"Look out!" shouted Jacques. "Here come the Germans!"
"Jump in!" cried Leon. "We can get away before they reach us."
"No chance," said Jacques positively. "Get out of there as fast as you can."
More bullets followed the first, until the air seemed alive with them. A small detachment of German cavalry now appeared from the shelter of the forest and began to gallop swiftly across the field. As they approached they shouted and fired their revolvers rapidly.
"They think we'll surrender," exclaimed Leon. "We'll fool them."
He and Earl quickly scrambled out from the monoplane and in company with Jacques rushed around behind it. All three of the boys held drawn revolvers in their hands.
"Let 'em have it!" cried Leon and the three automatic guns spoke almost as if they were one piece.
"Let 'em have it!" cried Leon and the three automatic suns spoke almost as if they were one piece."Let 'em have it!" cried Leon and the three automatic suns spoke almost as if they were one piece.
"Let 'em have it!" cried Leon and the three automatic suns spoke almost as if they were one piece."Let 'em have it!" cried Leon and the three automatic suns spoke almost as if they were one piece.
One of the Germans reeled slightly in his saddle and sliding from his seat fell to the ground in a limp heap. One of the horses also went down, hurling his rider violently over his head. A shout of rage came from the astonished horsemen who had not dreamed of resistance. There were eight in their party, while the stranded aviators numbered but three.
"Two of them gone," cried Jacques. "See if we can't wing two more and then we'll have to run for it."
"Make it sure," exclaimed Leon and again came the sharp bark of the three automatics. Down went another horse and another rider was thrown violently to the ground. Again the three revolvers spoke. The leader of the little band of horsemen slid limply from his seat.
The Germans were scarcely fifty yards distant now. They pumped a continual stream of bullets at the three daring youths who were taking refuge behind the monoplane, but so far their aim was wild.
"Now for the woods," cried Jacques and he turned and ran at top speed for the shelter of the forest which was not more than thirty feet away from the spot where they had been standing. Close at his heels followed Leon and Earl. It was now almost dark, but a hail of bullets swarmed after the three retreating figures.
Suddenly Jacques went down. He pitched headlong upon his face and with a gasp of fear the two brothers bent over him. If Jacques were lost to them their case was indeed desperate.
"Where are you hit?" demanded Leon breathlessly.
"I'm not hit; I stumbled over that furrow."
He scrambled quickly to his feet and hurried on. A moment later and the three boys gained the shelter of the forest and plunged into it. A few scattering shots followed them and then all was still. It was now too dark to shoot with any good chance of success.
"Wait here," panted Jacques drawing his two companions down behind a clump of bushes. Guns in hand the three young soldiers crouched and peered eagerly back over the course they had come.
"Do you think they'll follow us in here?" demanded Earl in a whisper.
"I doubt it," replied Jacques. "There are only four of them now you know."
"Only two of them were hit," objected Leon. "I don't believe that those two who were thrown from their horses were hurt."
"Not badly perhaps," agreed Jacques. "They got an awful jolt just the same. At any rate it's only six to three now."
"What do you think they'll do?" asked Earl.
"I wish I knew."
"Can't we crawl up to the edge of the woods and look at them?"
"That would be pretty risky."
"But we want our monoplane back again."
"Isn't there a full moon to-night?" exclaimed Leon suddenly.
"I believe there is," said Jacques. "Why do you ask?"
"Just as soon as the moon comes up we can sneak up to the border of the forest and everything in the clearing will be lighted up; we will hide in the shadow of the trees and can pick off the Boches at our leisure. Isn't that a good scheme?"
"Fine," said Jacques, "all except for one thing."
"What's that?" demanded Leon.
"You don't think the Germans are going to sit out there all this time, do you? Undoubtedly they have sent for help already."
"Then," exclaimed Leon, "our chance is to attack them at once. There can't be more than five of them at the most left now."
"That's right," cried Earl eagerly. "It's our only chance and we must be quick about it too."
"Don't you think so, Jacques?" insisted Leon. "Come along."
"It's an awful chance," mused Jacques.
