by E. J. Craine
CHAPTER VI
STRIKING A BLOW FOR LIBERTY
"Climb, Tom! Climb in a hurry!"
Jack Parmly shrilled these words close to the ear of his chum. Really,there was no need of his saying a single word, since the pilot had sensedtheir immediate danger just as quickly as had Jack himself. Already Tomwas pulling the lever that would point the nose of their aerial craftupward toward the stars, and take them to a much loftier elevation.
The experience was very exciting while it lasted, Jack thought. He sawthe numerous planes, forming the raiding squadron break formation ingreat haste, each pilot being eager to dodge the bursting shells and seekan elevation where they could not reach his flimsy craft.
It would take only one accidental shrapnel shell to cause the destructionof the best machine among them, and thus reduce the number of availableairmen serving the cause of liberty.
For a brief interval the explosions continued to sound all around them.But presently Jack was enabled to breathe easily again. They had climbedbeyond the range of the German guns, no matter how heavily charged; and,besides this, they sped along rapidly, so that the Hun lines were soonleft behind.
"Trouble's past. Admiral signaling keep on this level, Tom!" called outthe observer.
"Got you, Jack!" came the answer, heard above the rushing noises that"made the welkin ring," as Jack told himself.
The firing ceased as the German gunners realized, to their chagrindoubtless, that again their intended prey had eluded them. They must haveset those anti-aircraft quick-firers of theirs in fresh elevatedemplacements after the Yankees had taken the measure of their power to doharm; but the trap, if such it was intended to be, had failed to catch asingle victim.
"Did they get any of our crowd?" Tom called out, feeling considerableuneasiness as to the result of the bombardment.
"Never touched us," he was immediately assured by the observant Jack."All the same it was a smart trick, and somebody's bound to be hauledover the coals on account of the blunder."
"Yes," admitted Tom, speaking loud so as to be heard above the roar ofthe numerous planes around them, "because it might have played hob withthe squadron, and even ruined the success of the whole expedition."
After that they relapsed into silence. It was exceedingly difficult totry to keep up any sort of conversation while going at such a furiouspace through the upper air currents. Besides, the night was cold at suchan elevation, and consequently both boys had their heads well muffledup, making use of hoods with goggles for the purpose. They also woregloves on their hands, as well as heavy sweaters under theirleather-lined coats.
The formation, in a way, reminded Jack of many a flock of wild geese thathe had seen flying north or south over Virginia in their spring andautumn migrations. In the lead went the battleplane containing thesquadron commander, forming the apex of the triangle, and showing a fieryred eye in the shape of an automobile rear light as a rallying point forall the other machines.
Then the seven other battleplanes sank away from the apex, three on oneside and four on the other, that of the Air Service Boys being the one tothe rear of all the rest.
Flying two and two abreast, and guarded on both sides by those sturdyfighting craft came the four huge bombers, each heavily laden with themost destructive of explosives. They, too, could show teeth if corneredand compelled to depend on their own defensive powers; for each of themcarried a machine gun, of which the observer had been trained to makegood use, just as he must know how to drop his bombs successfully whenthe proper instant arrived.
All seemed quiet just at present, but none of those guiding the aerialracing craft deceived themselves with the belief that this could lastlong. It went without saying that the Huns must realize the necessity forguarding the important bridge across which their beaten armies wereflocking day and night in constantly increasing numbers. Unless the gunscould be taken across in safety, they stood to lose many of their bestbatteries.
Consequently they would be apt to assemble a flotilla of fighting planesin that vicinity, ready to soar aloft and give furious battle to anyAllied squadron venturesome enough to make the attempt at destruction.
If the blowing up of the bridge could only be accomplished, the sacrificeof a few planes with their crews might be counted a cheap price to payfor the great benefits reaped.
The minutes passed, and all the while the raiders were drawing nearer andnearer their intended goal. Every pilot and observer in that squadron hadbeen carefully selected with a view to his fitness for the gigantic taskthat had been laid out for accomplishment.
There would be no hesitation when the eventful moment came, since nonewas present save those who had been tried in the furnace of battle andfound to be fine gold, eighteen carat pure. Such a thing as flinchingwhen the test came was not to be considered; they would carry throughtheir appointed tasks or fall while in the endeavor, paying the price theairman has ever had dangled before his eyes.
Jack was using his night-glass, and he now broke out with a cry.
"We must be getting close to the bridge, Tom! I can see flickeringlights darting about, and I believe they must be planes rushing upinto the air!"
"Like as not they've been warned of our coming by the row we're making,"replied the pilot, in a shout. "Then again those Huns along the linewould send word back, for they must know what we're aiming at. It's allthe same to us. We came out after action, and we'd be terriblydisappointed if we didn't get a lot of it."
Then came signals from the leading plane. Closer formation was the rulefrom that time forward, since the bombers must be amply protected inorder to allow their gunners an opportunity to get to work with thosefrightful explosives and hurl them at the place where the bridge wassupposed to lie.
Both boys began to feel their pulses thrill with eagerness, as well asexcitement. Looking down, Jack could detect moving lights, the source ofwhich he could only speculate upon. Then came a flash which must mark thedischarge of the first anti-aircraft gun. The enemy was showing exceedingnervousness, for as yet the leading American plane could not be anywherewithin range.
With the burst of shrapnel there came a realization that the gunnersbelow were only trying to get their range. The whole pack would breakloose in another minute or less; but Jack had reason to believe theiraltitude was such as to render the fusillade harmless.
Then down below he saw a sudden brilliant flash. That must mark thefalling of a flaming bomb, dropped from one of the big planes in order toget a lead on their location. Jack believed he had even glimpsed thebridge itself in that brief interval. How the prospect thrilled him!
Tom, on his part, had little opportunity to observe anything that wastaking place earthward. His duty lay closer at hand, for he knew that aswarm of fighting Gothas had started up to engage the attacking squadron,and realized that one or more of these hostile aircraft might suddenlyappear close at hand, bent on bringing about their destruction.
Besides, constant vigilance was the price of safety in other particulars.With almost a dozen of their own planes speeding through space, a falsemove on the part of a careless pilot was apt to bring about a collisionthat could have only one result.
Jack made a discovery just then that caused him to cry out.
"The signal, Tom! We are to drop down and give the bombers a betterchance to get there. No matter what the cost, we've got to reach thatbridge to-night!"
Already Tom was changing the course. They had begun to swing lower, eachunit of the attacking squadron in its appointed place. A brief intervalfollowed, and then came the bursting shrapnel again around them, whilefrom several quarters close by hovering German planes commenced usingtheir machine guns, to be answered by the challengers in like manner.
