CHAPTER X
A SURPRISE FOR JACK
THE two Air Service boys followed the enemy down with a risky nose-dive,determined to make sure that he did not get away; and so were able tosee him strike amidst the upper branches of the trees with a horriblecrash. They themselves had a close call, and only for Tom's cleverhandling of his machine might have shared the fate of their victim.
Marking the spot as best they could in the darkness of the night, theboys again started upward, in the hope that there might still be otherwork for them to do.
"Too late!" called out Jack. "The Boche has had a stomachful and isbeating it for home like all get-out. He's lost two planes and pilots,which is a heap more'n he counted on giving up for the fun of bombingour hangars. Shall we call it off and go in, Tom?"
Indeed, there was nothing else for them to do. The enemy had been forcedto run before he could have dropped more than half of his stock ofdestructive bombs.
Back to the hut went the three boys. Harry was limping, a fact Tomnoticed for the first time.
"Look here, did you run up against a Boche bullet while you were chasingaround up there, Harry?" he asked solicitously.
"Not quite so bad as that, I'm glad to tell you," came the reply, asHarry stooped to rub the calf of his left leg gently. "But somethingstruck me a nasty blow. Don't know exactly what it was, but I warrantI'll have a nice black-and-blue mark to show for it. Felt mighty queer,too, just as if you'd gone and slapped me with a lathe, flat-side out."
"I reckon," spoke up Jack, "it was a bullet striking the part of yourmachine that you've got sheathed in steel. You must have been restingyour leg against it just where the Boche bullet struck."
"Now, strange to say, I hadn't thought of that explanation before, Jack.But I wouldn't be surprised if you'd guessed the answer. But it stunglike everything for a while, and feels sore still."
"But for all that you've cause for being satisfied, Harry," Tom toldhim.
"Considering what would have happened to me if I didn't have thatsheathing outside the frame of my plane, I guess I ought to be grateful.Do you know only to-day I was figuring whether it paid for the extraweight, and had nearly made up my mind to have it ripped off. Nothingdoing about that from this time on. Saved me a bad leg I tell you,boys."
Arriving at the Y. M. C. A. shelter the boys halted at the door. It wasso cozy in there the boys could always find some good excuse for bendingtheir footsteps in that direction; and also loitering after they hadfinished the business that took them to the hut. So no one wassurprised, or disappointed, to hear Jack call out:
"I think I upset my glass of lemonade in my hurry to clear out; and asthe thirst seems worse now than ever I reckon I'll have to indulge inanother of the same kind, if Miss Sallie has the fixings. Will you joinme, fellows?"
"Not me, for one, Jack," said Harry. "I got all of mine down withoutspilling a drop. I'm not so keen as you about lemonade. But I'll goalong, because these rest places are the only homelike signs we runacross on the front these days."
Jack thereupon gave Tom a sly nudge in the ribs.
"I was right, it seems," he managed to whisper aside. "Keep your eye onthat blue-eyed Miss Sallie, and watch for any tell-tale signs in Harry'sface when he's chatting with her. But she's a mighty nice girl, all thesame, and I don't blame him. Comes of a fine family, too, I'm told."
Sallie, however, was only "conspicuous by her absence," as Jack put it.In fact she had retired to seek rest, for another day's arduous workcame with the morning.
Tom, as did Jack, ordered another glass of lemonade, but drank only asmall portion.
"Somehow or other I seem to have lost my taste for the stuff," heexplained, when this fact was drawn to his attention by Jack; "or elsethis girl hasn't learned the wrinkle of mixing a drink as well as MissSallie has. But there's something bothering me, and I was just going toask Harry if he didn't want to take a run over to the field hospitalwith me."
"What's that?" exclaimed the one mentioned. "You don't think any ofthose Boche bombs could have fallen there, do you, Tom?"
Jack looked worried at these words.
