There had been no time to bury the dead, or even to have the bodies
removed; and the trenches were piled high with French and German dead. In
between the rows of corpses, which had hurriedly been pushed to one side,
the other troops worked, apparently without thought of their fallen
comrades. Red Cross physicians and nurses were working among the wounded,
lightening the suffering.
Hal looked at his watch.
"Twelve o'clock!" he muttered. "It seems as if this single battle had
been going on for days!"
He made his way slowly back to General Petain.
Chester, his message delivered, also had taken account of the French
position on the right. There the fighting had been particularly severe,
and the newly won positions presented ghastly spectacles. Chester
shuddered:
"And this is war!" he said.
He made his way back to headquarters and rejoined Hal.
"Wonder if we shall try for the second line defenses to-day?" Hal said
to his chum.
"I don't know; but I wouldn't be surprised to hear the order at any
minute now. Look at the masses of reinforcements being rushed forward.
Surely, they are not being sent there just to hold the trenches. No; I
believe that to-day General Petain hopes to carry at least the second and
third line of trenches on our whole front.
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