CHAPTER XIX.
INTO SERBIA.
Two days later and we find our friends once more in the air and sailingswiftly toward the rising sun.
"Seems to me we should be along about there some place," declared Hal,taking his eyes from the distance ahead for a brief moment.
"Unless you have not gauged your course accurately," replied Chester.
"I'm sure I have made no mistake," said Hal.
"Then we should be about there."
"About where, that's what I want to know," put in Anthony Stubbs, fromhis place in the rear of the large army plane, the same in which the fourfriends had made their escape from the Austrians not so many days before."Where are we headed for, anyway?"
"That will be a little surprise for you, Mr. Stubbs," Chester returned.
"I'm getting too old to care much about surprises," declared Stubbs."In the first place, I have no business in this machine, anyhow. Inever was much good when my feet were not on the ground, and I feelpretty sick up here."
"Oh, you'll get used to that, Stubbs," spoke up Colonel Anderson.
"Don't you believe it. I've tried it before and I haven't become usedto it yet. No, sir. In the first place, a man has got no business uphere. If he were meant to fly, he'd have wings, like a bird. I claimit's tempting Providence to go floating about through space in one ofthese things."
"Well, you didn't seem to hesitate much when we asked you to come,"commented Chester.
"Of course not. Think I want to be left alone in this benighted land,with a couple of million Austrians likely to swoop down on it at anyminute? I guess not. The air may not be safe, but it can't be any worsethan I would have been if I were left behind to await the arrival of theinvader. But where are we going?"
"Belgrade," said Chester briefly.
Anthony Stubbs half started to his feet.
"Great Scott!" he exclaimed, and sank back again. "Out of the fryingpan into the fire. Say!" and his voice rose a trifle, "What do we wantto go to Belgrade for? What's the use of sticking our heads into ahornet's nest?"
"Look here, Mr. Stubbs," said Hal, again turning in his seat. "Don't youwant to go to Belgrade with us? If you don't, I'll go down and let youoff here."
He reduced the speed of the craft a trifle.
"No, no. Never mind," said Stubbs hurriedly. "I was just joking. Ofcourse I want to go to Belgrade. They tell me that the Germans are justabout to come in. But that won't make any difference, will it? No,indeed. Not to us. I suppose we are going to be there to welcome them.I'll bet they'll be glad to see us."
The others smiled, but they made no reply to this outburst. They hadknown Stubbs long enough now not to pay much attention to him at times.And this was one of those times.
Stubbs now turned a bit in his seat and spoke to another figure who wasclose to him.
"How do you like this kind of travel, Ivan?" he asked.
"I belong on the ground," was the brief response.
Ivan's face was a chalky white, but he was sitting tight and sayingnothing except when it was absolutely necessary. Just behind him satNikol, and the latter seemed to be in a condition similar to Ivan. Nordid he make a sound.
Suddenly, as the aeroplane moved swiftly along, there came a loudexplosion. The machine rocked crazily and Hal's prompt action at thewheel was all that saved the occupants from being pitched head-first intospace. He righted the craft with an effort.
"What's the matter?" demanded Chester in no little alarm.
"It's all over now," mumbled Stubbs with a groan. "Pray, Ivan."
The big Cossack seemed to have no doubt that it was all over and while heclung to the side of the machine with both hands, he mumbled strangewords in his native tongue. Apparently he was following Stubbs'injunction.
"I don't know," replied Hal, answering Chester's question. "Somethingseems to have gone wrong with the engine. Guess we had better go down."
He tilted the elevating levers and the plane descended graduallyand swiftly.
Under Hal's firm hand it settled gently upon the ground and allimmediately climbed out. Stubbs drew a great breath of relief.
"I never expected to reach here alive," he declared.
Ivan and Nikol also were plainly relieved. They said nothing, but theexpression upon both their faces spoke plainer than words.
Hal bent over the engine. As he straightened up, Chester asked:
"Anything serious?"
"Believe I can fix it within an hour," replied Hal. "I'll have a try atit, anyhow."
"Need any assistance?" asked Colonel Anderson.
Hal shook his head.
"Nothing you can do, I guess," he replied.
"Then I am going to take a little prowl into these woods here," said thecolonel, indicating a small clump of trees that stood perhaps a quarterof a mile to the east.
"I'll go along," said Chester. "I feel like stretching my legs a bit."
