CHAPTER X-A CAPTURE FROM THE SKIES
Jack went off to see what he could discover, and Harry, left behind withDick, racked his brain for some means of blocking the plan he was sosure the Germans had made. He was furious at Graves, who haddiscredited him with Colonel Throckmorton, as he believed. He mindedthe personal unpleasantness involved far less than the thought that hisusefulness was blocked, for he felt that no information he might bringwould be received now.
As he looked around it seemed incredible that such things as he wastrying to prevent could even be imagined. After the early rain, the dayhad cleared up warm and lovely, and it was now that most perfect ofthings, a beautiful summer day in England. The little road they hadtaken was a sort of blind alley. It had brought them to a meadow,whence the hay had already been cut. At the far side of this ran alittle brook, and all about them were trees. Except for the calls ofbirds, and the ceaseless hum of insects, there was no sound to break thestillness. It was a scene of peaceful beauty that could not be surpassedanywhere in the world. And yet, only a few miles away, at the most,were men who were planning deliberately to bring death and destructionupon helpless enemies-to rain down death from the skies.
By very contrast to the idyllic peace of all about them, the terrors ofwar seemed more dreadful. That men who went to war should be killed andwounded, bad though it was, still seemed legitimate. But this drivinghome of an attack upon a city all unprepared, upon the manynon-combatants who would be bound to suffer, was another and moredreadful thing. Harry could understand that it was war, that it waspermissible to do what these Germans planned. And yet-
His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden change in the quality of thenoisy silence that the insects made. Just before he noticed it, half adozen bees had been humming near him. Now he heard something thatsounded like the humming of a far vaster bee. Suddenly it stopped, and,as it did, he looked up, his eyes as well as Dick's being drawn upwardat the same moment. And they saw, high above them, an aeroplane withdun colored wings. Its engine had stopped and it was descending now ina beautiful series of volplaning curves.
"Out of essence-he's got to come down," said Harry, appraisingly, toDick. "He'll manage it all right, too. He knows his business throughand through, that chap."
"I wonder where he'll land," speculated Dick.
"He's got to pick an open space, of course," said Harry. "And therearen't so many of them around here. By Jove!"
"Look! He's certainly coming down fast!" exclaimed Dick.
"Yes-and, I say, I think he's heading for this meadow! Come on-startthat motor, Dick!"
"Why? Don't you want him to see us?"
"I don't mind him seeing us-I don't want him to see the car," explainedHarry. "We'll run it around that bend, out of sight from the meadow."
"Why shouldn't he see it?"
"Because if he's out of petrol he'll want to take all we've got and wemay not want him to have it. We don't know who he is, yet."
The car was moving as Harry explained. As soon as the meadow was out ofsight Harry stopped the engine and got out of the car.
"He may have seen it as he was coming down-the car, I mean," he said."But I doubt it. He's got other things to watch. That meadow forone-and all his levers and his wheel. Guiding an aeroplane in a coastlike that down the air is no easy job."
"Have you ever been up, Harry?"
"Yes, often. I've never driven one myself, but I believe I could if Ihad to. I've watched other people handle them so often that I know justabout everything that has to be done."
"That's an English monoplane. I've seen them ever so often," said Dick."It's an army machine, I mean. See its number? It's just coming insight of us now. Wouldn't I like to fly her though?"
"I'd like to know what it's doing around here," said Harry. "And itseems funny to me if an English army aviator has started out withoutenough petrol in his tank to see him through any flight he might bemaking. And wouldn't he have headed for one of his supply stations assoon as he found he was running short, instead of coming down in countrylike this?"
Dick stared at him.
"Do you think it's another spy?" he asked.
"I don't think anything about it yet, Dick. But I'm not going to becaught napping. That's a Bleriot-and the British army flying corps usesBleriots. But anyone with the money can buy one and make it look likean English army 'plane. Remember that."
There was no mistake about that monoplane when it was once down. Itspilot was German; he was unmistakably so. He had been flying very highand when he landed he was still stiff from cold.
"Petrol!" he cried eagerly, as he saw the two boys, "Where can I getpetrol? Quick! Answer me!"
Harry shot a quick glance at Dick.
"Come on," he said, beneath his breath. "We've got to get him and tiehim up."
The aviator, cramped and stiffened as he was by the intense cold thatprevails in the high levels where he had been flying, was no match forthem. As they sprang at him his face took on the most ludicrousappearance of utter surprise. Had he suspected that they would attackhim he might have drawn a pistol. As it was, he was helpless before thetwo boys, both in the pink of condition and determined to capture him.He made a struggle, but in two minutes he was lying roped, tied, andutterly helpless. He was not silent; he breathed the most fearfulthreats as to what would happen to them. But neither boy paid anyattention to him.
"We've got to get him to the car," said Harry. "Can we drag him?"
"Yes. But if we loosened his feet a little, he could walk," suggestedDick. "That would be ever so much easier for him, and for us, too. Ishould hate to be dragged. Let's make him walk."
"Right-and a good idea!" said Harry. He loosened the ropes about theaviator's feet, and helped him to stand.
"March!" he said. "Don't try to get away-I've got a leading rope, yousee."
He did have a loose end of rope, left over from a knot, and with this heproceeded to lead the enraged German to the automobile. It looked forall the world as if he were leading a dog, and for a moment Dick doubledup in helpless laughter. The whole episode had its comic side, but itwas serious, too.
"Now we've got to draw off the gasoline in the tank in this bucket,"said Harry. The German had been bestowed in the tonneau, and made ascomfortable as possible with rugs and cushions. His feet were securelytied again, and there was no chance for him to escape.
"What are you going to do?" asked Dick. "Are you going to try to fly inthat machine?"
"I don't know, yet. But I'm going to have it ready, so that I can if Ineed to," said Harry. "That Bleriot may be the saving of us yet, Dick.There's no telling what we shall have to do."
Even as he spoke Harry was making new plans, rendered possible by thisgift from the skies. He was beginning, at last, to see a way tocircumvent the Germans. What he had in mind was risky, certainly, andmight prove perilous in the extreme. But he did not let that aspect ofthe situation worry him. His one concern was to foil the terrible planthat the Germans had made, and he was willing to run any risk that wouldhelp him to do so.
"That Zeppelin is coming here to Bray Park-it's going to land here,"said Harry. "And if it ever gets away from here there will be no way ofstopping it from doing all the damage they have planned, or most of it.Thanks to Graves, we wouldn't be believed if we told what we knew-we'dprobably just be put in the guard house. So we've got to try to stop itourselves."
They had reached the Bleriot by that time. Harry filled the tank, andlooked at the motor. Then he sat in the driver's seat and practicedwith the levers, until he decided that he understood them thoroughly.And, as he did this, he made his decision.
"I'm going into Bray Park to-night," he said "This is the only way toget in."
"And I'm going with you," announced Dick.