Part 33 (1/2)
”Pretty effective weapon,” remarked Kenneth, vainly endeavouring to wrench one of the darts from the floor. ”They must hit with terrific force. I wonder how they were discharged?”
”Simply dropped by the hundred, I should imagine,” replied Rollo. ”The force of gravity is sufficient to give them a tremendous velocity after dropping a few hundred feet. I guess they've knocked these fellows'
time-table out.”
The drivers and several cavalrymen had now emerged from their hiding-places, and were carrying their less-fortunate comrades from the scene. A few of the latter were moaning, but most of them had been slain outright. The ”flechettes”, or steel darts, had in several cases struck their victims on the head, and had pa.s.sed completely through their bodies. In addition to about thirty casualties, nearly a hundred horses were either killed on the spot or were so badly injured that they had to be dispatched. Several of the motor-wagons, too, were temporarily disabled by the terrible missiles. Clearly it was out of the question that the convoy could proceed that day.
Darkness set in. The work of repairing the damaged vehicles still proceeded briskly by the aid of the powerful acetylene lamps fixed upon the parapets of the surrounding buildings. Fresh animals were being brought up to take the horse-wagons away, in order to make room for the artificers to proceed with their work. The square echoed and re-echoed to the clanging of hammers and the rasping of saws, and the guttural exclamations of the workmen.
Kenneth and Rollo had no thoughts of going to bed. Usually, as soon as it was dark they would throw themselves upon their straw mattresses, for lights were not allowed them. But now the excitement, increased by contrast to their monotonous existence, banished all idea of sleep.
Cras.h.!.+ A blaze of vivid light that out-brillianced the concentrated glare of the lamps flashed skywards, followed almost immediately by a deafening report. Windows were shattered, tiles flew from the roofs.
The walls of the room in which the two lads were standing shook violently.
”A sh.e.l.l!” exclaimed Rollo.
”A bomb!” corrected Kenneth, for in the brief lull that followed could be heard the noise of an air-craft. Either the same or another French airman was honouring the Germans at Verviers with a second visit.
Twenty seconds later another explosion occurred at the back of the building. With a terrific crash one of the outer walls was blown in; a portion of the roof collapsed; the floor, partially ripped up, swayed like the deck of a vessel in the trough of an angry sea.
Kenneth found himself on the floor, rendered temporarily deaf and covered with fragments of plaster and broken tiles, and smothered in dust.
Staggering to his feet he groped for his companion, for the place was in total darkness, the force of the detonation having extinguished all the lamps in the vicinity. His hand came in contact with Rollo's hair.
”Steady on, old man; don't scalp me,” expostulated Barrington.
”What do you say?” asked his companion. Rollo repeated the protest, shouting in order to enable Kenneth to hear what he said.
”Hurt?”
”Not a bit of it; but we may be if we hang on here.”
Another fall of rafters and tiles confirmed the speaker's surmise; then, as the cloud of acrid smoke and dust slowly dispersed, they could see a patch of starlight where a few moments before had been a blank wall.
CHAPTER XXIV
Across the Frontier
Kenneth regained his feet.
”Let's s.h.i.+ft,” he said.
”Where?”
”Anywhere. Be steady; mind where you tread, and look out for brick-bats falling on your head.”
The caution was well needed. Stumbling over the ma.s.s of shattered brickwork, the lads pa.s.sed through the jagged gap and gained an open s.p.a.ce to the rear of a long range of storehouses. Even as they did so another bomb exploded, this time some distance off, though the concussion was sufficient to complete the destruction of the room in which they had been but a few moments previously.
Not only in the square but all over the town a state of panic existed.