dagger. As a usual thing a 
 patrol carried two or three Mills bombs in his 
 pockets; but Ralph had forbidden even these, so 
 bent was he on carrying out the reconnaissance with 
 the utmost secrecy. 
 
 Fortunately the night was pitch dark. They 
 reported to Captain Forbes in his dugout, and he 
 accompanied them up to the fire-trench. Word 
 was passed along from bay to bay to the sentinels 
 on duty there that a patrol was about to go out, 
 and under no circumstances to fire into the inky 
 blackness of No Man's Land till word was again 
 passed down the trenches that the patrol was " in." 
 
 Baptiste they found sitting on the fire-step at the 
 spot which Ralph had designated, patiently waiting 
 with that inbred stoicism natural to his half -Indian 
 blood. 
 
 Each had been assigned his place in numerical 
 order, Baptiste leading, Ralph next, then Lieu- 
 tenant Barrows, and lastly Sergeant Hayes. All 
 had been carefully instructed by Ralph in the role 
 ■that each was expected to play. Wiggler, much to 
 his chagrin, for he had all along been hoping that 
 Storm would allow him to go over the top with the 
 party, was sternly ordered to remain at the post on 
 
 269 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. 5. ^RMT 
 
 the fire-step vacated by the French Canadian, till 
 the return of the patrol. 
 
 Captain Forbes had already informed Lieutenant 
 Storm that, save for the usual sporadic outbursts 
 of rifle and machine gun fire, the night up till then 
 
 Thb Mills Bomb (Section) 
 
 A — Cast-iron body, serrated so as to break into separate small 
 
 pieces on exploding. 
 B — Striker lever, holding np striker till safety pin is pulled. 
 C — Safety pin that retains lever in place. 
 D — Striker with spiral spring that explodes " E." 
 E — Cap that ignites bent time fuse, *' F." 
 F— Time fuse that in four seconds explodes detonator, *' H." 
 H— Fulminate of Mercury Detonator that explodes Ammonal 
 
 charge, "I." 
 I— Explosive Ammonal that bursts the bomb. 
 
 had been a very quiet one, and it was still so. 
 time was then a little past midnight. 
 
 270 
 
 The 
 
THE PATROL 
 
 "All ready, Baptiste? " demanded Ralph in a 
 low tone as they drew near the latter. 
 
 " Oui, monsieur, tout correct! " replied Baptiste 
 in a whisper, springing to his feet and saluting as 
 he recognized his lieutenant's voice. 
 
 " Then carry on! " commanded Ralph tersely. 
 
 Without further parley the Canadian faced 
 about, sprang to the fire-step, vaulted thence nimbly 
 onto the top of the parapet, and at once began to 
 descend its gentle slope with as little apparent con- 
 cern as if he were merely strolling out of his own 
 little cabin door in far-off Canada. One after an- 
 other the others followed him with as little pause 
 as might be. Almost as soon as they went over 
 the top they were swallowed up in the blackness, 
 and like four silent ghosts disappeared from the 
 straining eyes of Captain Forbes and Wiggler, left 
 behind in the trench. 
 
 Cautiously, but with as little hesitation as if he 
 had really been able to see for more than a yard 
 ahead of him, Baptiste led the way straight out to 
 the wire. At his low " s-s-s " the other three 
 dropped flat on their faces as he had already done. 
 
 The passage through the wire was low and 
 narrow. Once Ralph made as if to raise himself on 
 his hands and knees, but the sharp barbed strands 
 that spanned the alley warned him that the only 
 way to get through was prone upon the ground at 
 
 271 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. JRMT 
 
 full length. The ground was rough; the entangle- 
 ment was about twenty feet in depth; but owing to 
 the twistings and turnings of the devious passage 
 they were obliged to worm their difficult way along 
 for more than thirty yards ere they at length 
 emerged from it one by one into the Stygian gloom 
 and appalling silence of No Man's Land. 
 
 Just beyond the entanglement they arose to their 
 feet again, and paused for a brief space, listening 
 with all their ears and unavailingly striving to 
 pierce^the darkness in front of them with their 
 eyes. 
 
 Baptiste took from his pocket a stout cord previ- 
 ously prepared with a loop at each end, and two 
 other loops between the ends and at about twenty 
 feet apart. He passed the first loop to Sergeant 
 Hayes, and as he quickly unwound the ball of cord 
 passed the other loops in succession to Lieutenant 
 Barrows and Ralph. Each in turn slipped his loop 
 over his left hand and about his left wrist, leaving 
 the slack of the cord to fall to the ground between 
 them. 
 
 While the French Canadian was thus engaged 
 Sergeant Hayes produced a roll of narrow white 
 tape, and attached one end of it to the foot of a 
 stake at the place where they had emerged from 
 the wire. 
 
 Their manner of progress thenceforth till they 
 
 272 
 
THE PATROL 
 
 had again returned to the spot where they then 
 stood was to be smiply as follows, provided always 
 of course that nothing unforeseen marred Ralph's 
 plans. 
 
 When Baptiste, in the lead, had advanced his 
 twenty feet Ralph would then feel the pull of the 
 cord at his wrist, as would also Baptiste at the same 
 time. The latter would thereupon at once halt and 
 wait until Ralph had joined him, ere going on 
 again. When Ralph had reached Baptiste Lieu- 
 tenant Barrows would in his turn feel the tug at 
 his wrist and would at once advance to join Ralph, 
 who should remain perfectly still till " Chuck " 
 came up with him, by which time Sergeant Hayes 
 would also have received his signal to move out to 
 where Lieutenant Barrows would then be waiting 
 for him. 
 
 The process would be repeated over and over 
 again as they proceeded. At no time, unless it 
 were deemed advisable for some reason, would more 
 than two of them be together at once, and then for 
 but a moment only. 
 
 As Sergeant Hayes moved he was to unwind the 
 roll of white tape, one end of which he had an- 
 chored near the entrance to their wire. 
 
 Each of the little party had moved forward once 
 and Lieutenant Barrows had silently stolen up 
 alongside of Ralph for the second time, when a 
 
 273 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 glaring star-shell suddenly soared up from the op- 
 posite trenches and fell not far from them. It was 
 followed, or rather accompanied, by several rifle 
 shots. The hearts of the patrol in their mouths, 
 they all stood perfectly motionless in their tracks. 
 Each felt himself the target for the enemy's fire. 
 
 Another star-shell shot up; but this time it had 
 been fired in quite another direction; they knew 
 then that they had not yet been seen. 
 
 And yet at the very first rifle shot Lieutenant 
 Barrows had involuntarily given utterance to a 
 low, startled " Oh," almost under his breath. 
 
 "What's the matter? Clicked it?" queried 
 Ralph in an anxious whisper, reaching out a hand 
 in the darkness to feel the other's arm. 
 
 " No, I'm all right ! " Lieutenant Barrows hastily 
 reassured him in a whisper that Ralph thought was 
 a bit shaky, and wondered thereat. It was not till 
 next day that he learned that a bullet, striking the 
 iron head of Chuck's short trench club, had knocked 
 it from his grasp and had momentarily paralyzed 
 his right arm clear to the elbow. 
 
 Even as Lieutenant Barrows replied to Ralph's 
 query the latter felt the insistent tug upon his left 
 wrist again, and once more started forward. This 
 time he found Baptiste waiting prone upon the 
 ground. As they were then approaching the 
 middle of the " billard," as the poilu has nicknamed 
 
 274 
 
THE PATROL 
 
 No Man's Land, Baptiste advised that further 
 progress should be made on hands and knees, and 
 to this effect each was cautioned as he drew up 
 alongside the scout ahead of him. Thus crawling 
 they reached the enemy's wire without further mis- 
 hap, and lay quiet there for a few minutes, breath- 
 lessly listening again. 
 
 To a stake of the German wire Sergeant Hayes 
 then attached the narrow tape that stretched clear 
 across No Man's Land, and would furnish a sure 
 guiding line for the patrol's return journey. He 
 took from his pockets a second roll, the loose end 
 of which he fastened to the same stake. The first 
 tape was to serve as a guide, this second one as a 
 measure of the distance they should crawl along 
 the Hun wire from the point at which they had 
 first struck it. 
 