"I know," exclaimed Leon, "but it's our only one. You know as well as I do that if we don't get away before their reënforcements arrive we're done for. Why, after we've killed a couple of their men they'll spend a year if necessary to hunt us out."
"That's true," Jacques agreed. "I guess you're right; we'd better try it now."
Crouching low and making as little sound as possible the three young soldiers crept forward. Jacques led the way, with Leon and Earl close behind him. Every boy held his pistol gripped tightly in his right hand. Night had now fallen and pitchy darkness had taken possession of the forest.
The clearing was but a short distance away and presently Jacques stopped. All three of the boys stood still and listened intently for some moments. Not a sound came to their ears and in a brief time the advance was continued.
Slowly and carefully they picked their way. They practically felt out every step before they took it; the snap of a dried twig or stick might spell their doom. A few moments later Jacques spied the open sky through a vault in the tree-tops; they were almost upon the clearing and again the little band halted.
"We'd better separate," he whispered. "Fire the moment I do."
They dropped to their hands and knees and again the stealthy advance was resumed. Every boy selected a large tree behind which to take his position. The white wings of the monoplane glistened and a clump of dark figures could be seen nearby. Whether they were horses or men it was impossible to distinguish.
Suddenly, above the rim of the forest appeared the moon. It had appeared much sooner than the young soldiers had expected, or was it that they had consumed more time than they had realized? If the latter was the case they had need of haste. Leon and Earl waited impatiently for Jacques to open fire but as a matter of fact he did not know at what to aim. Killing the horses would do no good and the flash of the revolver shots would only serve to disclose their positions to the Germans.
Higher and higher rose the moon. It was soon half above the tops of the trees and the whole clearing began to be suffused with its soft light. The monoplane could be distinctly seen now and the dark clump proved to be horses as the boys had surmised. Where were the Germans? Surely they would not go away and leave their mounts.
All at once something moved near one end of the monoplane. Instantly there was a sharp report; Jacques had found his target. Four flashes in rapid succession disclosed the location of the remaining Germans. Leon and Earl immediately opened fire. Another shot from the position Jacques had selected showed that so far he had been untouched.
The fight became general and the firing increased. The three young soldiers of France had a distinct advantage over their enemies, however. The moment the Germans had fired they had revealed their locations and now it was possible to make out the forms of the Teuton horsemen in the moonlight; the three boys were hidden in the shadow of the woods.
The bullets rained about them, cutting through the branches of the trees and rattling through the bushes. As quickly as they fired, however, the boys shifted their positions and the Germans having nothing to guide their aim save the flash of the pistols, were unable to locate their adversaries.
The frightened horses snorted and jumped at every shot; they tugged violently at their tethers and danced madly about. The moon, now risen completely above the crest of the forest, shone down upon a strange scene. The great aeroplane still stood silently by, a mute witness to the desperate struggle waged for its possession. Three dark forms lying nearby showed how effective the boys' fire had been. Only two Germans seemed to be left to dispute their escape.
"Charge them, Jacques! Come on, Earl!" shouted Leon and he sprang to his feet and dashed forward.
The two remaining Germans had taken refuge behind the protection of the monoplane and toward this spot Leon rushed. A shot struck his steel helmet a glancing blow and he stumbled; a moment later he had regained his balance, however, and pushed on. Coming around the wing of the flying machine he stood face to face with one of the Germans; there was a flash and he felt a burning sensation through the muscles of his left arm. He discharged his pistol point blank at his enemy.
Suddenly he was seized violently from behind. Powerful fingers closed about his throat, shutting off his wind. Gasping, choking and fighting desperately he was borne to the ground.
Leon opened his eyes. He had an indistinct remembrance of the fight but that was all. His last recollection had been of shouts and shots and a violent struggle for breath.
Where was he? There was a great roaring in his ears and a sense of confusion all about him. Perhaps he was in the trenches again and the roar he heard was the drum-fire of the Germans. Undoubtedly the Boches were attacking and they must be repulsed at all costs. He struggled to get up. His head ached painfully and a sharp twinge in his left arm caused him to utter a slight groan.
