Part 31 (1/2)
Wharton looked rather white, but he shouted back:
”I had no other choice.”
The French aeroplanes were around them now, their motors drumming steadily and the aviators shouting congratulations to Lannes and Caumartin, whom they knew well. It was a friendly group, full of pride and exultation, and the _Arrow_ and the _Omnibus_ had a triumphant escort. Soon they were directly over the French, and then they began their descent. As usual, when they reached the army they made it amid cheers, and the first man who greeted John was short and young but with a face of pride.
”You have come back to us out of the air, Monsieur Scott,” he said, ”and I salute you.”
It was Pierre Louis Bougainville, made a colonel already for extraordinary, almost unprecedented, valor and ability in so young a man. John recognized his rank by his uniform, and he acknowledged it gladly.
”It's true, I have come back, Colonel Bougainville,” he said, ”and right glad I am to come. I see that your country has had no cause to complain of you in the last week.”
”Nor of hundreds of thousands of Frenchmen,” said Bougainville. ”Your company, the Strangers, is close at hand, and here is your captain now.”
Captain Daniel Colton, thin and ascetic, walked forward. John gave him his best salute and said:
”Captain Colton, I beg to report to you for duty.”
A light smile pa.s.sed swiftly over Cotton's face.
”You're a little late, Lieutenant Scott,” he said.
”I know it, sir, but I've brought Lieutenant Carstairs and Lieutenant Wharton with me. There have been obstacles which prevented our speedy return. We've done our best.”
”I can well believe it. You left on horseback, and you return by air.
But I'm most heartily glad to see all three of you again. I feared that you were dead.”
”Thank you, sir,” said John. ”But we don't mean to die.”
”Nevertheless,” said Captain Colton, gravely, ”death has been all about us for days and nights. Many of the Strangers are gone. You will find the living lying in the little valley just beyond us, and you can resume your duties.”
Lannes, after a word or two, left them, and Caumartin took the _Omnibus_ to another part of the field. Lannes' importance was continually growing in John's eyes, nor was it the effect of imagination. He saw that under the new conditions of warfare the ability of the young Frenchman to carry messages between generals separated widely could not be overrated. He might depart that very night on another flight.
”May I ask, sir,” he said to Captain Colton, ”to what command or division the Strangers are now attached?”
”To that of General Vaugirard, a very able man.”
”I'm glad to hear it, sir. I know him. I was with him before I was taken by the Germans.”
”It seems that you're about to have a general reunion,” said Carstairs to young Scott, as they walked away.
”I am, and I'm mighty happy over it. I'll admit that I was rather glad to see you, you blooming Britisher.”
About one-third of the Strangers were gone forever, and the rest, except the higher officers, were prostrate in the glade. White, worn and motionless they lay in the same stupor that John had seen overtake the German troops. Some were flat upon their backs, with arms outstretched, looking like crosses, others lay on their faces, and others were curled up on their sides. Few were over twenty-five. Nearly all had mothers in America or Great Britain.
While they slept the guns yet grumbled at many points. The sound on the horizon had gone on so long now that it seemed normal to John. He knew that it would continue so throughout the night, and maybe for many more days and nights. Unless it came near and made him a direct personal menace he would pay no attention to it.
It was growing late. Night was spreading once more over the vast battle field, stretching over thirty leagues maybe. The common soldier knew nothing, majors and colonels knew little more, but the silent man whose invisible hand had swept the gigantic German army back from Paris knew much. While the fire of the artillery continued under the searchlights the exhausted infantry sank down. Then the telephones began to talk over a vast stretch of s.p.a.ce, dazzling white lights made signals, the sputtering wireless sent messages in the air, and the flying machines shot through the heavens. Commanders talked to one another in many ways now, and they would talk all through the night.
John and his comrades ate supper, while most of the Strangers slept around them. Those who were awake recognized them, shook hands and said a few words. They were a taciturn lot. After supper Carstairs and Wharton dropped upon the gra.s.s and were soon sound asleep. Scott was inclined to be wakeful and he walked along the edge of the glade, looking anxiously at the sleeping forms.
He saw the loom of a fire just beyond the ridge and going to the crest to look at it he beheld outlined before it a gigantic figure that he recognized at once. It was General Vaugirard, and John would have been glad to speak to him, but he hesitated to approach a general. While he stood doubting a hand fell upon his shoulder and a glad voice said in his ear: