CHAPTER XXIII
LEFT BEHIND IN THE ENEMY'S COUNTRY
Tom appeared finally to be satisfied, for he turned around to Bessie.
"Now if you're ready we'll lower you safely," he told her.
The girl showed considerable nimbleness in climbing over thewindow-sill. Jack insisted in having a hand in dropping her slowly down.It was not far, and in a few breaths the girl had reached the solid,ground. She understood what was expected of her, and immediately castoff the rude rope, so it might be drawn up and made to serve once more.
Mrs. Gleason showed just as much bravery as her daughter, and was alsolowered without trouble.
"You go down next, Tom," whispered Jack. "Then I'll draw it up, and canjoin you easily enough without the help of the rope. A white thing likethis dangling here would be sure to attract attention, if any one camearound the corner of the house, and might cost us dearly in the end."
Tom understood. He preferred being the last to stay, but since Jack hadtaken that upon himself, and was moreover adept at scaling walls, it wasfolly to dispute his right.
So down Tom went. He had hardly landed when the sheet-rope was swiftlydrawn up, and vanished within the room. After that Jack was seen makinghis way down over the same route he had taken while ascending.
Soon they were all together again, and their queer exit from the roomseemed not to have been discovered, for which they felt very thankfulindeed.
Tom led the way into the friendly bushes close by. It was his intentionto skirt the carriage-drive, as it might contain elements of danger forthem. Once they had passed out on the main road to Metz, it would nottake them long to reach the field where the big Caudron airplane laylike an exhausted and enormous bat, awaiting their coming to spring intoactivity.
In passing along they were enabled to catch a glimpse of the interior ofthe dining-room where Carl Potzfeldt was entertaining his distinguishedvisitor to the best of his ability in those times when scarcity ruled.
Tom managed to get a better look at the general. He was more than everconvinced that the big man with the strong features and all thesedecorations on his uniform, was in fact Hindenburg, the head of thewhole German army, whose opinion carried even more weight with thepeople just then than that of Kaiser Wilhelm.
It would be something worth while to be able to say they had been withina dozen feet of the famous commander, the Iron Man of Germany. Tomvaguely wished he had some means of capturing the general then andthere, and carrying him over the lines to the French headquarters. Thatwould indeed be a feat well worth praise from General Petain; but ofcourse it was utterly impossible.
They gained the gate, and there Tom insisted on looking carefully aroundso as to make doubly certain that no sentinel had been left on dutywhile General Hindenburg remained within the house.
When this fact was made clear he led the way forth. The little party offour almost ran along the road, so eager were they to place as muchground as possible between themselves and the seat of danger.
There was always a chance that the flight of Bessie and her mother mightbe discovered by some one connected with the household, and communicatedto Potzfeldt. He, of course, would exhaust every means in trying toovertake the fugitives.
But Tom chuckled while telling himself that they must needs haveextraordinary and fleet steeds who could successfully pursue those whohad trusted their safety to his care and that of the big Caudronairplane.
Jack hardly knew where the field lay, having become "rattled," as hecalled it, from the adventures at the chateau. So after all it wasfortunate that Tom had taken his bearings as well as he had. He knewjust when to leave the road, and start across the open space. Then thelone tree began to loom up, for the moon had once more thrust her facefrom behind the enveloping cloud.
"It's all right, Bessie," said Jack reassuringly. "Our plane lies closeto the foot of that tree ahead there. If all goes well you'll be on yourway before many minutes have passed."
"Thanks to you, Jack," murmured the girl admiringly.
"Shucks! that isn't a circumstance to what I'd be willing to do for youand your mother!" Jack boldly told her.
"But all the same it is very brave of you, Jack, and I can never forgetyour kindness to us," she insisted. "I hope and pray that nothingterrible will happen to you while we're gone, and that I'll soon see youagain."
"I hope so too, Bessie," he chuckled, as if amused. "As to anythinghappening to me, I guess I know how to hide all right. The worst thatcan knock me is getting a little mite hungry, you know. If that bigGerman general and his staff leave a bite in the pantry I'm going afterit, believe me! Then I'll find a hole, and crawl in, somewhere close byhere, so I can watch for Tom's return."
