The Brighton Boys in the Argonne Forest
Page 12
CHAPTER XI
A RISKY UNDERTAKING
DON RICHARDS received some information on the morning of October1st that caused him a sort of real joy. This word came from anorderly sergeant sent by the lieutenant-colonel of a regiment of theTwenty-eighth Division, after a messenger had been received fromCaptain Lowden, who had, in turn, obtained facts from two of his men. Aliaison man with the sleeve straps of a sergeant had been seen, amongbushes, to go quickly forward beyond the American positions and towarda point farther on known to be occupied by the Germans. There couldbe but little doubt but that the man was carrying information to theenemy. A watch had been set for his return, which was likely to occurat any time, and identification was desired.
Don was on his way at once and soon reached the position held byCaptain Lowden’s company; the boy also then went on watch, which reallyamounted to picket duty, and he knew there were other pickets lyingamong the bushes and boulders fifty yards or so on each side of him.He had requested to be allowed to watch the spot where the liaisonsergeant was seen to disappear, but the captain said two of his bestmen had that position and no one could get past them. So Don hidhimself among some bushes in a little vale, along which a narrow pathran, hugging the hillside. There were many such paths traversing theforest, crossing and re-crossing, leading in every direction; the boywondered whether they were made by hares or deer; there were enoughhumans frequenting the place to make their tracks thus visible, thoughsince the Germans came into this area they no doubt used these pathsbecause of the easier walking.
This picket duty was a long and tiresome vigil; the other men wererelieved, but Don refused to turn over his watch to another. It was awarm day, balmy, spring-like, reminding him of Indian summer in theStates, and as the afternoon came on and the hours still slowly trailedaway, the boy grew drowsy.
He hardly knew what made him wake; there was no sound, no otherimpression upon his senses that he could understand, but suddenly hiseyes were wide open and his thinking apparatus was going one hundredper cent. This was compelled by what he discerned some distance awaywithin the little valley: a German soldier and a man in khaki were justparting; the latter turned to say another word to the Hun, then cameslowly, watchfully along the path.
Don knew the fellow at once--the same short, stout, dark-featuredsergeant, and the boy, whom it was impossible for the other to see,crouched like a cat about to spring on its prey, the reliable automaticheld in his hand. This was his duty, though no doubt another humanbeing would be compelled to stand before a firing squad.
But again this conjecture was to prove erroneous; the plan wassidetracked. What alarmed the spy Don never knew; the fellow suddenlystopped when less than half way along the vale, stood peering ahead andstooping to see the better; then as quickly turned and retraced hissteps, disappearing around the bend of the hill.
Don was on his feet immediately and running back to Captain Lowden.That officer’s remark when he got the story hit the nail on the head:
“Go get him!” he said. “I’ll send Whitcomb, a squad and machine gunwith you. There are not half a dozen Germans within a mile along thatvalley path; our scouts have ascertained that. Go get him and bring himin! They’re not likely to give you any trouble in that region.”
No sooner said than put into execution. In fifteen minutes, withLieutenant Whitcomb and ten chosen men, each carrying plenty ofammunition, some grub and a canteen, the young member of the ArmyInformation Force started a rapid and silent march adown the littlevalley, in single file, following the path around the edge of the hill.
“On duty together, old man, at last,” Herbert said. “I always wishedyou could get into it in some way with me.”
“It’s great, being along with you! I feel like just stepping over toBerlin and grabbing the Kaiser. Anyhow, we may grab one of his smartagents.”
“I’m afraid that isn’t going to be so easy,” Herbert said. “The duck’sevidently a shrewd one and up to more than one trick; you can’t tellwhat he may pull off. But orders are orders and here we go, you and I.”
“Think it’s a little risky, though?”
“Oh, everything is risky; everything is a gamble in this scrap againstan enemy that’s part fox, part snake and more than half hog. They arerooting, squirming about everywhere and you can’t have eyes enough toget on to all their doings. We’re approaching their territory now.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Don said.
“Men, make a more open formation; spread out a little, anyway, but keeptogether,” Herbert said. “Keep a sharp lookout. Report what you see tothe next man and pass it along. Talk low; make no noise. Be ready totake to cover any second; there’s plenty of it everywhere.”