It was dark all around him and he could not see distinctly. The roaring continued and he stretched out his hand. He felt something smooth; probably it was the barricade in the front of the trench. Where was his gun? If he only had a hand-grenade: the Germans would pay dearly for any advance in that position. Again he tried to struggle to his feet and he heard above the roar a familiar voice speaking in his ear.
"How do you feel, Leon?" inquired Earl.
"Where are we?"
"We're on our way home."
"To America?"
"No, to thedouzième. We'll be there before long."
"How are we going?" demanded Leon greatly puzzled. He was having a hard time understanding what was taking place. His brain was still stunned and worked slowly.
"We're in the monoplane," explained Earl.
"Where's Jacques?"
"He's right here."
"But the Germans?"
"Those that attacked us aren't going to bother us any more. Don't let the thought of them worry you."
"But I don't understand," Leon persisted. "What happened?"
"When we rushed out from the woods," said Earl, "we thought there were only two of the Germans left. You accounted for one of them yourself when you came around in back of the machine there. The other one Jacques took care of. We thought we had killed three of them before we charged, but one of those three was 'playing possum.' As soon as we passed the spot where he was lying he jumped up and grabbed you around the neck. It was a pretty clever trick on his part and he was a powerful fellow too; I thought you were done for for a while there."
"So did I," agreed Leon; ruefully passing his hand over his sore and bruised throat. "Tell me though; how did you pry him off?"
"Well we had a terrible time. Jacques finally cracked him over the head with the butt of his revolver; that finished old Mr. Boche."
"Did it kill him?"
"No," exclaimed Earl, "it merely stunned him. That was enough for us though and we got away as fast as we could."
"How did you manage it?"
"Why we just dumped you into the monoplane here and then got aboard ourselves and off we went."
"Before the reënforcements arrived I suppose?"
"Just before. As we left the ground and began to rise a whole troop of cavalry came racing into the clearing. They fired at us all right but they didn't touch us and here we are."
"It seems queer to me," said Leon, "that the Germans didn't do something to disable the engine or some part of the machine so we couldn't use it again."
"That's what I told Jacques," exclaimed Earl, "but he said they probably thought we wouldn't give them any more trouble and that they had captured a perfectly good monoplane and could use it themselves."
"Not with this paint on it."
"No, but it wouldn't take much trouble to put the distinguishing mark of the German machines on it."
"I guess we got after them just in time," said Leon gleefully.
"We surely did," agreed Earl. "We've been pretty lucky so far."
"How do you feel, Leon?" inquired Jacques from the driver's seat.
"Only fair," admitted Leon. "My head buzzes some."
"You've got a bullet wound in your left arm too," said Earl.
"I know it. It stings a little but it isn't bad."
"I guess not," said Earl. "As soon as we get back you can have it attended to and it'll soon heal."
"Yes," agreed Leon. "I want it cleaned for I can tell you I have no desire to get blood poisoning."
"No danger of that if you have it looked after soon enough."
"I suppose they think we're lost back at headquarters," said Leon.
"I wonder if they do," mused Earl. "We've been away quite a while, haven't we?"
"It seems like months to me."
"The moon has set."
"Has it? I can't see anything from here. How about helping me back into my seat?"
With a great deal of effort and not without some pain and a few groans on the part of the battered young soldier he finally was able, with his brother's help, to resume his proper place. The night wind blowing full in his face was most refreshing and served to clear his head and revive his tired brain.
"Are we still behind the German lines?" he inquired.
"Leon wants to know if we are still behind the German lines," Earl shouted to Jacques.
"We are," said Jacques, "and if you'll look down below you'll see something interesting. Up ahead there."
Both brothers peered eagerly down through the darkness and in the direction Jacques had indicated. At first they saw nothing, not even a light of any sort, but after a moment they discovered what it was that their pilot had in mind.
Far below and some distance in front of them they saw something that at first they were unable to understand. Every moment or so a spark or a shower of sparks shot into the air and then quickly faded.
"What is it?" demanded Leon.
"Rockets, I guess," said Earl.
"What is it, Jacques?" inquired Leon,
"A train."
"A German train?"
"Yes. Can't you see the sparks from the smoke stack?"
"I couldn't make out what it is."
"It's a train all right and it is undoubtedly carrying either troops or ammunition."
