en battery. At that early stage in the war which had
been sprung so suddenly on France, her aviators had not as yet become
proficient in this sort of shooting; later on when they had been given
much practice, the result was bound to be quite different.

When the birdmen had exhausted all their bombs and made no impression on
the dangerous battery they were compelled to desist and circle around.
Evidently it was the intention of the air scouts while aloft to learn
all they could connected with the disposition of the German forces. This
information would prove valuable to the French commander, whether able
to win the coveted ford or not.

"Will they give up trying to cross over now?" asked Hanky Panky, after
it was seen that the efforts of the circling birdmen, much more than
half a mile aloft, had not met with any sort of success.

"That isn't the usual French way of fighting, if all I've heard and seen
of them cuts any figure in the game!" Josh exclaimed.

Rod, too, seemed to be of the same opinion.

"I think they must be getting ready to make a mad effort to rush the
ford," he went on to say; "you notice that their guns are silent just
now; but that's done so they can burst out with a more terrible
bombardment than ever, under cover of which the attack will be started."

"But why all this row over just one contemptible little ford?" asked
Hanky Panky innocently.

Josh snorted at hearing this.

"Why, can't you see what it means to both sides to control a crossing
where the artillery can get over without building a bridge?" he
demanded. "To hold up the French here the Germans would be willing to
sacrifice thousands of their best men, because it would save their big
guns now on the way north. There, it's coming, I do believe."

None of them heard the last words spoken by Josh, and for a very good
reason. Every gun the French had within a mile of the ford began to
bellow in concert, and the ground shook under the concussion. Across on
the other side they could see the shells bursting everywhere. It seemed
as though they sought out each place where they suspected hostile
batteries or columns of troops might lie in hiding, thus fairly raking
the entire vicinity.

This was "preparing the ground for the seed," as army men would put it.
When this fierce "spraying" was well under way no doubt the order that
had been awaited so long and impatiently by the concealed French
soldiers was to be given; when they would start