hey had so recently left, having been wounded more or less
severely. Gaps appeared in the various groups, showing what terrible
carnage those guns in the leading German battery had already executed.

Still the forward movement had not been as yet effectually stopped.
Those who were thus far uninjured kept pushing ahead, even though they
must realize that it was into the very jaws of death they advanced. And
Rod found himself filled with sincere admiration for the bravery they
exhibited. He had read of similar things many times, but seeing with his
own eyes an exhibition of such wonderful valor was an entirely different
matter.

Oh! how he hoped and prayed that in the end some of those Frenchmen
might manage to reach the other shore which they aspired to gain. But
when the German guns continued to roar and send torrents of iron hail
into the ranks of the adventurous French it began to look very much as
though not a single man might be able to accomplish the passage of the
disputed ford.

Hanky Panky could stand it no longer. He rolled over and hid his face,
while thrusting the forefinger of each hand as deeply into his ears as
he could, evidently with the hope of shutting out all that dreadful
noise.

Not so Josh, who, though very white, and trembling with excitement,
still continued to stand there, drinking it all in eagerly, as one might
something that was fairly intoxicating his senses.

The war drama did not last long. Under that murderous fire the French
soldiers in the water fairly melted away. Some managed to return safely
to the side of the stream held by their comrades, but by far the larger
number seemed to have vanished. Further down the river they could be
seen, some of them struggling in the water, with others floating along
significantly still.

The firing had almost ceased by now, because there was no further need
of wasting precious ammunition on the part of the provident Germans. The
charge of the impetuous French had been stopped, and if they still meant
to carry the ford they must gather what was left of their force for a
second attempt.

Still, while that one battery covered the crossing it seemed madness for
them to risk the annihilation of their men in another effort.

"It was a fluke, after all!" Josh was calling out in bitter
disappointment; "they never had a chance to get over while that awful
battery covered the ford. Oh! how I wish a part of them at least had
managed to get across. Lo