gent l'Abbesse to
destroy the railway line between Rheims and Verdun, this line was,
indeed, the principal link of communication to that all-important
fortress that protruded its bristling salient into the heart of
the German position. A French aviator, who had climbed into his
machine when it was yet dark, in order to do a little daybreak
scouting before the light should be sufficiently bright to make him
an easy target, saw this movement and reported it immediately to
General Foch. That commander, who knew how to use cavalry, ordered
a regiment at the gallop to occupy the village of Auberive, on
the Suippe, and there harry the advancing column sufficiently to
give him time to bring up the light artillery and to bring into
action a large body of infantry encamped at Jouchery, five miles
away.

Before six o'clock, the cavalry were in Auberive. The men worked
like fiends. The streets were rapidly barricaded, machine guns
hoisted to roofs and other points where they might command a wide
sweep of fire. Then the cavalry rode forward to meet the advancing
column. Not knowing what might be in front of him, the German commander
halted, awaiting reports from his air scouts. The halt was but
three-quarters of an hour, but that was of vast importance. The
scouts reported only a regiment of cavalry ahead, but a powerful
detachment of French artillery on the road from Jouchery. The German
leader detached 2,000 of the Death's Head Hussars, his crack cavalry,
to cut off, or at all events to delay, the French guns. He was
aware that the artillery would have no anticipation of this and,
in the surprise, the guns might be captured. Meantime, he hurried
his advance to Auberive, captured the village, though after another
hour's delay, caused by the resistance of the cavalry, who retreated
to St. Hilaire.

Meantime, at St. Hilaire, the surprise charge of the Death's Head
Hussars was launched. It was scarcely a question of minutes, it
was rather a matter of seconds. But the French artillery knew their
light fieldpieces as thoroughly as the Germans were masters of
the heavy guns. In less than two minutes the artillery teams were
unharnessed, the guns were in position and the gunners took their
places when the Hussars were so near the voices of their leaders
could be heard. Thirty seconds earlier, and the Hussars would have
been in among the guns and made a notable capture. There was just
time enough for a man to breathe twice, when the o