CHAPTER XVIII.
OFF WITH THE AIR RAIDERS.
"Zip! we're off!" cried Billy, as he heard the familiar whir of themotors, and felt the forward push of the sea and air craft.
Pudge was not so accustomed to being aboard one of the _Sea Eagles_ whenstarting out on a cruise. His father, knowing the customary clumsinessof Pudge, had preferred as a rule that the fat boy stay upon the solidground while his more agile chums attempted the aerial stunts.
But Pudge complained so much that Frank had thought it best to let himaccompany them on this wonderful journey. It was likely to eclipseanything they had ever experienced before, and must ever remain as amemory worth while.
The speed increasing, they were soon rushing over the surface of theharbor at a furious rate. Then, as Frank slanted the ascending rudder,they left the water to course upward at a low angle, which, however,could be increased as they circled the harbor.
Loud cheers came to their ears from the shore, where that crowd had beenstanding. They were echoed, too, from several other points, showing thatall Dunkirk must be on the alert this morning, as though it might be inthe air that wonderful things were about to transpire.
"Are those cheers for us, do you think, Frank, or because they'vediscovered the fleet coming along?" Billy asked, although he had alreadywaved his hand toward the shore.
"It's hard to tell," Frank replied. "Though they must have glimpsed thebunch heading this way, and guessed what it all means. I don't see anyperson running to hide in a cellar, as they do when the Taubes arearound."
Mounting higher, they waited for the arrival of the fleet. It was asight never before witnessed. The air was fairly filled with buzzingseaplanes of various patterns, jockeying for position much as is seen onthe race course before the signal to start is given by the firing of apistol.
"Listen to all the racket, will you?" cried Pudge, and indeed the noiseof so many motors and whirling propellers did sound strangely.
"It's like a young Niagara, that's what I'd call it!" declared Billy."Why, sometimes you can't hear yourself think for the Bedlam that'sbroken loose. Say, tell me what the Germans up the coast will think hasstruck them when this flock descends on Zeebrugge, and batters away atthe docks and the submarine bases."
"They're all under the charge of a central seaplane, too," added Frank."For, if you notice, the signals are always sent from that one justpassing us now."
One of the muffled figures in the other aircraft waved a hand at them.Something was said at the same time, which Frank took for granted mustbe a question as to whether they expected to accompany the raiders.
He nodded his head in the affirmative, at the same time displaying alittle red, white and blue flag he carried, and which must haveconsiderably astonished the pilot of the British seaplane, evidently thechief controller.
"I did that so he might know we didn't expect to drop any bombs, or havea part in the raid itself," Frank explained, turning to his companions.
"They're all worked up over seeing such a whopping big seaplane here,"remarked Pudge, with a touch of the old pride in his voice. "They'rehaving the surprise of their lives right now, let me tell you. I'm gladthey know that it's a Yankee machine."
"But, Frank, as we understand it, all these bomb-droppers don't intendto go to one place, do they?" asked Billy, as he watched the whirringmachines flit past like so many big dragon flies.
"No," came the ready answer. "When up the coast a piece, there'll be adivision starting inland to damage the railway station and try to get atthe supplies the Germans have gathered at Bruges, as well as some otherpoints."
"Well, what about us then?" asked Billy.
"Yes," added Pudge, also deeply interested; "do we go on with theseaplanes and keep tabs of what they do up around Ostend and Zeebrugge,or else switch off and go over the land the same as you and Billy didyesterday?"
"I've fixed all that with M. Le Grande here," Frank told them. "Heexpressed the wish that we might see fit to keep with the main bodyalong the shore, because it is expected the most spectacular feats willbe attempted there."
"Gee! I was hoping you'd say that, Frank!" Billy exploded.
"Suits me to a dot, too!" Pudge followed by saying.
"I hope they are going to start right away," added Billy.
"There's a message being sent up by heliograph," explained Frank. "Ofcourse, we can't read the flashes, but it's meant for the man in theleading plane. I expect it will tell him everything is all right for thestart."
He proved a true prophet, for immediately afterward some signal wasgiven that caused the entire assemblage of aeroplanes to cease theirevolutions and head in a long double string up the coast.
The boys, despite the clattering of propellers and the humming of manystriving motors, could catch the distant wild cheers that the assembledpeople of Dunkirk sent after them. It was a benison of good wishes, anda hope that the object of the great raid might be fully accomplished.
Frank kept somewhat above most of the aircraft. He had several objectsin doing this, chief of which was the design to show that he was in aclass by himself, and not to be included in those who had come forth tofight. Besides, it allowed them to observe all that was going on below;as well as being in a position to show the pilots of the fleet a fewlittle things connected with the strange looking _Sea Eagle_ that wouldcause them to feel more or less astonishment, and envy as well.
