CHAPTER II.
THE AERIAL MAP-MAKER.
"He's flying pretty high, let me tell you," said Tubby, straining hisneck in an endeavor to watch the evolutions of the far-distant objectsailing on the border of the cloud, and which looked so much like agreat bird with outstretched wings.
"And all the while he is using his powerful field-glass to watch thingsgoing on below," added Rob. "I wouldn't be surprised if those chaps makea rough map, as they go over a place, with the position of forts marked,and the disposition of troops. In this war they say aeroplanes anddirigibles are going to play great stunts."
"Think of the nerve of that German aviator, sailing right over Antwerpin broad daylight!" Tubby declared. "It's a dare, all right, and Iwonder if any of these Belgian fliers will take him up. I really thinkI'd like to see a little scrap up in the air. We didn't have a chancefor anything of that sort since we were down in Mexico with Villa."
"Well," returned Merritt, "you may see more of that kind of businessover here than you want. These fliers don't go circling around just tospy on the enemy. In lots of cases they have another and more terriblemission."
"Oh!" ejaculated the fat scout uneasily, "now you're thinking of thatvisit paid by a Zeppelin to Antwerp a short time back when it dropped abomb that smashed things to flinders. They say it was aimed at theking's palace. But you don't think now that fellow away up there in theclouds would bother dropping explosives on our heads, do you, Rob?"
Tubby always appealed to the patrol leader when bothered about anything.To hear him talk you would imagine that he considered Rob Blake awalking encyclopedia, and capable of answering any kind of question.
"No, he's flying too high for that," the other told him confidently."You see, with the air currents, that we know something about ourselves,no one at that height could count on landing his explosive anywherenear the place he wanted it to go. Chances are that chap is only out ona spying trip. Aeroplane pilots are the scouts of the air these days,you understand. Nothing can be hidden from them."
"I understand," ventured Merritt, as they continued to watch thecircling of the lofty observer and map-maker, "that there can be nosurprises in this war, because the enemy always knows all about themassing of troops long before an attack can be delivered. An eagle or ahawk, hovering over shallow water, can see every bit of bottom when thesurface is still, and so he's able to pounce down on the fish he'sselected for dinner. These wonderful air-pilots will bring informationof every contemplated move on the part of the enemy."
"Poor old Napoleon would be a back number in these days," Tubby sighed,"because you remember his strongest card was to divide the enemy, andthen smash one army and then the other. They'd know all about his gamein time to block it. The romance of war has gone glimmering, I'mafraid."
"Listen to all that shouting," said Merritt.
"Seems to be cheers, as well as these people can cheer, which is notlike the good old United States way," Tubby commented.
"You can see what it means," remarked Rob. "There goes a Belgian biplaneup, to get after the bold German!"
"My stars!" gasped Tubby. "Now we _will_ see a circus! Think of tworival pilots maneuvering up there among the clouds, and trying to knockeach other out! Whew! But watch him boring up in spirals, would you?Does the German see him, do you think, and is he beginning to skip out?"
"Nothing like that has happened yet, as far as I can see," admitted Rob."There he starts around again, as if meaning to complete his map, nomatter if a dozen Belgian or English airmen come up after him."
"It'll be a fight, then, see if it doesn't!" Tubby affirmed.
"There goes a second aeroplane, and this time a monoplane," Merritttold them, pointing as he spoke. "Unless I miss my guess, there's anEnglish aviator in that machine. It doesn't carry the little Belgianflag the other does, you notice."
"Two against one," muttered the deeply interested Tubby. "Better bemaking up your mind to turn tail and run, Mr. Deutschland. The odds areagainst you, and, if you should get tumbled out of your seat a milehigh, I'd hate to be under you when you strike the ground."
"They seem to be maneuvering for position," asserted Rob. "Yes, both arecircling around now, and going still higher all the time. Before longthe German will be hidden in that cloud bank, and that's what he'saiming to have happen."
"I thought I saw something like a little puff of smoke just then!"declared Merritt, who had exceptionally good eyes, strong almost asthose of an eagle.
"Then they must be bombarding each other!" Tubby ventured to say,evidently greatly thrilled by the spectacle that could never have beendreamed of a few generations back.
"It's likely they are using their automatics, and trying to disable eachother," admitted Rob, "though, between us, Merritt, I don't believe thetiny puff of smoke could be seen away down here, unless you had a strongglass. Of course, when moving as fast as they do, the chance of making ashot tell is next door to nix."
"Anyhow, they're chasing the German aeroplane off," Tubby declared."That is the main object for the brave Belgians going up there."
The boys had made up their minds while on the way across that asAmericans they must obey the President's appeal and be strictly neutral,if it were possible. They had many good friends who were of Germandescent, while others had English ancestors and near relatives.
The one country with which they sympathized deeply was Belgium. Thestubborn and heroic way in which that seven millions of people haddefied seventy millions, and the gallant manner in which their littlearmy had tried to resist the invasion of their beloved country, hadaroused the admiration of every one of the scouts.
