CHAPTER XV
A BIT OF SCIENCE
As Jimmie announced the willingness of the two lads to accompany theGerman forces he was looking straight at Dave. The lad from theNorthwest thought he caught the slightest tremor of Jimmie's eyelid,but was not positive. However, acting on the assumption that he wascorrect and that Jimmie had some purpose in declaring in so positive amanner his intentions, Dave thought best to offer no remonstrance.
With senses keenly alert the two boys watched closely the actions ofthe group of officers and soldiers about them.
Their stay in this place would be short, for it would not take long tochange engines and have the troops moving westward again. A secondsection of the train was following closely. The boys knew that no timewould be lost by those in charge of the movement of troop trains.
Therefore they were especially anxious to discover some means ofescape, if possible. None, it seemed, presented itself.
Hedged round by a ring of soldiers who were fully armed, the boys couldsee others at a short distance patrolling the station grounds. An openspace of some considerable area was occupied just now by small groupsof soldiers who had left the train by permission and were walking aboutfor exercise. Electric lights were mounted on poles to giveillumination to the grounds.
The Kaiser and his party again resumed their interrupted progresstoward the rear of the train, leaving an officer with the boys.
"What are they waiting for, Jimmie?" asked Dave, peering about.
"Search me," replied the red-headed lad. "They've got the enginecoupled on, I guess, and I'm ready to go."
"Do you mean to go all the way to Verdun?" asked Dave anxiously.
"Not on your photograph done in oils," responded Jimmie with more vigorthan elegance. "We shake this bunch as soon as a chance comes!"
"Right-o!" was Dave's rejoinder. "That's what I say, you know."
"I don't know where the other boys have gone by this time, but it's acinch that they won't stray far from the line of railroad if theirgasoline holds out. If we can drop off between stops we can signalthem and maybe they'll find us. It ought to be easy."
"You jolly well keep up your spirit," said Dave admiringly. "I ratherthink, don't you know, that I'm fortunate in finding you boys. It'llbe something to remember when I get back home."
"Thanks," returned Jimmie. "It's a good thing we can say the same. Itisn't often we meet up with fellows as full of grit as you."
"I haven't done anything at all yet," replied Dave modestly. "In fact,I only made a bally mess of what I attempted. But you wait--"
"Listen!" commanded Jimmie, interrupting what Dave was about to say.
"I'm listening, don't you know," replied Dave.
"What do you hear?" asked The Wolf, with his head on one side.
"Why, bless my heart, it sounds quite like the exhaust of a motor. NowI wonder what it can be. It's a petrol motor, too!"
"I know what it is!" Jimmie almost cried out loud. "It's an airship!"
"Can it be the boys coming back after us?" questioned Dave doubtingly.
"That doesn't sound like the exhaust from the Eagle," protested Jimmiewith a shake of his head. "She's got a dandy muffler."
Others of the party beside the train were now observing the noise thatthe lads had noticed. An officer dashed across the open space on whichthe soldiers were exercising. Running up to the group in which theKaiser walked, he saluted gravely and reported the circumstance.
Nearer and nearer came the sound. At length it appeared directlyoverhead. Looking up, the boys could faintly make out a great grayform at some distance above the train. For an instant only itappeared, to vanish the next instant in the darkness. The clamor ofthe motors, however, was not diminished.
"He's going to land near here," whispered Jimmie, grasping Dave's armin his excitement. "We'll soon see who and what he is."
The boy's prediction was correct. For a short time the aviator circledabout the station, evidently searching for a suitable place in which tomake a landing. In another moment it was seen clearly that he intendedto land as near the station as possible.
Of all the observers none was more interested than the two Boy Scoutsso strangely thrown into the company of this train load of fighting menand their emperor. Jimmie was the first to discover the pilot'sintentions. Grasping Dave's arm, he dragged the other a short distanceaway from the spot, to be clear of the descending plane.
A switch engine was bringing up a coach to attach it to the rear of thetrain. The coach was evidently intended for the use of the Kaiser, forit was stopped exactly opposite the little party surrounding him.
At a signal from the man whom the whole German army worshipped theengine moved the coach a short distance down the track while theemperor and his staff gave their attention to the daring aviator.
"Geewhillikins!" exclaimed Jimmie breathlessly. "Those fellows betterlook out a little or they'll get run over!"
It truly appeared as if this contingency were about to occur, for thesoldiers made no attempt to clear the tiny parade ground. Instead theywaited for the approach of the speeding plane.
In another moment the machine was upon the ground and running alongupon its wheels. Many willing hands grasped portions of the frameworkand assisted in bringing the machine to a halt.
Before the task of stopping the aeroplane was fairly accomplished thepilot had leaped from his seat. He approached the group of officersabout the Kaiser with rather unsteady steps and gravely saluted.
The salute was returned by the entire party, who then stood atattention. From the center of the party the Kaiser stepped forward.
A few short, brisk sentences were exchanged between the Kaiser and thestranger who had descended so precipitately from the sky.
"Gee!" exclaimed Jimmie in disgust. "They're talking German, and Ican't understand it at all! What rotten luck!"
