CHAPTER XXIII. THE BIG BATTLE
Nellie Leroy rose from, the chair where she had been sitting, and stoodbefore the little party of her friends, gathered in the little Parisapartment where Bessie Gleason and her mother made their home when theywere not actively engaged in Red Cross work. The sister of the captiveairman had a quiet but very determined air about her.
"That is what I am going to do," she said, as no one at first answeredwhat had been a dramatic outbreak. "Perhaps you will tell me best how togo about it," and she turned to Tom and Jack. "You know something of theGerman lines, and where I can best go to give myself up."
"Why--why, you can't go at all!" burst out Tom.
"I can't go?"
"No, of course not. You mean all right, Nellie," went on the young man,"but it simply can't be done. To give yourself up to the Germans wouldmean for yourself not only--Oh, it couldn't be done!" as he thought ofthe cruelty of the Huns, not only to the soldiers of the Allied armiesbut to helpless women and children. "You couldn't give yourself up tothose brutes!' he cried.
"To save my brother I could," said Nellie simply. "I would do anythingfor him!"
"I know you would," murmured Bessie.
"But it would just be throwing yourself away!" exclaimed Jack, comingto the help of his chum, who was gazing helplessly at him in thisnew crisis. "Tell her, Mrs. Gleason," he went on, "that it is utterlyimpossible, even if the army authorities would let her. Even if sheshould give herself up to the Germans, they wouldn't keep any agreementthey made to exchange her brother. They'd simply keep both of them."
"Yes, I think they would," said Mrs. Gleason. "It is out of thequestion, my dear," and gently she laid her hand on the girl's shoulder."That is very fine and noble of you, but it would be wrong, for itwould not save your brother, and you would certainly be made a prisoneryourself. And of the horrors of the German prison--at least some wherethe infantrymen have been kept, I dare not tell you. I imagine it mustbe better where the airmen are captured," she went on, for she fearedthat if she painted too black a picture of what Harry might suffer hissister would not be held back by anything, and might sacrifice herselfuselessly.
"But what am I do?" asked Nellie, helplessly. "I want Harry so much! Weall want him! Oh, isn't there something? Can't you save him?" and sheheld out her hands appealingly to Torn and Jack.
There was a moment of silence, and then Tom burst out with:
"Well, I may as well speak now as later, and I'll tell you what I'vemade up my mind to do. Yes, it's a new plan I've worked out," he wenton, as Jack looked at him curiously. "I haven't told even you, old man,as it wasn't quite ready yet. But it's a scheme that may succeed, nowthat we know definitely where Harry is, from what the German patrolsaid. He isn't so far away as when we dropped the packages in the prisoncamp, though we don't yet know that he was there at the time we did ourstunt. However, if this new plan succeeds we may have a chance to findout."
"How?" asked Nellie, eagerly.
"By talking to Harry himself."
"How are you going to do that?" demanded Bessie.
"What kind of game have you been cooking up behind my back?" asked Jack.
"As desperate as the other, I guess you'll call it," answered Tom. "Butsomething has to be done."
"Yes, something has to be done," agreed Jack. "Now what is it?"
Tom arose and went to the door. He opened it, looked carefully up anddown the hall, evidently to make sure no one was listening, and thencame back to join the circle of his friends.
"I'm going to speak of something that very few know, as yet," he said,"and I don't want to take any chances of its getting out. There maybe German spies in Paris, though I guess by this time they're few andscattering.
"I'm not going to tell you how I know," he said, "but I do know thatsoon there is to take place a big battle--that is, it will be bigfor the American forces that are to have part in it. There has been aconference among the Allied commanders, and it has been decided thatit's time to teach the Germans a lesson. They've been despising theAmerican troops, as they despised General French's 'contemptible littlearmy,' and General Pershing is going to show Fritz that we have asoldier or two that can fight."
"You mean there's to be a big offensive?" asked Jack.
"No, I wouldn't go so far as to call it a general engagement like that.It's to be kept within the limits, of the sector where the United Statestroops are at present," said Tom. "That is where you and I are located,Jack, and that, as you know, is almost opposite the prison where Harryand the others are confined."
"I begin to see what you are driving at!" cried Nellie, her eyesshining. "But are you sure of this?"
"Yes," went on Jack, "how did you bear of this when it's supposed to besuch a secret?"
"It came to me by accident," said Torn, "and I wouldn't speak of it toany one but you. Soon, however, it will be more or less public on ourside, as it will have to be when we start to get ready. But it's tobe kept a secret from Fritz as long as possible. It's to be a surpriseattack, and if it doesn't develop into a big battle it won't be thefault of Uncle Sam's boys."
"Will the air service have any part in it?" asked Jack eagerly, as iffearing he might be left out.
"I don't see how they can get along without us," said Tom. "Not thatwe're the whole works, but it is well established now that an army can'tfight without the use of aeroplanes, to tell not only what the otherside is doing, but also how our own guns are shooting. Oh, we'll be init all right!"
"When?" asked Jack.
"That I can't say," replied his chum. "But now to get down to the thingthat concerns us, or rather, Harry. I have a scheme--and you can call itwild if you like--that when the battle is going on, you and I, Jack, andsome other airmen if we can induce them to do it, and I think we can,may be able to drop bombs near the prison camp. We'll have to judge ourdistances pretty carefully, or we'll do more harm than good. Then, ifall goes well, and we can blow down some of the camp walls or fences,and if the battle favors our side, we can make a descent on enemyterritory and rescue Harry and any others that are with him. What do youthink of that plan?"
"It's wonderful!" exclaimed Nellie, glaring at Tom with a strange, newlight in her eyes.
