CHAPTER X.
IN THE AIR.
The boys were busily engaged in disposing of a hearty supper when therecame a knock at the door. Frau Schmidt answered the knock, and, returninga few moments later, placed before Hal an important-looking letter,bearing the official seal of the German government.
Hal opened the document and read.
"Great Scott!" he exploded, after a hasty perusal.
"What's the matter?" demanded Chester anxiously.
"Why, here is an order, commanding us to report to the commandingofficer the first thing in the morning, so that we may be transportedback to Berlin!"
"Berlin! What in the world do we want to go back to Berlin for?"
"We don't; but it looks as though there were no help for it. The lettersays that, after an investigation of our case, it has been decided thatwe shall be sent back to Berlin and that, if we are to be allowed toleave the country, such arrangements must be made by the United Statesambassador."
"Well, what do you think of that!"
"It's too bad," declared Fritz; "but an order is an order. I am afraidyou must go!"
"You poor boys!" exclaimed Frau Schmidt "I can't see why they won't letyou stay here."
"No more do I," declared Hal. "But I guess this letter means business."
"It sure looks like it," said Chester.
"That's what I call pretty tough luck," declared Hal, when the two boyswere alone in their room that night, Fritz and his mother having retired.
"Tough? I should say it is tough," returned Chester. "After all thetrouble we have had getting away from Berlin, then to have to go back.Tough is no name for it."
"Well," said Hal, "I guess there is no use kicking. We ran a good race,but we lost. It's back to Berlin for us."
Suddenly Chester sat bolt upright
"By George!" he exclaimed.
"What's the matter now?" asked Hal in surprise.
"I've an idea."
"Strange," replied Hal, with a smile; "but let's hear it."
"Well, in the first place, you took an airship ride to-day. How didyou like it?"
"Like it? Oh, I liked it all right. Why?"
"You saw Fritz work the thing. Did you get the hang of it?"
Hal jumped to his feet with a subdued exclamation.
"I see what you are getting at!" he declared. "An airship! Why didn't Ithink of it myself?"
"There are only two objections I can see to the plan," said Chester.
"What are they?"
"Well, the first is, can you run the thing without spilling us out?"
"I am willing to take a chance if you are. Fritz explained the workingsof the machine while we were aloft to-day. I am sure I can do it. What isthe second reason?"
"The second reason is that it seems a shabby trick to play on Fritz,particularly after the way he has treated us."
"So it does," agreed Hal slowly, but, after a pause, he added:"However, I believe we had better do it. To me it looks like thesurvival of the fittest."
For a long time the boys debated this point, but the matter was finallysettled when Hal said:
"Well, if we don't, we are likely to be stuck in Germany until the war isover; and there is no telling when that will be."
"As long as we are going to do it, then," returned Chester, "the soonerwe start the better."
"Right," replied Hal. "Let's get busy."
"How are we to get the aeroplane out of the shop? You know the dooris locked."
"Yes, but I know something else, too. I noticed it to-day, and wonderedwhy those men who came after the key didn't take advantage of it."
"What is it?"
"The bolts in the hinges of the door can be lifted out easily, and we cantake the doors off."
"But we must get rid of the two soldiers who keep guard at night."
"We will do that some way, all right."
"Come on, then; let's get started."
Chester opened the door of their room and peered out.
"Coast clear," he announced.
Softly the two boys stole from the room and crept along the hall. Theytip-toed down the stairs, opened the door, and went out with scarcely asound. Outside they stopped. In front of the workshop they could see thetwo guards in conversation.
"We must get to the rear of the shop without being seen," whisperedHal. "When one guard makes his rounds, we must grab him and prevent himfrom making an outcry. We can then dispose of the other. You wait herea minute, while I go back and get a piece of clothes-line, so we cantie them up."
He returned almost immediately with two pieces of rope.
"Careful, now," whispered Hal, as, keeping in the shadow of the house,they made a short detour.
Out of sight of the guards, they made a silent dash for the rear of theworkshop, where they stood, silently awaiting the approach of the guard.
"I hate to do this," whispered Hal, as he heard the footsteps of theguard; "but it has to be done."
