CHAPTER III
A SPY BAFFLED
Both young aviators stared at the wicker cage containing the twopigeons. The birds had been still up to then, but now commenced to makecooing sounds, as though pleased at having human company. Apparentlythey were inclined to be sociable, as Jack afterwards put it.
"So he discovered us coming along," Jack went on to say, "and skippedout in such a hurry he didn't have time to carry away the cage withhim."
"He must have climbed out of this window in the side of the wall,"observed Tom. "We could have seen him if he had used the door. Yes,there are footprints underneath the window. He ran down behind thosebushes and reached the stone wall that leads to the broken country andwhat is left of the woods."
"The chances are he had all that mapped out beforehand," suggested Jack."Surely a spy has always to keep a door open for retreat."
"Yes. Why not? They take their lives in their hands every time theyenter the hostile lines, and you can't blame a man for wanting to live alittle longer, especially if he believes he can serve his country."
"Perhaps he hasn't got such a good start but that we could overtake himif we went after him now," suggested Jack.
"We might take a turn that way," his chum agreed. "But not too farafield. We didn't start out to search for spies, and we've only got asingle gun between us. Even my automatic was left behind, because Ididn't expect to have any use for it, and get tired carrying the thing,with its belt."
"But these pigeons here, Tom?"
"We can leave them until we get back. That's one reason why I don't wantto get out of sight of the place. He might make a round, and carry thebirds away while we were engaged in a hunt half a mile off. And it maybe of much more importance that those live birds arrive in the Frenchcamp than that we should bag the spy."
"I get you, Tom; so let's commence our little man-hunt right away."
The two friends set off. Tom tried to follow the course he believed thespy must have taken on quitting the old farmhouse ruins. That hisreckoning was clear he proved several times by pointing out to hiscompanion plain evidences that some other person had passed along theway before them.
Here the marks of shoes could be detected in the soft earth. A littlefurther on, and at a point where the man must have crawled in order tokeep from being seen, they found tracks where his toes had draggedalong, as well as the indentation of his knees in the soil.
Presently they arrived at the terminus of the stone wall, about the onlything remaining intact connected with the French farm. There was not asingle tree showing signs of life in that patch of sombre forest; whereshell-fire had failed to do the work of destruction a malicious hand hadgirdled the trunk with a keen-edged tool, and thus encompassed the doomof the trees.
Tom came to a pause.
"I reckon we've come far enough," he said, taking a look over toward thefragment of a house on the slight elevation, which could just be seenfrom their present position.
"I'd have liked to catch up with that duck and march him back to camp,along with his feathered messengers," Jack grumbled disappointedly."Somehow I hate and despise a spy above all created things."
The youths set their faces once more in the direction of the ruins,where they soon arrived. Jack half feared that in spite of them the cageand its feathered inmates had been spirited away. He hastened insideahead of his companion and then called out cheerily:
"It's all right, Tom, and nobody at home. Here's the wicker cage and thepigeons, just as we left them!"
"As the afternoon is passing, and we have a long distance to go, we'dbetter be making a start," Tom remarked, when he reached the open door.
"Let me carry the pigeon cage, Tom, as you have the gun," suggestedJack, after slipping his hand through the ring at the top. "Say, perhapsthe boys won't give us a laugh, to see what queer game we've broughtback from our hunt!"
They left the ruins of the once peaceful farmhouse behind them, andcommenced retracing their steps. Tom was too old a hand at hunting toget lost. He had kept his bearings through the whole tramp, no matterhow many turns they took in examining some promising ground where rabbitburrows might be found. On this account then he would have no difficultywhatever in leading his comrade straight back to the villa in which theentire Lafayette Escadrille of American fliers was quartered.
They were passing along about half a mile from the wrecked farmhousekitchen, and not far from the spot where Tom made his successful shot,when without warning the report of a gun came to their ears. Jackinvoluntarily ducked his head.
"Say, did you hear that whining sound just over us, Tom? That was causedby a bullet skipping past!"
Tom for answer dragged his chum down behind a fringe of dead bushes thatchanced to lie close by.
"It was a bullet, all right, Jack," he replied, not without a tremor inhis voice, for this thing of being made a target by some murderousunseen person was a new and novel experience.
"Do you suppose it was fired by the man who owns these pigeons?" furtherquestioned Jack, though showing no intention of loosening his grip onthe wicker cage.
"It could hardly be any one else. He has dogged us this far, or elsejust happened to catch sight of us. That shot was fired from a distance,and if we take a notion to run he couldn't possibly hit us. But we mightas well make use of this fringe of bushes to creep some way off. Thenwe'll get on our feet and put out for home at full speed."
This they proceeded to do without further delay. When it was no longerpossible to utilize the bushes for cover, they sprang to their feet andran. Jack fully anticipated hearing other shots--yes, and perhaps havingmore leaden missiles singing their vicious songs about his head. But hewas agreeably disappointed in his expectations, for not a report came.
Evidently the spy had gone away, thinking discretion the better part ofvalor. He may have noticed that they were in uniform, and armed in thebargain.
Later on the air service boys moderated their mad pace, and as thereseemed to be no further signs of danger they finally fell into a walk.Still neither of them lagged, but kept up a brisk pace, Jack castingnumerous apprehensive glances over his shoulder, haunted by a lingeringsuspicion that the spy might yet give them trouble.
They came through safely at last. The villa in which the American flierswere quartered was reached, and seemed to be deserted at that hour inthe afternoon. Everybody must be busy at the front, the boys concluded,for the din was more distracting than usual.
"We picked out a bad day for getting off, I'm afraid, Tom," Jack sighed."They told us there was nothing big in prospect; but since we startedout on our hunt I guess the Huns have put up something of size. And theboys will be in the thick of it all too! We might have had a share ifwe'd been on duty to-day."
"Brace up, Jack," chided his chum. "For all you know, what we've donemay turn out to be ten times more important than all the work of theentire escadrille to-day. These captured birds and that cipher message,represent possibilities beyond anything you or I can know. Leave allthat to the general."
"When do you mean to see him, Tom?"
"As soon as I can arrange it. And you're coming with me when I get thesummons to his headquarters, depend on that, Jack. Your part in thisaffair is just as important as mine."
Tom put the cage with its cooing inmates in their room. Then he startedout to try to get into communication with the commanding general. He hadmet him once by mere chance, but he hardly believed General Petain wouldremember him in the least.
The action was about over for the day. The Crown Prince had once againthrown a heavy storming party forward in the endeavor to make a breachin the French lines, through which he could pour the veteran reserves hehad in waiting. But, as had often happened before, he counted withouthis host; and when the sun went down all he had to show for his strokewas a greatly increased casualty list.
The French could not be moved.
Tom understood how to go about it, and in the end managed to get anobliging French captain whom he knew very well, to
carry a message tothe commander-in-chief to the effect that he had news of greatimportance to communicate. Just as Tom expected would be the case, thisbrought back a speedy answer.
"You are both to come with me, young Messieurs," said the captain, hiseyes sparkling with interest, for Tom had told him enough to excite hiscuriosity, and he knew the Americans would not aimlessly take up theprecious time of the general. "Our valiant commander is tired after astrenuous day; but never is he too weary to attend to duty; and healready finds himself interested in everything you brave young airmenattempt. So please accompany me to headquarters."
Shortly afterwards the boys found themselves face to face with GeneralPetain.