It was the first dart they had seen. Indeed, I think until then
this weapon had not been used against the Germans in this particular
area of the western theater of war. These officers passed it about,
fingering it in turn, and commenting on the design of it and the
possibilities of its use.
"Typically French," the senior of them said at length, handing it back
to its owner, the Red Cross man--"a very clever idea too; but it might
be bettered, I think." He pondered a moment, then added, with the racial
complacence that belongs to a German military man when he considers
military matters: "No doubt we shall adopt the notion; but we'll improve
on the pattern and the method of discharging it. The French usually
lead the way in aerial inventions, but the Germans invariably perfect
them."
The day wound up and rounded out most fittingly with a trip eastward
along the lines to the German siege investments in front of Rheims. We
ran for a while through damaged French hamlets, each with its soldier
garrison to make up for the inhabitants who had fled; and then, a little
later, through a less well-populated district.
Pages:
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307