CHAPTER XXI.
A STARTLING DISCOVERY.
It quickly became apparent that the squalls they had previously met wereplayful little things compared with this one. It buffeted the bigseaplane about as though determined to wind up its successful careerthen and there; and only for the complete mastery which Frank showedover the flier, some terrible accident must surely have ensued.
M. Le Grande was plainly nervous. He realized that in this sort of awild storm an ordinary aeroplane would not have a ghost of a show. Hewas also at first inclined to doubt the capacity of the American boyaviator for meeting the strain of the situation.
As he watched Frank manage, however, this doubt took wings. He evenbegan to take note of the astonishing stability of the _Sea Eagle_, anddecide in his own mind that its like had never before been constructed.
Meanwhile Billy and Pudge were virtually "on needles and pins." They hadall kinds of confidence in Frank, and faith in the big plane as well;but that wind did shake things up terribly, and there could be notelling how much worse the conditions ahead of them might prove to be.
None of them could see three feet in any direction. Blinded by theswiftly driven snow pellets, that stung as they came in contact withtheir faces, they were compelled to bow their heads to the blast, andpity Frank who was forced to stand it without flinching.
Fortunately it did not last very long. Human endurance would have beenexhausted had it continued indefinitely, for Frank was becoming more orless weak under the strain, when he heard the experienced French aviatorshout in his ear:
"Courage, it is passing by! I can see the sunlight beyond. Courage, mybrave boy! You have done magnificently, superbly! I take off my hat toyou!"
Yes, they could all see now that the snow was growing lighter, showingthe border of the cloud must have been reached. Frank had urged theseaplane on in a headlong rush with the idea of ending the agony sooner,and it was well he had shown such sagacity.
They emerged from the cloud which was soon left far astern. Frank cutdown the speed to one-half, for the air was fearfully cold, and all ofthem seemed to be very nearly frozen.
Once in the bright sunshine again, though there was very little ofwarmth to it, those who could do so began to slap their arms violentlyto and fro in the effort to induce circulation. The French air voyagereven relieved Frank from his arduous duties as well as possible, so thathe could get some life in his stiffened fingers.
M. Le Grande was fairly bubbling over with praise, not only for thesplendid way in which Frank had managed his craft, but in regard to theseaplane itself. Never, he told them, had he seen such a supremelysatisfactory test made to prove the stability of a flier; and in everyparticular had the _Sea Eagle_ proven itself worthy of the highestpraise.
"Ah! M'sieu!" he went on to say warmly, "with a fleet of such wonderfulcraft, patterned after this type, we French could soon end the war aloneand unaided, by striking terror to the heart of Berlin. I am pleasedbeyond measure with all I have experienced. The man whose mind conceivedthis wonder of the air is indeed a wizard."
"Good for you!" cried Pudge, who naturally was delighted to hear hisfather spoken of so highly.
Once again they began to take an interest in what they could see farbelow them. New and varied sights were constantly cropping up as theyjourneyed on. The character of the country was gradually changing, too,for the dreary stretches of water that marked the inundated lowlands ofBelgium near the coast began to merge into dry land. This was highenough to have shed the rains that had been falling during the betterpart of the winter now drawing to a close.
As before, Pudge and Billy commenced calling each other's attention todifferent things that caught their eyes. These were all of an intenselyinteresting nature and extremely varied.
In numerous instances they were fired at. The faint report of volleyscame to their ears as soldiers, in the hope of doing some damage,started shooting, though it must be an extraordinary rifle that couldpush a leaden missile that far up into the air.
Now and then some anti-aircraft gun perched on an elevation would take ashot at them, but the white puff of shrapnel smoke invariably appearedfar below, and told that there was no danger from this source atpresent.
"It may be a different thing," said Frank, when they started discussingthis failure of the shots to reach their altitude, "when we strike arough country, for from the summit of a high hill one of those gunscould give us trouble."
"Well, we must climb out of the danger zone then, that's all," concludedBilly, as though not worrying himself in the least about such apossibility.
They were now approaching the fighting line that stretched across thecountry in a zigzag fashion. Everywhere the Germans had dug themselvesin as though it was their full intention to grimly hold on to what theyhad seized, and only allow the Allies to take it after the mostdesperate resistance.
Eagerly the French aviator was using his binoculars. No doubt he wasmaking a mental map of many things they saw, and would not hesitate touse his knowledge afterward, if he thought it might benefit his side.
Frank winced a little as he thought of that, for he did not wish to beunfair any more than conditions imposed on him. He salved his conscienceby telling himself that there was nothing they were observing but whatany daring aviator of the Allies might not ascertain for himself by aflight across that section of the disputed territory of France.
