by E. J. Craine
CHAPTER XX
BORROWED GOODS
AGAIN did Jack pluck at the sleeve of his companion. Remembering hisrecently given promise, however, he waited to have Tom say the firstword before breaking the silence.
"What is it?" asked Tom softly.
"Just made a discovery."
"Let's hear it."
"The old chateau is inhabited, all right," came Jack's assertion. "Tellyou how I know. If you take a peep from here, between these trees,you'll notice that one wing is all lighted up."
"It certainly looks that way for a fact, Jack. The general must behaving company, I should say."
"Maybe other officers have come back here to consult with Von Bertholdabout how to hold the Americans tight," chuckled Jack, as if accordingto his way of thinking they would have all their trouble for theirpains, as there was nothing that the Hun army could attempt capable ofeffecting that end.
"Just as like as not," his chum assented. "And as it's a serioussubject, they're staying late to-night."
"Good reason," chortled the other; "because in three more days old Vonwill have to be vacating his comfy quarters here, and moving back in thedirection of Sedan. Pershing wants this ridge, and means to take it indouble-quick time, once we're out of the Argonne Forest. But do youthink the fact that there's company around will upset our plans, Tom?"
"I'd rather believe it will help us in one way," replied his chum.
"How?"
"In the first place, it's apt to keep the general busy, and we'll knowjust where he is. That'll be worth something to us. Then again, we'vegot to consider how these generals got over here from the fightingfront."
"Oh, they happen to have motor cars they can use," said Jack quickly.Any shortage of gasoline doesn't stop German officers from speedingacross country, especially when on war business.
"Exactly," Tom said drily. "And it's some of their precious petrol thatwe're wanting so badly right now, and to get which you're carrying thatlittle bucket."
At that the other chuckled as if highly amused.
"Well, what a gump I was not to think of that myself," he observed."Why of course we may find a chance to borrow a gallon or two from thereservoir of their car, if only the soldier chauffeur happens to strayaway to get a cold snack in the kitchen of the general's headquarters,or something like that. Tom, it's a peach of a scheme, and so simple!"
"All right, well go ahead then. And close up again, please, unless youhit on another important discovery, when I give you leave to whisper itin my ear."
The advance was resumed. The air service boys now started to climb quitean incline, proving that the road which they had been following latterlymust pass close to the chateau.
Now and then they caught fresh glimpses of the building that stood outin bold relief against the heavens. They also noted that the lightsstill continued to shine in the right wing of the building. This must bethe uninjured part, Jack imagined, if indeed the chateau had been partlywrecked by the Germans before the general took it as his headquarters.
In this fashion they gradually cut down the space separating them fromthe object of their concern. Tom it was this time who made a discovery.He came to a stop, and putting his head close to that of his chumwhispered in his ear:
"We're in great luck, Jack. I can make out two cars standing in theroad before the chateau. The general must be holding a regular councilof war up here, to settle some big matters."
"He'll settle them, all right, believe me," muttered Jack. "But it'llhave to be a scuttle policy. Those Huns are licked, yes, licked good andhard. They're just beginning to know it, too. We're proving too much fortheir backbone to stand. Well, two cars means we're going to have adouble chance to get our little bucket filled with the juice, Tom."
"Seems like it," was all the other allowed to pass his lips, as he oncemore commenced to advance.
They kept to the side of the road. Here trees were growing, and whilethe leaves were coming down fast after a frost, at the same time plentystill remained capable of affording shade in the daytime and makingshadows at night.
Under the trees they could glide along without much danger of detectionin case a sentry had been posted in front of the chateau. Both boyslooked sharply again, striving to find out whether either of themilitary cars had an occupant.
So far as they could see, this did not happen to be the case, althoughcautious Tom would not wholly believe it until he had looked further.Wearied by the long wait, the drivers might have gone to sleep insidethe closed cars.
