Chapter I: Front Matter

[Frontispiece: "THE SERGEANT OF HENRI'S PLATOON, ONE ARM DANGLING HELPLESS BY HIS SIDE, STRETCHED OUT A BRAWNY HAND AND GRIPPED OUR HERO'S" (missing from book)]

With Joffre at Verdun

A Story of the Western Front

BY

LT.-COL. F. S. BRERETON

Author of "With French at the Front"
"Under French's Command"
"With Our Russian Allies"
&c.

_Illustrated by Arch. Webb_

BLACKIE AND SON LIMITED

LONDON GLASGOW AND BOMBAY

1916

BY LT.-COLONEL BRERETON

With the Allies to the Rhine: A Story of the Finish of the War.
With Allenby in Palestine: A Story of the latest Crusade.
Under Foch's Command: A Tale of the Americans in France.
The Armoured-Car Scouts: The Campaign in the Caucasus.
On the Road to Bagdad: A Story of the British Expeditionary
Force in Mesopotamia.
From the Nile to the Tigris: Campaigning from Western Egypt
to Mesopotamia.
Under Haig in Flanders: A Story of Vimy, Messines, and Ypres.
With Joffre at Verdun: A Story of the Western Front.
On the Field of Waterloo.
With Wellington in Spain: A Story of the Peninsula.
Kidnapped by Moors: A Story of Morocco.
The Hero of Panama: A Tale of the Great Canal.
The Great Aeroplane: A Thrilling Tale of Adventure.
A Hero of Sedan: A Tale of the Franco-Prussian War.
Roger the Bold: A Tale of the Conquest of Mexico.
At Grips with the Turk: A Story of the Dardanelles Campaign.
The Great Airship.
A Sturdy Young Canadian.
A Boy of the Dominion: A Tale of Canadian Immigration.
Under the Chinese Dragon: A Tale of Mongolia.
With Roberts to Candahar: Third Afghan War.
A Hero of Lucknow: A Tale of the Indian Mutiny.
Under French's Command: A Story of the Western Front from
Neuve Chapelle to Loos.
With French at the Front: A Story of the Great European War
down to the Battle of the Aisne.
John Bargreave's Gold: A Search for Sunken Treasure.
Tom Stapleton, the Boy Scout.
A Soldier of Japan: A Tale of the Russo-Japanese War.
A Knight of St. John: A Tale of the Siege of Malta.
Foes of the Red Cockade: The French Revolution.
One of the Fighting Scouts: Guerrilla War in South Africa.
The Dragon of Pekin: A Story of the Boxer Revolt.
A Gallant Grenadier: A Story of the Crimean War.

LONDON: BLACKIE & SON, LTD., 50 OLD BAILEY, E.C.

Contents

CHAP.

I. THE CAMP AT RUHLEBEN
II. HENRI AND JULES AND STUART
III. THE ROAD TO FREEDOM
IV. THE HEART OF GERMANY
V. ELUDING THE PURSUERS
VI. CHANGING THEIR DIRECTION
VII. A FRIEND IN NEED
VIII. THE VERDUN SALIENT
IX. A TERRIFIC BOMBARDMENT
X. THE THIN LINE OF HEROES
XI. FALLING BACK
XII. A RECONNOITRING-PARTY
XIII. DOUAUMONT FORTRESS
XIV. FRENCHMEN AND BRANDENBURGERS
XV. RATS IN A TRAP
XVI. A FIGHT TO A FINISH
XVII. CHARGE OF THE GALLANT BRETONS
XVIII. A SINISTER GERMAN
XIX. HEROIC "POILUS"

Illustrations

"THE SERGEANT OF HENRI'S PLATOON, ONE ARM
DANGLING HELPLESS BY HIS SIDE, STRETCHED OUT A
BRAWNY HAND AND GRIPPED OUR HERO'S"
(missing from book) _Frontispiece_

"A BIG BURLY MAN, A NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER
OF THE STAFF AT RUHLEBEN, BARRED HENRI'S PROGRESS"
(missing from book)

"A TERRIFIC CONCUSSION SENT HIS BOWL FLYING AND
THE YOUNG SOLDIER HIMSELF ROLLING FROM THE BANK"

"THEY SAW A GERMAN SOLDIER ACTUALLY DRINKING
FROM THE STREAM WITHIN A FEW YARDS OF THEM

"THAT BEARDED VETERAN, LEANING OVER THE
SWAYING WALL, MADE HAVOC AMONG THE GERMANS
WITH HIS BAYONET"

"THE GRENADE LANDED WITHIN A FOOT OF THE FIRE
ABOUT WHICH THE MEN HAD BEEN SEATED"

MAP OF VERDUN SALIENT DURING OPERATIONS ON
21ST FEBRUARY, 1916

MAP OF VERDUN SALIENT AFTER FOUR MONTHS OF
CONTINUOUS FIGHTING

WITH JOFFRE AT VERDUN