 Their progress along the enemy's obstacle was 
 even slower and made with still greater caution 
 than they had employed in crossing the " billard." 
 They felt along the wire for an opening as their 
 slow way they snaked from stake to stake. More 
 than once Baptiste thought he had found it; but 
 always on crawling into the vacant space he met 
 with an impasse of tangled barbs and found that 
 he had been once more mistaken. 
 
 For what seemed an interminable time, with 
 
 many a breathless pause to hearken, they had 
 
 275 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMY 
 
 wormed their way along the uneven fringe of the 
 entanglement, and then there came a halt longer 
 than any they had yet made. 
 
 At all times, even in the broad light of day, the 
 view from the lip of a parapet across No Man's 
 Land is a deceptive one. The watcher's glance 
 being horizontal with the surface of the terrain in 
 front fails to take in the depths of the shell-holes 
 and furrows, and quite omits folds in the ground 
 that prove to be of no inconsiderable magnitude 
 when one comes to traverse them. The bottoms 
 of some of those folds are quite out of sight and 
 range from the parapet, and make what in military 
 parlance is called " dead ground." Baptiste's 
 progress along the wire was brought to an abrupt 
 pause by a puzzling cleft in one of those bot- 
 toms. 
 
 Crawling slowly along he had unexpectedly 
 thrust one of his outstretched hands over the clean- 
 cut edge of a ditch. Reaching a little further down 
 its side he felt water, the depth of which he could 
 not plumb with his arm; nor could he reach across 
 the cleft to the other side. So pitch dark was it 
 he could not even see his own outstretched hand. 
 The water extended under the wire entanglement 
 as far as he could reach, and farther. 
 
 Slowly it dawned upon the French Canadian that 
 he had come upon an abandoned sap into which the 
 
 276 
 
THE PATROL 
 
 moisture of the low-lying bottom had seeped until 
 it filled the ditch almost to the top. It was not the 
 first one of its kind that he had become acquainted 
 with. More than three precious minutes had he 
 spent blindly exploring the sap with his hands be- 
 fore the truth dawned upon him. | 
 
 He gathered up the slack of the cord and pulled 
 upon it gently. In another moment Ralph had 
 silently wriggled up alongside of him. Baptiste felt 
 for the lieutenant's hand and quietly guided it to 
 the edge of the sap. When Ralph felt his hand 
 touch the water he demanded in a very cautious 
 whisper: 
 
 "What is it?" 
 
 " One ole sap full up wiz water," breathed Bap- 
 tiste in his ear. " I go see where she go, sir! " 
 
 So saying the hardy fellow slipped over the edge 
 and down into the icy cold water that arose almost 
 to his chin. Without a sound in an instant he had 
 disappeared from Ralph's sight and touch. The 
 latter signaled for the other two members of the 
 patrol to approach, and as each came up beside him, 
 he signified that they were to rest quiet there. 
 
 For some minutes that seemed an age, especially 
 to Chuck and the sergeant, who had not the faintest 
 inkling of what was really taking place, they lay 
 there again as quiet and motionless as sand-bags. 
 An almost imperceptible rippling of the water un- 
 
 277 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMY 
 
 der their very noses at length announced the daring 
 explorer's safe return. 
 
 Baptiste clambered out of the water-logged sap 
 and whispered to Lieutenant Storm: 
 
 " She go right thru — jus' de same lak dis on de 
 oder side ; for get in an' out dat's good for sure ! " 
 
 Ralph Storm was quick to see that the object of 
 his patrol had been accomplished, and most suc- 
 cessfully, too. No better passage through the 
 enemy's wire could he wish than that abandoned 
 and apparently forgotten sap. The enemy would 
 never look for their coming by that way. 
 
 " Let us go back ! " he whispered in the ear of the 
 wondering Lieutenant Barrows. 
 
 And then to Sergeant Hayes, " Tie a knot in 
 your tape right here, Sergeant, and gather it up 
 as you come along." 
 
 Slowly they made their return journey just as 
 they had come, following the tape more by feel than 
 sight. In exactly forty minutes from the time they 
 had gone over the top, like four shadows they 
 dropped into their own fire-trench again. 
 
 Wiggler, who had all the time been faithfully and 
 anxiously watching there for their return, at once 
 scurried off to announce the welcome fact to Cap- 
 tain Forbes, and the word, " patrol in," was 
 quickly passed along the trench from bay to bay. 
 
 278 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
 
 THE COLONEL AGREES 
 
 "TJie gunners will clean them at dawning. 
 And slumber beside tJiem all day, 
 But the guns chant a chorus at sunset. 
 And then you should hear what they say," 
 
 When the patrol got back to the village behind 
 the lines again it was nearly three o'clock in the 
 morning. 
 
 So as not to awaken Second Lieutenant Logan 
 of his platoon, who shared the billet with him, nor 
 disturb its rightful French owners, who slept in the 
 loft above that was reached by a stationary ladder, 
 Ralph Storm softly pushed open the kitchen door 
 of the chaumiere, and noiselessly glided over the 
 threshold. Gently closing the door behind him he 
 flashed on his electric torch that he might avoid any 
 misplaced chair or other obstacle that should per- 
 chance be between him and his bed over against the 
 wall of the kitchen to his left. 
 
 Casually, without any definite reason for so do- 
 ing, he turned the tiny spot-light on the sleeper 
 whose regular deep breathing could be heard from 
 the opposite side of the kitchen. One glance, and 
 
 279 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. 5. ^RMT 
 
 with a sudden start of surprise he shut off the 
 narrow shaft of light more quickly than he had 
 turned it on. The slender beam had revealed, not 
 the countenance as he had expected of Lieutenant 
 Logan, but that of his friend. Big Van. 
 
 Ralph understood the situation at once. Lieu- 
 tenant Van Home had arrived at regimental head- 
 quarters too late to be assigned to a regular billet of 
 his own and Lieutenant Logan, knowing that Van 
 and he were old friends, had offered to give up his 
 bed for the night to the newcomer, and had betaken 
 himself off to share some one else's quarters. 
 
 To say that Ralph was delighted to have Rod 
 Van Home back with hun again would be to ex- 
 press it mildly indeed. And yet, with a soldier's 
 consideration for the rest of a sleeping comrade 
 whom an unexpected step or voice might awaken 
 while the explosion of a bomb at close quarters 
 would not disturb his slumbers, Ralph redoubled 
 his efforts to avoid making the least sound what- 
 ever. With a happy smile on his lips, and his 
 glance always turned toward the sleeper, whom he 
 could not see at all across the absolute darkness of 
 the room, as quietly as any mouse he drew off his 
 boots and coat, and stretched himself out on his 
 own bed. But what a good old talk they would 
 have in the morning! Still smiling contentedly, 
 Ralph was sound asleep in half a minute. 
 
 280 
 
THE COLONEL AGREES 
 
 He slept late that morning, for no bugles blew 
 reveille in the tiny village where the officers of his 
 company alone were billeted. Realizing at once 
 on awaking that he had overslept, with a start he 
 sat up in his bed and glanced across the room at 
 the couch opposite. He gave vent to a sudden ex- 
 clamation of vexation; the couch was empty. 
 
 Then observing that a morsel of paper was 
 pinned to the back of his coat, which had been 
 thoughtfully picked from the floor where he had 
 dropped it and carefully draped over a chair, he 
 sprang from the bed half-dressed as he already was 
 and reached for the paper. 
 
 The expression of annoyance vanished from his 
 countenance and gave place to a broad smile of 
 pleasure as he perused the brief note penciled in 
 Big Vari's old familiar schoolboy scrawl, 
 
 " Good-morning, son! " it read. " Have to re- 
 port up at the P. C. right after morning chow, and 
 so will not disturb your beauty sleep, old dear. See 
 you later to-day. And don't forget to wash your 
 face and ears before you go out this morning. 
 Van." 
 
 Ralph picked up his soldier's mirror of bright 
 steel that lay on the table near. His smile became 
 a grin from ear to ear when he looked into it. From 
 forehead to chin his face was streaked and splotched 
 with mud, the result of lying again and again with 
 
 281 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 his face close pressed to the damp soil and dewy 
 grass of No Man's Land. The grin became a 
 smile again and his eyes took on a tender light in 
 their deep blue depths as he realized that Van had 
 shown the same careful consideration for him, that 
 he himself had evidenced for the former but a few 
 hours earlier. 
 
