The Boy Volunteers with the French Airmen

This was a most audacious move, and while Ralph was guiding the machine toward the stranger the lieutenant poured a constant stream of shot into the first comer. It must not be assumed, however, that the German machines were idle during this period. Both were firing, but the shots went wild, especially after the daring move just made.

"Up! up! as high as you can go!" was the next order.

The machine tilted, and the lieutenant looked back at Ralph approvingly. "She is a dandy climber," said the lieutenant musingly. "Now I'd like to see them follow a bit."

One of the machines actually tried to imitate them, but the other ship was noticed wavering and swaying from side to side.

"Something is the matter with that fellow," said Alfred.

"Yes; he's done for, and we can easily polish off the other one," remarked the lieutenant, as he watched the falling machine. "Now turn around quickly and dive for the one who is trailing us," said the lieutenant through the tube.

Ralph banked the machine, and brought it around as quickly as possible. The machine was not a quick-turning one, but the oncoming machine was not prepared for the manoeuver, for it seemed to hesitate which way to go. If it went to the left it would be impossible to use its gun, and if it turned to the right it would be at the mercy of the Frenchman's gun. The only remedy was to dive; down went the machine at a sharp angle. The lieutenant's shots went wild, but they were soon rid of their troublesome companion.

"I suppose we'll have the whole German flying corps after us now," said the lieutenant. "Turn for home."

No sooner had they turned than another machine came up, this time a most determined fellow.

"Up! up!" again came the command, "and keep pointing that way. You might also veer to the left."

This time it was one of the well-known Taubes, with the disadvantage, however, that she was a tractor,—that is, had the propeller in front, like the Bleriot monoplane, so that it prevented the driver from shooting head on, whereas the Farman biplane was a pusher,—that is, had the gun mounted in front, and the propeller behind the planes. During the evolution of circling, however, the biplane had to present a broadside, which gave the Taube a chance to pour in a stream of shot, many of which took effect.

"That was a close shot!" shouted Ralph through the tube. The lieutenant looked back, and pointed to the tube. A shot had gone through it, causing Alfred and Ralph to look at each other in undisguised dismay.

At every turn the lieutenant ground out the shot, and soon the barometer registered a height of 6,400 feet. Two miles more and the Taube made a peculiar turn, and glided to the right.

"You have hit him," said Alfred in excitement, and the lieutenant stopped churning.

"It seems like it," was the reply. "When we come back on the circle, go lower," he said to Ralph, "and I can finish him."

As they crept up closer and closer, the lieutenant, with his hand on the crank, waited for the final chance. Like a dying gladiator the Taube turned, and a most terrific storm of shot came from the quick firer. This was the only time that the boys actually heard the thuds of the striking missiles on the body of the machine. It proved to be the last effort of the Taube; it dropped away, but still held its upright position.

Instantly the engine of the biplane stopped. The lieutenant, with his hand still on the crank, turned and shouted:

"What is the matter?"

There was dead silence, and sudden darkness, for they could not see in either direction. They had entered a dense cloud.

"Have we started on the down glide?" continued the lieutenant.

"I am trying to hold it up," said Ralph. As he spoke they emerged from the cloud, but the Taube was nowhere in sight.

"Try the starter," said the lieutenant feverishly.

"Can't do it," was the reply.

"Then hold it steady while I examine the tank," said the lieutenant. He leaned over, and almost immediately exclaimed: "The connection is shot away."

"I will make a long glide if you can fix it in the meantime," said Ralph.

"No; I will connect the other tank," was the reply.

It required less than a minute to perform this operation, but despite the repair the engine would not turn.

After another examination the lieutenant looked up from the pit, and said: "It's all up now. The other tank is also empty."

The barometer now showed that they were only a little over three thousand feet above the earth. A landing must be made, that was evident; but where? Alfred pointed to a forest, directly east.

"That might be a good place to come down, because there doesn't seem to be any houses there."

"Just the place if we can find a spot big enough," said the lieutenant.

