The Arrow—­he was sure it could be no other—­was quickly lost in the infinite heights, and then the German planes were lost, too, but they soon came back, although the Arrow did not.  It had probably returned to some point over the French line or had gone eastward beyond the Germans.

John felt that he had again seen a sign.  He remembered how he and Lannes had drawn hope from omens when they were looking at the Arc de Triomphe, and a similar hope sprang up now.  Weber was right!  Lannes would come to his rescue.  Some thought or impulse yet unknown would guide him.

Light clouds now drifted up from the southwest, and all the aeroplanes were hidden, but the heavy murmur of the marching army went on.  The puffing and clashing of innumerable automobiles came from the roads also, though John soon ceased to pay attention to them.  As the hours passed, he felt an increased weariness.  He had sat still almost the whole day, but the strain of the watching and waiting had been as great as that of the walking now was.  He wondered if the guards would ever let them stop.

They waded another brook, passed through another wood and then they were ordered to halt.  The guards announced that they could sleep, as they would go no farther that night.  The men did not lie down.  They fell, and each lay where he fell, and in whatever position he had assumed when falling.

John was conscious of hearing the order, of striking the grass full length, and he knew nothing more until the next morning when he was aroused by Fleury.  He saw a whitish dawn with much mist floating over the fields, and he believed that a large river, probably the Marne, must be near.

As far as he could see the ground was covered with German soldiers.  They too had dropped at the command to stop, and had gone to sleep as they were falling.  The majority of them still slept.

“What is it, Fleury?  Why did you wake me up?” asked John.

“The river Marne is close by, and I’m sure that the Germans are going to retreat across it.  I had an idea that possibly we might escape while there’s so much mist.  They can’t watch us very closely while they have so much else to do, and doubtless they would care but little if some of us did escape.”

“We’ll certainly look for the chance.  Can you see any sign of the French pursuit?”

“Not yet, but our people will surely follow.  They’re still at it already on the flanks!”

The distant thunder of cannon came from both right and left.

“A third day of fighting is at hand,” said Fleury.

“And it will be followed by a fourth.”

“And a fifth.”

“But we shall continue to drive the enemy away.”

Both spoke with the utmost confidence.  Having seen their armies victorious for two days they had no doubt they would win again.  All that morning they listened to the sounds of combat, although they saw much less than on the day before.  The prisoners were in a little wood, where they lay down at times, and then, restless and anxious, would stand on tiptoe again, seeking to see at least a corner of the battle.