Part 13 (2/2)
How Hanky Panky did turn from one point to another and ”soak” it all in, as Josh re for a second chance to observe as going on over there beyond the windrows of the dead
It seeh Hanky Panky could not tear his eyes away froh held in the grip of a night to hiain there was an underlying vein of coreatly touched by the sight of all this terrible misery He could see so He realized thatwater so as to quench their burning thirst Others were doubtless suffering all sorts of tortures from the wounds they had received
To be sure the hospital attendants were doing everything they could to gather up the wounded Men bearing the sacred Red Cross, fro about, searching for those in whom life still re some of these victi their groaning burdens to the rear
Yes, Hanky Panky would never forget what he saw that day, though he lived to a ripe old age, for it was burned upon hisimpatient, was just about to deave the to happen noill you, felloas the burden of his announce up to attack theeneral advance
Great snakes! but it's going to be an _aw_ful sight when they corips!”
CHAPTER XV
THE TAKING OF THE GERMAN TRENCHES
That was too much for Josh to stand He had been at the point of rebellion before, and this was the ”last straw that broke the ca hand of his coh perhaps Josh did not mean it that way, only he was fearfully excited
Of course Rod could see so, even without the aid of the binoculars, though they were bound to be a great help He had iaze upon the spot indicated, and discovered that what Hanky Panky called out was true
A great ulation French unifor forward fro up here, there, everywhere, to rain a perfect hail of shells on the Ger forward to meet the new attack
At the sa to do their part of the work The air was rent with shouts frouns becaht on the roof between thunder-claps
Riveted to the spot with the wonder of the spectacle, which they had never dreamed would fall to their vision, the three boys stood there, unable to speak a single word Indeed, with all that frightful noise going on speech was next door to folly, and they wisely held their breath
The Germans had anticipated just such an assault, no doubt, for it was along their flank that they had been so industriously throwing up new entrenchhted theiven sufficient tihty blow fell Those enthusiastic French that they had Von Kluck's army finally on the run, did not e by unnecessary delay They could not be held in, even had their officers wished to atte Rod indeed was ree of hounds, once they were released from the leash
It was all very plain to Rod, as a boy with a long head He knew that when the vast Ger everything out of their path with such apparent ease, they had certainly brought along with theuns, hich to batter down the forts defending the city
Souns which had proved at Liege and Naainst the enor, almost vertically, on the works, from a distance of many miles
Then when the sudden alteration came about in the plans of Von Kluck, and his army turned aside froht in the uns, without which all his ould be for naught
It was for this purpose that these desperate rearguard actions were being undertaken by the retreating Gerines, and their progress even over good roads must necessarily be very slow To enable the the Aisne River, looking to a possible retreat, the victorious French had to be kept at bay
So tens of thousands of Teutons uns ht be saved to the cause Manfully they stood up to their task There was not a sign of wavering as they e of the French, who see the enemy out of their newly made trenches at the point of the bayonet
Josh, reave a sigh and reluctantly handed the glasses over to Rod The latter gladly received thelue his eyes to the s picture of other battles that Rod re, done in colors; but the realization that this was the _real_ thing he now gazed on so entranced thrilled hiun that could be brought to bear upon the Ger stream of blue and red-clad French soldiers, edLittle they recked that many fell by the way under the storm of missiles that belched froaps alures that dotted the field after their passage told of the terrible price hich the action was accompanied