With his field glasses he scanned the forest.

"Do you see that strip of dark green a little to the left? That is a clear space, I am sure. Steer for that after circling around. We are still high enough to enable us to make a careful observation of the spot."

The machine descended in its regular glide, and they passed over the indicated spot.

"That is a dandy place if you can hit it right," said Alfred.

It was narrow, not more than a hundred feet wide, but it extended diagonally up the hill, not the most desirable place to land, by any means, but it was the only thing to be done.

"Where shall I land?" asked Ralph.

"Try to strike the second clump of brush; do you see what I mean?" asked the lieutenant, his words tumbling over each other in his haste.

"I can do it," was the reply.

"May you have good luck," said the lieutenant.

They approached the end of the open space between the trees. Fortunately the wind was not blowing, and the fuselage struck the first clump of brush, but they passed over it without difficulty. Ralph then threw up the elevator sharply, and the front end tilted, while the body of the machine sank down gently, and the landing was made without a jar.

"That was the most beautiful thing I ever saw. You deserve great credit for that piece of work," said the lieutenant, as he leaned back and patted Ralph.

They leaped from the machine, and for a moment stood there helpless with the reaction which set in, the boys, particularly, being influenced by the great strain. The lieutenant was the first to speak: "Well, here we are in a pretty fix; but it might be worse," he said.

"No; we haven't a drop of petrol left," said Ralph ruefully. "Both tanks were perforated."

They sat down to consider the situation. It was now past five o'clock, and although it was generally the custom to take luncheon with them on these trips, the extra amount which had been stored was barely sufficient for a half meal. The sun was going down, and they had no idea of their location except that, by calculating, the lieutenant judged they might be fifteen miles northeast of Longwy. Everything was still, except the evening chirrup of the birds.

"It is too late to do any investigating tonight; but our first duty in the morning must be to arrange for food," said the lieutenant.

Fortunately, they had taken the precaution to carry plenty of wraps, so they were not at all uncomfortable. They gathered leaves, made up comfortable berths, and, after a most exciting day, slept soundly all night.

As soon as the first grey of the morning sun lightened up they arose, and began an investigation of the surrounding vicinity. A reconnoitering journey was proposed, as, during the night, faint whistles of locomotives could be heard coming from the east.

"That is the direction we must go," said the lieutenant, as they prepared themselves for the trip.

They entered a dense forest, setting their course by the compass, and marched due east for an hour without seeing the first sign of habitation, when they were suddenly startled by a locomotive whistle, which could not be more than a mile away. They drew back and listened for a time, then cautiously crept forward, looking for an opening. A quarter of a mile to the left they discovered a wagon trail leading to the north.

This began to look as though some one might be living in the vicinity. The trail was followed, as cautiously and as closely as possible, and a mile beyond a cabin was sighted. This was the time for them to exercise care, but they felt sure the people living there would sympathize with them.

"You see, we are in Belgium now, and they hate the Germans," said the lieutenant. "I suppose we are close to the border of Luxemburg, and the people there feel the same as the Belgians."

"Do you know a place in Belgium called Bovigny?" asked Ralph.

"Yes," responded the lieutenant. "That is on the other side of Luxemburg, close to the frontier. Why do you ask?"

"That is where we entered Belgium, and near where we assisted in capturing the auto load of Germans," said Alfred.

"Yes, Bovigny is less than forty miles from this place," said the lieutenant.

"Isn't that strange," said Ralph. "Here we are, close to the place where we started on this excursion. Why, we made a regular circle to get here," and they laughed at the situation.

It was now past six o'clock in the morning. No one was in sight, and they assumed it might be too early for the people, so they waited for an hour; still there was no sign that the cabin was occupied.

"I suppose we might as well go closer and investigate." They went forward without seeing a sign of life, except a dozen or more chickens, which were scattered over the lawn to the rear of the cabin. "If there is any one there a whistle might bring them out," continued the lieutenant.

