Air Service Boys over the Atlantic; Or, The Longest Flight on Record

by E. J. Craine

  CHAPTER II

  THE RESCUE

  The rat-tat-tat of gunfire suddenly ceased. Jack could no longer coverthe spot where the two Huns were hiding behind the tree-trunks, andconsequently it would be a sheer waste of ammunition to continue firing.

  But already Tom had commenced to circle, and soon they would be swoopingdown upon the scene from another direction. Jack kept on the alert, so asto note quickly any possible movement of the enemy.

  Again he poured a hot fire on the place where he knew the Germans werecowering, tearing up the ground with a storm of bullets as though it hadbeen freshly harrowed. But the sturdy trees baffled him once more.

  "Nothing doing, Tom!" he called out, vexed. "We've got to drop down andgo it on foot if we want to save that pilot!"

  "I see a good landing place!" announced the other almost instantly.

  "Great luck! get busy then!"

  The ground chanced to be unusually smooth, and the plane, after bumpingalong for a short distance, came to a stand. Meanwhile, both young fliershad succeeded in releasing themselves from their safety belts.

  Together they jumped to the ground and started on a run toward the spotwhere those crouching figures had last been seen. Of course, the Hunsmust already know of their landing and would be ready to defendthemselves, if not to attack; but, nothing daunted by this possibility,the pair pushed ahead through bushes and past trees.

  "Better separate, and attack 'em from two different angles, hadn't we,Tom?" panted Jack presently, as a shot was heard and something clipped atwig from a bush within a foot of his hand.

  "Take the left, and I'll look after the right!" snapped out Tom.

  Both were armed with automatic pistols, for airmen can never tell whentheir lives may depend upon their ability to defend themselves, and soseldom make a flight without some such weapon in their possession.

  "They're on the run!" cried Jack, in a tone of disgust; for he had reallyhoped to have a further brush with the skulking enemy.

  He sent several shots in their direction whenever he caught glimpses ofthe bounding figures, but without much hope of striking either of them.Still, they had undoubtedly accomplished the business in hand, which wasto save the Yankee pilot.

  "He's over this way, Jack," observed Tom, moving to the right stillfurther, after being joined by his comrade. "I can see the opening wherehe must have struck. The Hun flier didn't bother to follow him down andfind out if he'd made a count. He may have been here for some time."

  "I see him now," continued Jack eagerly. "And it strikes me there'ssomething familiar about his looks. Yes, we've met that pilot before,Tom. It's Lieutenant Colin Beverly, one of the cleverest Yankee aces ofthe newer squad."

  The aviator had already discovered the Air Service Boys' presence.Doubtless all that had occurred had been noted by him as he sat, waitingfor anything that might happen; and the swoop of the American plane, aswell as Jack's firing, had of course told him help was near.

  "He's waving his hand to us," continued Jack, answering in kind.

  "Keep your gun ready for business," warned the other, inclined to be morecautious. "There may be other Huns prowling around, because we're notfar from their lines, you understand."

  A minute afterwards they reached the pilot of the wrecked bomber.

  "Hello, fellows!" was his familiar greeting, as he thrust a hand outtoward them. "Glad to see you, all right. They were after me, just as Isuspected. My observer was wounded in the arm, but went for help. As forme, save for a few scratches, I made the fall in great luck. But I'mstill crippled from that other accident. Just got out of hospital a weekago. They tried to keep me from going up, but I'd have died only for thepermission."

  Colin Beverly they knew to be one of the liveliest fliers then serving inthe American ranks. He had gained a name for daring second to none. Earlyin his service he had won a reputation, and was already a double ace;which meant that he was officially credited with at least twelvevictories over enemy fliers.

  Tom and Jack had met him a number of times previously, and there hadalways been a strong attraction between the three. Lieutenant Beverly wasone of fortune's favorites in so far as worldly riches went, since he hada million at least to his credit, it was said.

  He had enlisted as soon as the United States entered the war, and hadchosen aviation as his branch of the service, since it offered hisventure-venturesome, almost reckless, spirit a chance for action. He hadhad numerous escapes so narrow that his friends began to believe somemagical charm must protect him.

  As he had mentioned when speaking to them on their arrival, his closestcall had sent him to the hospital with a fractured bone in his left leg;and even when discharged as cured he really should not have returned tothe harness; only, those in authority found it difficult to keep such anenergetic soul in check.

  "Those chaps will come back with more of their kind, I reckon," Tomremarked. "They've made up their minds to get you, Lieutenant, andwhen a Hun is bent on a thing he keeps on trying. We can take youalong with us."

  "I hate to desert the bus," complained the other, giving his wreckedplane a wry look. "But then what's the use of sticking it out? Chancesare we'll be through the mess before they ever get it in fighting trimagain. Yes, I'll go along, boys, if you'll lend me a shoulder. Gave thatgame leg another little knock in falling; but then, I might have brokenmy neck, so I'm thankful."

  "The Beverly luck again!" chuckled Jack, at which the intrepid fliernodded with kindling eyes.

