CHAPTER XVIII.
THE BATTLE.
Captain Derevaux, who had been sleeping soundly, sprang to his feet,picked up his sword and pistols, and, without even a word to Hal andChester, dashed from the hut.
"The battle has begun!" cried Hal.
"Come!" exclaimed Chester. "Let's get to some place where we can see. Ican't stay here!"
"Nor I!" cried Hal. "Come on!"
The two lads hurried from the hut. As they emerged, a troop of Belgiancavalry swept past them, on the way to the front. The boys followed asrapidly as possible in its wake. Presently they came to a small hill.Climbing to the top, they found they could command a good view of theadvancing German columns, which they could see in the distance, and whichwere even now almost close enough to grapple hand-to-hand with thehorsemen swooping down on them.
All along the German front the Belgian cavalry hurled itself upon theadvancing foe. They met with a crash, and horses and riders went down inheaps. For a moment the Germans gave way. For a moment they recoiled, andthen they sprang forward again.
The charge of the Belgian cavalry was magnificent, but it was in vain.The German forces pressed onward, and the cavalry was forced back,cutting and slashing as it slowly retreated. Under a withering fire, thatsuddenly broke out all along the German front, the horsemen fell byhundreds. It was more than flesh and blood could stand. A retreat wassounded, and the cavalry fell back upon its support. But, even as theydrew off, there burst from the German front the sharp roar of themitrailleuse. The German maxims had opened fire. The Belgians fell fasterthan before.
And now the Germans were ordered to charge. Squadron upon squadron racedover the open ground in a mad dash toward the Belgian line; and as theycharged, the rapid-fire guns of the great forts poured forth theiranswer. Great holes were cut in the German columns, and men and horseswere mowed down like chaff.
And still the Germans came on.
Suddenly a fierce rifle fire broke out all along the Belgian front, evenas the rapid-firers continued to belch forth their messengers of death.Men reeled and fell in masses. The Germans wavered, halted, thenretreated. A great shout went up from the Belgian lines.
Under the support of their own field batteries, the Germans reformed fora second charge. As before, the defenders waited until they were close,then poured in a deadly fire. The Germans staggered, then sprang forward.A second volley greeted them, and a second time the Germans wavered,halted and retreated. A third time they charged, with the same result.
All this time a long-range artillery duel was in progress, whateveradvantage there was resting with the Belgians. Shot and shell poured intothe oncoming solid ranks of the German infantry, cutting great gaps intheir ranks; but these quickly filled up again, and the Germans continuedtheir steady advance.
All this Hal and Chester saw, and more. For they could see, to the left,the successful advance of the enemy, as it moved upon the town of Liege.In vain the Belgians charged upon the advancing line and poured in shotand shell. The Germans came on. To the right the Germans also werepushing slowly, but surely, forward.
"It is terrible! terrible!" said Chester, with a shudder, as he watchedmen fall right and left.
"Horrible!" agreed Hal. "But come. We must move. It is as CaptainDerevaux said. The Belgians will be unable to hold the town. They mustretire upon the forts; and we had better retire before them."
The boys descended from their position of vantage and made their way tothe nearest fort, which they were allowed to enter upon informing anofficer of their connection with the Belgian army, just as the Belgiantroops withdrew from their positions in front of the city and fell backupon the forts.
Liege was left at the mercy of the Germans.
For some minutes thereafter there was a lull, as when a great storm diesdown, only to begin again with greater fury. The enemy's left wing, whichwas nearest the fort in which the boys had taken refuge, could be seenforming for a charge, while from the fort a rain of lead continued tofall upon them. Although men were falling on every hand, the Germansformed without the least confusion.
Then came the order for the charge. From five different points the enemyhurled itself forward upon the fort; nor did the hail of lead stop them.Closer and closer they approached, the five sections of cavalry drawingnearer together as they did so, so that when they were within strikingdistance they were almost in solid formation. In their rear the infantry,supported by field guns, already had formed for an advance.
The Uhlans must be driven back at all hazards, and an order rang out fromthe Belgian commander.
There sallied forth a body of Belgian cavalry and the few French thatremained of the French Lancers who had borne the brunt of the fighting inthe battle in which Hal and Chester had distinguished themselves. In thecenter of these Hal and Chester recognized Captain Derevaux, his swordflashing aloft.
"He is a grand soldier!" whispered Hal to Chester softly. "A brave man,indeed. France may well be proud of him!"
"There can be none better," answered Chester. "May he come through thebattle safely!"
Now the Belgians and French charged, and the fighting was hand-to-hand,while over the struggling horsemen the guns from the fort poured deathinto the ranks of the advancing German infantry.
The cavalry of the two armies had met so close to the fort that, with aglass he picked up, Hal could distinguish the faces of the combatants.And again, so close was the fighting that the guns of the fort could notbe brought to bear on the German cavalry for fear of killing friend aswell as foe; but they continued to deal death to the infantry.
Looking through his glass, Hal sought out the form of Captain Derevaux.Finally he espied him, right where the fighting was fiercest and mendropped fastest.
Hither and thither rode the gallant young Frenchman, striking,thrusting, parrying, now raising his revolver for a snap shot, the whileurging his men on.
"If he gets out alive it will be a miracle!" cried Hal, passing the glassto Chester.
Chester put the glass to his eyes and looked toward the field of battle.
"By Jove!" he muttered. "He is magnificent!"
At that moment the captain's horse went down, but, with a quick movementof his arm, guarding his head from a saber stroke, the young Frenchmanseized the bridle of a riderless animal, and with a single movement swunghimself to the back of his new charger. In another moment he was oncemore in the middle of the fighting, dealing out death on every hand.
The Germans gave way, slowly at first, then faster; and at length theyturned and fled. As they did so, the guns from the fort poured a hail oflead into them, mowing them down as they retreated. The Belgian cavalryretired to the support of the fort. The German charge had failed!
And now messages filtered in from other parts of the field. TheBelgians had been successful all along the line, with the exception ofone point, which had permitted the Germans to enter the city of Liege.The losses of the Germans had been appalling; those of the Belgianscomparatively light.
"Can the Belgians fight?" asked Hal, when the Germans had withdrawn. "Canthey fight? Well--"
His silence was more expressive than words.
"It's too bad we were unable to take part in the battle," declaredChester. "It certainly gives me a restless feeling to sit here and lookon while others are doing all the fighting."
"It does make a fellow feel a little queer," Hal replied. "But, supposingwe had been in that charge--where would we be now?"
Chester shrugged his shoulders.
"Perhaps here, and then again--perhaps, some place else," he answered."Who knows?"
"Neither you nor I, surely," replied Hal. "But think of the dead anddying on the field out there. War is a terrible thing!"
"It is," declared Chester; "and the more I see of it the more I realizethat fact. But come. Let us see if we can find the captain."
It was almost an hour later before they accidentally ran across him, andthe young Frenchman carried his arm in a sling.
"It looks as th
ough I am likely to be on the hospital list for a fewdays," said the captain, smilingly.
"It's a wonder to me your name is not on the death list," repliedChester.
"Indeed it is," agreed Hal. "We watched you through a glass from thefort. Your action was magnificent. France can well be proud of you.Believe me, you will not remain a captain long."
"As for that," replied the young Frenchman, "I have just learned that Ihave been recommended for promotion."
The boys congratulated him, but he waved them aside laughingly.
"It is no more than you would do for your own America," he declared; "no,nor no more than you both did only the other day. Whatever I do," headded softly, "I do for France!"
Boy Allies at Liège; Or, Through Lines of Steel Page 18