let them pound us to pieces."

At this moment a bugle sounded. Everyone stopped talking and listened
intently; then they turned and hurried into their lodgings. From all
directions men could be seen running in answer to the call and the camp
was immediately all bustle and excitement. There was no confusion
however; every man knew what he was to do and he did it.

"I told you!" exclaimed Dubois triumphantly. "I knew they'd have us
out before much time had passed."

"It must be a terrible fight," remarked Leon, who was busily engaged in
packing his equipment and taking a last look at his rifle.

"We'll make it so," said Armande fiercely. "Just let them try to get
those positions away from us; we'll show them."

A few moments later the regiment was formed in line and without any
delay the march was begun. Night was just falling as they set out.
The men laughed and joked and sang, seemingly regardless of the danger
into which they were going and the thought of possible death was
apparently far from their minds.

As they proceeded the noise of the bombardment grew steadily louder.
The very earth shook with the fury of it and far ahead could be seen an
occasional flash from one of the star shells used to search out the
enemy's positions.

"Do you suppose the infantry have attacked yet?" asked Earl of Jacques.

"I don't know how long the bombardment has been going on."

"They'll try to smash our trenches with their big guns before they send
their infantry out, won't they?"

"Oh, I suppose so," said Jacques. "That's the usual way."

"Probably we'll arrive just in time to bear the whole weight of the
attack," remarked Earl grimly.

They entered the trenches and mile after mile they progressed. The
noise of the artillery made it almost impossible to talk now and but
few attempts at conversation were made. Nearer and nearer to the front
they came until presently they could distinguish the sharp rattle of
the machine-guns above the roar of the cannon. At length they reached
one of the large communicating trenches and there they halted.

"We're to be held as reserves," shouted Jacques in Leon's ear.

"What's that?" demanded Leon.

"We're to be held as reserves."

Leon nodded his head. No one made much of an attempt to talk. The men
huddled together in the trench and listened to the furious artillery
duel going on around them. Now and again a big shell would burst near
the spot where they were statio