As the guard rounded the corner of the shop, Hal struck out. Swift andtrue was the blow; and struck upon the point of the chin, the mancrumpled up without a sound.
The boys bound and gagged him quickly, using their handkerchiefs to stuffinto his mouth. Then silently they ran to the opposite side of the shopand waited the approach of the second guard.
A moment later his footsteps were heard approaching. As he turned thecorner, Hal again struck out swift and true, and the second man went tothe ground. The boys bound and gagged him, and then hastened to the frontof the shop.
As Hal had predicted, the doors were removed with little difficulty, andsilently the lads rolled the huge machine into the open. Hal's experiencewith automobiles had taught him something of engines, so he had littletrouble starting this one. Finding everything in working order, Halclimbed into the driver's seat, and Chester, not without a tremor, tookhis place beside him.
Hal's afternoon experience and his natural aptitude for mechanics nowstood him in good stead. Reaching out he threw over a lever and themachine moved forward. There was a whirring sound as the plane skimmedover the ground. As the machine began to rise, Hal pressed another lever,and they shot into the air rapidly.
So swiftly did they go up that their breath was almost taken away.
"Great Scott!" gasped Chester. "This is more than I bargained for!"
With the lights of the village like pin points below him, Hal, who hadnot for a moment lost his presence of mind, checked the rise of themachine, and headed toward the southwest, gauging his direction by acompass before him, the moonlight luckily permitting him to see.
As the machine settled down to its flight, Chester regained hiscomposure.
"This is more like it," he said. "For a moment I was afraid it was allup with us."
"I was scared for a minute myself," replied Hal. "But you must rememberthis is not my first trip aloft."
"I guess it's all right after you get used to it," was the answer, "butthe way I feel right now, if I ever get my foot on terra firma again I amgoing to stay there."
Hal laughed.
"Oh, you will be all right directly," he said. "For my part, I like it."
"How fast do you suppose we are going?"
"About fifty miles an hour."
"Great Scott! That's going some!"
The machine was skimming at great speed through the air, flying low, asHal did not wish to lose sight of the ground entirely.
"This is high enough for me," he explained. "I might want to go downsuddenly, and I want to see where I am going. Of course, if it isnecessary, we will go higher."
"I guess we might as well fall ten miles as to fall from here," remarkedChester. "If anything went wrong it would be good night for us."
For a time they flew along in silence.
Suddenly there was the sound of a shot from below, and a bullet whizzedby the flying aeroplane.
Hal sent the machine higher into the air with a jump, and Chester let outan exclamation as he was almost thrown from his seat.
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"That was too close for comfort!" cried Hal.
"Well, the next time you decide to shoot up like that, let me knowfirst!" exclaimed Chester. "You almost lost me that time!"
"Hang on tight!" shouted Hal. "You never can tell what will happen withme running this thing, so don't take any chances."
"I'll hang on tight in the future, never fear," was the reply. "What doyou suppose that shot was?"
"Some sentry, I suppose. I guess he knew no machine was supposed to beflying around here. That's probably why he took a shot at us. We wereflying too low, anyhow. We will stay up here, where we can't be so easilyseen or heard."
For some time the boys sailed along without a word, and then, just asChester opened his mouth to ask Hal where he supposed they were, therewas the sound of rushing wings, and, turning in his seat, Chester behelda huge shape rushing after them.
"Speed up, Hal!" cried Chester. "We are pursued!"
Without stopping to ask questions, Hal threw the speed lever over, andthe machine leaped forward like some live thing.
At the same moment there came the crack of a rifle, and, as Hal droppedone arm from the steering wheel the aeroplane rocked crazily and divedtoward the ground.
The bullet had grazed Hal's left shoulder.
With a desperate effort, the lad righted the machine with his one goodarm, and it shot upward again.
"What's the matter?" gasped Chester. "Are you hurt?"
"Hit in the shoulder," replied Hal briefly. "I suppose whoever firedaimed at the machine. I just happened to be in the way, that's all."
"But you can't drive with one arm! Hadn't we better--"
"Can't!" exclaimed Hal. "I've got to!"
At that moment both boys were almost blinded by the glare of a dazzlinglight directly ahead!
Boy Allies at Liège; Or, Through Lines of Steel Page 10