“Lieutenant, you know Jennings and Gill scouted all through here thismorning,” the corporal said, “and they didn’t see a single Heinie. Theyswore they’d all cleared out for over toward that creek they call theAire River--that is, all of ’em this side the big hill up here, ’bout amile. Up there, I reckon, there’s a million of ’em waiting for us.”
“Think, then, we’re pretty safe right around here, eh?” Herbertquestioned, knowing the man’s squad had all been detailed for scoutduty during the last two days.
“If they sneak in around here it’s only on scout duty, too, from thehill,” replied the corporal. “Reckon this duffer we’re looking fortrades back and forth from the hill to near our camp.”
“Probably; but I’m not so sure,” Herbert said, “now that we’ve let upa bit, that machine-gun squads won’t filter through these woods to tryto head us off when we make the next drive. We can take a gamble on it,however, and follow orders to comb these woods for signs of Mister Spy.The captain wouldn’t have sent us in here if he hadn’t been pretty sureit’s all right, though we’ll take precautions and be on the _qui vive_.What do you think, Don?”
“I think you’ve got the right idea and I hope the dope the scoutsbrought in holds out. I know I’d like to get another peep at thatliaison sergeant.”
“You’re sure he was with a Heinie when you first saw him in here?”
“Positive!”
“That shows, then, that they’re making bold enough to think we’re lyingback; maybe for good.” And Herbert laughed softly. “But they’re goingto get badly fooled pretty quick!”
“How far ought we to go on, Herb?” Don asked.
“The captain wants us to find out about this Hun,” he said. “I didn’texactly grasp what he meant and he added that we ought to discover,if possible, where the trail goes that the spy uses, find his camp ifhe has one, or lay for him up here where he won’t suspect us. If anygeneral orders come in the captain will send a runner. I expect we’dbetter follow this pathway another quarter of a mile, or until we findan extra good place for an ambush. There some of us can lie low and afew can scout around. What say you?”
“I’m agreed, Herb. You know best.”
“No, and I hate taking the responsibility in this sort of thing. Ireally don’t mind a scrap or going against what a fellow can see, butthis thing of risking men on the possibility of walking into a trapgets my nerve a little.”
“You think a trap is possible?” Don asked.
“Well, you might not call it that; it wouldn’t be intentional, but wemight walk into a noose, nevertheless.”
“Say, Herb, what do you think of this? Dandy spot for an ambush, eh? Isuggest we stop right here.”
They had come up out of the valley, rounded a little knoll, over thetop of which some of the men had climbed and come out at the head ofanother valley. At one side, well on up the hill, there was a mass ofsquarish boulders forming a sort of restricted and oblong basin perhapsa hundred feet in length and three or four feet in average depth.On every side among the rocks, grew low, branching spruces, theirspreading branches making a dense shade over the spot.
“A ripper! Dandy! Perhaps old Mother Nature put this here for ourexpress purpose, nothing else.” Herbert was enthusiastic. He gave theword to halt and to as
semble; then, stooping under the spruces, led hismen into the natural little fortress.
“Make all ship-shape, boys,” Lieutenant Whitcomb ordered. “Toss outthese few small stones and sticks and we’ll call this a drawing-room.Take positions and stow equipment, except guns and ammunition. Makeyourselves all comfortable and easy so that there won’t be a lot ofhitching around later. If we keep right quiet here for a while maybewe’ll see something. We may get a chance to take in some Hun scouts orthat spy.”
“I’ve got a hunch,” Don said, when all had settled down upon the drycarpet of spruce needles, Herbert and himself sitting together, withtheir backs against a big rock, “that there’s going to be somethingdoing around here. I don’t know whether I can smell sauerkraut or not,but these woods ought to shelter some Heinies somewhere near and if sothey’ll be likely to spy on us. Can’t we beat them at that game, Herb?”
Lieutenant Whitcomb turned to the men:
“Corporal, how about sending Jennings and Gill out to scout around?they’re crackerjacks at that. We ought to know if we have anyneighbors; we might make them a call, or if the forest here is too wellpopulated with those things from across the Rhine, we want to send arunner back and tell the captain about it.”