There was no response, and after waiting a short time they circled about the house, and they saw that the front door was open, but there was no furniture within. They then boldly approached, and began to examine the contents of the rooms. Not a scrap of food was found, although ants and other vermin were numerous, and there was a mouldy smell in the second room, there being only two compartments or rooms. While they were searching about, two chickens appeared at the door, and with a common instinct the boys encouraged a closer acquaintance, to the amusement of the lieutenant. One of the chickens was finally trapped, and a meal was soon prepared and cooked in the oven. They had barely time to finish the repast, when a shot was heard in the woods to the south, at which they hurriedly left the cottage, and rushed to the nearest clump of brush across the clearing. A second shot followed, evidently quite near, but apparently from the same direction as the first.

"They are probably hunters," remarked the lieutenant.

"Isn't our machine over in that direction?" asked Ralph.

"Undoubtedly," said the lieutenant.

"I wonder what they would do if they found it?" queried Alfred.

"I think it would be perfectly safe if the hunters are natives. I am sure they would suspect the truth, for they would at once recognize it as a French machine," replied the lieutenant.

"Would it be safe to go in that direction?" asked Alfred.

"That was in my mind," replied the lieutenant. "As we must find some one in this region, and they seem to me to be the most likely fellows to approach, come on," he added.

They hurriedly went forward, expecting every minute to catch sight of the hunters. Their progress was slow, as the ground was full of leaves, and the wood thick; besides, there was considerable underbrush. They thus wearily tramped on and on for more than an hour, covering a distance which should have brought them close to the location of their machine. Despite all their efforts it could not be found nor the place located.

The only remedy was to retrace their steps and go back to the cabin, and from that place they could readily follow the wagon road back to the place where they emerged from the woods. The cottage was reached shortly after noon, and an hour was spent in catching several of the chickens and roasting them, so that it was in the middle of the afternoon before they again retraced their steps back to the starting point.

Here another difficulty presented itself. They could not find the place where they first reached the trail, so they sat down to wait for the welcome sound of a train to guide them. Even that aid was denied them, and as darkness was now coming on a suitable place was found to rest for the night at the base of an uprooted tree. There the night was spent in comparative comfort, as, fortunately, the weather still continued mild and agreeable.

The matter of food now became a vital one, but so, also, was the necessity of locating the airplane. The matter was debated, and the lieutenant finally said: "We must find our machine; from that point I think we should strike to the west. It would be unwise for us to approach the railroad to the east, as that is in the hands of the Germans, and every mile of it is patrolled."

By means of the compass they trudged to the west, and soon reached familiar ground. As they were about to enter the open space, which was recognized as their landing place, voices were heard. The three glanced at each other in dismay, until Alfred's keen ears detected a French word or two, of which he quickly advised his companions.

"I will call to them in French," said the lieutenant.

He did so, and the two men, for the lieutenant could now distinctly see them, were startled, but in another moment returned an answer.

"We are French," said the lieutenant. "That is our machine, and we have been reconnoitering."

"We are friends," said one of the men.

In another moment the lieutenant and the boys were at the machine, and grasped the hands of the hunters. "We are Belgians," continued the man.

"Where are we?" asked the lieutenant.

"In the forest, north of Messanoy," was the reply.

"Are there any Germans near?" asked the lieutenant.

"Yes, at St. Leger, to the north, and at the junction of Arlon, to the northeast. But troops are constantly going along both roads to Longwy and Metz," replied one of the spokesmen.

"Where can we get something to eat?" was asked.

"Ah, we can arrange that," said one of the men with a smile. "Follow us."

On the way the lieutenant learned a great deal of the system in force by the Germans. They were conducted north, through the woods for fully a mile where they reached a wagon trail. Here the lieutenant stopped.

"Where does this trail lead?" he asked.

"From the railway station on the east line to a little village on the west side of the forest," was the answer.

"Then we were on this trail yesterday," said Ralph.

