Boy Allies in the Trenches; Or, Midst Shot and Shell Along the Aisne by Clair W. Hayes
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The Boy Allies In The Trenches
OR
Midst Shot and Shell along the Aisne
By CLAIR W. HAYES
AUTHOR OF "The Boy Allies At Liege" "The Boy Allies On the Firing Line""The Boy Allies With the Cossacks"
1915
CHAPTER I.
WITH THE ARMY.
"Well! Well! Well! If it isn't Lieutenant Paine and Lieutenant Crawford!"
The speaker, none other than Field Marshal Sir John French,commander-in-chief of the British forces sent to help France hurl backthe legions of the German invader, was greatly surprised by theappearance of the two lads before him.
"I thought surely you had been killed," continued General French.
"We are not to be killed so easily, sir," replied Hal Paine.
"And where have you been?" demanded the General.
"In Russia, sir," replied Chester Crawford, "where we were attached to aCossack regiment, and where we saw considerable fighting."
General French uttered an exclamation of astonishment.
"How did you get there?" he asked. "And how did you return?"
"Airship," was Hal's brief response, and he related their adventuressince they had last seen their commander.
Hal then tendered the General a despatch he carried from the Grand DukeNicholas, commander-in-chief of all the Russian armies operating againstthe Germans in the eastern theater of war.
"You shall serve on my staff," said General French finally.
He summoned another officer and ordered that quarters be prepared for thetwo lads immediately.
And while the two boys are getting themselves comfortably fixed it willbe a good time to introduce the lads to such readers as have not madetheir acquaintance before.
Hal Paine and Chester Crawford, two American lads, their ages being about18 and 19, had seen considerable service in the great European war--thegreatest war of all time. They had been in Berlin when Germany haddeclared war upon Russia and France and with Hal's mother had attemptedto make their way from that country. The mother had been successful; butHal and Chester got into trouble and had been left behind.
Fortunately, however, two young officers, Major Raoul Derevaux, aFrenchman, and Captain Harry Anderson, an Englishman, had come to theirassistance--reciprocating a good turn done them by the two lads a daybefore--and together, after some difficulties, they succeeded inreaching Liege, Belgium, just in time to take part in its heroic defenseagainst the first German hordes that violated the neutrality of thelittle buffer country.
Both had distinguished themselves by their coolness and bravery underfire, and had found favor in the eyes of the Belgian commander, asrelated in "The Boy Allies at Liege." Later they had rendered themselvesinvaluable in carrying dispatches.
Following their adventures in this campaign they saw service with theBritish forces on the continent, as told in "The Boy Allies on the FiringLine." In this campaign they had been instrumental in foiling awell-planned German coup, which would have resulted in a severe blow tothe British had it been put through.
Also, while scouting in the enemy's domain, Hal and Chester had uneartheda conspiracy that threatened the destruction of a whole French armycorps. By prompt action the lads prevented this and won thecongratulations of General Joffre, the French commander-in-chief.
It was through information gleaned by the lads that the British army wasfinally able to surprise the enemy and advance to the east shore of theRiver Marne, after a struggle that had lasted for two weeks.
In a battle following this decisive engagement--while returning from asuccessful raid--Captain Harry Anderson, who had accompanied them, wascritically wounded and, together with Hal and Chester, taken prisoner.Hal and Chester, with a French army dog they had rescued from the wrathof a German officer, were taken almost immediately to Berlin.
There, while strolling about the street one day in company with theGerman officer in whose charge they had been placed, they were made, totheir surprise, the bearer of an important communication to the Russiancommander-in-chief. It happened in this wise:
An English prisoner, recognizing them, made a dash for liberty andsucceeded in passing the document to Chester. The lad secreted it.Finally, through their resourcefulness, the lads managed to make theirescape from the German capital and reached the Russian lines by means ofan airship.
Here they put the document into the hands of Grand Duke Nicholas, who, attheir request, assigned them to a regiment of Cossacks.
The lads immediately made a good friend of a huge Cossack, AlexisVerhoff, a man of immense prowess and great strength, and with him saw aworld of fighting. In a battle with the enemy, Marquis, the dog who hadaccompanied them, was killed. Later, while they were making their wayback to England by airship, Alexis, who accompanied them, was wounded onthe coast of Sweden, where their machine, crippled by the fire of Germanaviators, had fallen.
While Alexis stood off the foe the lads repaired the damage to themachine, but when they finally succeeded in dragging the huge Cossackaboard and once more headed toward home, they found that their friend waswounded unto death. He died as the aeroplane sped over the North Sea.
