CHAPTER X
AFTER THE BATTLE
During all this turmoil the fire-control plane pilot had kept hismachine at work. While the fighting guard engaged the German, theobserver aboard the larger craft continued to send his signals to thebatteries far in the rear of the French advanced lines; and through thesuccessful working of the undertaking a number of heavy Teuton guns hadalready been silenced.
Tom now found time to look down, using his glasses for the purpose,since the air in their immediate vicinity was clear of enemy planes. Hecould see something of the battle, though so much smoke lay above thebattleground that it was only when this lifted temporarily that anoccasional fugitive glimpse could be obtained of the earth.
The French were undoubtedly pushing the Germans well out of theiradvance trenches. They had already gone forward far enough to redeem afairly wide stretch of territory that had been taken from them at thetime the forces of the Crown Prince made their forward drive, at thecost of more than a hundred thousand men.
Tom now felt another twinge in his shoulder. On looking into the matterhe discovered, as he suspected, that he had been wounded. Blood wasshowing on his thick fur-lined coat.
Just then a plane approached him. Tom recognized the mark on the side,and knew the muffled figure seated in the machine was the commander ofthe escadrille. He was coming to ascertain whether the novice had drawnout of his first combat entirely unscathed.
He had, in truth, cast many an anxious, fleeting look toward the pairwhile Tom was "doing his bit" for France; for after discovering that theGerman was an experienced pilot, and a man to be feared, the captainwould gladly have flown to the relief of Tom only that he had his handsfull with the Teuton he had attacked.
He made motions as he approached at reduced speed. Tom could not hear asound save the loud beat of his own motor, but he knew what the otherwas asking.
So he touched his left shoulder with his finger, and held that up toshow that it was reddened. Then the Captain made a quick motion that wasmeant for a command. Tom was to go down. There was no necessity for hisremaining aloft longer, now that another had arrived to relieve him fromthe post of duty. He ought to call it a day's work, and have hisshoulder attended to.
Regretfully Tom obeyed. His fighting spirit was aroused, and he wouldgladly have accepted a second challenge to combat, had the opportunitycome. He nodded his head to show he understood, and then started backtoward the French lines.
All this time shrapnel had been bursting here, there and everywhereunderneath them; but no one paid much attention to the shower. Indeed,shrapnel does not account for as many hostile planes as might beimagined; since each looks like a fly when ten thousand feet high, andthe surrounding space is so vast.
So Tom swung past the advance French lines, just as they were makinganother forward movement. He could glimpse long lines of poilusstreaming over the shell-hole pitted terrain like ants in army array.Tom would have been pleased to hover above them for a while, and watchhow those furious fighters rushed the Boches out of their second linetrenches, as though nothing could stay their push.
Beyond the French barrage fire was falling like a curtain. Tom couldtell this from the constant line of explosions that took place. TheGermans in the second trenches would have no chance of going backthrough that deadly hailstorm of shells; they must either die at theirposts, or surrender, he saw.
So fifteen minutes later Tom dropped to the field, ran his plane upclose to the hangar, and then as a figure dashed wildly toward him,started to climb wearily from his seat.
Of course it was Jack. He was wild with delight, and was swinging hiscap above his head with all the animation of a schoolboy.
"Oh! to think that I saw it all, Tom!" was what he cried, as he seizedthe hand of his chum, and squeezed it fiercely, almost crying in hisexcitement.
"You did!" exclaimed the other. "How did that happen, when I had theglasses aloft with me?"
"Oh, I borrowed a pair from an obliging French officer. When heunderstood that you were my chum, and that it was your first trial atcombat in the air, he gladly accommodated me. They are willing to doalmost anything for us Americans. My heart was up in my throat everytime you rushed at that terrible Boche pilot!"
"But how could you pick me out at that distance?" demanded Tomincredulously, for it seemed almost unbelievable.
"I guessed that our captain would have you hold back when he and theother two started to meet the rising Germans," said Jack. "You see, Iwas wise enough to believe he would want you to butt in only in case afourth Boche came along. And when that happened I knew your chance hadcome."
"It was pretty exciting while it lasted," remarked Tom grimly.
They were soon on the road to the villa, going in one of the cars usedto take the pilots when going to and returning from work. There was asurgeon at hand, and an examination of Tom's hurt was made. It proved tobe a small matter, though it had bled quite freely.
"You must take a few days' rest, young M'sieu," the army surgeon toldthe young aviator after he had dressed the wound. "It was a narrowescape, I assure you. Three inches further down, and I would not like tohave answered for your life. But evidently France had further need ofyour excellent services. I salute you, M'sieu Raymond, you have this daydone your duty well, and won your spurs."
The air service boys could not remain quietly at the villa while allthat furor was going on. They wished to be at the hangars, to greetthose who returned, and give the pilots who were sallying forth a lastword of encouragement.
It was a long day, and full of thrilling happenings. Other battles inthe air occurred along the extended front, and not all of them wound upin victories for the Allied forces. Some distinguished Teuton "aces"were flying on that occasion who would not be denied their toll. But theLafayette Escadrille lost none of its members, Tom and Jack were glad tolearn.
Night finally set its pall over the field where all day long the hostilearmies had fought and bled. The French were grimly holding their seizedterrain, and hurling the Germans back again and again. The serried rankshad pushed forward up to within an hour of sunset; then, apparentlyrealizing that it was a hopeless task, the Teuton High Command had giventhe order to withdraw.
On the following day the battle was not resumed. The French had theirhands full in strengthening and fortifying their new positions, whilethe Germans must have been so severely punished and "shot to pieces"that they needed time to effect the reorganization of their variousbattalions and regiments.
So several days passed, and nothing out of the ordinary happened, atleast in connection with the two chums. Tom's slight wound was healingfast, and he was told by the army surgeon that it would be quite safefor him to go up again at any time now, a fact that pleased the youngaviator immensely.
"I'm going to make a record for myself," he told his chum.
"You're the fellow to do it," answered Jack. "Wish I was in your shoes."