CHAPTER XIV
A TERRIBLE FIGHT IN THE CLOUDS
The return to the base with only the single mishap alluded to was causefor congratulations, and the lieutenant came in for a large share of thecommendation.
In turn he prepared a special report setting forth the work done by theboys on the eventful journey. He pointed out that Ralph piloted themachine the entire distance, giving him, as the commanding officer ofone division, time to direct the operation of the machines and attend tothe bombs, while he had the pleasure of presenting to the authorities aset of unique photographs taken by Alfred at the very time the bombswere thrown and exploded.
When the roll was called, two days thereafter, the men of the squadronswere lined up, an officer from headquarters passed down the line, and,among other places, halted before the boys, who stepped forward. On thebreast of each was pinned a medal, and as the officer did so he kissedthem on the cheeks, a custom which is faithfully observed, in accordancewith the regulations, whenever a merit order is bestowed.
There was a cheer as the two blushing boys stepped back to the line, andthere were no prouder hearts than theirs as they heard the encomiumsexpressed on all sides for their bravery and devotion to duty. It was apleasure to many other young Americans, who, like them, were volunteersserving in the aviation corps, and many of whom were afterwards alsohonored in like manner.
There was hardly a day that there was not some experience added to theirstore of knowledge pertaining to airships, and the work connected withflying, all of which was performed with efficiency and credit.
But the work which they performed was not all a series of jollyexcursions without the corresponding sorrows. The devotion of LieutenantGuyon to them dated from the time when that brave officer was strickenwhile on a trial flight from the camp at Bar-le-Duc. He never forgot howthey took charge of the machine, and brought it safely to earth andcared for him so tenderly. Thereafter, it was rarely the case that hewent aloft without one or both of the boys in his company.
Shortly after the foregoing events, while the three were performingscout duty north of St. Mihiel, they were attacked by two Germanmachines, an Albatross and a Taube, a combination which, especially whenoperating against a single machine, is capable of doing deadly work.
When the two enemy ships were sighted, Alfred was in the pilot's seat,and under the direction of the lieutenant, the airplane shot forwarddirectly in the path of the first machine, while the lieutenant pouredout a constant storm of shot. The Albatross dived, and Alfred at oncemoved the control to ascend, thus bringing their machine above theTaube.
The object now was to so manoeuver their ship as to keep between the twoenemies, and in doing so make it difficult for either of them to use thequick firers without danger of hitting the other. The Seraph was a rapidclimber, due to the high power of her engines.
"Send her up as rapidly as possible," shouted the lieutenant. "Keep ongoing, and turn slowly to the left, so as to make a big circle; thatwill give me a chance to put in some shots."
Alfred knew the manoeuver, the purpose being to bring the two machinesinto line with each other, and thus enable the lieutenant to get his gunin the range of both machines.
"A little down now, and more to the right; there, steady," was the nextcommand.
"Br-r-r-r-r" sounded the gun, as the officer turned the crank.
"The Taube is going down," cried Ralph excitedly, "and here comesanother of the same kind," continued Ralph.
"Go straight for the second one," shouted the lieutenant, and Alfredknew that the same trick had to be repeated.
But the new arrival did not accept the invitation to fight on the linesthat the first machine adopted. Instead, it began to circle about at asafe distance, endeavoring to secure the overhead position.
"Follow that bird," said the lieutenant, "and keep going. They willlearn something about high flying before they get through with us."
The Albatross was not making much headway in the climbing game. On theother hand, the new Taube was an extraordinary flyer.
"There is only one man aboard of her," said the lieutenant. "Take theglasses, and see if you can make out her number."
Ralph studied the machine for some time. "I am not sure," he said, "butI think it is D 28. No one but the pilot is aboard."
"That's good. He can't hit us head on. Trail him or get ahead of him andkeep on ascending," said the lieutenant, now preparing his rapid firerwith a new charge.
The Taube suddenly swerved to the right, and let loose a full chargefrom his gun. It seemed as though one side of the Seraph had thecovering of the planes ripped off, for the hail of bullets tore rightthrough the frame. Alfred shook his head as he cleared away several bitsof wreckage.
"How high are we?" asked Ralph.
"Two thousand six hundred meters," was the reply.
The lieutenant had his revenge, however, for their own machine was nowcreeping up and gradually getting a rear position. This was what he hadbeen aiming for. The stream of shots from the Seraph's gun now began totell. In one despairing attempt the Taube turned fully half way aroundand answered, but it was evident that something was wrong with the ship.
