CHAPTER X
THE FIGHT ON THE WATER
Below, the fallen aeroplane rested upon the surface of the sea. In thedarkness, it was hard for the lads to tell just how badly the craft wasdamaged and whether it would float; but Jack's idea was to be on thesafe side.
While still some distance from the water, there was a shot from below.
"Hello!" said Jack. "They're alive and kicking, all right. Wonder if wecan't go down and get them from the water."
"It's a better plan, I guess," said Frank. "We'll have an even breakthen. This way they have all the advantage."
He opened up the engine and the hydroplane ran some distance from theposition of the men below. Then he shut off the motor and allowed theplane to glide down to the sea.
With the craft riding the swell of the waves, Jack picked up the enemywith his night glass. The disabled craft also was riding the wavesgently perhaps five hundred yards away.
Jack gave the position to Frank, and the hydroplane approached the foeslowly. Within a range that would make accurate revolver shootingpossible, the hydroplane came to a halt. As it did so there was thesound of a revolver shot from across the water and something whizzedoverhead.
"Must have some pretty fair shooters over there," said Frank, quietly."However, they can't see us any better than we can see them. Of course,they can see our craft all right, the same as we can see theirs, butthey can't spot us."
"No; nor we can't spot them, which makes it worse," said Jack.
"We'll try a couple of shots for luck," said Frank.
He raised his revolver and fired quickly twice. His efforts wererewarded by a scream, apparently of pain.
"Must have hit one of them," he said grimly.
Again a revolver across the water flashed and the two lads heard abullet whistle by.
Jack fired but without result and then Frank fired again.
There was another scream.
"Either got the other one, or the same one again," said Frank.
They waited some moments in silence, but no further shots came fromthe foe.
"By Jove!" said Jack, "you must have got them both. Let's go and have alook."
Slowly, Frank started the hydroplane and they bore down on the enemy.Now they were two hundred, then one hundred yards away.
"Must have got them, all right," said Frank. "I----"
The flash of a revolver from the disabled craft interrupted him. It wasclosely followed by another and then two more.
With a sudden move, Frank changed the course of the hydroplane. He felta sharp pain in his left shoulder.
"Got me," he called to Jack.
The latter was alarmed.
"Where?" he demanded.
"Left shoulder," said Frank, quietly. "Nothing serious, though."
Jack levelled his revolver and fired rapidly at the enemy. His painswere rewarded by howls of derision.
"They tricked us, all right," said Jack, as he reloaded.
"That's what they did. I should have known better, too. They almostsettled us."
"We've got to get them, some way," declared Jack.
"Show me how, and I'll go along with you," declared Frank.
"Well, I've got a scheme, but I don't know whether it will work ornot."
"Let's hear it."
"All right. But first, can you manage this plane all right with thatbad shoulder?"
"Sure; it's not very bad."
"All right then. Well, you keep under cover about here, moving aboutjust enough to spoil the aim of the foe. I'll drop over the side andswim to the enemy. I can get there unobserved, all right, because theywon't be expecting me. I'll pull one of them over and settle with himfirst. Then I'll get the other."
"I don't know," Frank considered the plan. "I suppose it might work,but there is nothing sure about it."
"There's nothing sure about anything," declared Jack. "But it's betterthan staying here all the rest of the night. Besides, we must hurry,you know."
"That's right," agreed Frank. "All right, then. So be it. Will you takeyour gun?"
"No use," said Jack. "It would be wet by the time I got there. Here Igo."
"Good luck," Frank called after him.
Gently, Jack lowered himself over the side of the hydroplane, firstdivesting himself of his coat and shoes; then struck out for thedisabled aeroplane.
Slowly the lad swam, for he did not wish to betray his coming by thesound of a splash. The distance was not great and a powerful swimmer,such as Jack, could cover it easily in a few moments.
Jack did not approach the enemy craft from the front. Giving it a wideberth, he swam around it and then, turning quickly, bore down upon theaeroplane more swiftly. He swam with his head barely above the water,and he was ready to dive immediately should he be sighted.
