CHAPTER XXI.
ACROSS MACEDONIA.
"No," said Hal, "I am afraid to take a chance with our old airplane. Ithasn't been gone over thoroughly yet. If General Save is anxious for usto go at once, Chester, you and Colonel Anderson go on ahead. I'll lookour machine over and follow you."
"Well, whatever you say," said Chester. "The general is anxiousthat we start at once and perhaps the way you suggest will do aswell as another."
"I'm going with the first party," declared Ivan at this juncture. "I'mtired of sitting about doing nothing. I want to be on the move. Ifsomething doesn't happen pretty soon, I'm going back to the AlbanianMountains."
"I'll be glad to have you go with me," said Chester. "Hal, you can bringStubbs and Nikol with you."
Hal nodded.
"All right. Then you had better see the general about a craft ofsome kind."
Chester hastened away, but was back a few moments later with theannouncement that General Save would have a plane ready for themwithin the hour.
Hal and Chester then examined a map of the country carefully and laid outa course. It was agreed that Hal should follow the same course, for, asChester said, there was little likelihood of anything going wrong, butcoming along the same route the second craft would always have a chanceof rendering aid should it be needed. The lads agreed to meet at Salonikithe following day.
It was nearly dark when the machine carrying Chester, Colonel Andersonand Ivan soared in the air and headed south over Macedonia--once thekingdom of Philip and Alexander the Great. Stubbs, Nikol and Hal watchedtheir friends disappear in the distance with some misgiving, which wasgiven expression by Stubbs.
"I hope they get there safely," he muttered, "but I have my doubts."
"See here, Mr. Stubbs," said Hal. "You've gone through a lot, but you arestill here, aren't you?"
"I am," said Stubbs calmly, "but I wish I were some place else."
"Well, give me an hour or two to look over our machine and you will soonbe some place else," said Hal.
"And the chances are I'd rather be some place than where I am likely tobe if I keep monkeying around in the air," replied the little man.
Hal raised both hands in a gesture of hopelessness.
"There's no use talking to you," he said. "I'll leave you both here whileI overhaul the plane."
He took himself off.
Chester, Colonel Anderson and Ivan sailed swiftly through the air.Darkness fell, but it was a bright night and Chester, at the wheel,could see without difficulty. The passengers were quite comfortable inspite of the cold.
"Aren't you getting a bit too low?" asked Colonel Anderson after a coupleof hours flying in the darkness.
"Thousand feet," said Chester after a glance at the indicator.
"Doesn't seem like it to me," said the colonel. "Think I can see theground below."
"You shouldn't at this altitude," said Chester.
"I know it. Guess I was mistaken."
Half an hour later the colonel spoke again. "Have you come downany, Chester?"
"No; why?"
"I'm sure I can see the ground below," returned the colonel.
Chester glanced over the side of the plane.
"By Jove! So can I," he exclaimed. He glanced at the indicator again. Itstill read a trifle over a thousand feet. "Something wrong some place,"he said to himself.
He tilted the elevating lever, but the plane did not answer by a suddenrush upward. Chester gave a long whistle.
"What's the matter?" demanded Colonel Anderson.
"I don't know," returned Chester. "We're going down gradually, I knowthat, but the indicator still reads a thousand feet and I can't move theplane any higher."
"And you don't know what is wrong?"
"Haven't the slightest idea. I'm no airship expert."
"Then you shouldn't try to run one," declared Ivan.
"Now don't get worried, Ivan," said Chester with a laugh. "We'll get downagain all right."
"We'll probably get down," said Ivan, "but the thing that worries me iswhether it will be all right or not. I want to die with my feet on theground and not be dashed against the earth head first."
"I'm sure there is no danger," said Chester. "We're just sinking gently."
He cut off the engine and allowed the craft to volplane to earth moreabruptly. It came to rest on the ground as lightly as a bird.
"Well, what will we do now?" demanded Ivan.
"You have as much idea as I have," returned Chester. "I can't fix thisthing here in the darkness; in fact, I don't know whether I can fix it atall. We'll either have to walk or stay here until I can have a look atthis craft in daylight--and maybe that won't do any good."