 Not till his platoon had knocked off work at mid- 
 day, when the usual two hours allotted to the sol- 
 dier for dinner and rest came, did Lieutenant Storm 
 again find time to think of looking up his old 
 chum. Then without delay he began to make his 
 way by a short cut across the fields up to the regi- 
 mental post of command where there was scheduled 
 for that afternoon a meeting of all the officers of 
 the regiment, to discuss the proposed raid and 
 to report the progress of all preparations there- 
 for. 
 
 Drawing near the cellar dugout in which the 
 P. C. was located he perceived Wiggler seated on 
 an empty hand-grenade box not far from the dug- 
 out entrance and gazing intently toward it, as if 
 patiently and momentarily awaiting for some one 
 to emerge therefrom. 
 
 " The youngster must know that Van is inside," 
 mused Storm. " I wonder if they have met yet." 
 
 And he smiled reminiscently as he recalled how 
 at their old school Big Van had sometimes been 
 
 282 
 
THE COLONEL AGREES 
 
 called " The King of the Kids," because of his big 
 brotherly care for the little fellows there. 
 
 In his eagerness to meet Big Van, Ralph was 
 about to pass the young runner with but a friendly 
 greeting in passing. But a second thought, that 
 was itself due to the presence of their mutual friend. 
 Rod Van Home, in the neighborhood caused him to 
 halt in front of Wiggler, as the latter sprang to 
 attention and saluted. 
 
 The night previous as they were making their 
 way back along the communication trench the boy 
 in the course of their conversation had just ob- 
 served with some eagerness in reply to a remark 
 of Ralph's concerning the old days at Dale Acad- 
 emy, that there was still another one of their former 
 schoolmates located down in that sector of the Lor- 
 raine Front, when a stray whizz-bang, exploding 
 with startling suddenness in their near vicinity, had 
 caused him to break off in the middle of a word 
 with the usual warning cry "Flat!" At which 
 exclamation every man jack of the little patrol had 
 flung himself on his face in the slimy ooze of the 
 trench floor. 
 
 Their conversation a few minutes later had not 
 been resumed at the same point where it had been 
 interrupted, and for the time being Ralph had quite 
 forgotten the matter. 
 
 But he knew that Big Van would be more than 
 
 283 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMr 
 
 interested to learn of another one of the old Dale 
 boys being in the neighborhood. So after return- 
 ing Wiggier's smart salute, and bidding him a 
 friendly good-morning as well, Ralph at once 
 queried : 
 
 " You were just going to tell me about another 
 one of the fellows from the old school who was out 
 here too, Matson, when that shell last night knocked 
 that subject out of our two heads altogether. Who 
 was it? " 
 
 "Did you know that Big Van was here?" re- 
 turned Wiggler eagerly and irrelevantly, and quite 
 ignoring Lieutenant Storm's question. 
 
 " Yes," smiled Ralph. " Have you seen him 
 yet?" 
 
 " Well I should say," answered Wiggler. "And, 
 say, Storm, doesn't he look just fine ! 
 
 " It's the first time I have ever seen him as a 
 soldier, you know," he went on, " and I do believe 
 he's taller than ever; he's straighter than ever, any- 
 how. And I am quite certain that he's stronger 
 than ever, too." 
 
 "What makes you think so?" laughed Storm, 
 amused and pleased at the boy's enthusiastic praise 
 of his best friend. 
 
 " Has he been giving you a free exhibition of his 
 great strength already? " 
 
 " I should say he has," rejoined Wiggler, 
 
 284 
 
THE COLONEL AGREES 
 
 " though he didn't mean it that way. And he had 
 all the men around laughing at me, too. 
 
 " He recognized me right away, even before I 
 spoke to him," the lad ran on. 
 
 " I didn't know he had arrived yet, you know. I 
 was just coming out of the P. C. as he swung 
 around that piece of broken wall over there, and I 
 was so flabbergasted that I didn't even try to salute 
 him; I just halted right there in my tracks and 
 stared up at him with my mouth open for a second. 
 
 "And then recollecting myself I saluted as Van 
 turned his eyes squarely on me. He was just about 
 to return my salute, too — just the same as he would 
 that of any other soldier. But when he saw who 
 I really was, do you know. Storm, he just grabbed 
 me by both arms in those big fists of his, and lifted 
 me squarely up in front of him till my face was 
 right level with his — for just a jiffy, Storm, I was 
 scared most to death lest he was going to kiss me 
 right before the men there like the poilus do to each 
 other. But he didn't; he just said, as he held me 
 up there in front of him, as if I were no heavier than 
 a baby, * Well, well, if it ain't little Wiggler Mat- 
 son!' And then he gave me a kind of a little 
 shake — to see if I were real or not, I guess. 
 
 " The men standing around began to laugh, and 
 then Van, smiling that funny little smile of his, set 
 me down on my feet again." 
 
 285 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMY 
 
 Ralph laughed heartily at the youngster's whun- 
 sical description of the incident; it was so like Big 
 Van. 
 
 Then Wiggler concluded proudly, " He told me 
 to stick around till he came out again. He expects 
 to go up the line as soon as he gets through in 
 there, and he is going to ask that I be detailed to 
 show him the way. And, say. Storm, when he left 
 me the fellows all gathered around to ask me who 
 my big officer friend was. You don't know how 
 glad I am. Storm, that you two fellows happened to 
 get into our regiment ! " 
 
 " Thanks, it's very nice of you to say that, 
 Wiggler, I am sure; but you haven't answered my 
 first question yet. I asked who is the other fellow 
 from the old school, now down here? " 
 
 " Oh, yes, I beg your pardon. Storm. It's 
 I^awson — Shorty Lawson, you know. He's in 
 charge of the field battery back there, that covers 
 our battalion and the other one on our " 
 
 "What's that you say? Shorty Lawson ! Why, 
 it must have been him I saw working those guns by 
 the roadside on my way up here the other day! " 
 exclaimed Ralph. 
 
 " Yes, and he's some artillery officer, too, believe 
 me! " rejoined Wiggler. 
 
 " Why, they say that he can put a shell from one 
 of those seventy-fives of his back there on any 
 
 286 
 
THE COLONEL AGREES 
 
 square yard he wishes to, four miles away," pur- 
 sued the enthusiastic runner. 
 
 " Have you met him yet? I mean, have you 
 spoken to him? " demanded Storm. 
 
 " No, you know I didn't want any one from the 
 old school to know that I was here. That is to say, 
 not until you told me that my brothers didn't in- 
 tend to take me out of the army if they found 
 me. 
 
 " But you can just bet I'll speak to him the next 
 time I get a chance. Why, on two different occa- 
 sions I was about to be sent back with a message to 
 him; but I always managed to wiggle out of it 
 some way or other." And Wiggler grinned at the 
 recollection. 
 
 " We'll all be glad to see old Shorty again," said 
 Ralph. 
 
 " But I must be going inside now. I'll see you 
 again when I come out, Wiggler, for it's just pos- 
 sible that I'll be going up the line with Van this 
 afternoon also." 
 
 So saying he turned away and entered the head- 
 quarters dugout. Inside he and Van had oppor- 
 tunity for a brief greeting and a warm hand-clasp 
 only. Serious discussion was afoot there* All the 
 officers were not yet present ; but each of them who 
 had already arrived at the rendezvous had been 
 able, each in his turn, to report his appointed share 
 
 287 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 in the preparations for the raid as quite complete, 
 and ready for " zero " hour. 
 
 As Lieutenant Storm entered the Post of Com- 
 mand Colonel Richards was observing: 
 
 " It may have seemed a little strange to some of 
 you gentlemen that we should be about to under- 
 take an operation, that for us at least is of no in- 
 considerable proportions, without some artillery 
 preparation or at least cooperation." 
 
 The meaning side glances which one or two of 
 his officers cast at each other showed the C. O. that 
 he was not far astray in this surmise. 
 
 " But the fact of the matter is, gentlemen," he 
 went on, " that D. H. Q.' is loath to have us take 
 the offensive as yet in any but very minor opera- 
 tions ; and I make no doubt they have very excellent 
 reasons for employing these Fabian tactics in most 
 instances." 
 
