night. Toward morning they slept a
little in a field, but when day came they saw the gray masses still in
pursuit. All day long the terrible retreat went on, the defense fighting
fiercely, but slowly withdrawing, the Germans pressing hard, and always
seeking to envelop their flanks. There was continual danger that the
army would be lost, but no dismay. Cool and determined the defense never
relaxed, and all the time bent to the right to get in touch with the
French who were retreating also.

It was a gloomy day for John. Like most Americans his feeling for France
had always been sympathetic. France had helped his own country in the
crisis of her existence, and France was a free republic which for a
generation had strictly minded its own business. Yet this beautiful land
seemed destined to be trodden under foot again by the Germans, and the
French might soon cease to exist as a great nation. French and English
together had merely checked the German host for a few hours. It had
swept both out of its way and was coming again, as sure and deadly as
ever.

They did not hear until the next day that the French and English armies
were already in touch, and while still driven back it was not probable
that they could be cut apart, and then be surrounded and destroyed in
detail. John felt a mighty joy. That crisis in the world's history had
passed and by the breadth of a hair the military autocracy had missed
its chance. Yet what the German hour had failed to bring might come with
slow time, and his joy disappeared as they were driven back farther and
farther into France. Thus the retreat continued for days and nights.

Carstairs was the most cheerful of the three. They had slipped from the
trap, and, as he saw it, England was merely getting ready for a victory.

"You wait until our second army comes up," he said, "and then we'll give
the Germans a jolly good licking."

"When is it coming up?" asked John. "In this century or the next?"

"Be patient. You Yankees are always in too much of a hurry."

"I'm not in such a hurry to get to Paris, but it seems that we'll soon
be there if we keep on at the rate we're going."

"You could be in a worse place than Paris, It's had quite a reputation
in its time. Full of life, gayety, color. I'll be glad to see Paris."

"So will the Germans, and if we don't do better than we've been doing
they'll see it just about as soon as we do."

Carstairs refused to be discouraged, and John hoped a