Soixante-quinze had again scored, for the German guns had been put out
of action. From out the French position came infantry, at this point
thousands of little dots over the landscape, presenting a front of, I
should think, about two miles, rapidly advancing in skirmishing order.
Every now and then the sharp crackle of rifle fire could distinctly be
heard.
The French had advanced over a mile, and the Germans had hastily
evacuated the wood. Other French batteries now came into action, and the
German fire over the whole arc was becoming decidedly fainter and less
frequent. This might, of course, be due to changing their positions on
the German front.
Wounded began to arrive, which showed that for the present at any rate,
it was safe to go out to the trenches to collect them.
Very few of them seemed badly hit, and the wounded French artillerymen
seemed to be elated in spite of their wounds. Had not their beloved
Soixante-quinze again scored? The time was 6 o'clock of a beautiful
evening and the firing, though fairly continuous, was dropping off. The
Germans had changed their positions and it was getting a little too hazy
to make observation, although a French aeroplane was seen descending in
wide circles over the German position, evidently quite regardless of the
numerous small balls of smoke, which made their appearance in the sky in
dangerous proximity to the daring pilot.
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