 Colonel Richards cleared his throat, and with a 
 dry and meaning smile that conveyed an additional 
 shade of meaning to his otherwise conversational 
 tones : 
 
 " Knowing as I do their attitude in this respect, 
 I feared that if I asked for the cooperation of the 
 heavy artillery — and shrapnel from the field guns, 
 as you all well know, is little better than so many 
 hailstones against the enemy's barb-wire — D. H. Q*, 
 
 * Divisional Headquarters. 
 288 
 
THE COLONEL AGREES 
 
 not being on the spot, might exaggerate the diffi- 
 culty and magnitude of the operation, and refuse 
 altogether to allow us to put on our little show. 
 
 " In fact," he went on, " I left them with the im- 
 pression that the raid is to be merely — and that 
 after all is its main objective — a diversion in order 
 to permit of our straightening out and shortening 
 up our front. 
 
 " Nevertheless it is my intention to ask personally 
 for a certain amount of active cooperation from the 
 battery commander in our immediate rear. To 
 what extent the latter may be willing to assist us 
 will rest pretty much with himself. 
 
 " I shall get in touch with him this afternoon. 
 He is allotted a daily ration of shell, to distribute 
 as he deems most advisable over the section of the 
 enemy line for which he is responsible. If I can 
 induce him from now on to concentrate his fire 
 more or less upon the enemy's obstacles immedi- 
 ately in front of their salient and machine-gun 
 positions it will doubtless have the effect of putting 
 their wind up a bit, and lead them to think that we 
 are trying to tear a path through their wire in order 
 to make a frontal attack on the salient itself. 
 
 "And then," pursued Colonel Richards, his eyes 
 beginning to glow with the light of battle, " if we 
 can in addition prevail on the battery commander to 
 deliver a three-minute box barrage upon the salient 
 
 289 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 from all five of his guns after our men are deployed 
 in the positions assigned to them, and immediately 
 before the signal to rush the hostile trench is given, 
 it may be the means of reducing our casualties con- 
 siderably, as well as diverting the enemy's attention 
 from the real points of assault. 
 
 " What do you think, gentlemen? " the colonel 
 concluded. 
 
 From his listeners there came a general murmur 
 of approbation. 
 
 "Are any of you gentlemen acquainted with the 
 officer in command of the battery? Lawson, I 
 think his name is? " demanded Colonel Richards. 
 
 Ralph pricked up his ears on hearing this ques- 
 tion, and to the surprise of Big Van, beside whom 
 he was standing, pinched the latter's arm forcibly. 
 Van was not then aware that the artillery officer 
 under discussion was none other than their old 
 school friend, " Shorty." 
 
 As no other officer made as if to reply to the 
 colonel's query, Ralph answered in a diffident and 
 respectful tone: 
 
 " I have reason to believe, sir, that the artillery 
 officer you have just mentioned is a former school- 
 mate of my own and Lieutenant Van Home's here. 
 I learned that such was the case but a few minutes 
 before I came in here." 
 
 " Good ! " exclaimed Colonel Richards, his fine 
 
 290 
 
THE COLONEL AGREES 
 
 stern face cracking into a pleasant smile again. 
 " I hope you were formerly on good terms with him, 
 gentlemen? " 
 
 " On the very best of terms, sir," responded 
 Storm. "And he was a particularly intimate 
 friend of Lieutenant Van Home's." 
 
 " This is indeed fortunate, and I think you will 
 agree with me, gentlemen," addressing his officers 
 generally once more, " that it is up to Lieutenants 
 Van Home and Storm to turn the trick for us." 
 
 Then again turning to Ralph and Van he de- 
 manded, " May we depend upon you two for this? " 
 
 " I think so, sir," replied Ralph. 
 
 " Shorty Lawson had better not refuse us," said 
 Big Van impulsively, and innocently forgetting for 
 the moment the august presence in which he stood, 
 and at once blushing furiously for what he consid- 
 ered " un faux pas." 
 
 That his boyish remark was not considered a false 
 step on his part, however, the rest of the officers, 
 the colonel included, showed by their amused and 
 approving smiles. 
 
 " Very good ! Excellent, I should say," rejoined 
 the colonel, regarding the abashed Lieutenant Van 
 Home with an amused and friendly twinkle in his 
 keen eyes. 
 
 " We'll depend on you two young gentlemen, 
 then. You had better interview your friend Law- 
 
 291 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 son this afternoon, both of you. Report results to 
 me this evening." 
 
 The full complement of regimental officers hav- 
 ing arrived during the course of the discussion, and 
 all necessary preparations having been reported as 
 completed, it was decided that the raid should take 
 place the following night. 
 
 " Zero," or the exact minute for the assault to 
 begin, would be determined by the C. O. later, after 
 receiving the report of his two emissaries to the 
 battery commander in their rear, and would then 
 be communicated to the Company O. C.'s. 
 
 Before leaving the P. C. dugout Big Van did not 
 forget to inform the adjutant that the latter's 
 favorite runner, young Matson, was also a former 
 schoolmate of his and Ralph's, and to ask that 
 Wiggler should be detailed to conduct them back 
 to the battery position behind the lines. 
 
 The adjutant readily granted Van's request, say- 
 ing laughingly: 
 
 " If the remainder of the boys of Dale Academy 
 are anything like the specimens with which we are 
 already acquainted, I can only hope that you two 
 boys may find more of your old friends down here 
 in Lorraine." 
 
 292 
 
CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 THE RAID 
 
 **Ee stands on fhe fire-step in the darkness, 
 Haunted with the intense 
 
 Hush that had fallen around him, and the starkness. 
 The emptiness, the suspense. 
 
 ''This night — in one hour, at the time marked 'Zero,' 
 He with the rest across 
 That pitted desolation, as coward or hero. 
 Must charge for gain or loss.'* 
 
 — Any Soldier. 
 
 Ralph Stoem and Rod Van Home, guided by 
 the untirable Wiggler, less than an hour later that 
 afternoon found Lieutenant Lawson, in command 
 of the battery of French seventy-fives — those field- 
 guns without peer for close barrage work or open 
 country fighting, seated beneath the overhangmg 
 shelter of the camouflaged canvas cover of one of 
 his "pets." As they drew near. Shorty, with a 
 merry grin on his keen young face, was reading a 
 letter which he held in his right hand. In his left 
 hand he held what the boys at first sight took to be 
 a pair of new woolen gloves. So absorbed was he 
 in his letter that he took no note of their approach. 
 
 293 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 But when the trio halted in front of his shelter 
 he looked up inquiringly. An instant only Shorty 
 gazed mutely up at the three boys who stood silently 
 smiling down upon him. 
 
 Then abruptly dropping the articles which he 
 had been holding in his hands, with a loud wild 
 shout of astonished recognition the youthful battery 
 commander sprang to his feet and rushed at Big 
 Van, who was the nearest to him. A sergeant 
 poked his head curiously about the corner of the 
 shelter, and Shorty, bethinking himself, endeavored 
 to resume his wonted dignity of bearing when in 
 the presence of his men. 
 
 His greeting to those three old friends of his 
 nevertheless was all that they could wish for. One 
 after another he shook each of them heartily by the 
 hand, calling them joyously by their old school 
 nicknames. Then all four began to laugh and talk 
 at the same time, each asking questions which none 
 took the trouble to answer. The sergeant who had 
 poked his head around the corner of the shelter 
 allowed it to remain there, and smiled broadly in un- 
 comprehending sympathy with their joy. 
 
 Van, who in the meantime with his customary 
 thoughtfulness had picked up the articles which 
 Shorty had dropped upon the ground — the woolen 
 things proving, to the big fellow's quiet amuse- 
 ment, to be a pair of warm and dainty bed-socks — 
 
 294 
 
THE RAID 
 
 was the first to remember the errand on which they 
 had come. 
 
 With a faint smile, as he held out the letter and 
 bed-socks, Big Van began: 
 
 " But, Shorty, in our joy at meeting you we three 
 are quite forgetting that we are here on business 
 as well as pleasure." 
 
