Days before in Guise they
had routed their pursuers, and yet now they were continually withdrawing
in obedience to a severe and endless order. "We do not understand it,"
they were saying. "We do not understand." An ordered and methodical tide
was dragging back these men who wanted to fight, yet had to retreat. All
were suffering the same cruel doubt. "We do not understand."
And doubt was making still more distressing this day-and-night march
with only the briefest rests--because the heads of the divisions were
in hourly fear of being cut off from the rest of the army. "One
effort more, boys! Courage! Soon we shall rest!" The columns in their
retirement were extending hundreds of miles. Desnoyers was seeing only
one division. Others and still others were doing exactly this same thing
at that very hour, their recessional extending across half of France.
All, with the same disheartened obedience, were falling back, the men
exclaiming the same as the officials, "We don't understand. We don't
understand!"
Don Marcelo soon felt the same sadness and bewilderment as these
soldiers. He didn't understand, either. He saw the obvious thing,
what all were able to see--the territory invaded without the Germans
encountering any stubborn resistance;--entire counties, cities,
villages, hamlets remaining in the power of the enemy, at the back of an
army that was constantly withdrawing.
Pages:
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324