"Hush!" responded Dave. "I'm getting a word now and again. Perhaps Ican make out what it is the chap is reporting."
"If you can understand that awful bunch of noises they call a languageyou're going some!" declared Jimmie, half to himself.
"Just a moment now," said Dave. "He's unburdening himself of a longtalk about the movement of some troops, I take it. Now he is saying,"the boy went on, "that he has seen or some one has seen a strangeaeroplane near here. It is supposed to be one of the French machinesthat has somehow got past the lines and is scouting."
"Let him report that stuff all he wants to," was Jimmie's comment in anuninterested manner. "We should worry a lot about that!"
"But suppose it is the Eagle he has sighted?"
"Ah!" was the lad's quick ejaculation. "It can't be the Eagle."
"Why not?" asked Dave. "Isn't it entirely possible?"
"Well, come to think of it, you are right. It might be the Eagle hehas seen and is reporting. What can we do to stop him if he shouldtake a soldier or two with him now and start out to plug the little oldEagle and her crew full of bullet holes?"
"I can't imagine, you know," was Dave's puzzled reply, "unless weprevent his getting away at all. I don't see how that is to be done.'"
A sudden resolve came to the red-headed lad as he pondered over thesituation. Glancing quickly about to observe whether the two wereunder surveillance, he drew from his pocket several small objects.
"Stay just about here, Dave," he said. "I'm going over to the machineand see what I can do to fix it so they can't run very well. If I'msuccessful it may mean that we can save the boys on the Eagle. If I'mcaught at it I'll take part in a little shooting-fest myself, and I'llact the part of the shootee. Keep your eyes peeled, and if anyonecomes this way put me wise by whistling."
"Don't try anything rash, now," was Dave's remark at this statement."If they catch you doing tricks to their machine it'll go hard."
"I'm going to take a long chance," Jimmie answered, with the peculiarsetting of his jaws that his comrades had learned so well to understandmeant a
resolve that nothing could swerve. "Keep your eyes open."
"But, I say," was Dave's further objection, "it won't do any good todrain his gasoline. There's likely a supply right here and he canreload in a few minutes. Use all your caution, Jimmie!"
"All right, I'll use all my caution and something else," was the answeras the lad moved slowly toward the aeroplane, as if to casually examinethe rigging out of a boy's natural curiosity.
For some moments Dave stood fairly torn by his emotions. He wasfearful that Jimmie would be discovered meddling with the mechanism andthat the consequences of such discovery would be dire.
Glancing alertly from side to side, the lad stood at his post in afever of excitement. He strove to keep his hands from trembling. Hisknees seemed scarcely able to support the weight of his body.
Presently the group of officers about the Kaiser seemed to havequestioned the aviator to their complete satisfaction, for severalturned and walked down the track toward the coach waiting for the useof the Kaiser. Others walked briskly away across the parade ground,while the aviator himself and the Kaiser walked together along thetrack toward the aeroplane that had brought the man to earth.
Dave was about to signal Jimmie that danger was near, when he saw thatthe lad was coming back. So interested were the aviator and hisauditor in the conversation that was going on that they apparently didnot notice the boy leaving the vicinity of the machine.
Jimmie joined Dave with an air of extreme boredness.
"What did you do, Jimmie?" asked Dave breathlessly.
"I fixed his clock, all right!" was the answer. Jimmie pointed to oneof the electric lights swinging from a pole not far away.
"See that electric light?" he asked. "Well, that's the greatestinvention of man. Without it the whole world would lose lots of time."
"What has that to do with the aeroplane?" asked Dave wonderingly.
"Nothing. I just wanted to get your mind off the subject. You'retrembling like a leaf," answered Jimmie. "If they see you it'll be adead give-away. Can't you stop shaking so? What's the matter?"
"I'm going to stop. I was just thinking about what would happen to youif they saw you at the machine. I'm all right now."
"You'd better be. If they start any questions, just remember that younever saw an aeroplane nor a Boy Scout in your life."
"There he is now," said Dave, pointing toward the machine.
"He's going to try to make a start," said Jimmie. "But for goodness'sake," the boy went on, "get your mind off it. Look away."
By this time the aviator had reached the machine and was preparing foranother flight. Willing hands had been stretched forth from the crowdof soldiers who had but a moment before ignored the machine entirely,and the plane was turned about and headed away from the station.
A preliminary explosion or two from the motors announced to all thatthe aviator intended leaving the place. Other explosions rapidlysucceeded the first. Then came a silence. The aviator was examininghis machine, evidently seeking for the cause of some trouble.
The exhausts of his motor had been regular, but something had gonewrong, and he was trying to locate the difficulty.
Presently he again started the engine in an effort to warm it up.Becoming impatient at his failure to readily locate the cause of theuneven running of his motor, the aviator turned on full power.
For an instant the clatter of the motor drowned all other sounds.Throughout the roar of the exhaust the sharp ears of the two boys coulddiscover a strange vibration that told of trouble.
Before they could again turn to examine the aeroplane that had beenwheeled along the ground for some distance, there came a crash,followed by a rending, tearing sound. Then all was still again.
As Jimmie and Dave turned they saw the aeroplane lying a wreck, torn byits own propellers.