 " That so? " queried the battery commander with 
 a surprised elevation of his eyebrows. And then 
 glancing down at the articles he had just taken from 
 Van's extended hand he again began to chuckle 
 merrily, saying: 
 
 " I say, fellows, lamp the foot-warmers ! I've 
 just received a box from one of my maiden aunts 
 in little old Ogdensburg, N. Y. I was just read- 
 ing her letter, bless her dear old heart, when you 
 fellows came up. Among other good things she 
 sent me these " — indicating the bed-socks in his 
 hand — " and a pair of pink silk pajamas, and in her 
 letter she enjoins me most pathetically to be sure 
 to wear the foot-warmers every night without fail — 
 ha, ha, ha! — me that hasn't had my blessed breeches 
 off for more than a week. That's what I was 
 giggling over when you fellows arrived." 
 
 Then all at once becoming pretematurally seri- 
 ous again, he resumed, " But you were saying some- 
 thing about business. Van. What did you mean? " 
 
 The two young officers then told of the errand 
 
 295 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 upon which Colonel Richards had dispatched them. 
 They entered enthusiastically into all the details of 
 the projected raid. Shorty listened attentively, 
 saying but little till they had finished, and then 
 merely and emphatically: 
 
 " You just bet I'll help, fellows, and all I can, 
 too. I have always held over a surplus of shell 
 from day to day, hoping that just some such an 
 extraordinary occasion as this should arise for them. 
 They are heartily at the service of your C. O. and 
 all the rest I can spare, likewise. 
 
 " I'll go right up the line this very afternoon. 
 We've already got that salient spotted on our range 
 card, and I give them a gentle hint to keep their 
 heads down thereabouts two or three times every 
 day. But that's about all it amounts to, as my 
 shell are too light to produce much effect on the 
 solid concrete of that machine-gun emplacement. 
 
 " However, I'll get an accurate line on their wire 
 in front of it this afternoon as well. Don't you 
 worry! I'll get Fritz's wind up for you all right, 
 if that's all you want. 
 
 " Let's go over to my dugout for a few minutes," 
 he rattled on. "As soon as I have put Dicky 
 Jones — my second in command — wise, I'll go back 
 with you to see your colonel." 
 
 Two hours later the four friends — for Wiggler 
 had been allowed to accompany the three young 
 
 296 
 
THE RAID 
 
 officers, although Shorty knew the way up just as 
 well as he did — were ensconced in the listening jDost 
 out in No Man's Land at the head of the under- 
 ground sap that has already been described. 
 
 The two lookouts who were usually there had 
 been displaced. In its cramped space, in addition 
 to the quartet of old school friends, were two skilled 
 mechanics from the Signal Corps busily rigging up 
 a field telephone that had already been connected 
 with the ComiDany P. C. in the support trenches, 
 whence the line led direct to the Regimental P. C. 
 back in the ruined French village, and from there to 
 the battery two miles or more still further in the 
 rear. There Second Lieutenant " Dicky " Jones 
 already listened patiently for the prearranged 
 signals from his commanduig officer. 
 
 In twenty minutes from the time the little party 
 had reached the dugout of Captain Forbes in the 
 support trenches, and had reported to him what 
 was afoot, one of the signalers handed over the 
 combined transmitter and receiver to Shorty with 
 the low-voiced remark: 
 
 "All ready, sir! Connection complete! " 
 
 Shorty rang up Dicky nearly four miles away, 
 and still with his eyes glued to the narrow aperture 
 that looked out over the hillard, across the forbidden 
 road and toward the hostile machine-gim emplace- 
 ment that was a thorn in the side of doughty Colonel 
 
 297 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S, ARMY 
 
 Richards, spoke into the transmitter in a guarded 
 tone: 
 
 " Fire number one gun when you are ready! '^ 
 
 In four seconds exactly they heard the increas- 
 ing crescendo shriek of a shell passing overhead, 
 and almost immediately thereafter its sharp explod- 
 ing " slam." At the same instant the breathless 
 observers saw a funnel-shaped cloud of smoke and 
 dust burst from the ground some yards directly 
 back of the salient. 
 
 " Line of direction O. K.; elevation a bit high! " 
 murmured Shorty half to himself, and then to the 
 telephone, " Seventy-five long! " 
 
 The next shell fell squarely into the enemy wire 
 directly in front of the salient. 
 
 " Fifty short! " said Shorty to the telephone, and 
 in answer — it seemed to the enthralled watchers 
 almost as soon as the young artillery officer spoke — 
 the third shrapnel shell exploded with a sharp 
 " bang " and a puff of soft white smoke right over 
 the machine-gun emplacement. 
 
 "All O. K.," whispered Shorty again to the tele- 
 phone; " cease fire! " 
 
 Then addressing the others he said quietly, 
 
 " That's all for now. I'll give them a good dose 
 
 shortly after dark to-night. Dicky has the range 
 
 of both the emplacement and the wire in front." 
 
 As the others were preparing to leave the listen- 
 
 298 
 
THE RAID 
 
 ing post. Big Van, who was still gazing intently 
 from the lookout, plucked Ralph by the sleeve. 
 
 " How are you going to get back your casualties, 
 Ralph? " he queried earnestly. " You cannot drag 
 the wounded back through that water-filled sap that 
 you told me about, coming up." 
 
 Ralph's face fell, and he flushed painfully; but 
 he was manly enough to answer: 
 
 " Thank you, Van! I hadn't thought of that." 
 
 And he too resumed his post at the lookout again, 
 as also did Lieutenant Lawson. 
 
 The latter fixed his gaze thoughtfully on the spot 
 where the second shell had fallen, and after a mo- 
 ment observed slowly: 
 
 " I can tear that wire up pretty well; but though 
 loosened it will still be a tangled mass close to the 
 ground. I would suggest that a special party be 
 organized to cut a clearance through while you fel- 
 lows are rushing the trench and salient. The wire 
 will be pretty well loosened up when I get through 
 with it, and the rest should not be difficult." 
 
 " The very thing! " rejoined Ralph with a sigh 
 of relief. 
 
 " We'll suggest it to the C. O. on our way back. 
 That way will do, too, for both platoons to make a 
 quick get-away when the job's done." 
 
 Back in the fire-trench they waited at the en- 
 trance to the sap for the signalers to follow them 
 
 299 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 with the telephone, the wire of which they were coil- 
 ing up as they crept back. Shorty wished to give 
 them some further instructions about the tele- 
 phone. 
 
 Wiggler climbed upon the fire-step for a parting 
 glance through a periscope that leaned idly against 
 the parapet near by. One glance into the mirror 
 and he cried aloud excitedly, " Look, look, fellows! 
 A fight in the air! There's a dozen of the yellow 
 dogs at only one of our fellows ! " 
 
 All three of his hearers, regardless o^ the danger 
 they invited from the enemy's snipers, le£.;ied upon 
 the " banquette " * and began to peer boldly over 
 the sand-bags. No bullets came their way, however. 
 The enemy was just then no doubt as interested as 
 they in the thrilling spectacle presented high in the 
 air above them. 
 
 A daring " solo " patrol, flying low over the 
 enemy's trenches and back areas, had suddenly been 
 attacked from the heavy clouds high above him by 
 several German planes, and the lone pilot was mak- 
 ing a plucky running fight of it back to the shelter 
 of his own anti-aircraft guns concealed in the Amer- 
 ican trenches. Even before the attention of the 
 boys had been drawn to him he had already brought 
 down two of the Boches. 
 
 But he was hard pressed. His observer had been 
 
 * Banquette: French for fire-step. 
 300 
 
HE S TRYING FOR A LANDING 
 
THE RAID 
 
 wounded to death early in the fight, and he him- 
 self had a bullet in his thigh. 
 
 As the whirling fight drew swiftly nearer the 
 boys on the fire-step, exposing themselves regard- 
 lessly, were soon able to make out that the Boche 
 squadron consisted of six Pfalz scouts and one 
 German triplane. In the midst of the whirling 
 and darting manoeuvres they saw the triplane sud- 
 denly take fire. Its wings dropped off and it fell 
 toward the ground, turning over and over end for 
 end as it fell. 
 
 Then one wing of the lone patrol's machine also 
 burst into flame. The battered and blazing plane 
 began to drop and drop, but it always came on 
 nearer and nearer the American lines. Like the 
 cowards that they were the Hun flyers gave up the 
 chase, when they thought themselves getting within 
 range of the Yankee guns. 
 