As they stood there on that afternoon, and watched, they finally sawthe German Taube vanish in the clouds, with the leading Belgianaeroplane following suit. Whether the pursuer ever overtook the foreignair-scout or not, the boys never learned.
"Well, that was a lively little tilt while it lasted," remarked Merrittas, the entertainment being over, the crowds again commenced saunteringback and forth, with everybody talking volubly about the spectacle inthe heavens.
Soldiers gave them a curious look in passing. Every stranger in Antwerpwas under more or less suspicion in those days, for it was becomingknown that the German secret service had for years maintained the mostwonderful system of spying in France, England and Belgium ever dreamedof. Antwerp had thousands of Teuton residents before the war, some ofthem leading merchants who owned splendid country places six or sevenmiles outside the city, where solid cement tennis courts afterward camein very handy as foundations for the immense German siege guns.
"We'll see plenty more things that will give us a thrill to beat that,"Rob observed, pushing through the bustling, chattering crowds.
"Yes, and I'm afraid times may come when danger will hang over ourheads," Merritt pursued, with a touch of regret in his voice. "Thenyou'll both be sorry you didn't let me go off on this wild goose chase,as it may turn out to be, by myself."
"What do you take us for, I want to know?" demanded Rob. "Haven't webeen through all sorts of tough times together in the past; and whyshouldn't we stand by our chum when he needs our help? What's a scoutgood for if he is ready to desert a comrade when the sky grows dark?That's just the time to show his true colors."
"You're taking the very words out of my mouth when you say that, Rob!"asserted Tubby valiantly. "No matter what happens, we're bound by theties of old friendship. We'll sink or swim together, boys. And Merritt,please don't ever tell us again you're feeling sorry for letting us comealong."
"If that man is to be found, we're going to corner him!" declared Rob,with his lips taking on the firm lines that marked them whenever he wasmaking up his mind to hammer away persistently, like Grant did beforeRichmond; "and when we go back to the other side, we hope to be carryingthat precious old paper your grandfather let get out of his possessionin such a queer way."
"This seems like a pretty warm day to me, even for summer," observedTubby irrelevantly.
"Now, we can giv
e a pretty good guess, Rob," ventured Merritt smilingly,"that Tubby has a sly meaning back of that remark."
"Yes," added the patrol leader, "and the chances are three to one it hassomething to do with feeding."
"You are champion guessers, both of you," Tubby informed them, withoutseeming to be in the least ashamed of the confession. "I'm consumed by aviolent thirst right now; and I bet you the milk in that shiny brass canthat those two tired dogs have been dragging all over Antwerp thisafternoon will have a lump of ice in it. Anyway, I'm going to test it;come along and let me stand treat."
Laughing at his earnestness, the others followed the fat scout acrossthe street, where the old woman with her dog team was apparentlyresting, and observing the remarkably interesting sights around her.
Just then there were loud cheers that attracted the attention of thethree boys.
"Something else coming along that's worth seeing," Merritt announced."Better curb that fierce thirst of yours for a minute or two, Tubby,while we watch what's passing."
"Oh! well, I guess the milk won't sour while we're waiting," admittedthe fat boy with a sigh of resignation, as he wheeled so as to face thestreet.
"What do you call that, I wonder?" remarked Merritt, as he looked. "It'sgot the wheels of an automobile; but say, notice how the body of the carhas been built up with steel sides, will you? And as sure as you livethere's a quick firing Maxim mounted behind that bullet shield."
"Now I know what it is," Rob hastened to say.
"Then tell us, please," urged Tubby helplessly.
"They call them armored cars," said the patrol leader. "I've read abouthow some of these reckless Belgians have fitted up cars in this way.Nearly every day they start out to raid through the country, where theyexpect to run across detachments of Uhlans, or bicycle squads of theGerman advance. Then they dart down on them and do some terrible work;before the enemy can recover to smash them, they are off like a flash,and return to town with all sorts of trophies."
"They must have just been coming in," ventured Merritt. "I saw one ofthe soldiers had a bandage around his head. Another was holding up twohelmets which must have been worn by Uhlans. And listen how the crowdsroar and cheer. They certainly do hate the Kaiser and his army inAntwerp."
"Well, do you wonder?" Rob asked. "After some of their lovely towns havebeen burnt down, and thousands of houses destroyed, simply because theseBelgians dared to stand up for their rights as a neutral nation!"
"Well, how about that drink of milk, fellows?" Tubby wanted to know.
"Suit yourself, Tubby," Rob told him. "If it tastes good to you, wemight join you in a glass."
"Huh! sort of 'trying it on the dog first,' eh?" Tubby retorted, andthen turning toward the owner of the dog team and the milk cart, he madea gesture with his head, and held up three fingers.
Evidently the old woman must have understood what he meant, though shelooked a bit "peeved," as Tubby afterward expressed it, at being askedto do a retail business. There were a number of measures dangling fromhooks around the top of the shining brass milk can, also several glass"schooners." Taking one of the latter the old Belgian milk vender was inthe act of filling it from the contents of the can when somethingastonishing happened.
Four soldiers who had been passing became excited, and pointed at thegroup; then they laid violent hands on the owner of the milk cart!