In front lay the level valley of the Meuse, with the towns of St. Mihiel and Bannoncour nestling upon the green landscape.
Beyond and behind the valley rose a tier of hills on which the French were then striving with all their might to hold an intrenched position.
Bursting shells were throwing up columns of white or black fog, and cloudlets of white smoke here and there showed where a position was under shrapnel fire.
The sergeant2 had presented the boys with a high-powered field glass, and to their delight they picked out an occasional a?roplane hovering3 over the lines.
“Look at that little snapper,” cried Billy; “that’s[79] a French wasp4; it’s smaller and lighter5 than our kind; they call it the ‘peasant’s terror.’ Gee6! Seventy-five miles an hour is nothing to that plane.”
Henri had his eyes glued to the glass.
Billy was again taking his turn.
“He’d better climb quick.”
Henri noted9 that some of the big mortars10 were trying for the airman, and he had learned that these mortars could throw a shell a mile or more in the air.
The aviator evidently was aware of the fact, too, for he went higher and higher, until the machine looked like a mere11 scratch in the sky.
The boys returned to the trenches12 with Rene Granger, a lad of eighteen, who had enlisted13, he said, at Lorraine, and who had already won the rank of corporal in a French regiment14.
The three were together when the colonel of Rene’s regiment called for a volunteer to carry the orders of the staff to the different companies. The colonel did not conceal15 the fact that the mission was one of great danger. The young corporal stepped forward, and offered his service. He listened attentively16 to the colonel’s instructions. Then with a quiet c’est bien (it is well), he started.
[80]
The next stage of his journey was a dangerous one, for he had to pass over an open space of 300 yards, swept by the enemy’s fire. He went down on his hands and knees and crawled, only lifting his head in order to see his way.
Within a few yards of the trenches a bullet struck him in the thigh17. He crept behind a tree, hastily dressed the wound, then dragged himself to the trench, where he delivered his message to the commander.
They tried to stop him there, but the boy refused.
“I have given my word,” he said.
There remained still two companies to visit. One of them was quite near, but the other was 600 yards away, far advanced in the zone of fire.
Rene began his terrible journey. At every few yards he was compelled to stop, so fierce was the suffering caused by his wound. Bullets whistled around him, and one pierced his kepi.
He was within twenty yards of safety when a shell burst in front of him and fragments struck him, inflicting18 a terrible wound. He lay unconscious, but he had been seen from the trenches and two ambulance men ran out, placed him on a stretcher, and carried him to their company.
Rene became conscious once more, called for the commanding officer, and almost with his last breath whispered the orders he had been given.
“Oh, that he could have lived!”
[81]
Henri could scarcely realize that their new-found friend, their cheery companion of the past few days, was cold in death. But they brought him back to his regiment, in scarred body, for honor.
“He kept his word,” said the colonel, who turned away that none might see what a soldier must hide.
“There’s a boy that was all gold; I am grateful for having known him, and better for it, too; he knew how to live and how to die.”
This was Billy’s brief but heartfelt tribute to the memory of their fallen comrade.
But our boys must push on to their goal, and though their story must be seamed and crossed by these woes19 of war, yet it is their story.
“Chateau20 Chantillon still stands, and there is Chateau Chambley, and there, yes, there, is Chateau Trouville—my home.”
Henri was drawing the distance close with the powerful field glass, and talking over his shoulder to Billy.
“With a wall of steel around them,” commented Billy.
“But we are going to get through it,” was Henri’s determined21 reply.
“Speed the day!”
Billy was ready for the effort. Besides, he had been thinking a good deal about Bangor in the last few days.
“If those old guns over there,” said Henri,[82] “would only let us alone until we found the mouth of that tunnel it’s a sure thing that we could be under the roof of the Trouvilles in less than two hours.”
“Maybe the old map’s no good.”
Billy never had been much of a hand for ancient history.
“If it’s all the same to you, we’ll give it a test to-morrow night.”
“If we can get away from the sergeant, I will be at your heels,” announced Billy, and he meant every word of it.
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1
trench
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| n./v.(挖)沟，(挖)战壕 | |
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2
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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3
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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4
wasp
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| n.黄蜂，蚂蜂 | |
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5
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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6
gee
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| n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转 | |
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7
aviator
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| n.飞行家，飞行员 | |
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8
hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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9
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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10
mortars
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| n.迫击炮( mortar的名词复数 )；砂浆；房产；研钵 | |
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11
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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12
trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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13
enlisted
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| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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15
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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17
thigh
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| n.大腿；股骨 | |
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18
inflicting
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的现在分词 ) | |
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19
woes
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| 困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉 | |
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20
chateau
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| n.城堡，别墅 | |
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21
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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22
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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