"I vote we walk," said Colonel Anderson. "There must be houses along heresome place. Maybe we can commandeer three horses, or an automobile orsomething."
"Most likely what we'll commandeer will be trouble," grumbled Ivan.
"Now what are you kicking about?" demanded Chester. "You have beenhunting trouble ever since I have known you. Maybe you'll be satisfiedthis time."
"Do you think so?" demanded Ivan eagerly.
"No, I don't," returned Chester. "If I did I'd sit right here. I don'twant to run into any trouble now if I can help it. We've got business onhand, remember that. And we've got to hurry. Colonel Anderson, I guessyour suggestion is a good one. We'll walk on a ways."
They set out without a word. Striking across what appeared in thedarkness a large field, they eventually came to a road. They walked southalong this.
Half an hour later, in the darkness, there loomed up a house ahead ofthem. A faint light glowed in the window.
"Told you there must be a house along here some place," saidColonel Anderson.
Chester produced his watch and succeeded in reading the face aftersome trouble.
"Lacks five minutes to midnight," he said. "Rather a late hour to bemaking a call."
"Necessity knows no law," responded Colonel Anderson. "We won't botherthem much, if they can furnish us with some means of transportation."
"Hope they will be friendly," said Chester.
"No reason why they shouldn't be. I suppose we are still in Serbia."
"Well, I don't know whether we are or not. That's what worries me,"said Chester.
"Why, where do you think we are?"
"I don't know. Might be Serbia, might be Greece, might be Bulgaria, orTurkey or any old place. If the elevating apparatus on our plane was outof whack, the steering apparatus may have been, too. Also I have mislaidmy compass. I won't know north from south until morning."
"Hm-m-m," muttered the colonel. "Well, shall we try this house?"
"May as well, I guess," said Chester.
He led the way to the front door and rapped sharply with his knuckles.
There was a sound of some one stirring within, but no face appeared atthe door in response to the lad's knock. He rapped sharply again. Thistime there was not a sound from within.
Chester walked a little ways from the house and glanced at the windowthrough which a light had been visible a few moments before. It wasperfectly dark now. Apparently the light had been extinguished the momenthe had rapped on the door. All was dark within.
Chester moved toward the house again, thinking to rap on the door oncemore. As he did so, there came the sound of a shot and Chester feltsomething whistle by his ear.
"Wow!" he cried, and dashed toward the door where Colonel Anderson andIvan stood.
"Hit?" cried Colonel Anderson, as the lad dashed up.
"No," replied Chester. "But that bullet didn't miss me much. What'llwe do now?"
"I don't really know. We don't know where we are. Why not spend thenight here?"
"For one reason," said Chester grimly, "because they won't let us in."
"Oh, we can fix that. Break in the door."
"And get shot for our pains."
"No, I don't think so. My impression is that there is no more than asingle occupant of the house. That's the r
eason he was frightened whenwe knocked. We'll just go in where it's warm and pay no furtherattention to him."
"Well, whatever you say," said Chester. "Stand back there, till I blowthe lock off that door." He drew his revolver.
"Hold on," said Ivan. "I'll open it"
He stepped back a pace, then rushed forward. His huge shoulder came intocontact with the hard wood and there was a crash as the door gave waybeneath his weight.
Ivan went in unhesitatingly and the others followed him.
Inside Chester struck a match.
"Look out!" cried Colonel Anderson. "Want to get us all shot?"
"We've got to see where we are going," said Chester.
The glare of a match showed them a room to the right of the hall. Chesterled the way in, still holding the match above his head. On the stand inthe center of the room was a big lamp. Chester lighted it.
"Evidently," he said, "this is the same light we saw when we came up."
The three now pulled themselves close to a fire that glowed softly in anopen fireplace and made themselves comfortable.
"We might as well get a little sleep," said Chester. "Anderson, you takefirst watch. Call me in two hours. I'm going to sleep here."
He closed his eyes, then opened them suddenly again. He had heard aslight noise.
Stepping quickly across to a table at the far end of the room, he stoopeddown and, thrusting his revolver under the table, called:
"Come out!"
There was a faint rustling and a sound as of some one crying. Then afigure, rumpled and fearful, came from beneath the table; andChester cried:
"A girl!"