Air Service Boys Flying for Victory; Or, Bombing the Last German Stronghold
Close by the child could be heard moving about, as her nimble little
fingers secured first one article of apparel and then another, spurred
on by the wild hope of once more seeing her dearly beloved sister.
Jack, pushing forward, found his chum had turned the cot over, and
seemed to be working swiftly at something.
"What have you found, Tom?" he asked.
"As luck would have it, Jack, this cot has a rope under the mattress in
place of the usual spring. And it seems to be a good stout rope in the
bargain, I'm glad to tell you."
"Now I get you, Tom! Good! We can slip down that way."
"If the rope turns out to be long enough. I can put Helene in your arms
and drop you down. Then I can follow. I'd rather go about it some other
way, but with this locked door we haven't any choice."
"Why, I think it a cracking good scheme," said Jack.
"Listen!" exclaimed Tom. "Doesn't it strike you that there's talking
going on outside now?"
"You're right," agreed the other, almost immediately. "I do believe
those Hun officers are making a move at last. Now there's going to be
some fun let loose when they find that both cars are shy on gas."
"That may be," muttered Tom. "But I wish they'd chosen to hang on for
just another half hour. I'd ask nothing better. Helene, how are you
getting on, child?"
"I am almost ready, m'sieu," came back in a childish voice that quite
thrilled Jack's heart. "I have only to slip my shoes on now and then I
shall be ready."
Jack followed his chum over to the window, for by this time the entire
rope had been secured from the cot. Tom tested its strength as well as
he was able, and found reason to believe it was stanch enough to bear a
double burden if necessary.
Loud talking now came from in front of the chateau. Evidently the
general had gone out to see his guests off. The chauffeurs could be
heard cranking their cars desperately, sounds which gave Jack
considerable delight. Apparently their ill success had already begun to
arouse suspicions in the minds of the two drivers that something was
amiss, for the cranking suddenly ceased, and the watchers from the upper
window of the chateau could see feeble lights moving about.
These they knew were matches held by the soldiers while they looked over
the motors of their cars. After darkness had come again loud cries arose
to tell that the alarming discovery had been made that tanks which the
chauffeurs swore had contained a fair amount of petrol at the time they
drew up before the chateau, were now most mysteriously empty!
The officers chimed in with expletives that came splutteringly from
their lips, so that altogether it was a scene of confusion and
excitement which was taking place in front of the old building. One
particularly rasping voice Jack fancied must belong to the general
himself. He pitied those two wretched chauffeurs, who would be apt to
feel the displeasure of their superiors in some way altogether
unpleasant.
What the outcome of the affair might be Jack had no idea, nor did he
care a particle. All he asked was to be given a chance to make off with
Helene while the row was in progress. Once they reached the waiting
plane, he felt they could snap their fingers at not only General von
Berthold but the entire Hun army as well.
Jack wondered whether this sudden outbreak, and the change in conditions
in front of the chateau, would make any difference with Tom. Fortunately
that tree afforded partial shelter, and besides, those on the road had
but meagre means for striking a light, so it seemed reasonably safe for
them to proceed.
"Be brave, Helene," Jack said in her ear, as Tom passed the rope out of
the window, having meanwhile fastened one end to an anchorage inside the
room. "It is for Jeanne's sake, remember. Do not be afraid that I will
let you fall. And above all things keep from crying out, or he will hear
you and hold you with him always. Will you let me take you in my arms,
Helene?"
"Oh, yes, yes! I am not afraid. See, m'sieu, I can put my arms about
your neck this way, and clasp you tight. For Jeanne I would do anything!
You will not hear me say one word, no matter what happens, m'sieu!"
CHAPTER XXIV
TOM KEEPS HIS WORD
THE air service boys did not hesitate.
Tom had mapped out the course, to which Jack had agreed, and they were
ready to undertake the task set before them.
Tom hastened to help lift the little girl, so that his chum might get a
firm clasp with one arm around her. He also knew that Helene's
instinctive action in clinging to Jack's neck would greatly assist
matters.
Now Jack was sliding down. Tom's heart seemed to be in his throat with
suspense. Would the rope hold? He hoped age had not weakened the
strands, so that a sudden extra strain might cause it to part. Still he
had tested as best he could. It would hold--it must hold.
The seconds slipped by, though if Tom's feelings had been consulted they
might be said to drag; for it seemed an age before he knew that Jack had
safely landed by the sudden slackening of the rope.
How eagerly did Tom clamber over the window-sill and start downward! It
was a mere nothing to him, accustomed to all sorts of athletic action.
He quickly found himself alongside the crouching figure of Jack, who
still held the child in his arm as if to reassure her.
Louder than ever came the babel of voices from the road. The officers
had, it seemed, finally come to believe what the chauffeurs were saying.