 " He's trying for a landing somewhere along the 
 road," said Lieutenant Lawson under his breath. 
 
 While still high above and over the enemy 
 trenches a bullet punctured his upper tank, and 
 driven from his seat by the flames, the plucky pilot 
 sprang clear of the fuselage and out to the wing 
 that was as yet untouched by the fire, and clinging 
 to it with both hands, endeavored to steer his ma- 
 chine by swinging and swaying his body, and hand- 
 over-handing his weight out and back along the one 
 
 301 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMr 
 
 remaining wing, as the balance of the crazily rock- 
 ing plane demanded. 
 
 The Hun rifles began to crack, and their machine 
 guns began to sputter. When a little more than 
 half-way across No Man's Land, and when still 
 some twenty feet above the roadway the brave pilot 
 abruptly relaxed his hold and fell like a plummet 
 of lead. 
 
 The blazing plane, wobbling crazily from side to 
 side, still kept on. It hit the road and rebounded 
 with a giant leap that carried it well back of the 
 American fii'e-trench; struck the road again and 
 again rebounded; swerved from the straight high- 
 way and landed nose down and tail in the air fairly 
 in the support trench, with its dead observer still 
 strapped to his seat. 
 
 When the quartet of boys saw the pilot fall to 
 the road, the action of each was instantaneous. 
 Van and Ralph, followed by Wiggler, vaulted from 
 the fire-step to the parapet, and began a mad race 
 diagonally across the billard to the spot where the 
 lone pilot had fallen upon the road which the ma- 
 chine guns of the Boche salient were already sweep- 
 ing. 
 
 Shorty at tHe same time seized the field telephone 
 from the signaler who had carried it from the sap, 
 and who had also mounted the fire-step to view the 
 duel in the air. 
 
 302 
 
THE RAID 
 
 A quick, short command the young artillery- 
 officer called over the 'phone. 
 
 Dicky Jones was still at his post four miles 
 away. 
 
 In less than half a minute shrapnel from the 
 redoubtable seventy-fives began to burst in front, 
 behind, above and all around the machine-gun posi- 
 tion on the salient that commanded the road. At 
 the same time the American sharp-shooters in the 
 trenches on both sides of the road opened up a mad 
 fusillade of rapid fire upon the enemy's parapet. 
 
 The Boche heads went down, and the Boche 
 machine guns ceased their chatter more abruptly 
 than they had begun it. 
 
 Shorty, with the 'phone still in his hand, had eyes 
 only for his three friends. He saw them scamper 
 through the hail of lead from shell hole to shell 
 hole, down one side and up another, and again down 
 into another hole and up again — Wiggler leading, 
 for he was the fleetest of foot — till they reached the 
 road and kneeled, all three of them together, about 
 the motionless figure lying there. 
 
 And the Yankee rifles never ceased to crack, and 
 the shells never ceased to rain upon the machine- 
 gun positions. No Boche dared lift his head nor 
 leave his funk-hole under that sustained and terrible 
 hail of death. The Hun fire was completely 
 blanketed. • 
 
 303 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U, S. ARMT 
 
 Over the 'phone Shorty's command had been, 
 " Battery rapid fire ! Centre on the bracket ! Let 
 'em all go ! " 
 
 And Dicky Jones four miles away would never 
 stop them till further ordered. 
 
 In less than five minutes it was all over and done. 
 Shorty, still grasping the telephone transmitter in 
 his left hand, in his eagerness the better to view the 
 proceedings of his three friends out there on the 
 road with the fallen bird-man, had climbed to the 
 top of the sand-bags of the parapet and stood boldly 
 erect there. 
 
 From this point of vantage he saw Big Van stoop 
 and easily lift the inert figure that sprawled upon 
 the road, place it lightly over his right shoulder, 
 face downward — Shorty could not help noting how 
 the head and arms of the man fell limply against 
 Van's broad back and rested there helplessly — and 
 at almost his usual top speed begin to run along 
 the road toward the spot where their own fire- 
 trench intersected it. Side by side, as if trying to 
 shield with their own smaller bodies the gigantic 
 form of their burdened comrade, Ralph and 
 Wiggler raced behind him. 
 
 So fiercely intense was the blanket fire from the 
 battery of seventy-fives and the rijfles in the trenches 
 that not a single shot from the enemy was fired 
 upon the retiring figures of the three brave boys. 
 
 304 
 
THE RAID 
 
 Shorty watched them till they disappeared 
 safely over the parapet. Then, and not till then, 
 he too leaped down into the trench. Into the trans- 
 mitter he called the curt command, " Cease fire! " 
 He then tossed the instrument to one of the sig- 
 nalers, who caught it deftly, and began to run 
 along the trench in the direction of the road as fast 
 as he could leg it. 
 
 He came upon Ralph and Van kneeling beside a 
 recumbent figure on the duck-boards, and swiftly 
 and efficiently rendering " first aid." A corporal 
 was roughly ordering back the men who had begun 
 to crowd into the fire-bay from both ends. Wiggler, 
 regardless of danger to himself, was already making 
 his way by a short cut overland to the "Aid Post " 
 and the M. O. in the support trench. 
 
 One glance at the upturned face showing pale 
 and drawn from the thickness of its aviator's hood 
 of leather, and Shorty unconsciously ejaculated in 
 a low unbelieving tone, glancing the meanwhile at 
 Ralph, who had just looked up at his coming: 
 
 " Great heavens, it's the Duke! " 
 
 " Yes," replied Storm in a low choked voice, " it's 
 our old friend, Dick Fletcher. And what a meet- 
 mg! 
 
 As if he had really heard his name uttered in 
 those old familiar tones, and had been momentarily 
 called back to life thereby, the stricken boy slowly 
 
 305 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 opened his eyes and looked up into the three faces 
 once so well loiown in the long, long ago, and then 
 so solicitously bending over him. He smiled 
 faintly, and asked in a faltering whisper, " Where — 
 where did you fellows all come from? " His eyes 
 closed sleepily then, and he did not open them 
 again. 
 
 It was a sad little procession that followed the 
 stretcher-bearers down the communication trench 
 late that afternoon to the " Dressing Station " lo- 
 cated in just such another cellar dugout of the 
 ruined village as that of the Regimental Post of 
 Command. 
 
 There they were compelled to leave the Duke for 
 the time to the tender care and capable ministra- 
 tions of the medical officer and his assistants of the 
 Army Medical Corps. And it was perhaps just 
 as well for Ralph, Van, and Wiggler that just then 
 all three of them had plenty of work to do in con- 
 nection with the raid to be made on the following 
 night. It taxed their immediate attention, and 
 kept their young minds from dwelling upon the 
 precarious condition of their old-time friend, for 
 the M. O. had as yet given them no word of en- 
 couragement. 
 
 Ralph had to go out again on patrol with Lieu- 
 tenant Barrows that night to reconnoitre the part 
 of the enemy's wire and trench which was to be 
 
 306 
 
THE RAID 
 
 cared for by the latter's platoon on the following 
 night. They were unable to locate the entrance to 
 any passage through the Boche obstacle there, and 
 were forced to the conclusion that it would be neces- 
 sary to send out a special wire-cutting party to 
 make a lane through it an hour or so before the time 
 for the main party to debouch from the trenches 
 into the " billard." 
 
 All the following day the projected raid was re- 
 hearsed to the last detail of the part that each indi- 
 vidual man and officer was to play. The two raid- 
 ing parties were to consist of the platoons com- 
 manded by Chuck Barrows and Ralph respectively. 
 
 For the occasion each platoon was to be divided 
 up into five sections. In Ralph's platoon Baptiste 
 Trudeau, the French Canadian, was to have charge 
 of one of these sections, the one that was to run 
 along the top of the parapet toward the salient, 
 hurling their deadly little Mills grenades into the 
 trench as they went. It was preeminently the post 
 of danger. 
 
 Another section, following this, was to carry 
 slabs of gun-cotton with which to blow up the ma- 
 chine-gun position and its guns, which would more 
 than likely be chained to the solid cement. Still 
 another section was made up of bombers and 
 bayonet men who were to work in both directions 
 along their section of the assaulted trench, and who 
 
 307 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 were to carry on in conjunction with the fourth 
 
 Hand Grenade 
 
 Contact or Percussion Type, commonly known as the Mushroom- 
 Head Striker Grenade. 
 