"To be used against our men?" exclaimed Earl. "If we could only stop it."
"We can and we will."
"But how?"
"Haven't we bombs with us?"
Lower and lower Jacques guided the speeding monoplane. Nearer and ever nearer they approached to the fast rushing train beneath them. It was directly ahead of them now and the young French pilot dogged its course closely.
"Get your bombs ready and make 'em sure," he directed. "I'm going down pretty low and we won't be able to waste any time."
Underneath, the dark outline of the train could be faintly seen as it glided along its steel track bringing its load of human or mechanical food to the hungry battle-line. Swiftly but with great care the two brothers made ready the deadly missiles with which they hoped to foil the plans of their enemies below.
"Yell when you want us to drop the bombs, Jacques," said Leon.
"All right."
"That's the best plan I think," said Leon to his brother. "Jacques can see better than we can and is able to tell just when we ought to let them go."
"If we could only blow up that train," exclaimed Earl eagerly.
"Perhaps we can."
The train was only a short distance in front of them now and the monoplane was much nearer the ground than it had been previously.
"Get ready," warned Jacques.
"Whenever you say," returned Leon heartily.
There was a moment of tense silence, with every boy's nerves set in preparation for their deed. Every sense was alert.
"Let 'em go!" cried Jacques.
Instantly the two bombs were released. Silently they sped down through the darkness on their mission of death and destruction.
"Two more now," shouted Jacques sharply and the brothers hastened to obey.
Suddenly the sound of a violent explosion came to their ears from below and the daring young aviators peered down to see if they could discover the results of their efforts.
"Look at that!" cried Leon excitedly.
"I should say so!" shouted Earl. "A perfect hit!"
One at least of the four missiles dispatched had gone straight to its mark and had evidently struck directly in front of the locomotive. A great mass of sparks shot skyward and lighted up an appalling scene of destruction.
The engine had been derailed and had overturned. The remaining cars had piled up one on top of the other until the whole train lay in a tangled mass of wreckage alongside the track. The bombs had done their work to perfection.
"Now for home," cried Jacques, immediately directing the course of the monoplane higher and higher from the earth.
"Yes, I think we've done a night's work all right," said Leon.
"That bomb certainly landed in the right spot," exclaimed Earl warmly.
"What was on that train?" asked Leon.
"Munitions," said Jacques quickly. "Listen to that."
From below came the sound of heavy explosions and the flash of bursting shells could be distinctly seen.
"Is that the train?" demanded Earl in amazement.
"It certainly is," exclaimed Jacques. "I guess the most of the shells on that train will never do the Allies much harm."
Under the bright starlit sky the giant monoplane winged its way back to its hangar. Unerringly the skillful young pilot guided the great flier; never for a moment did he appear to be at a loss as to what course to pursue. He flew at a great height, and though an occasional shot was directed at the phantom machine so high above their heads, the Germans were unable to do it any damage.
Finally they crossed the battle-line. Apparently a night attack was in progress and the path of the trenches could be followed from the flame of bursting projectiles.
"Think what those fellows down below are going through now," exclaimed Earl feelingly.
"I don't envy them," said Leon.
"Nor I," agreed Jacques. "We've all been through that though and I suppose we will soon again."
"Perhaps to-morrow even," exclaimed Earl. "I wonder where thedouzièmeis now."
"Probably in the thick of that fight," said Leon.
"They are if they have anything to say about it," agreed Jacques warmly.
"What a crowd they are," exclaimed Earl.
"Think how many are gone," Jacques reminded him.
"And how many are going to go too," added Leon.
"Perhaps we three right here," said Earl soberly.
"Perhaps so," agreed Jacques. "For me there could be no finer death though than to die with my face to the enemy; to die for my country, fighting for France."
"Let's hope you may live for France," said Leon.
"She has lost so many of her young men," said Earl. "She needs all she has and she'll need them after the war too."
"That's true," agreed Jacques. "Have you noticed lately that the regiments are made up of older men than they were before? The soldiers now are mostly between thirty and forty, where they used to be between twenty and thirty."
"The young armies are gone," said Earl. "Armies of little wooden crosses everywhere along the battle-line show where they have gone, too."
