CHAPTER XI
THE AMAZING PLAN
"Tell us what you mean, please?" begged the excited Jack.
"Take things coolly, to begin with," warned the other; "because what I'mgoing to say will almost stun you at first, I suppose. But it's no newidea with me. Fact is, I'd planned it all out in my mind long ago; had itmore than half arranged at the time I ordered that monster Martin bomberbuilt at my own expense and shipped over to France."
"Yes," muttered Jack, while he kept his eyes glued hungrily on theflushed face of the other.
Tom said nothing, but looked as though he already half guessed what wascoming, if the eager and expectant gleam in his eyes signified anything.
"I explained to you," the lieutenant continued steadily, "that the bigbomber was equipped for a trip to Berlin and back; and went so far as tosay the flight could be _repeated without making a landing_, if therewas any need of such a thing. All right, then; in a pinch, properlyloaded with plenty of gasoline and stores, that machine would be able totake three fellows like you two and myself all the way across theAtlantic, and land us on American soil! Get that, do you, Jack?"
No one said a word for half a minute. The proposition was so astoundingthat it might well have appalled the stoutest heart. At that time no onehad attempted to cross the Atlantic in a heavier-than-air plane, a featlater on successfully accomplished. Nobody had piloted the way in aYankee-made seaplane; nor had any one navigated the air passage in amonster dirigible. The three thousand miles of atmosphere lying betweenEurope and America still stood an uncharted sea of vapor, where everyimaginable evil might lie in wait for the modern Columbus of aerialnavigation.
Then Jack drew a long breath. The lieutenant was watching the play ofemotion across his face, and he knew the seed had been sown in goodground, where it was bound to take root. Jack's extremity would be his,Lieutenant Beverly's, opportunity. So he returned to the attack, meaningto "strike while the iron was hot."
"It staggers you at first, of course, Jack," he said, in his confident,convincing way. "But why should it? The danger is great, but nothingmore than we're up against every day we set out for the clouds to givebattle to a tricky Hun ace, who may send us down to our death. And Iassure you we'd have at least a fighting chance to get across. What doyou say, Jack?"
For answer the other whirled on his chum. His face was lighted up withthat sudden and unexpected renewal of hope, just when it had seemed asthough he had fallen into the pit of despair.
"Tom, would it be madness, do you think?" he cried, clutching the otherby the arm, his fingers trembling, his eyes beseeching.
"We'd have a fair chance of making it, just as Colin says," Tom slowlyanswered. "Much would of course depend on contrary winds; and there'd befighting in the fog banks we'd surely strike. But Jack,--"
"Yes, Tom?" gasped the other, hanging on his chum's words eagerly, as onemight to the timbers of a slender bridge that offered a slim chance toreach a longed-for harbor.
"If you decide to accept the venture I'm with you!" finished Tom.
At that the eager flight lieutenant showed the utmost enthusiasm.
"Call it settled then, Jack, so we can get busy working out theprogramme!" he begged, again insisting upon gripping a hand of each.
Jack found himself carried along with the current. He could not well haveresisted had he so desired, which was far from being the case. It seemedto him as though he were on a vessel which had drifted for hours in thebaffling fog, and then all of a sudden the veil of mist parted, to showhim the friendly shore beyond, just the haven for which he was bound.
"It is, perhaps, a desperate attempt to make such a flight on shortnotice," Jack said. "But think! If we succeed! And think, too, of thatschemer winning the prize! Yes, Tom, since you've already agreed to standin with me, I say--_go_!"
After that a fever seemed to burn in Jack's veins, due to the suddenrevulsion of feeling from despair to hope. He asked many questions, andfor an hour the three talked the matter over, looking at thepossibilities from every conceivable angle.
Tom was not so sanguine of success as either of his mates; but he kepthis doubts to himself. As an ambitious airman he was thrilled by thevastness of the scheme. As Lieutenant Beverly had truly remarked, whileit held chances of disaster, they were accepting just as many challengesto meet their death every day of their service as battleplane pilots.
Then again it seemed to be the only hope offered to poor Jack; and Tomwas bound to stick by his chum through thick and thin. So he fell in withthe great scheme, and listened while the flight lieutenant touched uponevery feature of the contemplated flight.
Luckily it was no new idea with him, for he had spent much time and laborin figuring it all out to a fraction, barring hazards of which they couldof course know nothing until they were met.
"I've got all the charts necessary," he assured them, after they hadabout exhausted the subject, with Jack more enthusiastic than ever. "Andwhile you boys are waiting to receive your official notifications, whichought surely to come to-morrow, since there was a hurry mark on them, Inoticed, I'll rush over to the coast and see that additional supplies offuel and food are put aboard."
"Don't stint the gas, above everything," urged Jack. "We'd be in a prettypickle to run out while still five hundred miles from shore. If it wasonly a big seaplane now, such as we hear they're building over inAmerica, we might drop down on a smooth sea and wait to be picked up bysome ship; but with a bomber, it would mean going under in a hurry."
"Make your mind easy on that score, Jack," came the lieutenant's reply."I'll figure to the limit, and then if the plane can carry another fiftygallons it'll go aboard in the reserve reservoir. I'm taking no chancesthat can be avoided. There'll be enough to bother us, most likely. And,for one, I'm not calculating on committing suicide. I hope to live tocome back here aboard some ship, and see the finish of this big,exciting scrap."
Tom liked to hear him talk in that serene way. It showed that LieutenantColin Beverly, while a daring aviator was not to be reckoned a recklessone; and there is a vast difference between the two. Tom was of very muchthe same temperament himself, as was proved in past stirring incidents inhis career, known to all those who have followed the fortunes of the AirService Boys in previous books of this series.
"Is there anything else to confer about?" asked Tom. "Because I can seeyou're itching to get away, Colin."
"Not a thing, as far as I know," came the reply. "If any fresh ideahappens to strike me I'll have it on tap when you arrive. Are you sureyou've got the directions how to get to Dunkirk, and then how to find mysecret hangar on the coast beyond the town, Tom?"
"We'll be ready to skip out just as soon as our official notice comes tohand," the other assured him.
"That's the only thing bothering me just now," observed Jack. "Any delaythere might ruin our plans at the last minute. As it is, we're not apt tohave any too much time to beat the steamer to New York."
"I expect you to show up to-morrow night, and then we can slip awayunnoticed in the dark," said the lieutenant. "I've kept tabs on theweather conditions, as it's always been a fad with me; and I'm happy tosay there seems to be no storm in prospect, while the winds are apt to befavorable, coming from the east, a rare thing these fall days. So-long,boys, and here's success to our jolly little flight!"
After he had left them Jack turned on his comrade to say:
"It seems to be our only chance, and not a long one at that; but I'm benton trying it out. Anything to beat Randolph to the tape, Tom!"