*CHAPTER IX*
*THE BATTLE*
A volley of rifle fire met the first rush of the Americans. Sleepy-eyedGermans, aroused from their slumber by the sound of the warning gun,poured from their shelter and rushed forward through the streets of thevillage. Hastily machine guns were wheeled into position, and averitable rain of bullets swept the ranks of the charging columns inkhaki.
But the Americans did not falter. These men of the Forty-seconddivision upheld the traditions of the American army. True, they hadbeen under fire before and it was not to be expected that they wouldfalter; but well might a man have faltered in the face of the terriblefire poured in upon them. Each man bent to his work with a determinationthat boded ill for the foe. Some dashed forward with wild yells, otherssmiled quietly to themselves, while still others joked with theirnearest neighbors. Here and there men dropped in their tracks, to riseno more, but others leaped over the bodies and dashed ahead.
So close had the Americans approached the village before beingdiscovered, that the enemy ranks had not time to form. What machineguns had been brought into play by the Germans were widely scattered anddid not have the effect that would have been possible had the Americansgiven the enemy more time.
American machine guns also began to rattle and Germans began to fall.The opposing forces were too close for the enemy to use his heavyartillery, nor could Colonel Johnson use his own field pieces for thesame reason.
Undismayed by the withering enemy fire, the Americans continued theircharge and soon the fighting became hand-to-hand. Wild cries andimprecations arose above the sounds of firing, and the clash of coldsteel became audible in all sections of the field.
The Germans withstood the first shock of the American charge, but theycould not withstand the second. They faltered momentarily, but underthe commands of their officers for a moment braced again. But when theYankees hurled themselves upon the wall of human flesh the third time,the German line wavered along its entire length, then broke.
Groups of the enemy threw down their arms and raised their hands intoken of surrender. These were quickly passed to the rear, for the menin front were too busy to be occupied with prisoners. Others of theenemy turned and ran. Here and there, however, groups of the foegathered, determined to resist the Americans to the last.
Against these small batches of the enemy, groups of American soldiersdashed. Again the fighting became fast and furious, and in thisfighting the Americans sustained their heaviest losses.
Hal found himself close to Colonel Johnson, who had advanced in themidst of his men. A German officer raised his revolver and aimed atColonel Johnson. Hal, who had been about to discharge his own revolverat a big German soldier who was pressing him closely, turned his weaponand fired in time to drop the man who otherwise must surely have killedthe American colonel.
Colonel Johnson at the same moment had perceived his danger and herealized instantly that Hal had saved his life at the imminent risk oflosing his own. Colonel Johnson was a brave man, and he recognizedbravery in another. He sprang to Hal's side and with his sword laid lowthe man who then held Hal at his mercy.
Hal acknowledged this assistance with a smile; he had no time for more.The Germans were pressing too close for that.
Colonel Johnson cleared a space about him with his flashing sword. Halemptied his revolver into the ranks of the enemy, then drew his ownsword. Standing side by side, Hal and Colonel Johnson beat off theGermans who tried to pierce their guards. Nevertheless, theirpredicament was extremely critical, and it is doubtless if they wouldhave come through alive had not half a dozen soldiers, seeing theirperil, dashed forward and scattered the Germans who surrounded them.
This gave the two a breathing space, of which they took advantage.
But the fighting was far from ended yet--the Germans were far frombeaten. In the rear of the line which had broken and fled under theAmerican attack, other lines had formed and now dashed forward. ColonelEnglish, taking in the situation at a glance, ordered support to theassistance of the hard-pressed men under Colonel Johnson.
The reinforcements came forward with a rush and met the new German linewith a crash. The hand-to-hand fighting that ensued was terrific, butafter five minutes of give and take, the Germans again retired.
American machine guns were swung about hastily to cover the retreatingfoe and wreaked terrific havoc among the enemy. The retreat became arout. The Germans turned and fled.
Victory, it appeared, was with the Americans.
But Colonel English had no mind to allow the enemy to rest. Hisinstructions had been to capture the village of Pouilly, and he wouldnot rest content until he had accomplished that feat. Accordingly, heordered another advance.