"We're going down now," announced Jacques suddenly. "That is our hangar below there."
"How can you see?" demanded Leon. "I never can see anything at night."
"I have always been very good in the dark," said Jacques. "Here we go."
Down, down, down the big battle-plane sped. Describing great circles it soared nearer and nearer to its resting place until at length it alighted gently on the aviation field and running along the smooth ground for a few yards came to a full stop.
"Well done, Jacques," exclaimed Earl warmly. "You're a wonder."
"And I'm stiff and cold," added Jacques.
"And so am I," echoed Leon.
"You're wounded," said Earl.
"Scratched you mean," Leon corrected him.
"At any rate you must be attended to at once."
"We must make our report first," said Leon. "Isn't that right, Jacques?"
"It is, but I don't think it is necessary for you to be there."
"But I want to be."
"All right then, we'll all go together."
"Major Villier won't be awake at this time of night I'm afraid," said Earl doubtfully.
"Oh, yes, he will," said Jacques. "He'll be just as anxious for our report as we are to give it."
As soon as the aeroplane had alighted on the field several soldiers had come running out from their quarters and the young aviators now turned the machine over to them.
"We have a man here who is slightly wounded," remarked Jacques to one of the men. "Is there any one around here now who can look after him?"
"Right this way," spoke up a soldier quickly. "I will care for him."
With difficulty Leon stepped from the monoplane. The experiences of the past day had been hard and wearing; he had lost more blood than he had realized, slight as was his wound; then too the mauling he had received at the hands of the big German had jarred him greatly. He was dizzy as he stepped out upon the solid ground again and he reeled slightly. His soldier friend immediately sprang to his assistance.
"I'm all right," Leon maintained stoutly. "I don't know what made me stumble; I guess I must be stiff."
"You're weak, Leon," said his brother. "What you need is rest."
"I guess that's so; a little sleep and I'll be all right again."
"Come with me," urged the soldier. "I will fix your wound."
"You won't report without me, will you?" asked Leon eagerly of Jacques and Earl as he was led away.
"We'll stop for you surely," said Jacques. "Hurry along now."
A short time later Leon was seated beside a table in one of the nearby houses. He had removed his coat and blouse and was down to his undershirt. His wounded arm was stretched out upon the top of the table and by the light of a lamp the kind-hearted soldier worked over it.
First the wound, which proved to be a deep flesh cut, was carefully bathed and cleansed. Next a powerful antiseptic was applied and then fresh white bandages were bound around the injured spot. Although Leon protested vigorously the soldier also insisted upon making a sling in which the young soldier should carry his arm.
"That certainly feels better," sighed Leon. "I am very much obliged to you."
"It is nothing," exclaimed the soldier with a shrug of his shoulders.
"It is a great deal to me," said Leon. "I wonder where the others are."
"You had better sit down," said the soldier as Leon tried to rise from his seat. "You are tired and your two comrades said they would call for you."
"I know it," exclaimed Leon. "I'm all right though," and he rose to his feet. Immediately, however, everything turned black before his eyes and he lost consciousness.
The next thing that Leon knew was when he opened his eyes to find himself lying in a clean white cot with both Jacques and Earl standing by the bedside.
"What happened?" inquired Leon dazedly.
"Nothing," laughed Earl, "except that you've been asleep for about fifteen hours or so."
"How about our report?"
"That was made just about fifteen hours ago; just after you went to sleep."
"But you said you'd stop for me."
"We did," smiled Earl. "We stopped for you all right, but you'd gone and fainted and then you went to sleep and we thought we'd better not wait."
"Did you make your report?" asked Leon eagerly. He was now sitting up in bed and had almost forgotten his slightly wounded arm; in fact he would have been entirely unconscious of it had it not been for the fact that it was bandaged.
"We certainly did," said Jacques. "Major Villier seemed very much pleased with what we had done and he said he would see to it that we were mentioned at headquarters."
"Were they worried about us at all?"
"They were a little; they had expected us back sooner than we actually did arrive."
"What did the major think of our blowing up that train?"
"It seemed to please him greatly," said Jacques. "In fact he was almost as pleased about that as he was about our having delivered the dispatches safely at Flambeau."