Suddenly the Seraph darted down. Ralph and the lieutenant looked back insurprise. Alfred's head had dropped to one side, and one arm hung overthe side of the chassis.
The lieutenant leaned over and caught the elevating rudder, not a momenttoo soon, and corrected the machine. Ralph leaned over the side of thebody, and drew Alfred toward him, as the lieutenant climbed into theaviator's seat. All this took but a moment's time, but meanwhile it wasnecessary for them to observe the enemy and avoid him.
"The Taube is falling," cried out Ralph, "but the Albatross is swingingaround."
Before it was possible to correct the machine, and avoid the danger, thegunner of the oncoming aeroplane began to pump, and the shot began totell on the Seraph's framework. The lieutenant now saw that it would bea terrific task to get above the Albatross, so turning the controlrudder sharply, the Seraph made a quick slide below its adversary.
Alfred did not move, and Ralph tried to control himself, for in thegreat excitement attending the above circumstances, he was almostdistracted. He was leaning partly over the body of the machine when thelieutenant saw him crouch forward. He put his hand on the boy and triedto shake him, but there was no response.
Down, down went the machine, still under absolute control of thelieutenant, who turned the machine in a circle in order to be sure tobring it down within the French lines. When within five hundred feet ofthe earth something seemed to go wrong with the steering mechanism. Thelieutenant tugged and pulled the lever back and forth. The machinerefused to move forward in a straight line, and landing while themachine is describing a circular movement is a most dangerous manoeuver.
Both boys were quiet, and the lieutenant feared for the worst. A hundredfeet more and all would be over. In desperation he banked the machine tostop its terrific speed. This helped the situation, but did not preventthe spinning motion, and finally the crash came.
They landed in a newly ploughed field, the worst possible sort of placefor a disabled machine. The lieutenant and Ralph were thrown out oftheir seats, but Alfred was held fast in the machine.
Many willing helpers were on hand, and they found all three of theflyers were unconscious when put into the van, but, fortunately, theywere within a half mile of the emergency hospital south of St. Mihiel.On the way to the hospital a hurried survey was made to ascertain theextent of the injuries, but the physicians were silent.
Alfred regained consciousness before the hospital was reached. Thedoctors said that there was a severe bruise on the back of his head, asthough he had been struck by some heavy object. The lieutenant openedhis eyes, as he was placed on the operating cot. He glanced aroundwildly for a moment, and then asked: "Where are my boys!"
"We have them here; they are all right," said a nurse.
He forced a weak smile, turned his head to one side, and was quie
t.
Ralph had been shot through the body, too high up, it was believed, totouch the lungs. A second bullet had passed through the fleshy part ofthe left arm, and he was very weak from loss of blood. The three wereplaced on adjoining cots after the first examination was over, and afterall had regained their normal senses a pair of stretcher bearers enteredthe door, and bore a wounded man to one of the adjoining cots.
The lieutenant was the first to observe the chevrons on the sleeve ofthe patient, and that he was a German. Ralph tried to raise up as henoticed them carefully lift the wounded man, and deposit him on the cot.
"That's the fellow who piloted the last Taube; I'm sure of that. He'sthe fellow I saw through the glasses," said Ralph.
Inquiry quickly established the truth of Ralph's observation. Hismachine had fallen within French lines, and not far from the place wherethe Seraph struck. It was an odd coincidence.
The lieutenant was the most severely injured, how badly no one knew atthe time, for a certain time must elapse before the full extent of theinjury in such cases develops. The next morning the boys were informedthat the lieutenant was much worse, and then for two days they had nonews.
Meanwhile, Ralph's wounds were healing, and no excessive feverdeveloped. Alfred's spine seemed to be affected by the terrific blow,but that would be all right again in course of time.
The sad intelligence came to them a few days thereafter that thelieutenant had died. It was, indeed, a grief to them. They had grown tolove him as a friend, and they understood each other so well. It waslearned that his heart was too weak to bear up against the internalinjuries, which he received when the machine struck the earth.
It was two weeks before the boys were able to leave the hospital, andthey were then not able to return to duty. The shock of their friend'sdeath was so acute that, as Ralph expressed it, they never again wantedto see an airplane.
They were soon sent to Paris to recuperate, and while there they formedplans which took them into another part of the great war game, and wemay be able hereafter to follow them in their new exploits.
THE END