A volley of rifle fire met the first rush of the Americans. Sleepy-eyed Germans, aroused from their slumber by the sound of the warning gun, poured from their shelter and rushed forward through the streets of the village. Hastily machine guns were wheeled into position, and a veritable rain of bullets swept the ranks of the charging columns in khaki.
But the Americans did not falter. These men of the Forty-second division upheld the traditions of the American army. True, they had been under fire before and it was not to be expected that they would falter; but well might a man have faltered in the face of the terrible fire poured in upon them. Each man bent to his work with a determination that boded ill for the foe. Some dashed forward with wild yells, others smiled quietly to themselves, while still others joked with their nearest neighbors. Here and there men dropped in their tracks, to rise no more, but others leaped over the bodies and dashed ahead.
So close had the Americans approached the village before being discovered, that the enemy ranks had not time to form. What machine guns had been brought into play by the Germans were widely scattered and did not have the effect that would have been possible had the Americans given the enemy more time.
American machine guns also began to rattle and Germans began to fall. The opposing forces were too close for the enemy to use his heavy artillery, nor could Colonel Johnson use his own field pieces for the same reason.
Undismayed by the withering enemy fire, the Americans continued their charge and soon the fighting became hand-to-hand. Wild cries and imprecations arose above the sounds of firing, and the clash of cold steel became audible in all sections of the field.
The Germans withstood the first shock of the American charge, but they could not withstand the second. They faltered momentarily, but under the commands of their officers for a moment braced again. But when the Yankees hurled themselves upon the wall of human flesh the third time, the German line wavered along its entire length, then broke.
Groups of the enemy threw down their arms and raised their hands in token of surrender. These were quickly passed to the rear, for the men in front were too busy to be occupied with prisoners. Others of the enemy turned and ran. Here and there, however, groups of the foe gathered, determined to resist the Americans to the last.
Against these small batches of the enemy, groups of American soldiers dashed. Again the fighting became fast and furious, and in this fighting the Americans sustained their heaviest losses.
Hal found himself close to Colonel Johnson, who had advanced in the midst of his men. A German officer raised his revolver and aimed at Colonel Johnson. Hal, who had been about to discharge his own revolver at a big German soldier who was pressing him closely, turned his weapon and fired in time to drop the man who otherwise must surely have killed the American colonel.
Colonel Johnson at the same moment had perceived his danger and he realized instantly that Hal had saved his life at the imminent risk of losing his own. Colonel Johnson was a brave man, and he recognized bravery in another. He sprang to Hal's side and with his sword laid low the man who then held Hal at his mercy.
Hal acknowledged this assistance with a smile; he had no time for more. The Germans were pressing too close for that.
Colonel Johnson cleared a space about him with his flashing sword. Hal emptied his revolver into the ranks of the enemy, then drew his own sword. Standing side by side, Hal and Colonel Johnson beat off the Germans who tried to pierce their guards. Nevertheless, their predicament was extremely critical, and it is doubtless if they would have come through alive had not half a dozen soldiers, seeing their peril, dashed forward and scattered the Germans who surrounded them.
This gave the two a breathing space, of which they took advantage.
But the fighting was far from ended yet—the Germans were far from beaten. In the rear of the line which had broken and fled under the American attack, other lines had formed and now dashed forward. Colonel English, taking in the situation at a glance, ordered support to the assistance of the hard-pressed men under Colonel Johnson.
The reinforcements came forward with a rush and met the new German line with a crash. The hand-to-hand fighting that ensued was terrific, but after five minutes of give and take, the Germans again retired.
American machine guns were swung about hastily to cover the retreating foe and wreaked terrific havoc among the enemy. The retreat became a rout. The Germans turned and fled.
Victory, it appeared, was with the Americans.
But Colonel English had no mind to allow the enemy to rest. His instructions had been to capture the village of Pouilly, and he would not rest content until he had accomplished that feat. Accordingly, he ordered another advance.