The two walked away together. Ivan and Nikol remained behind and watchedHal tinker with the engine.
Chester and the colonel prowled about among the trees for the better partof half an hour and then turned to make their way back to the machine. Asthey walked along, Chester suddenly caught Colonel Anderson by the arm,stopping him in his stride.
"Sh-h-h," muttered the lad and listened intently.
"What's the matter?" demanded Colonel Anderson, in a low voice.
"Thought I heard voices," replied Chester. "Listen."
Both became silent; and directly they caught the sound of a low voice offto the right. Then there came a second and a third voice.
"Don't see what they can be doing here, whoever they are," declaredChester in a whisper. "We'll see if we can get a look at them."
He led the way softly in the direction from which the voices had come.The voices became louder; and directly, parting two large bushes, Chestermade out the forms of three figures not ten yards away.
He turned quickly to Colonel Anderson and laid a finger to his lips. Thecolonel approached cautiously.
From the spot where the two stood it was possible to see the three men infront of them without danger of being seen themselves, for they werescreened from sight by the large bushes. One of the men was attired inwhat Chester took to be a Serbian uniform, but the others were incivilian attire.
"We'll do a little eavesdropping," whispered Chester.
Colonel Anderson nodded and they became silent.
"So you say that everything is ready for Bulgaria's entrance into thewar?" spoke the man with the uniform.
"Yes," replied one of the others, a man of perhaps forty years of age,with a long flowing beard.
"And she will strike when?"
"The moment Belgrade has fallen before the Germans," replied the thirdman, who, the watchers saw now, was little more than a boy, smooth offace and bright of eye.
"And they will strike where?"
"At the Anglo-French force being rushed from Saloniki to the aid of theSerbians."
"Why wasn't I kept posted on all this? How was I expected to do my parthere, being left in ignorance of diplomatic affairs?"
"I don't know anything about that. All I know is that we wereordered here to learn what success you have had in undermining theSerbian officials. Also to get your views upon which way theSerbians will retreat."
"Well, I can tell you that in a few words. I have had very little successwith the Serbians. They are loyal to their cause and seem determined tofight to the last ditch. But I did get close enough to one man--a memberof the general staff--to learn that in the event of reverses to Serbianarms, the Serbian army will retreat into Greece."
"So? I had deemed it most likely they would fall back and join theMontenegrins."
"Such is not the plan of the general staff. Their reasons I cannot tellyou; but at a guess I should say it is because they hope that, by ajuncture with the Anglo-French forces, they may hope to show an effectivefront until Italy can throw an army to their support, or possibly untilthe long expected Russia
n offensive materializes."
"Then we shall have to bring some pressure to bear upon Greece," said theyounger man. "We cannot permit that. Bulgaria must get in the game soonerand thus foil such a plan."
"Well, you probably know best," said the officer, "but remember onething. To all intents and purposes, Bulgaria is still neutral.Announcement that she has decided to cast her lot with the CentralPowers, if premature, undoubtedly would spoil many plans. Particularly,if it came to the ears of the Anglo-French commander at Saloniki."
"Exactly," replied the young man. "Our plans now are to permit the Alliesto advance a considerable distance toward Belgrade, and then to haveBulgaria declare war at the psychological moment."
"A good plan, that," returned the officer. "But I must get back now. Myabsence will be noticed and I do not care to arouse suspicion."
The men moved off.
Chester and Colonel Anderson gazed at each other.
"Rather neat little play," said Colonel Anderson.
"Rather," repeated Chester dryly.
"And to think," continued Colonel Anderson, "how leniently Bulgaria hasbeen treated by the Allies. Well, her day of reckoning will come."
"We'll have to get word of this to the Serbian commander in Belgrade,"said Chester.
"So we will," said the colonel. "And also to the commander of theAnglo-French forces in Saloniki."
"Let's get back then and see if Hal has the machine fixed so she'll fly."
They retraced their footsteps; and even as they arrived, Hal arose fromhis position above the aeroplane.
"She'll go now all right," he said. "All aboard!"
Stubbs, Nikol and Ivan hesitated and Stubbs protested. Chester drew Halaside for a moment and told him what he and the colonel had learned. Halwasted no further time.
"In here with all of you," he commanded gruffly. "We're going right now."
The others hesitated no longer, and a few moments later the big machinewas flying swiftly toward the Serbian capital.