There was not a sound aboard the aeroplane as Jack drew close to it.Raising his head slightly, he could see no human form.
"Funny," the lad muttered to himself. "Wonder where they keepthemselves. No wonder we couldn't hit them."
He was within a few feet of the disabled craft and he now rose higherin the water to get a good look about. Still he saw no one.
Twice around the machine the lad swam and not a human being did he see.
"There is something awfully queer about this," he told himself. "I'llgo aboard."
He laid hands on the aeroplane and scrambled aboard. Quickly he sprangto his feet, ready to tackle any foe that might have seen him crawlaboard. Nothing happened.
Jack made a careful inspection of the disabled plane. Then, as he stillgazed around, a sudden thought struck him. Without taking time toconsider it, he sprang suddenly to the side of the plane and leapedinto the water and with swift and powerful strokes struck out for hisown craft.
Jack had hit upon the solution of the desertion of the Germanaeroplane.
Even as Jack had lowered himself from the hydroplane and swam acrossthe water, the Germans in the other craft had done the same thing. Bothsides had struck the same plan almost simultaneously. Jack, in making awide detour as he approached the foes' machine, must have passed thetwo Germans in the water.
Now, realizing that the Germans must be close to the hydroplane, hadthey not already reached it, and remembering that Frank was wounded,Jack felt a sudden dread steal over him. His long, powerful strokessent him through the water at great speed.
But the Germans had not made their presence known to Frank yet. Neitherwas as swift a swimmer as Jack, and for that reason, their progressthrough the water had been considerably slower. Also they had gone verycautiously.
A short distance from the hydroplane, one had swum to one side of theplane and the second to the other. The Germans also had discarded theirrevolvers, for they had realized they would be useless after theirtrip through the water. Also, not being expert swimmers, they hadwanted to be unhampered by weight as much as possible.
Frank was still guiding the plane about occasionally to avoid a chancebullet from the enemy, but at the moment the Germans came close, he hadstopped the craft and was peering into the darkness, straining his earsfor the sound of a struggle that would tell him Jack was engaged withthe enemy.
Suddenly a sound came to his ears from across the water, but it was notwhat he expected, although it was in Jack's voice:
"Frank! Look out! They are after you!"
Instantly, the lad understood the situation. He drew his revolver withhis uninjured arm and sprang to one side of the aeroplane. As he didso, a figure reached up and grabbed him by the hand so that he couldnot fire. At the same time a second figure clambered aboard the craftfrom the opposite side. Frank raised a cry:
"Hurry, Jack!"
Jack needed no urging. He was swimming through the water as fast aspossible.
With a sudden move, Frank jerked his hand loose from the grip that heldhim and turned just in time to encounter the second German. Frankraised his revolver and fired quickly; but the German ducked, andbefore Frank could fire again, he had come up close to F
rank andgrappled with him. In vain Frank sought to release his arm so that hecould bring the weapon down on his opponent's head. The man clungtightly.
A sudden lurching of the hydroplane told Frank that the second Germanwas coming aboard. Unmindful of his wounded shoulder, Frank struggledon. With a sharp kick of his right foot he succeeded in knocking thefirst German's legs from beneath him; and again the lad tried to raisehis revolver to shoot the second German, who now advanced.
But the latter was too quick for him. Closing with the lad, the manknocked the revolver from the boy's hand with a quick blow. The weaponspun into the sea.
The first German returned to the attack.
"Get him quick!" he shouted. "There is another one around here someplace."
Jack, at this moment, was within a few yards of the boat.
"You bet there is!" he said between his teeth. "And he'll be there in aminute."
He did not call encouragement to Frank, for he wished to get aboard theplane, if possible, before the men could stay him.
The two Germans rushed Frank simultaneously, and bore him back in theplane. At the same instant, Jack, unmindful of danger that might lurkaboard and thinking only of Frank's danger, laid hold of the plane andclimbed aboard. Then he stood erect and shouted:
"Come on, you cowards! Here's the other one!"