will perhaps make the position even clearer, for
there it will be seen that the French line, running from the west from
the River Aisne, passed close to Varennes--which was in the hands of
the enemy--struck north at Avocourt, skirting the foot of hilly ground,
and so continuing to Malancourt. From there the trench-line ran due
east to Forges, just north of the brook of that name, and, crossing the
River Meuse a little north of the point where the brook Forges falls
into the river, ran north and east via Brabant, and along the line
already indicated, sweeping from Etain and St. Jean--its most easterly
point--due south till it reached the neighbourhood of Fresnes, and then
curving towards the west and south, where it again approached the
river. St. Jean, the most easterly point of the line, may be said to
have formed almost the apex of the salient made by the French trenches
encircling Verdun, and the city of that name may be said for the
purpose of our description to have filled a point along a line drawn
across the base of the salient. Perhaps thirty miles in length, this
line, represented by the River Meuse, presented numerous roads and
crossings by means of which French troops could be marched to any point
of the salient, and presented also at Brabant, to the north of it, and
at its southernmost point, positions of much importance. Let us
suppose for a moment that an overwhelming enemy force was disposed in
the neighbourhood of Brabant, and another at the southernmost point of
the base of the Verdun salient--where the French trenches again ran
adjacent to the river--a blow driving in the French defences both north
and south at the self-same moment would shorten that base to which we
have referred, and would, as it were, narrow the neck of the salient
dangerously; it would have the effect, indeed, of tying up the force of
men holding the apex of the salient, and of limiting their means of
retreat if that were necessary, and the power of reinforcing them
rapidly from Verdun. It may be, indeed, that this plan was in the
minds of the Germans when, on the 19th of the month in question, they
commenced that bombardment the first shot of which had proved so nearly
disastrous to Henri and his comrades, and which, commencing at that
moment, played on the whole Verdun salient for two days and nights.
Then on the 21st they opened their campaign against the city of Verdun
and the Verdun salient with a mighty blow against the no