e American example, they transported new supplies to the
army by dirigibles, replacing the lost tarpaulins and rifles, daringly
sending whole divisions of snowshoers by parachute almost to the eastern
edge. This last experiment proved too reckless, for enough of these
adventurers were located to permit their annihilation by longrange
artillery.

"Their endurance is incredible, magnificent," eulogized General Thario
enthusiastically. "They are contending not only with the prospect of
meeting fresh, unworn troops on our side, but against a tireless enemy
who cannot be awed or hurt and even more against their own feelings of
fear and despair which must come upon them constantly as they get
farther into this green desert, farther from natural surroundings,
deeper into the silence and mystery of the abnormal barrier they have
undertaken to cross. They are supermen and only supernatural means will
defeat them."

But there was plenty of evidence that the general credited the foe with
a stronger spirit than they possessed. Their spirit was undoubtedly
high, but it could not stand up against the relentless harassment of the
grass. The weary, sodden advance went on, slower and slower; the toll
higher and higher. There were signs of dissatisfaction, mutiny and
madness. Some units turned about to be shot down by those behind, some
wandered off helplessly until lost forever. The dwindling of the great
army accelerated, airborne replacements dependent on such erratic
transport failed to fill the gaps.

The marchers no longer fired at the airships overhead; they moved their
feet slowly, hopelessly, stood stockstill for hours or faltered
aimlessly. Occasional improvised white flags could be seen, held
apathetically up toward the balloonists. Long after their brave start
the crazed and starving survivors began trickling into the American
lines where they surrendered. They were dull and listless except for one
strange manifestation: they shied away fearfully from every living plant
or growth, but did they see a bare patch of soil, a boulder or stretch
of sand, they clutched, kissed, mumbled and wept over it in a very
frenzy.

_45._ But the catastrophic loss of their great armies was not all the
enemy had to endure. As the grass had stood our ally and swallowed the
attackers, helping us in a negative fashion as it were, it now turned
and became a positive force in our relief. Unnoticed for months, it had
crept northwestward, filchi