Boy Allies with Haig in Flanders; Or, the Fighting Canadians of Vimy Ridge, Page 2

  CHAPTER II

  THE AMBUSH

  At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their standwas a collection of shell holes. In order that the attack upon theGermans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, CaptainO'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against anypossibility of surprise.

  Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with twoor three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed,in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he isextremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

  That is what happened to Private Briggs, of the American forces.

  The Americans lay in silence, awaiting the moment of the surprise.Suddenly it came. From the position held by the French broke out afusillade. The Germans had approached closer.

  Captain O'Neill and his followers got to their feet and dashed upon theenemy--all but Private Briggs.

  Besides his rifle, each man was armed with hand grenades--bombs--whichhe carried in his pockets.

  When Private Briggs sprang to his feet, it took him so long to untanglehimself that the others had gone on ahead of him.

  He could see no one.

  However, want of courage was not one of his failings. He determinedupon a plan of his own. While the other combatants were locked in adeath grapple, he would advance by himself to the German trenches andhurl his grenade.

  To think with Private Briggs was to act. He advanced at a run.

  Suddenly a parapet loomed up before him. In this same parapet, lowdown, Briggs beheld a black and gaping aperture--plainly a loopholeof some kind. Without a moment's hesitation, Briggs hurled a Millsgrenade straight through the loophole, and, forgetting for the momentthat others of his troop were not with him, uttered a wild screech!

  "Come on, boys!"

  He leaped to the top of the trench by himself, and jumped from theparapet--into his own trenches. Having lost his sense of direction,he had charged the wrong way.

  As the bomb exploded in the French trenches, men rushed toward him.Still grasping several bombs, Briggs stared at them in wide-eyedsurprise. An officer rushed up to him.

  Briggs explained the situation. Fortunately, no one had been woundedby the bomb.

  "You Americans! You Americans!" exclaimed the French officer. "Butgo!" he commanded. "Your men are out there," pointing; "do you nothear the sounds of conflict? If you charge there with the courage withwhich you have charged here, you may be of some use after all."

  Briggs wasted no time. With a flush on his face, he again leaped tothe parapet, and, a moment later, disappeared in the darkness, runningas swiftly as he could to where firing indicated that the battleraged.

  Meanwhile, what of Hal and Chester, and the American troops?

  As the Americans poured from their shell holes after the first outburstof firing, they dashed toward where they could make out the forms ofGerman infantry close at hand.

  From beyond, the French, who had taken up a position as the Frenchcommander had outlined to Hal, poured a withering fire into the foe.The German officer in command immediately halted his advance, wheeledhis men, and gave battle to the French.

  At almost the same moment the Americans dashed upon his men from therear. One volley the Americans poured into the Germans, then theirarms drew back and an avalanche of hand grenades sped on their missionof death. The execution was terrific.

  In vain the German officers attempted to hold their men to the work inhand. Teuton ranks lost formation, and, as the Americans advanced withthe bayonet, the enemy broke and fled.

  The German surprise had failed; it had been on the other hand.

  As the Germans retreated, the Americans pursued. A body of troops, ledby Hal, came, upon an isolated group of the enemy.

  "Surrender!" cried Hal.

  The Germans needed no second offer. Their guns went to the ground atthe lad's words, and they raised their hands in the air. They weremade prisoners and sent to the rear. There was one officer amongthem--a captain.

  At the command from the French general, pursuit of the enemy wasabandoned, much to the disgust of the American troops, who were forpursuing the Germans clear to their trenches, and beyond, if possible.Hal and Chester, however, realized the wisdom of the French commander'sorder, for there was a possibility, should the French and Americansadvance too close, of their being set upon by overwhelming numbers fromthe German trenches, or of their being caught by batteries ofrapid-firers, which most likely would have meant extermination.

  As the French and Americans moved back toward their trenches--theengagement had consumed only it few minutes--Hal and Chester saw aman come flying toward them. This, although the lads did not know itat the time, was Briggs.

  Straight past the American troops Briggs sped, and disappeared in thedarkness beyond.

  "Hello!" said Hal, "that man is an American. Wonder where he's going?"

  "It's Briggs, sir," said a man in the ranks. "He has queer spells sometimes. Can we go after him, sir?"

  Hal put the question up to Captain O'Neill. The captain hesitated.

  "My friend and I will go," said Hal. "We've been in this fighting gametoo long to take unnecessary chances, sir, but I don't like to see theman get into trouble when we can save him."

  "Very well," said the captain; "you have my permission, but don't gotoo close."

  "I'd like another man, sir."

  "Take your choice."

  Hal glanced at the men, and called:

  "McKenzie."

  A soldier stepped forward. This man, at one time, had been a topsergeant in the British army. He had served through the Boer war inSouth Africa. Hal had met him at the Fort Niagara training camp a fewmonths before, and, while the man had failed to obtain a commissionthere, Hal had been able to have him enlisted in the regular army.

  "Will you go with us, McKenzie?" asked the lad. McKenzie saluted.

  "Glad to, sir," he replied.

  "Good! Then come on," said Hal. "We are wasting time here."

  Hal led the way at a rapid trot. He feared that Briggs had alreadyapproached too close to the German trenches, and the distance was soshort that there was little likelihood of overtaking the man before hereached the trenches. The only salvation was, so far as Hal could see,that Briggs might have stopped before he reached the trenches.

  As the three pushed forward, there came a sudden explosion ahead,followed closely by a second blast. The three redoubled their speed,and, a moment later, came in sight of the German trenches.

  A strange sight met their eyes.

  There, upon the top of the German parapet, stood Briggs. His right armwas raised and in it the lads could see a bomb. Apparently theexplosions a moment before had come from the same source.

  As the three looked on, Briggs sent another bomb hurling down into theGerman lines. There was a third blast.

  "Great Scott!" cried Chester. "How can he get away with that? Whydon't they shoot him?"

  "They're trying," said Hal. "You can hear the bullets. They areflying over his head!" The lad raised his voice in a shout: "Briggs!Come down here!"

  Briggs glanced down. Hal, Chester, and McKenzie had approached closenow, and Briggs made out their features as he gazed down.

  "One moment, sir," he said, "and I'll be with you."

  Deliberately he drew back his arm again, and, a moment later his lastbomb was hurled into the foe. As the explosion resounded from theGerman trenches, Briggs leaped down lightly, approached Hal andChester, and saluted.

  "I'm ready now, sir," he said.

  "Then run!" cried Hal.

  The four suited the action to the word, and dashed back toward theAmerican trenches. From behind a volley a rifle fire crackled afterthem.

  "Anybody hit?" cried Hal, as they dashed along.

  There were four negative answers.

  Five minutes later the four were safe in the American trenches.