Fighting with French: A Tale of the New Army

by Herbert Strang

  CHAPTER XV

  THE OBSERVATION POST

  Harry reached the divisional headquarters without further mishap, anddelivered his despatch. The rider who had come by the long way had notarrived. It was more than half an hour later when he at last rode in,and explained that he had been delayed at several points by congestionof traffic.

  Meanwhile Harry had obtained leave to ride back and bring in hiscompanion, whom he expected to meet within a mile or two. Evening wascoming on; heavy clouds were heaping themselves in the western sky,hastening the dark. Harry had only the vaguest idea of the locality ofthe spot where he had caught a momentary glimpse of Kenneth, and afterriding for some distance, untroubled by attentions from the Germangunners, without meeting him, he began to feel uneasy. The sight of theabandoned motor bicycle increased his misgiving. Turning at the bridlepath he rode back very slowly, closely scanning both sides of the road.At length he descried, in the failing light, a body lying half in, halfout of the ditch. He jumped off his machine and hastened to theprostrate form, dreading to find that his friend was killed. But amoment's examination sufficed to reassure him. The heart was stillbeating. A few drops from his flask revived Kenneth, who sat up, adeplorable object, caked with mud from head to foot.

  "How do you feel, old man?" asked Harry anxiously.

  "Ugh!" grunted Kenneth. "Is my collar-bone broken?"

  "Not a bit of it, or you couldn't move your neck like that. Can you getup?"

  "Give me a hand."

  He rose slowly to his feet.

  "Is my skull cracked?" he asked. "Where's my cap?"

  Harry picked it up, and put it on his head after feeling all over theskull.

  "Just pinch me up and down the legs, will you?" said Kenneth.

  "I don't think there's anything wrong," said Harry after pressing allthe joints and muscles.

  "Then I've cost the Germans a good few pounds for nothing. I'm horriblydizzy; feel as if a whole rugger team had been over me. You got throughto headquarters?"

  "Yes. But look here, I'll tell you about it presently. D'you think youcould stick on the carrier? The sooner we get out of this the better."

  "Let me walk a little first. I'm rather top-heavy at present. You gotthere first?"

  "Yes."

  "Good man! 'Fraid we'd both muff it.... Is my face as dirty as myhands?"

  "My dear child, your face is all right. If you talk like that I shall becertain you are cracked."

  "All right, old man; only I was thinking of your face, you know. Idon't mind so long as we are both pretty much alike."

  "Well now, hop on, and I'll go fairly slowly. If you feel inclined totumble off, sing out and I'll catch you before you fall."

  Kenneth, however, managed to maintain his seat on the carrier, and thetwo rode into headquarters just before absolute dark. They were given abillet for the night, and told to return to their regiment as best theycould next day. Luckily able to get a bath, they were then providedwith supper, and Harry had an opportunity of telling at his ease how hehad managed to save the situation.

  "You see, after I had put him down with the Hikiotoshi----"

  "I nearly rolled off with laughing when you sang that out," Kennethinterrupted. "How delighted old Kishimaru would be! I must write andtell him about it. Go on."

  "Well, I had to lay him out, which wasn't very difficult, and forsafety's sake I tied him up in his own straps. Then I had a look at mymachine. The front wheel was hopelessly buckled. What about theGerman's, I thought. I found that the engine was mere scrap iron; ithad got the full force of the collision. But the back wheel wasn't hurta bit. By good luck it was exactly the same size as mine, and as thetool bag was there all complete, I set about exchanging the wheels--andalso more or less pleasant remarks with the German, who showed awonderful command of English bargee idiom when he recovered his senses.I had pulled my old Rover to pieces so often at home that I had notrouble, though it took me a long time. When I had finished, I wonderedwhether I could bring in the German as a prisoner, but I couldn't verywell fix him on the carrier without help. And besides, the front forkshad been so strained and twisted that I was afraid the whole concernmight come to grief. So I went over and bade him a polite good-bye,eased his lashings so that he could wriggle free with a little exertion,and then set off at full speed. By the way, I had taken the liberty ofexamining his pockets, left him a photograph and a few trifles, and tooka letter and a despatch which I handed to the general. On the whole Ithink we've done a good day's work."

  "I rather think we have. Pity you didn't leave the German tied up: wemight have got him to-morrow on our way back."

  "No thank you! Once running the gauntlet of German shells is enough forme. We'll go back the long way. And as we shall have only the onemachine between us I'll take it to the repairing shop and have it lookedover. There's not much wrong with it, and we'll take turn and turnabout on the carrier."