 A — Three cloth streamers to balance grenade while passing 
 through the air, and to cause it to strike on the mushroom 
 shaped head. 
 
 B — Wooden throwing handle with corrugated grip to keep it 
 from slipping through the hand. 
 
 C — Explosive Ammonal, that explodes the grenade. 
 
 D — Detonator charged with fulminate of mercury, which sets 
 off "C." 
 
 E — Cartridge that explodes detonator, " D." 
 
 F — Safety pin with wire-ring handle for pulling it out. 
 
 H — Mushroom-head Striker that explodes "E," when grenade 
 falls. 
 
 I — Cast-iron Body, serrated so as to break into small pieces on 
 exploding. 
 
 Author's Note. — One pound only of Explosive Ammonal 
 would be quite sufficient to entirely destroy the White House 
 at Washington. 
 
 section of " moppers," whose duty it would be to 
 
 308 
 
THE RAID 
 
 look after the Boche dugouts and to erect " blocks " 
 at designated points. 
 
 The fifth section of each of the storming platoons 
 was to be for general utility work, and to them 
 would fall the grisly duty of carrying back the dead 
 and wounded, for it was always a point of honor 
 with the United States soldiers to bring back their 
 dead as well as their wounded. 
 
 Each man had his own appointed task, and that 
 afternoon when they finally knocked off work for a 
 last bit — and the very last bit it would be for some 
 of them — of rest and sleep before going up the line 
 after nightfall, every man knew his work as an actor 
 knows his role in a play. 
 
 Zero hour was fixed for two o'clock in the morn- 
 ing; long before that, however, every man was at 
 his appointed post in the assembly trenches; wait- 
 ing, waiting, just silently waiting in the damp dark- 
 ness there. No commands would be given when the 
 time came to move up to the short scaling ladders, 
 and thence over the top. There would be a quiet 
 movement of those in front following the voiceless 
 leadership of their officers, and those in the rear 
 would begin to move up when they felt the move- 
 ment of those in front of them. 
 
 To the left of the forbidden road a narrow lane 
 through the Boche wire had already been cut by a 
 small party detailed from Lieutenant Barrows*' 
 
 309 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMr 
 
 platoon for that purpose. On both sides of the 
 road lone scouts had been silently patrolling No 
 Man's Land for more than an hour, and these had 
 laid lines of white tape from the points where the 
 two platoons were to leave their own wire to the 
 places from whence they should begin to worm 
 their waj^ stealthil}^ through the enemy's obstacles. 
 Since before midnight there had been a heavy fog. 
 Under its protective cover the wire-cutters and the 
 creeping patrols had been enabled to accomplish 
 their several tasks effectively and undiscovered. 
 
 Lieutenant Storm was too busy to think of any- 
 thing but the duties of the moment. Young Mat- 
 son was too elated to think of anything but the role 
 that had been assigned to him. He was to go over 
 the top on the heels of " Chuck " Barrows, to re- 
 main with that doughty warrior till the latter's 
 command had made their way through the enemy 
 wire, and had been finally disposed at short inter- 
 vals apaii; prone upon the wet ground along the 
 reverse slope of the hostile parapet. 
 
 At a signal from Chuck he was thereupon to 
 make his way across the road separating the two 
 platoons, creeping over the perilous open stretch 
 of it between Hun parapet and wire as best he 
 might till he reached the left flank of Storm's 
 platoon on the other side of the road. 
 
 When he had delivered his message to the effect 
 
 310 
 
THE RAID 
 
 that the storming party on the left of the road was 
 in position and ready — which message would then 
 be passed on from man to man till it reached Ralph 
 in the centre of his platoon — he was then to make 
 his way across the dark " billard " to the head of 
 the underground sap in front of the American wire. 
 
 There he would find Shorty Lawson waiting. 
 His message to the latter would be simply, "All 
 ready, sir!" 
 
 After that there would be nothing to do but wait 
 for zero hour. 
 
 Wiggler was dancmg happy; there was no hap- 
 pier lad in France that night. 
 
 To make assurance doubly sure two other 
 runners at intervals of several minutes apart would 
 follow after Wiggler, over the same route, with the 
 same messages. This precaution was always taken 
 lest one or the other of the runners should meet with 
 a mishap ere his message of life and death could be 
 delivered. 
 
 To the last detail the arrangements made and 
 practiced were carried out without a hitch. 
 
 All watches had been synchronized with each 
 otlier. 
 
 When Wiggler, who that night certainly proved 
 his right and title to the nickname that his old school 
 fellows had long ago bestowed upon him, flat upon 
 his stomach wriggled his way up to the sap-head the 
 
 311 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. 5. ^RMT 
 
 time was exactly 1.49 a. m. and there was still nine- 
 teen minutes to go. 
 
 Lieutenant Van Home, who as " gas officer " 
 was in duty bound to remain in his own trenches, 
 had stolen forward to the sap-head where Shorty 
 kept his lonely vigil. When Wiggler crept in with 
 his message, "All ready," the two young officers 
 heaved a sigh of infinite relief. Silently they com- 
 pared their luminous watches, and waited again. 
 And, oh how long that interminable nineteen 
 minutes did seem! Every minute had the leaden 
 heels of an hour to the three boys lying out there 
 in the sap-head, the trap-door of which had been 
 opened wide when Ralph's platoon went out 
 through it, and would be left so for their return 
 when the job was done. 
 
 The first gun was to be the signal for the assault. 
 
 The fog was lifting. 
 
 Could one but have seen the faces of the men 
 lying out there in the darkness, flattened against 
 the reverse slope of the enemy's parapet, he would 
 have seen the light of a wild exhilaration shining 
 from countenances fixed with the stern determina- 
 tion of men who were about to kill. To a man they 
 felt of their bayonets again and again to make as- 
 surance doubly sure that the bayonet-bolt was 
 firmly locked over its bayonet-stud beneath the 
 rifle-barrel up near the muzzle. Their breaths 
 
 312 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 came quicker and shorter as the moments passed; 
 their throats became very dry. Every man listened 
 with all his ears for that first shrieking shell that 
 was to be their signal. Would it never come? 
 
 Wiggler had remained with Van and Shorty in 
 the sap-head. The two other runners who were 
 covering Wiggler crept in presently. Then a 
 fourth runner came from the covering force that 
 lay on their stomachs, extended at intervals along 
 No Man's Land midway between the salient and 
 the line along which the new stretch of trench was 
 to run. There would be no more messengers ar- 
 riving at the sap-head. 
 
 Ralph and Shorty compared watches again, and 
 thereafter kept the luminous dials in full view on 
 their bare outstretched left wrists. There were but 
 two minutes to go. 
 
 Shorty held the telephone receiver in his left 
 hand; but no spoken word into it would be neces- 
 sary; the mere pressure of his thumb upon the call 
 button would be sufficient signal for Dicky Jones 
 back there with his battery. 
 
 To Van Shorty breathed the question, " Now? " 
 
 "Yes," whispered Van in strained accents, his 
 eyes fixed upon the fascinating dial of his watch. 
 
 Shorty firmly pressed the call-button of the re- 
 ceiver. Four miles away Dicky Jones got the 
 signal for which he had been patiently waiting. 
 
 313 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 Upon receiving that signal his orders were to open 
 up with all he had, and " to let 'eai all go for four 
 minutes." 
 
 Colonel Richards had asked for a three-minute 
 drum-fire only. Shorty was giving him an extra 
 minute. One minute doesn't sound much; but it 
 meant a lot when you come to consider that one of 
 those seventy-fives sprayed some six thousand 
 shrapnel bullets upon a given spot in just sixty 
 seconds, to say nothing of the even more deadly 
 fragments of the steel shell casings themselves. 
 
 At the end of the four minutes the barrage laid 
 down upon the Boche machine-gun position would 
 be lifted, so that the Americans might not be 
 " strafed " by their own guns, a thing that in the 
 earlier days of the war happened all too often 
 among the Allied troops. Four minutes had been 
 considered long enough for Barrows' and Storm's 
 platoons to clean up and " block " the German fire- 
 trench on either side of the salient, in preparation 
 for the final assault upon it. 
 