"I should think he'd been more glad about the train than the dispatches," exclaimed Leon.
"We don't know what they were," Jacques reminded him. "Evidently they were even more important than blowing up a munition-train."
"At any rate I'm glad Major Villier approved of what we did."
"He said we got into too many scrapes," laughed Earl. "He said that unless we were careful we might get hurt."
"He was joking, wasn't he?"
"Of course he was; as though we went around looking for trouble."
"I want to get up," exclaimed Leon suddenly. "I want something to eat, too, and I want it quick and I want an awful lot of it."
"Whew!" whistled Jacques smilingly. "You must be feeling better."
"I never felt so well in my life," cried Leon. "I feel like a king."
"Well, I wouldn't care to feel that way," laughed Earl. "As far as I can see there aren't very many kings who are very well off these days."
"Well, then I feel the way kings used to feel," said Leon. "Have it any way you want, but give me something to eat."
"How would you like to go automobiling after you eat?" inquired Jacques. "Earl and I are going."
"What do you mean?"
"I've got to run an ambulance up to the front and we are to start in about fifteen minutes. I need two helpers and if you feel strong enough you may come along."
"Of course I'll go," exclaimed Leon. "What are they doing with you anyway, Jacques? It seems to me you have a new job about every day."
"He's general utility man," laughed Earl, "and we're his assistants."
"It looks so," Leon agreed. "At any rate I don't mind it. I'm rather fond of variety."
"Did you hear about thedouzième?" asked Jacques.
"Tell me what has happened to them," demanded Leon quickly. "Where are they?"
"There are not many of them left," said Jacques soberly. "Do you remember that bombardment we saw as we flew over the firing line last night?"
"I do. I remember we wondered if our regiment was in it."
"Well they were all right," said Jacques. "They bore the brunt of the whole attack and if it hadn't been for them I don't know what would have happened."
"Tell me about it," urged Leon eagerly.
"The Boches launched a terrible bombardment on that portion of the line held by thedouzième," continued Jacques. "Then they turned loose one of those massed infantry attacks on our trenches and though thedouzièmewas outnumbered nearly four to one they held fast. Not without paying the price though and half of our comrades were either killed or wounded so that they are out of it."
"Did the Germans take the trench?"
"They reached it at some points and even entered it; just as things looked blackest, reënforcements arrived and drove them out and saved the trench."
"Good!" cried Leon heartily. "It must have been splendid!"
"More bloody than splendid I guess," said Earl grimly. "I think we were pretty lucky to have missed it."
"So do I," agreed Jacques. "Still I hate to be absent when the rest of our regiment is fighting."
"Weren't you fighting all that time?" demanded Earl.
"Oh, yes, but somehow I feel so much safer up in the air than I do in the trenches."
"There aren't many safe spots left in Europe now anyway, I guess," remarked Earl.
"Nor any other place in the world, for that matter," added Leon. "Just stop a minute and think where there have been battles fought in this war."
"Pretty nearly every place you can think of," said Earl.
"I know it; in France, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Austria, Italy, Serbia, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, China—"
"What was in China?" demanded Earl.
"Kiao Chau. Don't you know that port the Japanese and English took from the Germans?"
"That's right. Then there is or has been fighting in Armenia, Persia, Mesopotamia, Africa, the Marshall Islands and all those islands down around Australia; Zeppelins have raided England."
"Yes," exclaimed Leon, "and sea fights in the Atlantic and Pacific, the Mediterranean, in the North Sea and the Baltic, the Indian Ocean and the Carribean Sea and I don't know where else."
"It's awful, isn't it?" said Earl. "And right at home in America the Germans have been blowing up factories that were making arms for the Allies; they've also been putting bombs on ships."
"Why doesn't your country stop that?" asked Jacques.
"Don't ask me," exclaimed Earl. "I wish they would; if they'd deal with some of those plotters the way any European government would, I think all that trouble would end. We're too good to people in the United States."
"That's right," agreed Leon. "We offer them our hospitality and give them a chance to earn a good living and then they turn on us."
"Some day the people of the United States will turn on them," said Jacques solemnly.