If they had gone a quarter of a mile farther, after reaching the cottage, they could have seen the first cottage in the village. It was also learned that the two men were the hunters whose shots were heard the previous day while at the cabin. The men lived a quarter of a mile from the village, in the elevated part, near the border of the forest, and like true Belgians were glad to help their French brothers.

CHAPTER XII

EXCITING EXPLOITS ON LAND

"That is the place where I live," said the elder of the two men, as he pointed to a low cottage on the side of a hill, "and Raoul here lives below the turn. We must approach the house cautiously, for we know spies to be in this part of the country."

"I will go ahead," said Raoul. "Follow and go up to your house through the orchard."

They tarried by the roadside until the signal appeared. Upon reaching the house they were greeted by Felix's wife, for that was the name Raoul bestowed on his friend. A good meal was soon spread before them, and in the meantime the lieutenant was plied with questions, as the people in that section had no opportunities for learning what was really taking place in the outside world.

Finally the lieutenant asked: "Do you know of any place where we could get some petrol?"

The men mused for a while, and shook their heads. "You know," Felix said, "everything around here is controlled by the Germans, and petrol is one of the things that is kept strictly under guard."

"Do you know the place where they store it?" inquired the lieutenant.

"Yes, but it would be dangerous to attempt to get any of it," said Raoul.

"I have a plan," said Felix, "but we cannot do anything before night. I know every step of the way to the station, and will take you there this evening."

"Good!" said the lieutenant. "In the meantime, give me a diagram of the station, and the roads leading to it. That will help me to become familiar with the surroundings."

For the next hour the lieutenant was busily engaged in learning all about the country, and where the stores and ammunition were kept.

"I think we might as well have some of that petrol," said the lieutenant with a smile, as he looked at the boys, who nodded their approval, as they were keen to participate in the plans which the lieutenant had formed.

That night, after ten o'clock, they appeared at their place of concealment, for it was thought wise to keep away from the house in the event any of the prying neighbors should happen in. Together they cautiously found their way to the railway and walked along the track until the first switch was reached. While waiting there so that Felix could point out the different objects, Ralph drew the lever, and set it so the first train would take the switch.

The lieutenant saw it and nodded approvingly. Ahead a few hundred feet was a low building, which was reached by the track which led from the switch.

"The guards are stationed at that shed across the track, and sometimes they come over," said Felix.

"But is the building open?" asked the lieutenant.

"There are no doors; only open arches. The tanks can be loaded and unloaded from the tracks," was the answer.

They were carrying three vessels, such as are usually employed for transporting petrol in small quantities, and nearing the shed the lieutenant said: "Remain here and await my orders. I will go ahead and investigate."

With two of the receptacles in his hands he crouched as low as possible, and made his way along the track, but before reaching the structure he left the track, and approached the shed from the south side. He was gone for more than fifteen minutes, and when he returned with the receptacles filled he immediately seized the other, returning with it also filled in a few minutes.

"Now, take these to the cross road, and out of sight. I will be there in fifteen minutes," and saying this he quietly left them.

The boys and Felix carried the cans to the designated place with the greatest care, for the fluid was precious to them. No sooner had they hidden the receptacles when something like a flash of lightning illuminated everything about them, and this was followed by an explosion.

Felix gasped as he gazed in the direction of the sheds, for he divined the cause. The boys, too, were startled.

"I wonder if the lieutenant did that?" asked Ralph.

"I have no doubt of it," replied Felix.

"Do you really think he did it? I wonder if he is hurt?" said Alfred, his voice in a tremor.

They waited for more than a half hour. What if the lieutenant had been caught in the catastrophe? They could see the soldiers at the station rushing hither and thither, and the people were going toward the station from all directions.

"Mighty good thing we hid in this place," said Felix.

Felix and the boys were now in consternation, and as they had about decided to go up to their former place of concealment, the headlight of a train approached from the south. It slowed down a little as it neared the station.

"The switch!" was Ralph's exclamation. As he said that the train reached the switch, and turned to the track leading to the fiercely burning shed. Half of the train ran through a sea of fire before it could be checked. It was a terrifying sight, and Ralph shook with fear at the sight. Fortunately, it was a freight train, or the toll of death would have been awful.

