o the matter in dispute, the
two boys later on returned once more to the camp and sought to secure
some much needed sleep, fully conscious that the duties of the coming
day would again sap their energies and bring them renewed chances for
thrilling action.

CHAPTER XIII

THE WINNING OF THE ARGONNE

DAYS passed and each setting sun saw the Yankee boys in khaki further
along the terrible trail they had set out to follow to the end. Another
mile, perhaps two, of the dense Argonne Forest had been redeemed, and
the stubborn foe sent reeling backward.

The end was in sight, many believed. Once they passed out of the vast
stretch of woods, the pace of the retreating enemy must be accelerated,
though of course he would take advantage of every ravine, abandoned farm
building, destroyed hamlet and village that offered sites for
machine-guns, on which Hindenburg was coming to rely more than on his
Big Berthas.

They made the Yankee pay the price for it all, even though the famous
Kriemhild-Stellung line was broken in the end. In addition to the heavy
blanketing of woods, hills and ravines intersected the forest at
intervals. These very often were knee deep in mud, through which the
fighters from overseas had to wade as they pushed steadily on.

Then there were barbed wire defenses, sometimes twenty feet in height,
with the hills and surrounding country villages fortified with acres of
rapid-fire guns, often in vast nests, and requiring the work of
batteries to blast them out of the path.

During all these days they had charged through villages, fought through
morasses, forded swollen streams, bayoneted machine gunners at their
posts, and used their rifles as clubs when they came to grips with the
foe in the wire entanglements.

Hunger and thirst joined hands with the enemy. Gas attack followed
charge, and charge succeeded gas attack. From overhead Boche planes
rained bombs down upon them. Comrades fell on every hand, and the cries
of the wounded rose above the shrieking of shrapnel and shell.

And day after day the young air-service boys rendered their full duty to
the cause they stood for. Filled with the ardor that spurs patriots on
to do astonishing feats they never shirked when the order came that sent
them again and again into the air to measure wits with the Boche fliers.

Hardly a day but what there was a vacancy in the ranks of those gallant
airmen who were so willingly giving their service in answer to