"It's very daring," said Bessie, more calmly.
"It's crazy!" burst out Jack
"I thought you'd say that," commented Tom calmly, "and I'd have beendisappointed if you hadn't. And just because it is crazy it may succeed.But it's the only thing I can think of. Daring will get you further inthis war then anything else. You've got to take big chances anyhow, andthe bigger the better, I say."
"I'm with you there all right," agreed Jack. "But to land in hostileterritory--it hasn't been done ten times since the war began, and havethe aviator live to get away with it!"
"I know it," said Tom, quietly. "But this may be the eleventh successfultime. Now that's my plan for rescuing Harry Leroy. If any of you have abetter one let's hear it."
No one answered, and finally Nellie spoke.
"No," she said, with a shake of her head, "it's very fine and nobleof you boys, but I can't allow it. If you wouldn't let me give myselfup--exchange myself for Harry, I can't let you give your lives for himthis way. It wouldn't be fair. It would be depriving the Allies of twovaluable fighters, to possibly get back one, and the possibility is soslim that--well, it's suicidal!" she exclaimed.
"Not so much so as you think," said Tom. "I've got it all figured outas far as possible. And as for landing in hostile territory, if all goeswell, and the big battle progresses as Pershing and his aides think itwill, maybe we won't have to land in hostile territory at all. We maydrive the Germans back, and then the prison will be within our lines."
"That's so!" cried Jack. "I didn't think of feat. Tom, old man, maybeyour scheme isn't as crazy as I thought! Anyhow, I'm in it with you. Theonly thing is--will this big battle take place?"
"'It will unless the Germans decide to surrender between now and the dayset," Tom answered grimly, "and I hardly bel
ieve they'll do that. It's agoing to be some fight!"
"Glad of it!" cried Jack. "Now we've got something to live for!" Asif he and Tom did not risk their lives every day to make life in thecivilized world something worth living for.
"Well, we must be getting back!" exclaimed Tom, as he looked at hiswatch. "All leaves will be stopped in a few days--just before we startpreparations for the big battle. If we can we'll see you once morebefore then."
"And afterward?" inquired Nellie, softly and pleadingly.
"Yes, and afterward, too!" exclaimed Tom. "And we'll bring Harry backwith us. Now good-bye!"
It was a more solemn farewell than the friends had taken in some time,for all felt the impending events, and Tom and Jack talked but littleduring the return trip from Paris to their headquarters.
What Tom had said about the big battle was strictly true. It had beendecided in high quarters that it was time the newly arrived Americansoldiers showed what they could do. That they could fight fiercely andwell was not a question, it was only a matter of getting themfamiliar with the different conditions to be met with on the Europeanbattlefields, against a ruthless foe.
Tom and Jack had a chance for one more hasty, flying visit to Paris, andthen all leave was withdrawn, and there began in and about the Americancamp such a period of tense and intensive work as bore out what Tom hadsaid. The big battle was impending.
Great stores were accumulated of rations and munitions. Great guns werebrought up into position and skillfully camouflaged. Machine guns ingreat numbers were prepared and a number of aeroplanes were brought fromother sectors and made ready for the flying fight.
"How are your plans coming on?" asked Jack of Tom, at the close of a daywhen it seemed that every one's nerves were on edge from the strain ofpreparing.
"All right," was the answer. "I've spoken to a number of the boys, andthey're with me. You know we're pretty much 'on our own,' when we'reflying, and I think that we can drop the bombs and make a descent longenough to pick up Harry and other refugees if we break open the prison."
"But suppose we land, stall the engines and the Germans surround us?"
"That mustn't happen," said Tom. "We won't stall the engines for onething. We'll just have to drop down, and taxi around as well as we canuntil we pick up Harry, or until he sees us. The machines will carrythree as well as two, and even if we have, by some mischance to go upin singles, they'll carry double. But I figured on your being with me.Harry knows enough of the game to be on the lookout when he hears thebombs drop and sees the planes hovering over him, and he'll tip off theothers to be ready for a rescue.
"Of course I don't say we can get 'em all, and maybe something willhappen that we can't get Harry away. But I think we'll teach Fritz alesson, and I think we can break up the prison camp so some of the poorfellows can get away. As I said, it's a desperate chance, but one we'vegot to take."
"And I'm with you!" exclaimed Jack. "And now when does the big battletake place?"
He was answered a moment later, for an orderly arrived with instructionsto the air service boys to report at their hangars at once.
There they were told something of the impending attack--the first publicmention of it, though more than one had guessed something unusual was inthe air from the tenseness of the last few days.
The attack was to start at dawn the next morning, preceded by an intenseartillery fire. It was to be the fiercest rain of shells since theAmericans had come to the front lines. Then the infantry, supported bytanks and aeroplanes, would follow, going over in waves which it washoped would overwhelm the Germans.
That night was a tense one. Suppose the enemy had guessed, or a spy hadgiven word of the impending battle? Then success would be jeopardized.But the night passed with only the usual exchange of shots and thesending up of star shells over No Man's Land.
And so, as the hour of dawn approached, the tense and nervous feelinggrew. Tom and Jack, with their comrades in their hangars, were dressedin their fur garments and ready. Their machines had received the lasttouches from the hands of the mechanics, and each one was well equippedwith bombs and machine gun ammunition. Tom and Jack were to be allowedto go up together in a big double bombing plane.
The night passed. The hour approached. Anxious eyes watched the hands ofwatches slowly revolve.
Then suddenly, as if the very earth had been blasted away from beneaththem, the batteries of big guns belched forth fire, smoke and shell.
The great battle was on!