by E. J. Craine
CHAPTER XIV
OFF ON A DARING MISSION
The two air service boys fell to talking earnestly concerning what theyshould take with them, and how to study a map which their captain hadpromised to put in Tom's hands immediately.
This was not of the ordinary kind, but so definitely marked for justsuch an emergency that even a novice could probably find his way toMetz, granting that he possessed the necessary qualifications of an airpilot.
Presently a messenger came with a package for Tom. This proved to be thechart from the commander of the air squadron. Tom was to make as good acopy as was in his power, for the original was too valuable to risklosing.
Jack understood that there were several reasons for having Tom do this.In the first place his work on the chart would familiarize the youngaviator with its every detail, and fix things firmly in his mind. Thenagain, if they were lost, and never returned, the priceless chart fornight voyaging over the enemy's lines would be at least safe.
Daring men had gone forth on similar desperate errands before then, andhad never been heard from again. It is the fortune of war. Those whoindulge in enterprises that border on the sensational must always expectto sup with deadly peril.
When the evening meal was announced the two chums were already deep inthe work. Of course not a whisper of their intended mission was breathedat the table. No one dreamed of their contemplated trip. The customarychatter and good-natured badinage flowed during the whole supper-time.While some of the American aviators had received wounds in recentengagements there had been no chair vacant for some little time now; andhence no gloom rested on the escadrille. From the table the boys againwent to their room.
"How far is Metz from Verdun?" asked Jack, as they labored to completetheir preparations for departure.
"Not over forty miles, I should say, as the crow flies, Jack. I've neverbeen over the route, but it can be measured on this copy of the map."
"And that's the direct line we expect to cover, of course?"
"We'll head due east."
"And as it'll be densely dark when we start I guess we needn't mount toten thousand feet to pass over the enemy lines, eh, Tom?"
"There'll really be little need," came the reply, showing that the pilothad already figured all this out. "At the same time we ought to keep farenough out of range to avoid being struck by stray shrapnel."
"Will they bombard us, do you think?" demanded Jack.
"Oh, that's to be expected," said Tom indifferently. "You see the menwho man the anti-aircraft guns are constantly on the alert. They'rebound to hear the whirr of our propeller as we pass over, no matter howhigh we soar. The searchlight will spot us out, and then they'll dotheir best to make things uncomfortable for the pair of us. But thechances are ten thousand to one against our being hit."
"You said our course would be due east, didn't you?"
"I'll change that assertion a bit, Jack; we start east after we're wellacross the front, and away from the dazzling searchlight business. Inthe beginning we'll point the nose of our big machine toward the north."
"So as to deceive the watchers, of course," remarked Jack.
"That's what the game is."
Jack's eyes sparkled. He was always proud of his chum's clever reasoningpowers, and believed Tom could hold his own with any one with regard tomapping out a promising plan.
Their preparations completed, the two air service boys lay down tosecure a little rest. As they were not to start until some time aftermidnight, Tom believed they should secure a few hours of sleep. The moonwas a late one, and would not rise, even with a midnight start, untilthey were well back of the enemy lines.
An alarm-clock aroused them at the appointed time. Tom immediatelyshoved the noisy thing under his blankets before it could wake up theentire house, and set people wondering what was happening that any oneshould want to be aroused at such an unseemly hour.
It was terribly black outside. Jack pressed his nose against the windowand took a look, even while hurriedly finishing his dressing. Tom hadtaken the precaution to put a fresh battery in his little hand electrictorch, which he believed would prove to be worth its weight in gold.
Arriving at their destination, the boys quickly found their two-seateraircraft awaiting their coming. Quite a crowd stood around, and madeguesses concerning the possible reason for the captain's order that thisplane should be made ready for a journey, with enough supplies ofgasolene and oil aboard to cover any ordinary emergency.
Tom took no chances. He believed the attendants had faithfully carriedout all directions, but to make doubly sure he looked over thingshimself. It was his life and Jack's that were at stake, and not those ofthe attendants; so he persisted in testing this and that thing until hefelt certain everything was as it should be.
"Is it time we started, Tom?" asked his companion, when this procedurehad resulted satisfactorily.
"We'll wait just ten minutes more," he was told. "I've figuredeverything down to a fraction, and expect to proceed by clock-work. Wewant to be well over the line before the moon peeps up. After that wecan loaf a bit, and let the old lady get a little way above the horizon.That's so we may have the benefit of her light when we want to land."
The minutes passed slowly. Meanwhile the crowd increased, every man whochanced to be abroad at that hour of the night gathering to see the twoAmericans start on their mysterious errand. All sorts of guesses wereindulged in, many of them of the wildest character. Jack hearing some ofthis talk, which he half understood, was convulsed in silent laughterover the remarkable ideas that seemed to possess the minds of thoseFrench mechanicians and hostlers.
Finally Tom stood up.
"It's time!" he said simply, and Jack understood without any furtherexplanation. He at once proceeded to climb into his seat and completehis simple preparations for the work in hand, being already fullydressed in his fur-lined garments, and with his warm hood and goggles inplace.
A minute afterwards Tom called out the word that started the propellerswhirling. The motor took up the refrain, and hummed merrily, as thoughglad to be busy again. Then they were pushed along for a start,gathering momentum so quickly that the mechanicians dropped back towatch the dark object vanish almost wholly from their sight along thelevel field.
Both boys noticed the great difference between this two-seater and theirown active little Nieuports. How clumsy this machine was, and how slowto answer to the call of the pilot! Yet it would be far better for theirpurpose than two of the small aircraft, since it allowed them to betogether.
The few lights of the aviation field near Bar-le-Duc had faded almostentirely out of sight by the time Tom turned to the north and headed forVerdun. True, he might have pointed the nose of the airplane directlyeast, and saved considerable distance, but there were good reasons fornot doing this.
To cross the German lines further south would surely convince theTeutons that the aviators were heading for the vicinity of Metz, whichwas just what Tom did not wish to have happen. Then again, his chartcovered only the direct line between Verdun and the fortified city ofLorraine that forty-odd years back had been French territory, before theGermans seized it as spoils after the war that made France a republicfor the third time.