The Americans dashed forward with the same recklessness that has always characterized the charge of the American fighting man. In vain German officers sought to bring some semblance of order out of the confusion that reigned in the enemy ranks. The effort was vain. Young lieutenants stood in the path of the retreating men and beat them with the flat of their swords, but they could not stay the rout. Others fired their revolvers point-blank into the faces of their own men, but even these heroic measures failed to have the desired result.
The Germans were beaten and they knew it.
So it was just as the first faint streak of dawn appeared in the eastern sky that the Americans set foot in the village of Pouilly.
And still the fighting was not ended.
Scores of German soldiers, under command of subordinate officers, barricaded themselves in the houses that lined the streets and poured a hail of bullets upon the Americans as they passed. The Yankees suffered severely under this fire.
"We can't stand for this," said Colonel Johnson suddenly to Hal. "The enemy is doing too much damage."
"Drag up a couple of big guns and destroy the houses," said Hal briefly.
"Good!" said Colonel Johnson. "Lieutenant Bennings!"
A young officer approached and saluted.
"Take twenty men and enough guns to destroy the houses that line this street," said the colonel. "Also, you will report while the battle lasts to Major Paine, here."
The lieutenant saluted and hurried away.
"Major," said Colonel Johnson to Hal, "I will detail you to see that the sniping from the houses is stopped."
Hal saluted.
"I'll stop it, sir," he promised.
"Very well. Don't let me detain you longer."
Hal strode away to where the young lieutenant and a score of men were wheeling two big field pieces into position.
"Hurry, men," he cried. "We've no time to lose."
Meantime, because of the heavy execution by the enemy from inside the houses, the Americans had sought what shelter they could find in doorways and around corners. This situation, Hal knew, could not be allowed to exist, for it would give the demoralized enemy time to recover their scattered wits and to reform. Therefore, the houses must be cleared of snipers immediately.
From the first house in the block where Hal found himself, the snipers seemed to be more active than in any other. Hal determined to give this house his attention first.
He sighted the gun himself, then gave the command to fire.
"Boom!"
The voice of the big gun rose high above the rattle of machine gun and rifle fire.
"Crash!"
Almost simultaneously with the sound of the gun the heavy explosive missile reached its mark.
There was another resounding crash as the missile exploded after reaching its mark. Bricks, timber and other debris flew high in the air and descended in a shower.
The sniping from the first house ceased, for the simple reason that there was no first house any longer. It had been destroyed.
"I hope that will be enough," Hal muttered. "I don't like this wanton destruction of property. It reminds me too much of the Germans themselves. If those fellows in the other houses are wise they'll cease firing now."
But in this Hal was doomed to disappointment. Snipers in the other houses continued as active as before, apparently unimpressed by the fate that had befallen their comrades.
"Well, if you must have it you must," Hal muttered.
Quickly he gave the necessary orders and the guns were wheeled into position. This time, however, they were not aimed at a single house, for Hal decided that it was unwise to waste more time. He determined to give the enemy a lesson they would not forget.
Accordingly, two houses were covered at once.
"Boom! Boom!"
"Crash! Crash!"
So closely together that they sounded almost as one were the detonations of the guns and the effect as they found their marks.
Again there was a shower of debris.
Without waiting to see what effect this destruction would have upon the Germans who occupied the houses, Hal ordered the guns turned on other homes.
Again the big guns spoke, and again the mass of bricks, mortar and wood descended and covered the streets.
"I guess that will do 'em," muttered Hal, as he waited for the smoke to clear away.
The lad was right.
No longer did the snipers fire from the windows and the American troops, which had temporarily sought shelter in doorways and around corners, poured out again, their advance, thanks to Hal and his men, thus being made more simple.
A few moments later Colonel Johnson came up to Hal.
"You did a good job, Major," he said quietly. "I guess we'll have no more trouble with them."
"Then the town is ours?" asked Hal eagerly.
"It is indeed," replied Colonel Johnson.
"Then I'll have to leave you, sir," said Hal. "Colonel English ordered me to report to him immediately after daylight."