Apparently Jack had mapped his whole programme out; and it seemed thatan adequate supply of provisions occupied the most prominent place inthem.
They were now at the spot where the Caudron had been left. Tom's mindwas eased of the secret fears he had entertained when he saw the machinewas still where they had left it. So far as he could tell no one hadbeen near to meddle with it.
First of all Bessie and her mother must be fastened securely to the seatwhere Jack had sat on the trip to Metz. Tom, like a wise general, hadprovided himself with plenty of the strips of linen from the tornsheets. This he utilized in tying the passengers, so that there wouldnot be the slightest chance of their falling out.
Even if Mrs. Gleason should faint through terror on finding herself amile up in the air, she could not fall out of the machine. But Tomentertained high hopes that both of his passengers were going to displayextraordinary courage, and give him no cause at all for anxiety.
Jack tried to assist in the operation, but his hands were trembling sowith the excitement that Tom pushed him away.
"Leave the job to me, Jack," he told the other. "Too many cooks spoilthe broth, you know. I'll make everything secure, depend on it."
"Of course I know you will, Tom," the other hastened to assure him."Perhaps it is better only one handled the business. And Bessie--"
"Yes, Jack," said the girl, slipping a hand out toward him, which Jacktook in his, and pressed reassuringly.
"Don't bother your head for a single minute about me, mind. I'll be allright, and perhaps able to join you again this very night. It's a greatlark for me, and I wouldn't miss it for a heap. But oh, if only we couldkidnap that big commander, and carry him over to have an interview withGeneral Petain, how proud I'd be!"
Tom smiled on realizing that the same idea had occurred to Jack that hadflashed through his own mind.
"Here, take my automatic, Jack," Tom said. "You may find occasion to useit before I come back."
The other complied, and apparently he felt more confidence, once he knewhe had in his possession the means for defending himself should anyordinary danger threaten. Tom was loath to depart, once he hadeverything arranged. The truth of the matter was he hated to leave hischum in the enemy country; it seemed as though he were deserting him.
So he "fiddled" around, testing this wire guy, and using his electrichand torch to give him light, so he could once more run his eye over themotor on which he had been working.
"Come, Tom, it's no use hanging around here a minute longer," Jack hadfinally to tell him. "Get aboard and I'll spin your wheel for you andgive you a boost for a start. Then I'll drop out of sight, because someof them may run this way when they hear the clatter and guess thecause."
Tom climbed to his seat and settled himself according to his customarythorough manner. He tried the controls, and was not satisfied until hehad tested everything within reach.
"Say when, Tom!" Jack remarked, having finally left Bessie's side andgone to the propellers of the big plane.
Tom drew in a long breath. He knew he had a risky venture ahead, takingthose two inexperienced passengers over the hostile lines, possiblyamidst showers of exploding shrapnel shells. But it was not this thatweighed so heavily on his spirits. He felt almost like a criminal atleaving Jack behind.
r /> "All right; let her go!" he announced grimly.
There came a sudden whirring sound. Then the loud hum of the motorschimed in, and the big Caudron machine started off.
"Good-bye, Tom! Good-bye, Bessie!" Jack was heard saying, although thenoise of the plane almost drowned his voice.
Faster they went now, as the machine gained momentum. Tom paid strictattention to his business of pilot. At just the proper time he mustelevate the forward rudder which would cause the plane to leave theground and start upward at a sharp angle.
Jack stood gazing after the object that was quickly growing more andmore indistinct in the dim moonlight, gazing with a strange heaviness inthe region of his heart. He had to shut his teeth firmly together toconquer the momentary weakness that threatened to overpower him. But hisresolution remained master of the field.
"If only he gets them safely across," Jack muttered to himself, when hecould no longer see the airplane, though its noisy working came plainlyto his ears, "it'll be all right. But they've heard the racket over atthe house, too, I guess, because men are shouting, and I can see lightsflashing this way and that."
When he discovered that men with lanterns were actually looking aroundas if to learn where the departing airplane could have been resting, andwhat it all meant, Jack concluded it was time to conceal himself.