Part 14 (1/2)

Now they were close up to the trenches, and sorapple hand to hand with those who so desperately defended it

Brave though they were, the French had been so decih there could not be enough of them left to overcome the resistance of the defenders of the works

It hile Rod was filled with this sense of anxiety that he noticed so calculated to arouse new hope; for somehow he found himself in sympathy with the French soldiers, perhaps because they had been the under dog in the other hen their fair country was overrun by Bismarck's armies

The wise French commander-in-chief, possibly General Joffre himself, had seen to it that reserves were on hand to take up the fight after the first line had heay into the hostile trenches Yes, there they ca from a vast reservoir after the da wave strike the first embank on beyond that thrown-up earth, for in bayonet work the French have ever been without a rival He pitied the Ger to hold the first line of trenches so valiantly, for they would mostly be either killed, wounded, or taken prisoner

The French guns still roared unceasingly, though that part of the great Marne battle was already as good as won Now their explodinghurled further on, so as to add to the perplexities of the hurriedly retreating Ger for the next line of trenches, which in turn would doubtless be just as stubbornly defended

Josh it was noho used the glasses As a rule Josh had always been reckoned a generous fellow, sharing alike with his friends; but to-day a spirit of greed possessed him There was Hanky Panky, who really shrank fro any attention to hio around?

Indeed, Hanky Panky lasses; evidently he had seen enough and h as it was, to satisfy his a the new field, and his lips keptwords of coh of course what he said could not be heard above the universal clah, the racket began to slacken, as though word had gone forth that the pursuit of the retiring foe must be temporarily abandoned Victory had perched on the banner of the defenders of the soil; the lilies of France had swept proudly over the trenches of the foe; still further back from the imperiled capital had the host of Von Kluck been pushed, but all gained at a terrible cost

So the guns began to cease firing New positions ood work Everywhere the Germans would be pressed back and back until possibly the ardent French believed they would be forced to retreat to the Rhine

And no features began to appear upon the field that had so lately been the scene of a fearful engage convoyed to the rear, stout-looking young fellows as a rule; for in the early reat war the German army consisted of the pick of the whole e an almost perfect specimen of physical manhood Later on, when havoc had been er and older reserves would begin to ain did the French Red Cross attendants with their handy stretchers begin to reap the harvest of the battle Of Germans there were none, for since their side had been compelled to retreat so hastilyto the victors the double task of caring for the wounded of both arlasses, sa the French attendants did not discriminate in favor of their own men, but took them just as they came, a German even before a Frenchman, he realized the spirit of brotherly love that really exists between the coh by force of circumstances they e for the faults of politicians or kings

Well, it was all over now, but the binding up of wounds and the sad burial of the many who had fallen The invaders had been pushed still further back, and their hopes of taking Paris received an apparently fatal blow

”Josh, you can never again say that you haven't seen a real battle,”

remarked Rod, as they made their way back toward the shelter where the aleon, aided by his assistants, would now have to start in afresh with the inco immediate attention

”I'm satisfied,” replied Josh in a suppressed manner; ”and between us both, Rod, I want to own up that I hope I'll never have another chance to look on such a terrible sight; though remember, I wouldn't have missed it for a whole lot”

CHAPTER XVI

A SUDDEN SURPRISE

Although the three lads had already performed an amount of labor that would have considerably astonished their home folks, could they have witnessed it, and filled theh, it seeested Rod, as they reached the canvas shelter tent, where the procession of stretchers was beginning to arrive, each with its sad burden

”I' to look as though he could stand anything after what he had passed through

Indeed there was need of assistance Two other field hospitals had already been established not far away, since the subjects were many tiinning to be brought in for treat of a the wounded in the direction of Paris, where they could be better attended to