  They set off in a fine spring dawn, taking their midday meal with them.It was slow going on this outer circle. The road, lying well behind theBritish lines, was encumbered with military traffic. The pave was forlong stretches occupied by motor omnibuses and lorries, carrying men,provisions, and ammunition. Here was a lorry loaded with bacon, thereone packed with loaves of bread from the baking ovens, there anotherheaped with parcels sent out from home, another with new uniforms, bootsand equipment. Time after time the cyclists had to hop off, leave thepave for the muddy unpaved border of the road, and stand ankle deep inmud until the heavy vehicles had passed, exchanging pleasantries withthe cheerful drivers.

  "I say, this is a nuisance," said Harry, at one of these stoppages. "IfI'm not mistaken, the map showed a cross-road about halfway, leadinginto the road we travelled yesterday. It comes out by that hamlet wepassed. I vote we take that and chance it. There's no firing atpresent, and the road is less exposed at that end. Of course there's nohurry, but this constant hopping off and on is too monotonous foranything."

  "We'll have a look at the cross-road when we come to it. It may be toobad for riding."

  On reaching the cross-road, they found that there was no traffic on it,though there were marks of the recent passage of heavy vehicles. Itlooked fairly easy, so they struck into it, and bowled along for a mileor two without interruption. In spite of bruises due to their spills onthe previous day they felt very fit, and the rapid movement through thefresh morning air had its usual exhilarating effect.

  "This is better than the trenches--heaps better than hanging about inbillets," said Kenneth. "I'd rather like despatch riding."

  "So would I," replied Harry. "But I don't regret anything. All I'msorry for is that poor old Ginger is collared. I'm afraid he's having arotten time of it."

  The road was winding and hilly, running through country for the mostpart bare, but dotted with clumps of woodland. Presently they passed atrain of artillery transport. Shortly afterwards they came in sight of alow hill from the further side of which they expected to see the ruinedhamlet. As they rode up the hill they suddenly noticed, just below thecrown on their left, a battery of British field-guns getting intoposition. The gunners were masking it from aerial observation by meansof branches of trees and shrubs on which the foliage was well advanced.Then a bend of the road brought them in sight of a battalion ofinfantry, evidently in support of the guns.

  "Halt there!" cried a man, coming towards them.

  They slipped off, left the bicycle by the side of the road, andaccompanied the man to the colonel.

  "Where are you going?" he asked.

  Kenneth mentioned the name of their village.

  "You can't go this way," said the colonel. "The enemy isn't far on theother side of the road this leads to, and I don't want anything toattract his attention to this quarter. Ride back, and go along the mainroad."

  "We can't get along very well for the traffic, sir," said Kenneth. "Werode the other way yesterday, and kn
ow it quite well. It's muchshorter, and a good deal of it is in a hollow, so that we are not verylikely to be seen. Besides, sir, we might possibly do a little scoutingon the way."

  "You're not in a signal company?"

  "Not officially, sir, though we carried an emergency despatchyesterday."

  "Well, I'll let you through on condition that you come back at once ifyou see anything worth reporting. You're a public school man, aren'tyou?"

  "Yes, sir. Haileybury."

  "O.T.C.?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "Couldn't wait for a commission, I suppose? Well, remember your work onfield days. I can trust you to use your intelligence."

  "Thank you, sir."

  "By the way, I must tell you that a field telephone has gone ahead.Look alive; the gunners are in a hurry."

  They remounted and rode on, passing a screen of scouts lying over a widefront below the crest of the hill. As they were nearing the foot of thefarther slope they saw the telephone wagon coming towards them. Onmeeting it they stopped and asked the driver what was going on.

  "Nothing yet. We've laid the wire to a cottage you'll see in thedistance when you get beyond those trees. There's a lieutenant and fourmen in charge. You'd better hurry up."

  "What, are there any Germans in sight?" asked Harry.

  "No; but there's been a bit of sniping. I don't think they could haveseen us going into the cottage, but they must have caught sight of us onthe road. I heard the smack of a bullet on the back of the wagon, andwas thankful when I got under the trees."

  They went on. Beyond the trees the road ran straight up a long gradualincline. To the left, on the crest, stood a small cottage, enclosed,with its garden, within a brick wall. They had ridden only a few yardsup the ascent when they heard the crackle of rifle fire ahead.

  "The Germans must have seen or guessed that the men went to thecottage," said Kenneth. "We had better leave the machine and go upacross the field. The cottage and garden wall will give us cover. Itwill be just as well to learn what's going on."

