"There's cleaning up to do yet, kid," he added.
As they approached the village the hand-to-hand fighting was nearing its end, and the Germans were withdrawing into the woods beyond where they had many machine gun nests which it would be the final work of the Americans to smoke out.

But Tom saw a little of that kind of warfare which is fought in streets, from house to house, and in shaded village greens.

Singly and in little groups the Americans sought out, killing, capturing and pursuing the diminishing horde of Germans.

Two of these, running frantically with apparently no definite purpose, surrendered to Tom's group and he thought they seemed actually relieved.
At last they reached the little cottage where the flag flew and were received by the weary, but elated, men in charge.
"All over but the shouting," someone said; "we're finishing up back there in the woods." The telephone apparatus was fastened to a tree and Tom heard the words of the speaker as he tried to get into communication with the village which lay back across that shell-torn, trench-crossed area which they had traversed.

At last he heard those thrilling words which carried much farther than the length of the sinuous wire: "Hello, this is Cantigny." And he knew that whatever yet remained to be done, the first real offensive operation of the Americans was successful and he was proud to feel that he had played his little part in it.
He was given leave until three o'clock in the afternoon and, leaving _Uncle Sam_ at the little makeshift headquarters, he went about the town for a sight of the "clean-up." Farther back in the woods he could still hear the shooting where the Americans were searching out machine gun nests and the boom of artillery continued, but although an occasional shell fell in the town, the place was quiet and even peaceful by comparison with the bloody clamor of an hour before.
It seemed strange that he, Tom Slade, should be strolling about this quaint, war-scarred village, which but a little while before had belonged to the Germans.