"If I saw a German Taube man in trouble right now," Frank was saying tohimself, "I'd be just as quick to go to his rescue as though it were aFrenchman or a British pilot; and that's what we mean by callingourselves neutral. I warrant you that ninety-nine out of every hundredadults in the United States, who know about this war, have a leaningtoward one side or the other, according from where their ancestors came.But we all wish it was over, and Peace had come again to these countriesof Europe."
There had really been little to proclaim the fact from radical changesin the villages below them, but Frank believed they must have left theBelgian border behind, and were now sailing over Northern France.
On mentioning this to M. Le Grande, he was immediately assured by theFrench aviator that such was indeed the case, and that though Germanfortifications still dotted the landscape below, it was the sacred soilof La Belle France.
"Soon will they have to pack up their baggage and set out for the Rhinecountry, when, in the Spring, the great offensive begins," the patrioticFrenchman declared, as though the sight of those enemies encamped on thesoil of his beloved land filled his heart with anguish.
It seemed as though there was more or less action going on all along thelines of trenches. As those who sped along high above the earth watched,they saw bodies of men shoot forward, to meet with a deadly fire fromall manner of concealed guns. Perhaps they would be thrust back whencethey sprang; or if the impetus of their advance were sufficient to carrythem to the trenches of the enemy, there would ensue a hand-to-handgrapple that was terribly fascinating.
Pudge had to actually pinch himself several times in order to make surehe was awake, and not dreaming.
"To think that I'd ever have this wonderful chance to see what modernwarfare is like!" he exclaimed in an awe-struck tone. "There's the wholepicture spread out below as if it might be painted especially for ourbenefit. Oh! what was that?"
A terrible explosion had apparently taken place. A section of the Germantrenches must have been blown up with a mine, for in the midst of thesmoke they could see the khaki-clad British soldiers rushing pell-mellto occupy the breach before the Kaiser's forces could recover from theshock, and hurry additional forces up to hold the particular spot.
Such things as that were happening here and there along a line hundredsof miles in extent. It was appalling to the boys to think of such athing, having so recently come from across the sea, where their nativeland was basking under the sun of peace, with not an enemy to fear.
The country became more rugged as they pushed on. Still t
here was nosign of any hostile aeroplane rising to engage or trouble them. In fact,all that day up to now they could not remember having once set eyes on aTaube or a Zeppelin in the air. It certainly looked as though for oncethey must have had strict orders to keep in hiding until the storm hadblown itself out.
"I can see what looks like a city away off yonder," announced Billy, whowas handling the glasses again.
"It is poor Lille, so long held possession of by the barbarians," saidthe native aviator, with sadness in his tones; and the boys did notwonder at it when later on they learned to their surprise that M. LeGrande himself had been born and passed most of his life in that city ofNorthern France.
No doubt, if he could have had his way, he would have enjoyed nothingbetter than the chance to hurl down such a rain of bombs upon theinvaders as must have hastened them back to their own country.
"Will you pass over Lille, Frank?" asked Billy, and there was that inhis voice to tell how pleased he would be should his chum give afavorable answer.
"It would be something to say we had done it," Pudge hastened to remark,showing the trend of his thoughts.
"Yes, we might as well take a look in, and see what the Germans aredoing there," Frank announced. "After which, with a swing around, we canset sail for the fighting line, pass over to ground which the Britishare holding, and then start for the coast at Dunkirk, and so completethe roundabout cruise."
The seaplane passenger was staring at his native city through hisglasses, muttering to himself in French. They could easily give a guessthat these were far from blessings he was calling down on the heads ofthe Germans, who held on to everything they ran across so obstinately.
They were again made a target for numerous guns, but as Frank had risento a somewhat higher level, they did not believe there was any chance ofa stray missile doing any damage.
So they passed over Lille, and left the sorely stricken city behindthem. M. Le Grande twisted himself halfway around, the better to see thelast of the place where his heart lay.
It was just at this minute that Frank was heard to utter a cry, andmanifest considerable consternation.
"What's happened?" cried Billy, as quick as a flash; Pudge turned paleand glued his eyes on Frank's face, which was to him a barometer.
"There's a slackening up in the feed as though the pipe might beclogged!" exclaimed Frank, in considerable apprehension. "Billy, take alook and see about the amount of petrol we've got in the tank!"
Billy knew how to go about this; indeed, it was a part of his regularbusiness.
He had hardly started to carry out Frank's instructions before heshouted:
"Gee whiz! Frank, it's just about plumb empty! We must have been hit,and the tank's sprung a leak!"
"Ganders and gridirons!" cried Pudge in sheer dismay. "Whatever willhappen to us now, if we're forced to land in the midst of the wholeGerman army! Whee! I see our finish!"