"This begins to look bad for us. I am afraid the lieutenant has been captured. This place is getting to be too dangerous, and we must leave at once," said Felix, as he seized one of the cans.

"I will go down and see what the trouble is," said Alfred, but Felix shook his head. Nevertheless, although Ralph also remonstrated, and insisted on accompanying him, Alfred had his way. One would be safer than two, he thought, and without further words he crawled along the fence, avoiding contact with those who were in the near vicinity.

A few minutes after Alfred left, the lieutenant returned, and was shocked to learn of Alfred's journey.

"Take these cans up to the house, and I will go back and try to find him," he told them.

Alfred, meanwhile, had reached the track near the switch, and not far from the rear end of the burning train. As he was about to cross the track his foot struck an object, and he fell across the track. He was surprised to see several men appear and gaze at him, and it must be admitted that he was decidedly nervous over the situation. However, he did not venture to say anything, but quickly started at the fire, for he now stood with others, in the full glare of the flames. As no one paid any attention to him, it occurred to him that he had as much right there as the villagers.

All about him he heard criticisms of the calamity, and some one suggested that the fire and explosion was caused by a French airship, and, in fact, this seemed to be the general opinion.

Alfred wandered about listlessly, now feeling assured that the people knew nothing of the lieutenant, for he was certain that the news of the capture of a Frenchman would cause great excitement. Waiting the first opportunity, he slipped over the fence, and crawled along in the shadow of some brush for several hundred feet, when, to his consternation, a tall man arose in his path.

He turned, and was about to leap the fence, when he heard a familiar voice: "Alfred."

He immediately recognized the lieutenant, and it is questionable which of the two felt happier at the meeting. They quickly ascended the hill, where they met a gloomy pair in Ralph and Felix, and the lieutenant told his story. He had allowed the petrol to run from one of the tanks after he took away the last receptacle, and when he returned he tapped three of the other tanks, expecting to wait five or ten minutes before firing it.

While thus waiting two of the guards approached, and he hid behind a box car on the opposite siding. He feared that his plans had miscarried, for he felt sure the guards would discover the petrol. They did not, however, go into the sheds, but remained outside, engaged in conversation for more than ten minutes. When they left he lost no time in again crossing the track.

He reasoned that the whole of the interior of the first set of sheds must have been flooded by that time, and the problem now was to ignite it, and get away safely, so he struck a match and lighted a small saturated cloth, which was thrown into the nearest opening. It caught instantly, and as the entire shed was now filled with the vapor, the explosion followed before he could get across the track. It was so great in violence that he was hoisted from his feet, so it seemed to him, and completely stunned. How long he remained in that condition of half stupor he did not know, but he soon heard a babel of voices, and saw everything about him as bright as day. Then, to his surprise, a train came up the switch, and rushed through the fire. It was this which probably saved him from being detected.

"You may be sure," he said, "that as soon as my senses returned I knew what had happened, and that train started my sluggish brain into activity. I ran away from the train, and so did several others. No one cared to follow me, thinking, of course, that I belonged to the crew. That explains my long absence."

"Now, how are we to get the petrol over to the machine?" asked Ralph.

"We must ask Felix about it," said the lieutenant. "Probably you can help us out in that direction?"

"I have a light wagon," said Felix, "but we must not venture out with it until after midnight; in the meantime I will go down to the village and get all the news."

He returned in an hour. "It is reported that an airship did the damage," said Felix.

Shortly after two o'clock in the morning the light wagon was on hand, and Raoul accompanied them. After loading the wagon with the cans they started on the trip through the forest. Felix and Raoul both remained with the lieutenant and the boys until the tanks were repaired, and the sun had appeared. The machine was then turned around, and headed for the opening in the forest through which they had entered. Felix and Raoul, in the meantime, diligently cut away the underbrush and bushes in the path of the machine so it would be able to make a fair start.