Fighting in France

their way. The field was littered with corpses and it was necess

lion; at least what was left of it, for it had suffered heavily during the charge. The three

ed Earl when they were in the abandoned Ge

rees hide us from the sight of the German observati

d Leon grimly. "It has don

a whole lot more

rman trench they occupied. It was filled with dead soldiers for it was through this trench that the Germans had tried to rush r

of the ridge," remarked Jacques. "Wait

in the trench,

n't think

know f

agine we'll have a cha

summit of the hill the battalion halted. The men

e idea?" a

ile," answered Jacques. "Instead of being abreast we'll be one

laimed Earl. "That

ng lines advanced down the hill. From the German positions the French formation

shell. Guns of all caliber belched their deadly missiles at the charging French

t of the ground by the prodigious explosions. Into these the attac

selves in one of these, along wit

laimed Leon pointing to two big German

n to attend to th

sed Jacques grimly. "Pe

manded Earl somewhat p

wo of our big shells made direct hits on this batt

said Ea

ger. They even began to make jokes and laugh over certain incidents of the fight. The thing that amused them most was the recollection of the German prisoners s

Jacques. They had never acquired the habit and knowing that they were better off without it

m. In the great crater, however, they were comparatively safe unless some st

," exclaimed Jacques,

as large as this we might get noth

veral thousand rounds of ammunition buried under here? If there sho

make much of a fuss over, I guess,

on the rim of the pit

one of the sold

rs?" aske

ho acted as order-bea

ues translated his message to Earl and Leon. The two young Americans spoke that language fairly well but when it c

the hill where we are to dig shelters for ourselves. We cannot go forwa

have to stay out all

surprised," sai

" exclaimed Leon

hat trench we just left back there on the

them," said

adjustment of his equipment every man prep

crater. From the pits on both sides of them

he order. "Advance

ack of the rifles could be heard now and then above the din of the cannonade. Two hundred yards from the enemy's positions they fl

hey were fairly safe against infantry and machine-gun fire. This done, every soldier then began to dig a little individual ditch for himself. Three feet

" called Leon. "

ction didn't lose a man o

o? Good

e's E

of you, I thin

l," calle

he answer. "Wha

to know if you

f dirt in between the ditches though. It seems

see the use in that dirt in between us if a shell

next to Earl's. It was occupied by a man named Dumont and he, poor fellow, was bl

slackening," re

re seems to be only one

udly. "That one battery that's left would have been sile

u know it'

located it before thi

tly the aviators were searching for the battery in question. A swift biplane swept past, barely two hu

hes deeper," c

ues. "That means we stay o