"Will you show them something, Frank, now that we have the chance?"asked Pudge.
"It will have to be before we get to the first place they expect tobombard, then," Frank replied, meaning, of course, that once the work ofthe fleet began there would be no time for any of them to manifest anyinterest in the evolutions of the American built aircraft.
When Frank had moved a lever that called for all speed, and the motorswere working at the astonishing rate of almost two thousand revolutionsa minute, it seemed as though they had left the rest of the fleet far inthe lurch. Green flames spouted from the exhausts, for Frank had openedthe muffler in order to get every ounce of speed out of the motors.
They could see the pilots of the other seaplanes looking up at them inmingled wonder and admiration, for, like the jockeys of race horses, itis the ambition of every aviator to possess the fastest going machine onthe market.
Having secured a free section of space to himself, Frank proceeded toput the wonderful _Sea Eagle_ through her paces. He showed what could bedone in various ways, and while possibly most of those other craft werecapable of accomplishing similar tricks, the fact was made patent thatthe superior size of the American made hydro-aeroplane did not act as abar to the ability of the _Sea Eagle_ to maneuver in a dexterous fashionwhile going at that tremendous rate of speed.
"Now we'll have to stop, and mount a little higher," Frank remarked,having circled around and found himself once more back of the leaders inthe procession.
"There go several aeroplanes off to the right!" announced Billy. "Ireckon that's the detachment told off to tackle Bruges and otherinterior places."
"We're coming to Ostend!" Frank told them, pointing down to where thecity of the celebrated bathing beach could be seen, with the houses andhotels close to the famous sandy stretch of shore.
There were boats in the harbor, and they must be German owned or theycould not have come there. Billy, using the glasses, could see that themost tremendous excitement had seized upon every one in sight. Peoplewere rushing in every direction, soldiers as well as civilians; the raysof the sun glinted on cannon that were being hastily changed, so as topoint upward.
"There goes the first anti-aircraft gun!" called Billy, as a faint boomreached their ears from far below.
"Watch what the fleet pilots do!" Frank told them.
Apparently the plan had been well worked out, and every pilot knewexactly what was expected of him. Maps of the region had been carefullystudied in order that the position of each vulnerable point of attackmight be known.
/> If there was a railway depot which the Germans used every hour of theday, and the loss of which would cripple their transportationfacilities, that was picked out to be an object of attack. Here was amole alongside of which possibly submarines tied up, and its destructionwould deprive the enemy of a valuable station. Further on a large shedmarked the spot where great stores had been gathered, and if a bombcould only be exploded in the midst, it was going to mean that therewould later be a shortage of provisions. An oil tank, an ammunitionmagazine, a forty-two centimeter gun, such as battered the forts atLiege to pieces, all such were fair objects of attack wherever theycould be found. The one order that had been given to every pilot was toavoid destroying the property of civilians as far as possible.
As Frank and his chums looked down from their higher level they saw asight such as had never before been witnessed by human eyes. The air wasfilled with a flock of circling, dodging aeroplanes, with puffs of whitesmoke breaking above, below, and in some cases amidst them, as the gunson the ground were fired again and again in hopes of bringing one ormore of the venturesome craft down.
Various explosions far beneath proclaimed that the bombardment from thesky was in full blast. Most of their ammunition, however, woulddoubtless be kept for the more important base at Zeebrugge, whereraiding submarines were wont to start forth on their daring excursionsthrough the waters of the Channel, seeking to destroy British and Frenchmerchant vessels or ships of war.
Already the leading seaplanes had passed over the watering place knownas Ostend and which before the war had been a famous summer resort.Doubtless their departure would be watched with mingled feelings by thethousands of German soldiers who had been interested observers of thiswonderful sight in the heavens. They would also doubtless wonder whatwas going to happen when the aerial fleet returned, as it surely must,to its base at Dunkirk.
"How about Antwerp?" asked Billy. "Think they'll take a turn up there,and drop a few reminders on the railway station, or some of the fortsthey say the Germans have been building up again?"
"I hardly think so," Frank replied. "This is a raid on sea coast places,as I understand it. They want to strike at the submarine bases so as toupset the plans of the Germans for next week, when the blockade of thecoasts of Great Britain and Northern France goes into effect. They'll dosome damage at Bruges and Blankenberghe I expect, just as we shied a fewat Ostend; but the main thing will happen when we get to Zeebrugge."
"I think that must be the place just ahead of us right now, Frank!"called out Billy, who was again using the glasses, bent on seeingeverything that occurred; for he realized that they were highly favoredby fortune in being given a chance to witness such strange sights.
"Yes, that is Zeebrugge," Frank admitted. "Now we'll see something worthwhile, if no snow squall comes along to shut out our view!"
"Pirates and parachutes," cried Pudge, "but I hope that doesn't happento us."