CHAPTER XXIV
A STERN CHASE
"Gee! I'm mighty glad Otto and Fritz came along just as they did tobring us these spark plugs and rifles!" Jimmie announced as the Eaglesoared over the surrounding woods.
"It was rather kind of them," answered Jack. "It looks like we mightneed them, too, if those are German planes up there."
"Wouldn't it be a good idea to rise as high as we can, Ned?" askedHarry. "If we get well up, we'll be able to see where we are and canhave some idea where we are going."
"Up we go," agreed Ned at the levers, as he tilted the planes for anascent. "I'm sure we need to get some idea of our location."
"They see us!" cried Harry, who had been using the binoculars. "Ithink they're both heading toward us now! They're coming fast, too!"
"Let them come!" declared Dave. "If the Eagle lives up to thereputation Jimmie has given her, we'll be able to outdistance them."
"Maybe we would on a straight-away run," agreed Harry, "but we are oneto their two, and they probably have guns aboard."
"What's the chances of landing and meeting them on a more equalfooting?" inquired Jack. "Is that at all possible?"
"It's possible to land," replied Ned, "but I don't think we'd have asgood a chance as we have up here. Look down there and see."
"Where are all the soldiers?" asked Harry, presently. "I can't see asingle soldier anywhere. But," he added, "the guns are fired."
"They are all in bomb-proof trenches or else back of the hilltops,"said Ned. "I believe that those aeroplanes are scouting around to giveword to the gunners whether their aim has been correct or not."
"Well, if this is war," observed Dave, "I'm going to be glad to getback home once more. This doesn't look civilized to me."
"We are headed toward home," replied Jack in an effort to cheer hisfriend. "We'll be out of this in a little while, and then--good-by warand fights and Kaiser and all for one good, long time!"
"We're a long ways from Tipperary yet, boys. Don't crow too soon,"advised Harry, as he trained the glasses on the approaching planes.
"What can you see, Harry?" asked Ned, giving his attention to thelevers. "Are they still heading toward us?"
"That's just what they're doing!" declared Harry. "They're comingfast, too. Can't we coax a little more speed out of this old tub?"
"You speak as if this were a ship in the water," responded Ned. "Iwant you to understand that this is an aeroplane and that it isperforming a most remarkable feat in carrying five boys and two grownmen, besides a quantity of luggage and supplies."
"I guess our ideas were all right, eh, Ned?" said Jack, as he ran anadmiring eye over the rigging of the craft. "It's some boat!"
"It certainly is some boat!" declared Ned. "And I wish--"
"What Ned wished was never known, for at that instant a sharp reportwas heard and a bullet sang its way through the rigging of the Eaglewith a vicious twang that made the boys wince.
"Wow!" was Jack's ejaculation. "That's too close for comfort!"
"May I reply to them?" asked Dave, picking up one of the German riflesthat had been brought aboard. "I think I can get the range."
"I'd rather not shoot too close to them," Ned answered, manipulatingthe levers and valves in an effort to obtain more speed. "Perhaps wecan run away from both. In that case we won't have to shoot any one."
"I think I'll take a crack at their propeller," announced Dave. "MaybeI can send a bullet through that, and if I can it will stop them."
As he spoke Dave took a quick sight, resting the rifle across the rimof the fuselage. A sharp detonation echoed above the hum of themotors. Dave peered eagerly toward the plane at which he had aimed.
"I got 'em, I got 'em!" he announced, slapping his thigh in glee.
"Who did you get?" asked Ned, without turning his head.
"I am sure I winged their propeller!" declared Dave, gleefully. "Iaimed right at the circle in which the blades travel, and I'm sure Isaw splinters from the wooden blades. They're slowing up, too!"
"Sure enough!" cried Harry, peering through the glasses. "You're someshot, Dave. I'll place all my bets on you hereafter!"
"But the other fellow is hot after us!" was Jack's announcement.
"Where are they? And what are they doing?" asked Ned.
"They're coming up fast from the left," said Jack. "I think they'retrying to get over us so as to drop a bomb or so."
"I wish we didn't have these two prisoners with us!" Ned said, as heurged the Eagle to her best paces. "It takes a lot of power to keep upat this altitude when we're carrying so much weight."
"We'll make out all right," responded Jack, encouragingly. "We cantake them along with us and when get across the French lines we'll justdump them down as prisoners of war and let them be exchanged."
"That would be a pretty good scheme," commented Harry. "The only thingI can see to interfere with it is that fellow on our left."
"He won't be able to do much when Dave gets in his work with the rifleagain," cried Jimmie, admiringly. "Dave's the boy!"
"That was a lucky shot, though," protested Dave. "Don't expect everyone to do as much execution as that one did."
"We'll have to take a chance, that's all!" urged Jimmie. "We won't leta little thing like that keep us from trying to make a landing."
"Perhaps not," went on Harry, "but at the same time it is a possibilityand must be considered. Besides," he added, "we're not free from thatfellow over here on our left yet. He's rising."
"Is he going over us?" asked Ned, anxiously. "I can't get much morespeed out of this craft the way we're loaded."
"Yes," replied Harry, training his glasses aloft. "He is trying topass above us. Perhaps he'll drop a bomb on us."
"That's exactly what he's trying to do!" declared Jack. "What can wedo to prevent him? Dave, how about another shot?"
"I'll try," answered the boy, "but I'm not sure. There's considerablevibration here, you know, and I haven't a rest."
Presently he saw that unless he fired soon the other would be out ofreach, and taking a chance discharged the rifle. As he hadanticipated, the bullet went wild and resulted in no damage. Before hecould reload and again take aim the other had passed to a point wherethe upper planes of the Eagle shut off his view.
"Now they'll be able to bombard us to their own pleasure!" declaredJimmie. "Gee, I wish I could climb up above this top plane and take alittle crack at them myself! Can't I get up there?"
"None of that, Jimmie!" ordered Ned. "We have already all the dangerwe can handle without trying such a stunt as that!"
"All right, then, but it would be well to alter our course a bit."
"Here goes!" announced Ned, throwing his weight against one of thelevers controlling the horizontal rudders. "Stand by for a jerk!"
Scarcely had the Eagle swerved sharply from her course before the ladsheard a rushing, whistling sound. Far below on the ground a misslefell. A dull boom came up. A cloud of smoke rising from the spotindicated that the missle had been a bomb remarkably well aimed. Theyrealized that only by a narrow margin had it missed them.
"Plenty close enough," gritted Jimmie between his teeth. "Rise, if youcan, Ned, and give us a chance at them with our guns."
From his seat Ned glanced quickly downward and observed the cloud ofsmoke about the spot where the bomb had landed.
"Give them another one, Dave," he cried, righting the Eagle andaltering the rudders so as to drive the machine higher.
Without waiting for further instructions, Dave seized his rifle againand began firing as rapidly as he could load.
"We're getting over the French trenches now!" cried Harry in a moment."I can see the puffs of smoke from their guns, and the bursting shellsmean that the Germans are getting the range."
"Then we haven't far to go before we are going to be able to land."
"If we can hold this fellow off a while longer we'll be all right."
"Can you see any pla
ce, Harry, that looks like a landing place?" askedNed, anxiously. "We better look for a good spot pretty soon."
Harry turned the glasses to look forward. He swept the horizon witheagerness. Presently he fixed his gaze upon one spot.
"I see another plane coming out to give battle to us and this chap!"
"Look out!" shrieked Jimmie. "See what Fritz is doing!"
The next instant he had thrown himself forward and over the edge.