"Well, it's to be hoped not," replied Tom. "But somehow lately thefiends have taken a savage delight in bombing British hospitals and alsosinking their hospital ships when crossing the Channel, in spite oftheir being marked and running with all lights on. As I said before, I'mworried some. Will you go with me, Harry?"
"But we couldn't undertake the trip without special permission, don'tyou know?" objected the other; though his manner told how gladly hewould accompany Tom if given half a chance.
"Oh, I've got my permit, which is good until one A. M. to-night,"explained Tom. "And as you're still limping some I can manage thatyou're allowed to keep me company; only you must make sure to let thehospital surgeon take a look at that leg of yours while we're there, andhave it bound up. I must save my face, understand?"
Harry gave Tom an eloquent look.
"You are certainly the limit, Tom," he avowed. "But I've always heardthat a poor excuse was better than none at all. So, as you've got meanxious about my sister, why, yes, I'll be glad to go along with you."
"How about you, Jack?" Tom queried, turning on the remaining member ofthe trio.
"Thanking you all the same I believe I'll stay here for a while longer,as two ought to be enough to see the job through. The raid was not inthat direction, so the hospital is safe. Jeanne will be asleep so wecan't see her, or else I would go. No, I'll stay here, and when I getgood and tired I'll drop over to quarters, and hit the hay for a soundsleep."
"I reckon we can trust you. Especially," added Tom, with an eye onHarry's face, "since Miss Sallie has disappeared for the night."
When he saw Harry turn red Tom felt satisfied that he and Jack hadindeed guessed the other's secret, though he said nothing to indicatethe fact.
Jack saw the two depart, and wandered here and there, chatting with someof the boys, who evidently meant to hang around until the last minutebefore closing time came.
He found himself yawning several times, and admitted that he would befoolish to spend any more time in trying to keep awake, when even ahalf-way decent bunk awaited his occupancy.
He had reached the door in the act of departing when he became aware ofthe fact that there was an unusual bustle without. On looking to seewhat it meant Jack found that a Red Cross ambulance had drawn upalongside the dugout entrance. Some persons were issuing forth from theinterior of the motor vehicle.
Jack knew that these long distance ambulances, after taking a load ofbadly injured fighting men all the way it might be to Paris, on thereturn journey would often be loaded down with fresh surgical supplies.Yes, and on several occasions he had even known them to bring newnurses to the fighting front, to take the place of those who had beeninjured or fallen sick.
As everything of that sort had a special interest for Jack, he watchedseveral trim figures emerge from the motor transport vehicle. All of asudden he gave a start, straightened himself up, looked eagerly again,rubbing his eyes at the same time, and then with an exclamation hurriedforward.
A girl in khaki garments that told of the Y. M. C. A. worker had justalighted. She was followed by an older woman, who seemed to be the lastof the quartette and who was evidently in charge of the detachment, forJack saw that the others deferred to her judgment.
In half a dozen strides he was over at the spot.
"Bessie!"
The girl with the rosy cheeks and bright eyes turned quickly on hearinghim call this name softly. A smile flashed over her face, andinstinctively her hand was extended cordially:
"Oh, Jack, how glad I am to see you!" she exclaimed.
Jack then greeted the older woman. After a few words Mrs. Gleason said:
"I hardly know what to do, as we ought to be at the field hospital, andhere the driver has dropped us, naturally from our costumes, before theY. M. C. A. hut. But of course you can advise me."
"Certainly I can," Jack hastened to say. "I'll see
that he takes you onas soon as he unloads some things I notice he has for the people here.Yes, and for fear that you get lost I'll try to go along with you, forthere's the officer who can give me permission to leave quarters."
"Where are Tom and Harry?" asked Bessie, for she noticed that the nurseswho had also come in the ambulance were listening with smiles to thisconversation, and it embarrassed her.
"Over at the hospital. We'll possibly meet them there," replied Jack."But I'll tell you all about it while on the way, Bessie."