Some unknown prowler had stolen their petrol while they waited for the
coming of their officers. The thought was demoralizing. The loud, sharp
whistle that now came to the ears of the air service boys must mean a
general alarm. There must be a body of troops in camp somewhere back of
the chateau. These would be quickly on the scene, ready to scour the
whole neighborhood, in the hope of ferreting out the spy who had been
trying to discover the subject of the consultation, or council of war.
Tom now took the lead. The sooner they made off the better for their
chances of ultimate escape. Delay now might lose them the game, for it
was to be expected that with the alarm once given all avenues of escape
would be closed, and a cordon of troops thrown around the chateau, in
hope of enmeshing the prowler.
This getting away required some clever work, because if they were
discovered it would be next to impossible to slip through, with Helene
to be carried, for of course the child could not run fast enough. Jack
clasped the child in his arms and followed close on Tom's heels.
Dodging, and taking advantage of such cover as presented itself they
succeeded in passing beyond what seemed to be the danger point. If
equally successful in eluding any soldiers who might be running toward
the chateau in response to the imperative summons of the general, they
could call themselves lucky indeed.
"Somebody coming ahead there, Tom!" gasped Jack suddenly, as he caught
the hasty patter of footsteps.
"Into these bushes, and get down on all fours!" Tom ordered, setting the
action himself.
Hardly had they succeeded in leaving the road and concealing themselves
in this way than several bounding figures came into sight. They were
German soldiers without doubt, their spiked helmets could be seen and
also the glitter of guns in their hands could be caught.
Once they had rushed past, Tom again took to the road. The danger from
such sudden encounters was great, but there was no other way for them to
proceed. And in order to escape it was necessary that they reach the
cemetery where the big bombing plane awaited their coming.
Once again did they have a thrill. This was when a figure crashed out
of a thicket without warning, and came face to face with them. He, too,
was a soldier, who had possibly taken a short cut through the thickets
in order to reach the road the sooner.
He uttered a startled exclamation. With the shrill sound of the alarm
whistle still echoing through the valley below, of course his suspicions
would be aroused by seeing two figures clad in the garments of aviators,
and bearing away with them the child he, in common with his fellows, may
have noticed playing near the chateau on sunshiny days.
His actions were so hostile that Tom, acting instantaneously, gave him a
blow with the weighty club he had picked up a moment before.
It must have been a well-aimed blow, for the soldier fell in a heap, and
his helmet rolled on the ground.
Jack, unable to resist the temptation to gather in the spoils as a
souvenir of the event, snatched this metal headgear up. Then he rushed
headlong after Tom, who was making off down the slope at full speed.
Just as Jack, still carrying Helene, but making good time, overtook his
chum, he heard a fearful shouting back of him. Jack ground his teeth
with rage, for he could easily guess what it all meant. The soldier who
had been attacked must have recovered quickly. He was now running in the
direction of the chateau and shouting in German.
While, of course, Jack was not able to tell exactly what it was he
yelled, he could give a guess that it meant:
"Here they are! This way everybody. The French dogs are here!"
Of course that would mean immediate pursuit. It complicated the
situation, too, because even though they were fortunate enough to gain
the country cemetery before the searching party came up, they might be
prevented from getting away.
It was down-grade, and that helped a little, if Jack could only hold
out. The little girl was no light weight, and carrying such a burden was
apt to delay even a good runner like Jack, who was already getting short
of breath. But Tom could get the airplane ready to make a quick start as
soon as Jack and his burden should reach the cemetery.
The sounds continued to break out in their rear.
They had now reached the bottom of the ridge, Tom well in advance. The
level valley lay before them. But it seemed to Tom, on glancing back,
that his chum was staggering under the strain, so he called out:
"Here, what's the matter with my spelling you, Jack. It isn't fair to
make you the burden-bearer, when I'm so willing to help. Give me the
child, and let me carry her awhile. We'll make better time if you do."
There was more or less force in the suggestion advanced; so Jack thrust
little Helene into Tom's waiting arms. She did not hesitate to clasp his
neck, even as she had done Jack's, an action which endeared her to Tom,
less prompt than Jack to answer to the appeal of childhood.
After this they seemed to make better time, and Jack also had a chance
to recover his wind. There could be no doubt about their being pursued,
for they could hear loud shouts bursting forth every half minute.
Presumably General von Berthold had by this time realized that his plan
with regard to realizing a fortune some day through little Helene and
the rich iron deposits on the property that would come to her, were in
danger of going astray. Doubtless, also, he had offered an incentive to
the soldiers in the shape of a money bonus, in case they recovered the
child. Jack imagined he could hear the harsh voice of the commander
raised above the tumult from time to time, which would indicate that he
himself led the pursuit.
But here at last they were at the place where the smaller road left the
main one, and entered the country burial grounds.
How fortunate that they had made all their arrangements beforehand! What
if the mending of the leaking reservoir had been left until their return
with Helene! Small chance they would have in that case of effecting
their escape with the aroused Hun soldiers scouring the country in
search of them.
Just then another thing came to pass that caused Jack's heart to feel as
though a cold hand had been pressed down on it. From above came a