gainst trees, and the members of the staff took
their places beside them. General Vaugirard walked a little distance up
the road, climbed into an automobile and, standing up, looked a long
time through his glasses. Lannes, who had been resting on the grass,
approached the general and John saw him take a note from him. Then
Lannes went away to the _Arrow_ and sailed off into the heavens. Many
other planes were flying over the French army and far off in front John
saw through his own glasses a fleet of them which he knew must be
German.

Then he heard a sound, faint but deep, which came rolling like an echo,
and he recognized it as the distant note of a big gun. He quivered a
little, as he leaned against his motor cycle, but quickly stiffened
again to attention. The faint rolling sound came again from their right
and then many times. John, using his glasses, saw nothing there, and the
giant general, still standing up in the car and also using his glasses,
saw nothing there either.

Yet the same quiver that affected John had gone through this whole army
of two hundred thousand men, one of the huge links in the French chain.
There was none among them who did not know that the far note was the
herald of battle, not a mere battle of armies, but of nations face to
face.

General Vaugirard did not show any excitement. He leaped lightly from
the car, and then began to pace up and down slowly, as if he were
awaiting orders. The men moved restlessly on the meadows, looking like a
vast sea of varied colors, as the sun glimmered on the red and blue of
their uniforms.

But no order came for them to advance. John thought that perhaps they
were saved to be driven as a wedge into the German center and whispered
his belief to de Rougemont, who agreed with him.

"They are opening on the left, too," said the Frenchman. "Can't you hear
the growling of the guns there?"

John listened and soon he separated the note from other sounds. Beyond a
doubt the battle had now begun on both flanks, though at distant points.
He wondered where the English force was, though he had an idea that it
was on the left then. Yet he was already thoroughly at home with the
staff of General Vaugirard.

The growling on either side of them seemed soon to come a little closer,
but John knew nevertheless that it was many miles away.

"Not an enemy in sight, not even a trace of smoke," said de Rougemont to
him. "We seem to be a great army here, merely resting