“All right, sir; those boys are always keen to get out and hunt Huns.Old deer hunters back home, they tell me.” The corporal got on hishands and knees and crawled over to the other side of the rocky basin,taking the orders to two of his men, who immediately, grinning withpositive pleasure, got up, made a hasty survey of the forest and thensneaked off quickly.
“I don’t wonder they feel that way about it,” Don said. “I’d enjoydoing a little scouting myself. With your permission, I----”
“I’m not telling you what to do, Don,” Herbert replied. “This is yourjob as well as mine. Three are better than two, but if I were you Iwouldn’t go far; anything may happen and we’ll all want to be together.”
Don nodded and arose; in a moment he, too, was making his way slowly,noiselessly through the underbrush, peering all about, listening.The forest seemed to be almost silent; hardly a sound came to hisears. The flutter of a bird ahead, startled from its feeding; a fewstridulating crickets chirping monotonously beneath dead leaves; faroff the occasional boom of heavy guns and once, perhaps more than amile away, a brief period of rapid shooting--probably a raiding partyof one side or the other had been warmly received. Don marveled; whatremarkable conditions and surprises intruded upon the great war! Here,hardly a mile from where hundreds of thousands of men eagerly awaitedthe slipping of the leash to spring at each others’ throats, the aislesof the forest seemed as peaceful as those within a great cathedral; asthough only the plowman or the harvester dominated beyond the woods andred war was undreamed of.
Don had noted that Gill had gone about due west--for what particularreason was not apparent--and that Jennings had disappeared toward thenorth and the known enemy positions. Therefore, an easterly course wasDon’s choice.
Densely wooded low hills in ridges very close together and with narrow,dry valleys between, that were masses of tumbled rocks and jungle-likethickets, lay before him. Don crossed three of these valleys, makinghis way with the utmost caution and breaking twigs for a blazed return,in case he had to make it. It turned out that he did. Reaching the topof the fourth ridge the boy paused upon detecting a familiar sound--themuffled tramp of many feet only a short distance away. But he couldnot see any distance toward the sound and he was about to shift hisposition when he heard the snapping of a twig a few yards away.
Don crouched and was motionless, his automatic in his hand, ready forany emergency. A figure was coming toward him; he could see the bushesmove a little as though pushed aside. Was this a Hun scout spying onhis enemy also? Were these marching men Americans or Germans?
Nearer came the lone man, moving along to keep pace with the trampingfeet below. Don dared not move, trusting to chance, though it seemedthat the other must stumble over him. The boy made up his mind notto shoot unless he was compelled to; then to break all records forsprinting through a tangled forest.
Right over him the bushes swayed and then an arm and a leg was thrustthrough the interlocking branches. The boy was about to creep aside,but on the instant he saw that the sleeve and the trousers were khaki.He straightened up. Immediately a figure was flung forward almost uponhim and before he could make or whisper a word he was gazing into themuzzle of a U. S. Army revolver.
“Glory be, it’s you, Lieutenant! By the jumpin’ geehaw, I came nearlettin’ you have it, thinkin’ you were a Hun!” This, though saidexcitedly, as one may imagine, was little above a whisper. And thenJennings, whom Don had by no means expected to see, put his finger onhis lips.
“Sh! They’re down yonder; hear ’em? I follered ’em from near theirbiv’wack up there most a mile. Where they’re goin’ to you can searchme, but they’re headin’ the wrong way for our comfort back to therocks.”
“How many are there down there?” Don questioned.
“‘Bout three hundred; sev’ral comp’nies, I reckon. Machine guns an’such. Headin’ the wrong way. We gotta foller ’em an’ see.”
The two did follow, toiling along the ridge most warily until they cameto its end, where the evident roadway from the valley turned a littleto the southwest.
“They’re goin’ to locate right where we come up,” the scout whispered.“Hadn’t we better go back and report?”
Swiftly they retraced their steps along the ridge and then, Don leadingat a pace that caused Jennings to breathe hard, they went straight tothe camp. And there was Gill, just returned ahead of them.
“They’re fillin’ up the whole woods south of us,” he was saying.“Coming in from every direction and making an unbroken line across. Wecan’t get through, Lieutenant; not even at night.”
And to this information Don and Jennings could but acquiesce.