Part 30 (2/2)

”Orders given, sir,” said a staff officer from behind. ”No reports as yet.”

The general's eyes went back to the s.p.a.ce two miles wide and two miles deep in which there was only a single observation-post functioning, and that in charge of two strayed infantrymen. The battle in the fog was in a formative stage, now, and the general himself had to watch the whole, because it was by small and trivial indications that the enemy's plans would be disclosed. The dead area was no triviality, however. Half a dozen tanks were crawling through it, reporting monotonously that no sign of the enemy could be found. One of the little sparks representing those tanks abruptly went out.

”Tank here, sir, no longer reports.”

The general watched with lack-l.u.s.ter eyes, his mind withdrawn in thought.

”Send four helicopters,” he said slowly, ”to sweep that s.p.a.ce. We'll see what the enemy does.”

One of the seated officers opposite him spoke swiftly. Far away a roaring set up and was stilled. The helicopters were taking off.

They would rush across the blanket of fog, their vertical propellers sending blasts of air straight downward. For most of their sweep they would keep a good height, but above the questionable ground they would swoop down to barely above the fog-blanket. There their monstrous screws would blow holes in the fog until the ground below was visible. If any tanks crawled there, in the s.p.a.ces the helicopters swept clear, they would be visible at once and would be sh.e.l.led by batteries miles away, batteries invisible under the artificial cloud-bank.

No other noises came through the walls of the monster tank. There was a faint, monotonous murmur of the electric generator. There were the quiet, crisp orders of the officers behind the general, giving the routine commands that kept the fighting a stalemate.

The aircraft officer lifted his head, pressing his headphones tightly against his ears, as if to hear mores clearly.

”The enemy, sir, has sent sixty fighting machines to attack our helicopters. We sent forty single-seaters as escort.”

”Let them fight enough,” said the general absently, ”to cause the enemy to think us desperate for information. Then draw them off.”

There was silence again. The steady fingers put pins here and there. An enemy tank destroyed here. An American tank encountered an enemy and ceased to report further. The enemy sent four helicopters in a wide sweep behind the American lines, escorted by fifty fighting planes. They uncovered a squadron of four tanks, which scattered like insects disturbed by the overturning of a stone. Instantly after their disclosure a hundred and fifty guns, four miles away, were pouring sh.e.l.ls about the place where they had been seen. Two of the tanks ceased to report.

The general's attention was called to a telephone instrument with its call-light glowing.

”Ah,” said the general absently. ”They want publicity matter.”

The telephone was connected to the rear, and from there to the Capital. A much-worried cabinet waited for news, and arrangements were made and had been used, to broadcast suitably arranged reports from the front, the voice of the commander-in-chief in the field going to every workshop, every gathering-place, and even being bellowed by loud-speakers in the city streets.

The general took the phone. The President of the United States was at the other end of the wire, this time.

”General?”

”Still in a preliminary stage, sir,” said the general, without haste. ”The enemy is preparing a break-through effort, possibly aimed at our machine-shops and supplies. Of course, if he gets them we will have to retreat. An hour ago he paralyzed our radios, not being aware, I suppose, of our tuned earth-induction wireless sets. I daresay he is puzzled that our communications have not fallen to pieces.”

”But what are our chances?” The voice of the President was steady, but it was strained.

”His tanks outnumber ours two to one, of course, sir,” said the general calmly. ”Unless we can divide his fleet and destroy a part of it, of course we will be crushed in a general combat. But we are naturally trying to make sure that any such action will take place within point-blank range of our artillery, which may help a little. We will cut the fog to secure that help, risking everything, if a general engagement occurs.”

There was silence.

The President's voice, when it came, was more strained still.

”Will you speak to the public, General?”

”Three sentences. I have no time for more.”

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