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Page 41
"Philip," he said, "here is Pierre Louis Bougainville, whom I met that
day on Montmartre. All the officers of this regiment have been killed
and by grace of courage and intuition he now leads it better than it was
ever led before."
Lannes extended his hand. Bougainville's met it, and the two closed in
the clasp of those who knew, each, that the other was a man. Then a drum
began to beat, and Bougainville, waving his sword aloft, led his
regiment forward again with a rush. But the _Arrow_, with a hard push
from the last of the soldiers, was already rising, Lannes at the
steering rudder and John in his old place.
"You can find your cap and coat in the locker," said Lannes without
looking back, and John put them on quickly. His joy and eagerness were
not due to flight from the field of battle, because the heavens
themselves were not safe, but because he could look down upon this field
on which the nations struggled and, to some extent, behold and measure
it with his own eyes.
The _Arrow_ rose slowly, and John leaned back luxuriously in his seat.
He had a singular feeling that he had come back home again. The sharp,
acrid odor that assailed eye and nostril departed and the atmosphere
grew rapidly purer. The rolling waves of air from the concussion of the
guns became much less violent, and soon ceased entirely. All the smoke
floated below him, while above the heavens were a shining blue,
unsullied by the dust and flame of the conflict.
"Do you go far, Philip?" John asked.
"Forty miles. I could cover the distance quickly in the _Arrow_, but on
such a day as this I can't be sure of finding at once the man for whom
I'm looking. Besides, we may meet German planes. You've your automatic
with you?"
"I'm never without it. I'm ready to help if they come at us. I've been
through so much today that I've become blunted to fear."
"I don't think we'll meet an enemy, but we must be armed and watchful."
John had not yet looked down, but he knew that the _Arrow_ was rising
high. The thunder of the battle died so fast that it became a mere
murmur, and the air was thin, pure and cold. When he felt that the
_Arrow_ had reached its zenith he put the glasses to his eyes and looked
over.
He saw a world spouting fire. Along a tremendous line curved and broken,
thousands of cannon great and small were flashing, and for miles and
miles a continuous coil of whitish smoke marked where the riflemen were
at work. Near the center of the line he saw a vast mass of men advancing
and he spoke of it to Lannes.
"I've seen it already," said the Frenchman. "That's where a great force
of ours is cutting in between the German armies. It's the movement that
has saved France, and the mind that planned it was worth a million men
to us today."
"I can well believe it. Now I see running between the hills a shining
ribbon which I take to be a river."
"That's the Marne. If we can, we'll drive the Germans back across it.
Search the skies that way and see if you can find any of the Taubes."
"I see some black specks which I take to be the German planes, but they
don't grow."
"Which indicates that they're not coming any nearer. They've had enough
of us for the present and it's to their interest too to keep over their
own army now. What do you see beneath us?"
"A great multitude of troops, French, as I can discern the uniform, and
by Jove, Lannes, I can trace far beyond the towers and spires of Paris!"
"I knew you could. It marks how near the Germans have come to the
capital, but they'll come no nearer. The great days of the French have
returned, and we'll surely drive them upon the Marne."
"Suppose we fly a little lower, Lannes. Then we can get a better view of
the field as we go along."
"I'll do as you say, John. I rose so high, because I thought attack here
was less possible, but as no enemy is in sight we'll drop down."
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