Like a couple of creeping ghosts the air service boys now advanced. Thecars stood close together, facing the same way, which Jack considered alucky thing for their designs.
Tom pressed him back as if to bid him wait, pail in hand, while he tookupon himself the task of learning what they might expect. Making his wayto the nearest car he peeped in. To his satisfaction there was nooccupant. Repeating his action he ascertained that the second car alsowas empty.
So he gave a low chirp. Jack recognized an old signal, often usedbetween them in days past. It meant he could come on without fear oftrouble. And Jack, eager, as he was, to secure some of the petrol, didnot linger a second longer than was absolutely necessary.
"Let's get busy, Jack," his chum told him, as he came up behind thenearest car. "I'll keep watch, and you try your hand at cribbing some oftheir gas juice."
While Jack did not claim to be an expert at the business of transferringpetrol from one tank to another, or into a gaping vessel, he believed hewould be able to manage. They must get what they needed, if not one way,then through other means. Necessity knows no law, and their very lives,certainly their liberty, was placed in peril by this impotence on thepart of their plane.
Jack kept mumbling softly to himself as he worked. He seemed at first tomeet with considerable difficulty, judging from the tone of hismuttering. In fact, Tom had even turned to offer his assistance when heplainly caught the gurgle of running fluid and immediately sniffed theair strongly impregnated with the odor of petrol.
That told the story. While Jack continued to grumble he was actuallyacquitting himself with credit. So Tom chose not to interfere, butallowed his comrade to finish the work.
Once he thought he heard a gruff voice from somewhere over the wall ofthe chateau. He even feared they would be interrupted by the coming ofthe chauffeurs, who may have received word from their masters that astart was about to be made.
This, however, greatly to Tom's relief, proved to be a false alarm, forno one appeared. But there was Jack muttering again.
"Got every drop of juice this tank holds, Tom, and still not as much asI'd like to carry back. Shall I tackle the other car? I'd like to cleanboth of 'em out while about it, even if I have to waste some. Might saveus heaps of trouble later on, if they were stalled here."
"Please yourself, but hurry above all things," Tom begged him.
"Just getting the hang of things now, and the second one will go a lotbetter than the first," Jack assured him.
Finally the work was accomplished. Jack seemed proud of his ability topurloin the badly needed stock of petrol. He chuckled as he turned toTom to announce that he was through.
"Oh, me! Oh, my! But won't there be a hopping mad crowd around here whenthey find out that their gas tanks are both empty? By then I hope we'llbe merrily on our way to camp, able to snap our fingers at the ragingBoche, and with a little passenger aboard our plane. Back to the gravesfor us it is, Tom. Time for all spooks to climb into their holes againand disappear."
"Keep quiet, can't you, Jack!" whispered Tom. "You'll queer the wholebusiness yet if you don't watch out. Come on, and don't leave a trail ofgasoline to help them follow us."
The air service boys turned their backs on the chateau, but Jack hopedit would be only a temporary absence for them. He was already beginningto worry about something else, and of course could not keep his troublesto himself very long. Consequently when they were about half way back heagain broke out.
"Just hap
pened to think of a thing that's going to bother us some, I'mafraid, Tom," he suggested.
"What now?" demanded the other.
"If we chuck this stuff into our gas tank, why, out she's bound to pourthrough those two holes the bullet made, and that's a fact, Tom."
"Is that all?" asked the other indifferently. "I've got everything handyto repair those holes in almost two shakes of a lamb's tail. You leaveit to me, Jack."
"You better believe I will, and mighty glad of the chance. Why, do youknow, just the idea scared me stiff. But I do remember now that youalways make it a point to carry along several wooden plugs and some waxcalculated to make an air-tight joint. With that outfit you can soonhave the tank plugged so it won't leak a drop. Bully for you, Tom!"
"I should have looked after that before we left the plane," admittedTom. "But the fact was I wanted to take a turn around first; and thenwhen we struck the road it sort of led us on and on. But it's all right,Jack."