 Four minutes was plenty. The first shrieking 
 messenger of death had not reached its billet ere the 
 Americans with one inarticulate yell fell like an 
 avalanche of fighting wildcats over the top of the 
 parapet upon the heads and backs of the completely 
 surprised enemy. 
 
 No words can really describe what followed. At 
 
 314 
 
THE RAID 
 
 first there was a sporadic rattle from the Boche 
 rifles and machine guns, followed by a sudden 
 meteor-like shower of gleaming star-shells. And 
 then utter pandemonium broke loose in the short 
 stretch of the Boche fire-trench on each side of the 
 salient. 
 
 The German had no time to lift up his hands and 
 cry "kamerad." Those who were not at once 
 bayoneted or knocked on the head with trench- 
 clubs fled to the false shelter of their funk-holes, 
 down into which the moppers rolled their terrible 
 little hand-grenades that in exactly four seconds 
 would explode and plaster everything inside against 
 the sides and roof. 
 
 The noise was at once deafening. Rifles flashed; 
 bombs exploded; the report of the guns, the ex- 
 plosion of the shell, the whistle and scream of them 
 while still in the air, the yells and cries of the men, 
 all combined to create one cataclysmic uproar. 
 The inferno of Dante was a joke compared with it. 
 
 Commands and signals would have been useless, 
 and they were not needed; right there it was that 
 the careful and laborious rehearsal of each man's 
 role showed its value. Every man loiew his part, 
 and manfully strove to perform it. 
 
 At the first jump-off Ralph Storm had leaped 
 recklessly from the lip of the parapet down into the 
 yawning blackness below. He lighted on his feet, 
 
 315 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 but struck up against a man who swung at him with 
 the butt of a rifle. Ralph discharged his automatic 
 pointblank into the face of the dimly outlined 
 figure, and heard the man cough and his rifle clatter 
 upon the duck-boards of the trench floor. He 
 leaped upwards and was scrambling out on top of 
 the parados, along which he meant to run down to 
 the point at which the first " block " was to be 
 thrown up on their right flank, when some one 
 seized him by the foot and attempted to pull him 
 down into the trench again. He kicked violently 
 backwards, and his iron-shod heel met something — 
 a face, he thought — with a sickening crunch. 
 
 Scrambling to his feet he raced along the parados. 
 At the appointed place he found Sergeant Hayes, 
 with half his section holding and covering the at- 
 tacked right flank, while the other half-section tore 
 down sand-bags and swiftly piled them into a 
 " block " across the narrow trench. 
 
 Not being needed there, Ralph turned and, risk- 
 ing at every step a fall that might have broken his 
 neck, raced back in the direction of the salient. 
 
 Shorty's battery had not yet silenced the Hun 
 machine guns. From the emplacement of heavily 
 reinforced concrete a powerful search-light was 
 suddenly flashed along the parapet and full upon 
 the advance section led by Baptiste, who were mak- 
 ing their way cautiously along the parapet. 
 
 316 
 
THE RAID 
 
 For an instant in the bright glare of the narrow 
 shaft of light Ralph saw them making their way 
 ghostlike along the top from traverse to traverse, 
 hurling their bombs into the trench as they went. 
 
 Then he saw the brave French Canadian, clearly 
 silhouetted in the bright beam, suddenly throw his 
 rifle with its gleaming fixed bayonet high into the 
 air, and himself plunge soundlessly, headlong down 
 into the deep darkness of the trench. Ralph leaped 
 the gaping ditch and with the ringing yell, " Follow 
 me! " placed himself at the head of the section, 
 
 A direct hit got the light, and at almost the same 
 instant the machine guns ceased their murderous 
 chatter. The merciless rain of shrapnel from the 
 seventy-fives had finally killed or driven the Hun 
 gunners from the salient. 
 
 Then the four minutes were up — they had seemed 
 but four seconds — and Dicky Jones silenced his 
 pets as suddenly as he had cut them loose. 
 
 That made but little difference to the mighty 
 uproar, however, for before that time the Hun 
 batteries had opened, not only with their trench 
 mortars and field guns close up, but also with their 
 " heavies " miles further back of their lines. Most 
 of their metal, however, was falling about the 
 American fire-trench, and quite failed to disturb in 
 the least the parties who were busily putting out 
 the new wire obstacles already prepared, and 
 
 317 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMY 
 
 digging the new piece of trench immediately 
 behind it. That work had also started with the 
 first shell from Shorty's battery. 
 
 With the lifting of the box barrage upon and 
 about the salient, Storm led his men with a growl, 
 that was meant for a cheer, over the top of the 
 emplacement. Chuck Barrows with his j)latoon 
 from the other side of it was no whit behind Ralph. 
 In a trice they traversed the enemy's own machine 
 guns so as to fire rakingly along the German com- 
 munication trench leading out to the salient. The 
 demolition squad quickly placed their slabs of gun- 
 cotton in position with detonators and wires affixed. 
 
 Back in the sap-head the excited watchers 
 glimpsed between the fitful flashes of light what 
 they could of the action going on directly in front 
 of them and but a few yards distant, and tried to 
 pierce the darkness between flashes with their 
 straining eyes. Once Wiggler made a move as if 
 to leave the security of the sap-head; but Big Van's 
 hand fell heavily upon his shoulder, crushed him 
 flat, and forced him to lay there till all was over. 
 
 The explosive having finally been placed in posi- 
 tion, the salient was quickly evacuated after a part- 
 ing burst from the machine guns and a last shower 
 of hand-grenades, Ralph and Chuck themselves be- 
 ing the last to leave it. 
 
 Two sappers from the demolition squad had al- 
 
 318 
 
THE RAID 
 
 ready laid the detonating wire out to a deep shell- 
 hole well past the middle of the "billard"; there 
 they awaited the signal to press the lever of their 
 exploding electric battery. Following along the 
 wire the two young officers tumbled into the shell- 
 hole, and Ralph, as he rolled over into it, called 
 aloud the one word: 
 
 "Fire!" 
 
 The resultant terrific explosion overwhelmed the 
 mad riot of sound that preceded and accompanied 
 it. For an instant all about was luridly lighted by 
 the tremendous flash ; then all was darker again by 
 contrast even than before. For perhaps a minute 
 even the Hun artillery was silent, and the stillness 
 that is simply appalling at such times beat pain- 
 fully against tortured ear-drums. 
 
 The raid had been successful beyond all expecta- 
 tion; each objective had been gained; but the cost 
 of it all was by no means light, as Ralph Storm and 
 Chuck Barrows realized to their great grief when 
 a little later they took the tally of their platoons. 
 
 Some hours later Van and Wiggler, who had 
 been aiding with the wounded, found Storm sitting 
 on the side of his cot at his billet in the little French 
 village. His bowed head rested between his two 
 hands, and he did not look up when they entered. 
 
 Wiggler stood silently by the table in the middle 
 
 319 
 
FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMT 
 
 of the room; but Van went over to Ralph, and 
 placing a hand gently on his shoulder said: 
 
 " Come, come, Ralph, this will not do ! You 
 must not brood over your losses; it is the fortune 
 of war! It may be our turn to-morrow! Better 
 take off some of your clothes, old man, and try to 
 have a bit of a sleep ! " 
 
 Ralph silently began to do as his friend bade 
 him. He presently inquired in a low tone: 
 
 " Have you heard anything new about the Duke, 
 Van? Will he recover, or have you not had a 
 chance to ask the doctor again to-night? " 
 
 " Yes," answered his friend with assumed cheer- 
 fulness, " the M. O. thinks that the old Duke will 
 pull through all right. He says that he is suffering 
 mostly from loss of blood and shock; but thinks that 
 the Duke has the constitution and vitality necessary 
 for a quick recovery. So, you see, we have that to 
 be thankful for anyway." 
 
 " Yes, that's surely good news," replied Ralph, 
 " but what Sherman said about war is true, Van. I 
 am more than ever convinced of that after to-night." 
 
 The Stories in this Series are : 
 
 JOINING THE COLORS 
 FIGHTING WITH THE U. S. ARMY 
 IN THE TRENCHES (in press) 
 
 320 
 
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