The Americans dashed forward with the same recklessness that has alwayscharacterized the charge of the American fighting man. In vain Germanofficers sought to bring some semblance of order out of the confusionthat reigned in the enemy ranks. The effort was vain. Younglieutenants stood in the path of the retreating men and beat them withthe flat of their swords, but they could not stay the rout. Othersfired their revolvers point-blank into the faces of their own men, buteven these heroic measures failed to have the desired result.
The Germans were beaten and they knew it.
So it was just as the first faint streak of dawn appeared in the easternsky that the Americans set foot in the village of Pouilly.
And still the fighting was not ended.
Scores of German soldiers, under command of subordinate officers,barricaded themselves in the houses that lined the streets and poured ahail of bullets upon the Americans as they passed. The Yankees sufferedseverely under this fire.
"We can't stand for this," said Colonel Johnson suddenly to Hal. "Theenemy is doing too much damage."
"Drag up a couple of big guns and destroy the houses," said Hal briefly.
"Good!" said Colonel Johnson. "Lieutenant Bennings!"
A young officer approached and saluted.
"Take twenty men and enough guns to destroy the houses that line thisstreet," said the colonel. "Also, you will report while the battle laststo Major Paine, here."
The lieutenant saluted and hurried away.
"Major," said Colonel Johnson to Hal, "I will detail you to see that thesniping from the houses is stopped."
Hal saluted.
"I'll stop it, sir," he promised.
"Very well. Don't let me detain you longer."
Hal strode away to where the young lieutenant and a score of men werewheeling two big field pieces into position.
"Hurry, men," he cried. "We've no time to lose."
Meantime, because of the heavy execution by the enemy from inside thehouses, the Americans had sought what shelter they could find indoorways and around corners. This situation, Hal knew, could not beallowed to exist, for it would give the demoralized enemy time torecover their scattered wits and to reform. Therefore, the houses mustbe cleared of snipers immediately.
From the first house in the block where Hal found himself, the snipersseemed to be more active than in any other. Hal determined to give thishouse his attention first.
He sighted the gun himself, then gave the command to fire.
"Boom!"
The voice of the big gun rose high above the rattle of machine gun andrifle fire.
"Crash!"
Almost simultaneously with the sound of the gun the heavy explosivemissile reached its mark.
There was another resounding crash as the missile exploded afterreaching its mark. Bricks, timber and other debris flew high in the airand descended in a shower.
The sniping from the first house ceased, for the simple reason thatthere was no first house any longer. It had been destroyed.
"I hope that will be enough," Hal muttered. "I don't like this wantondestruction of property. It reminds me too much of the Germansthemselves. If those fellows in the other houses are wise they'll
ceasefiring now."
But in this Hal was doomed to disappointment. Snipers in the otherhouses continued as active as before, apparently unimpressed by the fatethat had befallen their comrades.
"Well, if you must have it you must," Hal muttered.
Quickly he gave the necessary orders and the guns were wheeled intoposition. This time, however, they were not aimed at a single house,for Hal decided that it was unwise to waste more time. He determined togive the enemy a lesson they would not forget.
Accordingly, two houses were covered at once.
"Boom! Boom!"
"Crash! Crash!"
So closely together that they sounded almost as one were the detonationsof the guns and the effect as they found their marks.
Again there was a shower of debris.
Without waiting to see what effect this destruction would have upon theGermans who occupied the houses, Hal ordered the guns turned on otherhomes.
Again the big guns spoke, and again the mass of bricks, mortar and wooddescended and covered the streets.
"I guess that will do 'em," muttered Hal, as he waited for the smoke toclear away.
The lad was right.
No longer did the snipers fire from the windows and the American troops,which had temporarily sought shelter in doorways and around corners,poured out again, their advance, thanks to Hal and his men, thus beingmade more simple.
A few moments later Colonel Johnson came up to Hal.
"You did a good job, Major," he said quietly. "I guess we'll have nomore trouble with them."
"Then the town is ours?" asked Hal eagerly.
"It is indeed," replied Colonel Johnson.
"Then I'll have to leave you, sir," said Hal. "Colonel English orderedme to report to him immediately after daylight."
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