"That's just what will happen," exclaimed Earl. "They will stand for a lot over there and they don't get angry easily; people like that are the worst kind when they do lose their tempers. One of these days they'll all get mad and those trouble makers will wake up to find that they've been playing with fire."
"There's our ambulance," said Jacques suddenly. "Come along."
"A gas attack," said a soldier to Jacques as he and his two companions hastened out of the cottage and started to climb into the ambulance.
"The Boches using gas again?" exclaimed Jacques. "That's bad."
"That means work for the ambulances and hospitals," remarked Leon soberly. "That's the worst death of all."
"But we all have masks," said Earl.
"Thank goodness we have!" muttered Jacques. "All ready?"
"Go ahead," cried Leon and Earl together, and the big ambulance shot forward with a rush as Jacques let in the clutch and pressed his foot upon the accelerator.
A moment later they swung out into the broad highway and sped down the road towards their destination. They were headed for one of the small receiving points a short distance behind the lines where the wounded were brought by the Red Cross units. From these places the ambulances picked up the men and transported them to the base hospitals; from there they were moved, if possible, to different hospitals throughout France and England.
Night and day the doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers and the Red Cross work. Often they are under fire and they exhibit marvelous nerve and courage in every conceivable emergency. There are many heroes of the war who never fired a gun.
At top speed Jacques urged the ambulance down the road. The night was still dark, and, with the scanty lights permitted them, it was almost impossible to see the road clearly. Jacques seemed to take it for granted that conditions were all right, for not once did he slacken his pace.
The roads behind the battle-lines are marvels of construction and usually as smooth as the top of a table. Over these roads travel the trucks that are the life-blood of the armies, for they supply the material with which to fight. Consequently it is no cause for surprise that the highways are well cared for.
"I suppose we'll be busy for a long while now," said Earl as they bowled along the road.
"Yes, there'll be plenty who'll need attention after, this attack," said Jacques.
"We're safe for a while anyway," remarked Leon. "I wonder why they sent us to do this instead of making us fight?"
"Thedouzièmewill have to be reorganized now," said Jacques. "The men remaining will need rest and a chance to recover; that is probably why we were detailed to this ambulance."
"We're comparatively safe here anyway," said Leon. "That is some consolation, though I'd just about as soon be fighting."
"We're safe unless a shell happens to—" began Jacques, when he was suddenly cut short.
There was a violent jar; the steering wheel was torn from Jacques' grasp; the big ambulance rocked crazily and then pitched forward. The three boys were thrown headlong from their seats.
Earl looked about him. He was in a long room with high ceilings and his surroundings seemed very unfamiliar to him. He was lying flat on his back and he tried to rise; a heavy weight seemed to hold him down and he felt a dull pain in his leg. He discovered that he was lying in a bed.
He turned his head to one side and spied another bed; in fact the room was filled with them. He was in a hospital, but how had he been wounded? He had no recollection of it. Every bed had an occupant; Earl looked the other way and the same sight met his eye. In the bed to his left, much to his amazement, he discovered Jacques. So he too was wounded. How had it all happened? Suddenly he remembered the ambulance and the violent jar they had received; that must have been it.
A white-clad nurse approached his bed.
"Are you comfortable?" she inquired gently.
"Yes," said Earl, "but how did I get here? What happened?"
"You and your brother and your friend were in an ambulance and ran into a shell hole. You were all thrown out and your leg was broken."
"Is my brother here?" demanded Earl eagerly. "Where is he?"
"In this next bed."
Leon looked to his right. "That fellow with the bandages all around his head?" he exclaimed in alarm. "What is the matter with him?"
"He has concussion of the brain; his head is also cut."
"Is it dangerous?"
"I think not now."
"Thank goodness!" said Earl fervently. "How about Jacques?"
"He is only badly bruised," smiled the nurse. "He is asleep now."
"What do you think of us?" demanded Earl disgustedly. "We fight in the first line trenches for months, in the biggest war in the history of the world, and we go up in monoplanes and fight battles in the air. In fact we do about everything dangerous there is to do and no harm comes to us at all. Then we go out in an automobile and get all smashed up; that's a fine way to be wounded in war. It makes me sick!"