  They left the road and ran up the grassy hill towards the cottage. Onnearing the crest they became aware that the firing they had heard wasbeing directed from the front of the cottage. There was no answeringfire, but it was clear that the little party in the cottage wasexpecting an attack. Being an observation party, to whose successsecrecy was essential, it was equally clear that they would not havefired except from urgent necessity.

  "Ride back and tell the colonel," said Kenneth. "I'll go on and lend ahand."

  At another moment it would have been Harry's way to dispute his friend'sright to the dangerous part, and to settle the matter by the spin of acoin. It might have occurred to him, too, that the call for supportwould reach the colonel by telephone more quickly than he could conveyit on the bicycle. But guessing that the position was critical, heturned his back at once, ran down the hill, mounted the machine, androde back at his utmost speed. Kenneth meanwhile had vaulted the gardenwall, and dashed into the cottage through the open door at the back.

  During the next ten or fifteen minutes events crowded one upon anothermore rapidly than can be related, and we must pause for a little to makethe position clear. The cottage stood on a spur projecting slightlyeastward from the general line of the ridge. Below it the ground slopedgently down to the road which Kenneth and Harry had travelled on theprevious day. Beyond that the country undulated for several miles.About a mile away was a young plantation. The road ran right and left,with considerable windings, and a mile and a half away, on the right,was the ruined hamlet through which the motor riders had passed. Alittle below the cottage a stone wall of no great height stretchedacross the ground, ultimately meeting the road. On the eastern side ofit--that is, in the direction of the German lines--was a ditch, shallowand empty. During the night a full regiment of Germans, reorganisedafter their recent repulse, had occupied the wood and the hamlet, theadvance guard of a large body whose purpose was to carry their lineforward just as the British on their side were doing. The Britishengineer party had not completed the installation of the telephone inthe cottage when the lieutenant saw the Germans debouching from the woodtowards the hamlet, and considerable movement in the hamlet itself.Ordering his men to cut loopholes in the wall of the front room on theupper storey, and to fire if the enemy appeared to be advancing on thecottage, he worked at the telephone, and had almost finished when theGerman scouts were seen creeping up the hill about half a mile away.Below them was a company in extended order; below them again a secondcompany in support. They were coming straight towards the cottage, andthe men, in obedience to their officer's orders, had fired.

  Kenneth dashed into the cottage. The lower floor was empty. He rushedup the stairs into the only room above. Four men were posted at theloopholes; the lieutenant was screwing on the receiver of the telephone.He looked up as Kenneth entered.

  "Are they coming on already?" he asked.

  "No; but a pal of mine has ridden back to tell the colonel."

  "That's good. It will be a minute or two before this wretched thing isin working order."

  Just then there was a burst of rifle fire from the enemy. The windowswere shattered. One of the men dropped his rifle and shouted.

  "Get out and back to our lines," called the officer, seeing that he was_hors de combat_. "Take his rifle, will you?" he added to Kenneth. "Forgoodness' sake don't go near the window."

  Kenneth picked up the rifle and hurried to a loophole. From the volumeof the enemy's fire it was clear that the assailants were a verynumerous body, and it struck him as madness for five men to attempt tohold the place. He ventured to say so.

  "Done at last!" said the lieutenant. "What was that you said? ... Allright" (he spoke through the telephone). "Infantry advancing. No signof battery.... Hold it! Of course we must. If they get here they cansee our battery from the roof. Besides, if we can hold them off untilthe battalion comes up we couldn't have a better defensive position thanthe wall and ditch in front.... Gad! that's bad."

  A shell had burst on the slope between the cottage and the road, clearof the infantry advancing farther to the right.

  "Take my glasses," continued the lieutenant, "go well to the left, andsee if you can spot the direction when the next shell comes." In lowdistinct tones he spoke into the bell of the receiver: "Enemy firingline about 700 yards below crest, range say 5200."

  Another shell burst about a hundred yards to the left of the cottage.

  "See the flash?" asked the officer, with the receiver at his ear.

  "No."

  "They're firing at long range.... Yes: all right.... They've had tochange their position--our battery, I mean. Want another five minutes."He looked at his wrist watch. "By that time the Germans will be uponus, even if a lucky shot from one of their big guns don't tumble theplace about our ears. However!"

  Kenneth admired the young officer's coolness as, laying down thereceiver, he took up a rifle and posted himself at a loophole. TheGermans had stopped firing: bending low they were creeping up yard byyard towards the wall.

