The battle continued to rage and the danger of being outflanked became more and more acute. Catigny and Beaurains fell, leaving Noyon unprotected on the north-west. In the course of a fierce counter-attack, the 144th Inf. Reg. succeeded in recapturing these villages, but the German hordes still pressed on, opening a gap between Beaurains and Genvry, through which they poured, following the little valley of the Verse which slopes down towards Noyon. The troops defending the northern and north-eastern approaches to that town were now threatened with being surrounded. General Pellé endeavoured to stop this fresh gap with the few units left at his disposal, and organized a new line of support on Porquericourt Hill and Mont Renaud (_sketch, p. 18_), at the same time urging the troops which were fighting to the north of Noyon to "hold out a few hours longer, each hour being worth a day". One French division, and units of a second division, comprising some British remnants, were now fighting against odds of four to one. [Illustration: _The enemy threatened Noyon, through the valleys of the Oise and Verse. To the north of Nesle, the Montdidier road was open._] [Illustration: _Fall of Noyon. Gen. Pellé's Group organized positions on Porquericourt Hill and Mont-Renaud. Gen. Robillot's forces fell back on Roye._] On the =evening of the 25th=, they fell back in good order, on Noyon. The 57th Inf. Reg. resisted all night in the town, to enable the final line of resistance to be organized. At midnight, the front line passed in front of Porquericourt Hill and Mont Renaud, at Pont-l'Évêque, thence following the Oise. It was along this line that Gen. Pellé's Corps had orders to hold the German advance, and bar the road to Paris. General Humbert declared on the evening of the 25th: _The troops of the 5th A.C. and of the 2nd C. of unmounted Cavalry are defending the very heart of France. The consciousness of the grandeur of their task will point out the path of duty to them._ This day (25th) was still more tragical on General Humbert's left. At daybreak, a violent battle broke out around Nesle, the town being abandoned at 11 a.m. Spread over a too wide front, from Nesle to Guiscard, the troops under Gen. Robillot had orders to maintain the liaison on their right with Gen. Pellé's forces (retreating southward) and on the left with the depleted British units which were falling back to the north-west. The gap widened, and the enemy pressed through. The situation was highly critical, the road to Montdidier being now open. [Illustration: GENERAL FAYOLLE, IN COMMAND OF THE HUMBERT-DEBENEY ARMY GROUP] Despite their desperate resistance and the untiring activity of the 1st Cav. Div. and 2nd Corps--units of which galloped from breach to breach to re-establish the liaison and retard the enemy onrush--General Robillot's group fell back towards Roye. [Illustration: MARCH 25. THE ROAD TO AMIENS OPEN TO THE ENEMY.]