  "Getting to believe I can carry anything through I care to tackle, for afact, fellows," he remarked, with the same amazing confidence that hadtaken him along so many times in a whirlwind of success.

  They ranged alongside, and he leaned on Tom's arm as he limped off,giving no further heed to the mass of damaged engine, crumpled wood, bentsteel guys, and torn canvas that had once been a powerful bombing plane.

  Jack kept in readiness to meet any attack that might spring up, thoughthey had reason to believe the Huns had temporarily withdrawn from thefield of action.

  "Your friend Harry Leroy dropped in to see me while I was laid up,Raymond," remarked the lieutenant, with a broad grin, as he saw how hiswords caused the color to flash into the bronzed cheeks of the other.

  "Haven't seen Harry for some time," Tom replied, his eyes twinkling withpleasure; "but I heard of you through his sister. Nellie said you werethe hardest patient she'd ever tackled, because you kept fretting to getout and be at work again."

  "Yes, Miss Leroy was my nurse for a week, and I think I improved moreunder her care than at any other time. She's a fine girl, Raymond."

  "Sure thing, Lieutenant. I ought to know," came the unabashed answer."I've known Nellie for some time, and that was always my opinion. We'regood friends all right."

  "H'm! I guess you must be," chuckled the other. "I wish you could haveseen her look when I mentioned that I knew you well, and liked you in thebargain. I kept talking Tom Raymond a full streak just to watch theblushes play over her face and the light shine in her eyes. Raymond,you're a lucky dog."

  "Here's our plane, and we'll soon be able to get going with such a smoothbit of ground ahead," Tom hastened to remark, though it was easy to seethat what the other said had thrilled him.

  "All aboard!" sang out Jack, after a last quick look around. "No Huns insight, as far as I can see."

  The ascent was easily made, for, as Tom had said, they were favored withan unusually level stretch of ground beyond, over which the plane rolleddecently until the pilot switched his lever and they started to soar.From some place close by an unseen enemy commenced to fire again, butwithout success.

  Once fully on their way, the danger faded out of sight. Again they werespinning through space, with the earth fading below them.

  "Back home, Tom?" called out Jack, and the pilot nodded an affirmative.

  Swiftly they sped, and presently were dropping back to earth at the spotwhence their outgoing flight had started. Here there were evidences ofbustle, with planes comin
g and going all the while. Couriers could beseen on horses or motorcycles speeding away with important news to besent from the nearest field telephone station in touch with divisionheadquarters.

  The landing was made without incident, though curious glances were castin their direction. Many knew that Tom and his chum had made their ascentwithout a third passenger, and the presence of Lieutenant Beverlyannounced that some sort of tragedy of the air had occurred.

  A number of other pilots swooped down upon them to learn the particulars.As usual they were inclined to be jocular, and greeted the limpingBeverly with a volley of questions, as well as remarks concerning that"luck" of which he had talked.

  "They can't get you, no matter how they try, Beverly," one called out.

  "Another machine to the scrap-heap!" laughingly observed the mostcelebrated of Yankee aces, slapping Colin on the shoulder. "Makes an evendozen for you I understand. Planes may come and planes may go but you goon forever. Well, long may you wave, old chap! Here's wishing you luck.So the boys picked you up, did they? Nice work, all right."

  "Just in time, too," confessed Beverly, "because there were some Huns onthe way to finish me that had to be chased off."

  Tom had been noticing something which he thought a bit strange. It was away Lieutenant Beverly had of looking at him curiously, as if decidingsomething in his mind which had suddenly gripped him.

  "Is there anything else we can do for you, Lieutenant?" he finally asked,when they had left the bevy of pilots and mechanics behind and wereheading toward their quarters; for Tom wished to see the othercomfortable before he and Jack ascended once more.

  "I don't believe there is--at present," the other slowly replied. "Butthis accidental meeting may develop into something worth while; that is,if you chaps would care to join me in a sensational flight."

  At hearing these words Jack began to show a sudden interest.

  "If you know anything about us, Lieutenant!" he exclaimed eagerly, "youought to understand that we've always been willing to tackle any jobcoming our way."

  "This one," continued the other gravely, "promises to be an unusuallydangerous enterprise that if successful, will be sure to win the crew ofthe big bombing plane tremendous honors and perhaps rapid advancement."

  "You're only exciting us more and more by saying that," said Tom."Suppose you explain what it is, and then we could decide whether we'dwant to join you or not."

  "My sentiments exactly," added Jack.

  Lieutenant Beverly looked from one face to the other. He seemed to bementally weighing the chances of his ever being able to run across twomore promising candidates for the honor of sharing his secret than thepair of ambitious lads then in touch with him. As though his decision wastaken he suddenly exclaimed:

  "It's a go, then! I'll let you into my little secret, which so far hasn'tbeen shared by a single living man. Then later on you can decide if youcare to accept the risk for the sake of the glory success would bring, aswell as striking a blow for the flag we all love!"