In Russia both lads had been decorated with the Cross of St. George bythe Czar of Russia himself--this for their bravery and daring.
Hal and Chester were both exponents of the manly art of self-defense, andmore than once their skill in the fistic art had stood them to goodadvantage. They were also proficient in the use of the revolver andsword. They had returned from Russia with a dispatch for Sir John Frenchfrom the Russian Grand Duke, a message so important that the Russiancommander-in-chief would not flash it by wireless for fear that it mightbe intercepted by the Germans, and the code deciphered.
Hal and Chester went at once to the quarters assigned them, where theyimmediately threw themselves down to rest. They were tired out, as thejourney had occupied days, and they had scarcely closed their eyes duringthat time. They had remained in England only long enough to have the bodyof Alexis buried with fitting honors, and had then set out for Franceimmediately.
It was dark when the two lads were aroused by the sound of a bugleblowing the call to arms. Both were quickly on their feet and dashedthrough the darkness to where they could make out the form of theircommander, surrounded by other members of his staff.
"Something up!" cried Hal as they hurried forward.
"Probably a night attack," said Chester. "General French may be planningto carry some of the enemy's trenches by assault."
"Guess you are right," replied Hal briefly.
They took their places among the others of the British leader's staff andwere received with nods of welcome and some expressions of astonishment.They had friends among the British officers, many of whom, because oftheir long absence, had mourned them as dead.
The lads let their eyes roam about. Troops, troops, troops! Nothing buttroops, as far as the eye could see. Cavalry, artillery and infantry insolid masses on every side; officers darting hither and thitherdelivering sharp orders. It was an impressive sight.
An officer on horseback dashed up to General French and the two held ashort conversation. As the rider turned and was about to make off againthe lads recognized him.
"Major Derevaux!" shouted Hal, taking a step forward.
The officer wheeled in his saddle. He recognized the two lads in aninstant
"Hello, boys," he called back. "I heard you were dead. Glad to seeyou again."
Without further words, but with a wave of his hand, the French officerput spurs to his horse and dashed out of sight in the darkness.
"Wonder what he is doing here?" said Hal. "He was attached to GeneralJoffre's staff when we left. Remember?"
"Yes," replied Chester. "Must be some momentous move under way."
Other officers now began to appear. They dashed up to the Britishcommander, made their reports and immediately dashed away again.
"Lieutenant Paine! Lieutenant Crawford!"
It was General French summoning them and the boys approached and came toattention. Because of past experience, both lads realized instantly thatthe General had some ticklish work cut out and that he had selected themto carry it through.
"Take a troop of cavalry," came the command, "and make a reconnoissanceof the northeast!"
Quickly two officers nearby sprang from their horses and offered them tothe lads, for the latter had not yet had time to find steeds. The ladssprang into the saddle, saluted their commander, and dashed away. To thenearest cavalry force they hurried, where upon repeating General French'sorder to the commander, they soon had a troop at their disposal.
A troop of cavalry is composed of one hundred men. It is usuallycommanded by a captain.
Now it is very unusual for a commanding officer to have two lieutenantson his staff, as had General French in the persons of Hal and Chester;but the General had commissioned them as such on the spur of the moment,and when they took command of the troop they consequently, for the time,superseded the captain in command--for they were the personalrepresentatives of the General himself.
The two lads placed themselves at the head of the troop and rode forwardat a rapid trot. Past dense masses of infantry, battery after battery ofheavy artillery and troop upon troop of cavalry they rode toward thenortheast.
They were not yet at the front of the long battle line, for GeneralFrench had his headquarters well back, but still close enough to be inconstant danger from the enemy's artillery fire.
From a trot the troop broke into a gallop, and soon were beyond thefarthest trenches. Skirting this at the extreme north--close to thesea--they progressed still further toward the enemy. It was the boys'duty, if possible, to find out the position of the German forces at thispoint and to determine their numbers; also the strategic positions thatcould be used by either army.
Now an order was given for the troop to spread out, and, leaving theroad, the two lads led their men into the woods, where they could advancewith less danger of being seen. They had not been ordered forward to givebattle, and there would be no fighting unless it became necessary inorder that their mission might be successful.
But, as in most missions upon which the lads had been dispatched, therewas to be fighting; and these British were not the men to turn theirbacks upon the enemy without giving them a warm reception.
From the shelter of the sand dunes there came suddenly a fusillade. TwoBritish troopers reeled in their saddles and tumbled to the ground.