Uncle Sam's Boys with Pershing's Troops: Or, Dick Prescott at Grips with the BocheHancock, H. Irving (Harrie Irving)
History
Uncle Sam's Boys with Pershing's Troops: Or, Dick Prescott at Grips with the Boche
Hancock, H. Irving (Harrie Irving)
United States. Army -- Juvenile fiction; World War, 1914-1918 -- Juvenile fiction
"It must be the same rascal, returning in his flight!" cried the
medical officer, darting out into the yard to look up at the sky.
A moment later anti-aircraft guns began to bark. Two minutes
after the medical officer again looked into the room.
"We are fortunate to-day, my general!" cried the doctor. "That
scoundrel will not bother you again. One of our shots wrecked
his plane and brought the Hun down---dead."
Evidently, however, that airman of the enemy had given the location
and range of division headquarters, for now a shell from a German
battery struck and exploded in the yard outside, killing a sentry
and wounding two orderlies. A second and a third shell followed.
A fourth shell tore away the corner of the house without injuring
any one.
"Your orders, my general, in case our observers can locate the
Hun battery?" asked a staff officer, coming in from the next room
and resting a hand on a telephone instrument.
"If the enemy battery can be located," replied General Bazain,
"let it be destroyed."
Rapidly the staff officer sent his message to the artillery post
of command.
"But surely you will go to a shelter?" asked the staff officer,
laying down the instrument when he had finished.
"It will be inconvenient," sighed the division commander. "The
light here is much better."
Yet General Bazain permitted himself to be persuaded to remove
from this now highly dangerous spot. As he and his staff, accompanied
by the visitors, stepped outside another shell exploded close at
hand, fortunately without doing harm.
Descending to the cellar of a wrecked house near by, in the wake
of their hosts, the Americans found the entrance to steps, cut
in the earth, leading to a secure shelter on a level much below
that of the cellar. Here were two rooms underground, both equipped
with desks, lights, chairs, telephones and all that was needed
for communicating with the ranking officers of the division at
their posts in the trenches.
"It is stupid to have to work under candlelight in the daytime,"
sighed the division commander. "However, Major Wells, as I was
explaining to you-----"
Here recourse was again had to the maps, which the officers of
the staff had brought along.
Before dark supper was served at division headquarters in this
dug-out reached through the cellar of a ruined house.
"If it were not that I expect an attack tonight, and must be at
my post, it would give me delight to go with you and show you
our trenches," said the division commander at parting.
Private Berger had been summoned to lead the party through the
intricate system of communication trenches to the front. Berger,
who was a short, squat fellow with a sallow face and uneasy black
eyes, took his seat beside the soldier chauffeur.
For only a little more than a mile the Americans proceeded in
the car, which then halted, and all hands stepped out into the
dark night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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