CHAPTER XII
FOR PERILOUS SERVICE
Tom and Jack spent some little time looking at the strange German shell.It was of peculiar construction, arranged so that the two explosivecharges would detonate together or separately, according as themechanism was set.
But in this case it had failed to work, and the shell, falling in a bedof soft sand, near some new buildings which were going up, had not beenfired by concussion, as might have happened.
"And it was just French luck that it didn't go off," observed Jack.
"That's right," agreed Tom. "If they hadn't had this whole shell toexamine they wouldn't know about the big gun."
So all the theories, fantastic enough some of them, about great airshipshovering over the beautiful city, and dropping bombs from a greatheight, were practically disproved.
"Well, now that you have decided it is a big German gun, the nextquestion is, where is it and what are you going to do about it?"observed Tom, for he and Jack had been made so much of by the Frenchofficers that they felt quite at home, so to speak.
"Ah, messieurs, that _is_ the question," declared Major de Trouville."First to find the gun, and then to destroy it. The first we can do withsome degree of accuracy."
"How?" asked Tom.
The major went to a large map hanging on the wall of the room. It showedthe country around Paris and the various lines as they had been moved toand fro along the Western front, according as the Germans advanced orretreated.
"You will observe," said the major, "that by describing an arc, withParis as the center of the circle, and a radius of about seventy-fivemiles, you will include a small sector of the German trenches. Roughlyspeaking this arc will extend from about Hamegicourt to Conde, bothwithin the German lines, I am sorry to say. Now then, somewhere in thisarc, or perhaps back of it, the German gun is placed. Anywhere elsewhere it would be possible for such a monster engine of war to beerected, would bring it too close to our batteries.
"So that gives us the comparative location of the gun," went on theFrench officer. "But the next question is not so easy to settle--how toget rid of it. As I said, I think we shall have to depend on youairmen."
"Well, we're for the job!" exclaimed Tom.
"I know you are. And it may fall to you, or to your friends. I will talkof that later."
"Have you been able to get any idea of the kind of gun it is, or why itfires at fifteen minute intervals?" asked Jack.
"We have been able to get no really reliable information save that whichwe deduce by our observations of this shell and from what we know of thelocation of our own and the German lines," the Major went on. "Up to nowour airmen have not been able to penetrate far enough without beingattacked, and such few as did get well over toward the Rhine could makeout nothing. I have no doubt the gun is well camouflaged."
"And is it true that it doesn't fire at night because the Germans areafraid the flashes will be seen?" asked Tom.
"That may have been the reason at first, but they have fired at night,of late, so they must have some way of concealing the flashes, orperhaps setting off other flashes at the same time so as to confuse ourscouts."
"It's going to be some job," murmured Jack.
"You said something," agreed his chum.
They remained talking a little longer, and some of the officers whoknew the reason for Tom's visit to Paris, expressed regret that he hadno information as yet about his father.
"But take heart," one told him. "He is not dead, or we should have heardof it. Of course he may have fallen into the hands of the Germans, andthen we would not know for some time."
"He may have been caught," agreed Tom. "While Tuessig is out of the gameon account of his injuries, he may be able to direct Potzfeldt, and thatscoundrel would have good reason for trying to get revenge on us."
"Ah, yes, I heard about your rescue of the young lady and her mother,"said the major. "It was a brave deed."
"Oh, any one could have done it," said Tom, modestly.
"And have you seen them since they came to Paris?" the major proceeded.
"No, but I wish we could find them!" burst out Jack, and then he blushedat his impetuosity, while Tom murmured something about "Bessie," andJack promptly told him to hold his tongue.
"Perhaps you may meet them sooner than you expect," went on the Frenchofficer.
"Now I wonder what he could have meant by that?" asked Jack, as he andhis chum went out, after a final look at the German shell. "Does heknow where they are?"
"It wouldn't be surprising, seeing that Mrs. Gleason is probably in RedCross work, and Bessie may be helping her. We should have looked them upbefore," went on Tom. "But what with searching for my father, and theexcitement about the bombardment, I really forgot all about them."
Jack did not say whether he had or not, the chances being that he had,more than once, thought of Bessie Gleason.
During the next two days the monster cannon continued to shoot shells atintervals into Paris. Some did considerable damage, as any shell woulddo in a great city, and many unfortunates were killed. But there was noreign of terror such as, undoubtedly, the Boches hoped to create. Parisremained calm, and there were even jokes made about the cannon. It wascalled a "Bertha" and other names, the former referring to Bertha Krupp,one of the owners of the great German ordnance works.
Word was given out that the French gunners on the front were trying toreach the big gun with their missiles. But as they were firing blindlyit could not be said what havoc had been wrought.
"But, sooner or later, we'll get the range, and get within strikingdistance," said one of the French officers. "Then we'll show them atrick or two."
"Have the aviators done anything toward trying to find the gun?" askedTom. "I mean anything more."
"We are perfecting our plans for the flying corps," was the answer."Perhaps you shall know more in a few days."
"Well, I hope we'll be here when the fun begins," said Tom, grimly."We've got another extension of leave, and I'm going to ask the policenow, to co-operate with the military in seeking my father."
"I think that will be a wise plan. We will give you all the help wecan."
But the quest for Mr. Raymond seemed a hopeless one, and as noconfirmation could be had of his death or injury, the idea graduallybecame fixed in the minds of Tom and Jack that he had been made a Germanprisoner.
"If that is so, and I can get any trace of him, I'll go over the Rhineto get him back," snapped Tom.
"And I'll go with you!" declared his chum.
It was a few days after they had inspected the German "dud," and theboys were wondering what new developments might take place, the shellingof Paris meanwhile continuing at intervals, that one evening the boyswere visited in their lodgings by Major de Trouville.
"Is there any news?" eagerly asked Tom, for he guessed that the Frenchofficer would not be paying a merely social call. Those were thestrenuous days when such things had passed.
"Well, yes, news of a sort," was the answer. "But what I came to findout was whether you were so taken with these lodgings that you could notbe induced to move."
"To move!" exclaimed Jack.
"Yes. Have you found anything unhealthful here?"
"Why, no," replied Tom, wonderingly. "We like it here. The landlordcouldn't be nicer, and we're in a good location."
"Nevertheless, I fear I shall have to ask you to change your quarters,"went on the major, and by the quizzical smile on his face the boysguessed that there was something in the wind.
"Let me ask you another question," went on the French officer. "Have youbeen annoyed since you have been here?"
"Annoyed? How?" inquired Tom.
"By unwelcome visitors, or by strangers."
The boys thought for a moment.
"There's one chap who lives in the same building here, whom we've seenon our staircase several times," said Jack, slowly. "Once I saw himpause at our door with a key, as though he were going to enter, but heheard me coming, and, muttering
that he had taken too much wine and wasa bit hazy in his memory, he went on upstairs."
"I thought as much," the major said. "Was the man you speak of familiarto you?"
"No, I can't say that he was," replied Jack, and Tom nodded hisacquiescence. "I never saw him before."
"Oh, yes you have," and the major smiled.
"I have? Where?"
"On the train, coming into Paris."
"You mean the German spy?" cried Jack.
"The same," answered the Frenchman. "That's just what he is, and he isspying on you. Now, in view of what is going to happen, we don't wantthat to go on. So I have come to ask you to change your lodgings, and Ithink I can take you to one that will be most agreeable to you both."
"But what does all this mean?" asked Tom. "Is there----"
"There is 'something doing' as you say so picturesquely in the UnitedStates," interrupted the major. "I have come to tell you that you are toundertake a most perilous mission!"