Shelled by an Unseen Foe

In Short

Shelled by an Unseen Foe follows Zaidos, a nineteen-year-old Greek student in America who leaves school to serve in World War I after his family suffers losses in the trenches. Arriving near the front, he encounters his resentful cousin Velo, who harbors a deep, destructive jealousy and attempts to sabotage him repeatedly. Amidst grueling front-line conditions, Red Cross heroics, and the tragic loss of comrades, Zaidos exhibits steadfast honor and eventually reconciles with Velo before Velo dies on the battlefield. The book has endured through its earnest depiction of youthful idealism, wartime sacrifice, and personal redemption.

The Story

The narrative opens at a military school where nineteen-year-old Nickell-Wheelerson, known as Zaidos, resolves to leave his studies and join the war in Europe following the death of his older brother in the trenches. Travelling abroad, Zaidos finds himself thrust into active military service alongside his cousin Velo. Velo is consumed by a dark, covetous nature, bitterly resenting Zaidos's noble standing and easy grace, and secretly plotting against him while they serve.

Stationed near the front lines, Zaidos throws himself into his duties with cheerful resilience, teaching Boy Scout tactics to his fellow soldiers and assisting at First Aid stations alongside a dedicated nurse named Helen. Helen carries a private grief, mourning her fiancé Tony Hazelden, whom she believes abandoned her after a misunderstanding. As heavy fighting ensues, the brutal reality of war surrounds them. Deserters face execution against stone walls, and massive artillery shells constantly threaten the underground shelters.

Velo’s malice grows more desperate as the days pass. He steals identification papers, watches Zaidos with simmering hatred, and nurses a dark desire to destroy him. Despite this hidden menace, Zaidos consistently chooses mercy. When Velo is stricken with remorse and begs for forgiveness as his life slips away on the battlefield, Zaidos readily grants it, holding his cousin's hand until the end.

Following the armistice and heavy casualties, the surviving hospital staff witness the joyful reunion of Helen and Tony Hazelden, who has recovered from his severe wounds. The makeshift hospital celebrates their wedding with simple music and heartfelt emotion. Zaidos prepares to return to America to finish his schooling and resume his life. Before departing, he pledges a substantial monthly financial contribution to support the field hospital in memory of Velo. He sends final letters to his doctor, his old nurse Maratha, and makes ready for his journey home, carrying the permanent memories of a transformative conflict.

How It Unfolds

• The journey begins: Nineteen-year-old Zaidos leaves his American military school behind, determined to cross the Atlantic and take his place in the European war.
• The barracks awaken: Thrown into crowded sleeping quarters, Zaidos encounters a terrified young mountaineer who ultimately chooses to desert his post.
• The execution's shadow: The captured deserter meets a grim fate against a stone wall, casting a heavy pall over the soldiers who must witness the punishment.
• The ship goes down: Torpedoed at sea, a transport vessel lists dangerously, forcing Zaidos to push his reluctant cousin Velo into the freezing water before the ship sinks.
• The floating hospital: Recovering aboard an English Red Cross ship with a broken leg, Zaidos meets Nurse Helen and learns of her heartbreak over a lost fiancé.
• The trench routine: Working near the front lines, Zaidos sketches intricate trench layouts and impresses officers while Velo nurses a growing, malicious jealousy.
• The final reconciliation: Amidst the carnage of a heavy artillery barrage, a dying Velo begs for forgiveness, and Zaidos answers with genuine compassion.
• The departure home: After a modest camp wedding uniting Helen and Tony, Zaidos pledges generous financial support to the field hospital before boarding a ship for America.

The People

Zaidos, also known as Nickell-Wheelerson, is the central figure of the book. He is intelligent, athletic, and naturally good-humored, wanting to honor his family and aid others. His primary obstacle is the cruel hand of wartime fate and his cousin's relentless animosity. By the end, he carries a slight physical limp and emotional maturity, remaining fundamentally loyal and generous.

Velo is Zaidos’s cousin and foil. Driven by an obsessive envy of Zaidos's wealth and social standing, Velo seeks personal gain through theft and betrayal. He stands in his own way through his bitter disposition, ultimately dying in the field after receiving the forgiveness he desperately sought.

Nurse Helen is a dedicated caregiver working near the front lines. She longs for her lost fiancé, Tony Hazelden, believing she has been abandoned. Her path crosses with Zaidos, who insists her fiancé never received her letter, leading eventually to a joyful reunion and wedding.

Tony Hazelden is Helen’s fiancé, an officer severely wounded in the fighting. He suffers greatly in the field hospitals before his true intentions toward Helen are brought to light, allowing them to reunite.

Maratha is Zaidos’s loyal old nurse in Greece, whom Zaidos instructs to care for the estate and the faithful servants while he is away at war.

In Its Own Voice

"Round and round and round goes the wheel of fate, thought Zaidos."

Zaidos reflects on the unpredictable twists of circumstance that pull him from American school life into the heart of a European war.

"He was like a thief who would rather steal the dollar which he could go to work and earn honestly."

The narrator evaluates Velo’s warped internal logic, contrasting his bitterness with honest endeavor.

"It is a terrible thing to be hard. Don't do it, Zaidos!"

Velo pleads for mercy and understanding from his cousin as the consequences of his own malice finally catch up with him.

What It's Really About

The book explores the corrosive nature of envy versus the redemptive power of uncalculated grace. Through the contrast between Zaidos and Velo, the narrative examines how human character responds under extreme pressure. While war strips away superficial comforts and reveals raw brutality, it also tests moral integrity. Zaidos’s instinctive desire to teach, heal, and forgive suggests that true nobility lies not in birth or title, but in emotional generosity and steadfast loyalty to others. The novel argues that bitterness destroys the soul from within, whereas compassion offers the only true release from hatred.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate classic juvenile fiction from the early twentieth century will find this an engaging, fast-paced period piece. Reading it feels like turning the pages of a well-worn library book from an era of naive patriotism and melodramatic adventure. Modern readers should be prepared for certain period attitudes, occasional stilted dialogue, and a distinctly moralizing tone typical of 1916 publishing. The prose leans heavily on coincidence and swift emotional turns, which may feel dated. Yet, there is an undeniable warmth in Zaidos’s buoyant spirit and his refusal to let bitterness harden him, making his journey a memorable glimpse into how a bygone generation imagined heroism and brotherhood amidst global catastrophe.