  "Are you a good shot?" asked the officer.

  "Fair," replied Kenneth.

  "Then pick off the men on the flank. If they get across that dykethey'll work round to our rear and have cover until they are close uponus."

  Kenneth, sighting for 500 yards, took aim at the man highest up on theenemy's extreme left flank. The man dropped. Then he fired at the nextman, and missed. A second shot found its mark. Meanwhile the officerand his three men methodically fired, each through his own loophole.And for four crowded minutes they poured their bullets into the line ofscouts, which thinned away until not one was visible on the hillside.

  But the company behind was pushing steadily on, and now opened fire. Ahail of bullets struck the walls of the cottage and whistled through thebroken windows. The officer, creeping across the floor to the telephonereceiver, was smothered with splinters of wood. One of the men utteredan oath and drew
his hand across his cheek.

  "A free shave, Tom," said the next man with a grin. "Whiskers won'tgrow there no more."

  Meanwhile, every twenty or thirty seconds a shell burst in theneighbourhood of the cottage, every time nearer. The noise wasterrific.

  "Long time getting the range," said the lieutenant, holding the receiverto his ear. "Our boys are just going to start.... Yes; still coming on;range 5000: 400 less will smash _me_, so be careful." ...

  Almost immediately afterwards a British shell burst in front of thecottage.

  "Where did it fall?" asked the officer.

  "Behind their supports, sir," replied one of the men.

  "Make it 4800," said the lieutenant through the telephone.

  The words had scarcely left his lips when there was a terrific crash.For a few seconds Kenneth was so dazed as almost to be unconscious.When he regained his wits he found himself lying in darkness on thefloor. An acrid smell teased his nostrils. Wondering where he was, andwhy he was alive, he tried to rise, and knocking his head, discoveredthat he was under a bed. He crawled out, over a heap of rubbish, andwriggled to a gap in the back wall, and into the garden. And there,emerging from the framework of what had been a window, was thelieutenant, his face streaming with blood. But he still held thetelephone receiver, which, by one of the freaks of such explosions, hadremained undamaged.

  "Cottage bashed to bits," he reported coolly through the telephone...."No answer. The line's broken somewhere. Wonder whether it was a Germanshell or one of ours. Hunt about for a rifle. By their howls they'recoming on. We'll creep round into the ditch. I've got my revolver:come after me if you can find a rifle."

  But Kenneth was diverted from his search for a rifle by groans frombeneath a heap of debris. Removing it as quickly as possible, hereleased one of the privates, whose face was cut and bruised and his armbroken. He was wondering whether to look for the other men or for arifle when he saw a khaki figure running along by the garden walltowards the ditch. Another followed, then another, then groups, allhastening quietly in the direction of the firing. The battalion hadcome up at last. Kenneth continued his search for the men. One wasdead; the third badly wounded.

  Meanwhile the British soldiers, puffing hard with the run up the hill,were filing into the ditch, opening fire on the Germans the moment theyarrived. The enemy's artillery was silent, no doubt for fear of hittingtheir own men. But British shells were falling almost incessantly onthe German columns down the hill. Still the enemy advanced, losing moreand more heavily as the ditch filled up. And presently, unable toendure the terrible fire from the British vantage position above them,they recoiled and were soon in full retreat, with still heavier losses,for by the time they reached the road the whole of the British battalionwas extended along the firing line.

  The British at once set to work to deepen the ditch for a regulartrench. Before long the German artillery again began to play, the firebecoming more and more accurate as the gunners found the range. The RedCross men were kept busy in tending the wounded under cover of theruined cottage. In a short time the British position on the ridge wasconsolidated, and preparations were made for a line of trenches,somewhat farther back and less exposed, which would become the permanenttrenches if the Germans were in sufficient force to return to theattack.

  By force of circumstances Kenneth had taken no part in the fight afterthe collapse of the cottage. But the engineer lieutenant, who hadretired from the firing line as soon as the ditch was manned, andimperturbably rummaged among the ruins for the broken wire, thanked himfor his help.

  Kenneth wondered why Harry had not returned. As soon as he had anopportunity he enquired about him, and learnt that the colonel had senthim to the village with a message. The road by which Kenneth hadintended to return being closed, he could only regain his billet bytramping back until he reached the main road. But Harry on the bicyclemet him halfway, and they reached their quarters in time for dinner. Andthere they learnt that a portion of the village which they had capturedtwo days before had been won back by the Germans.