CHAPTER XIV.
SAVED BY AN AEROPLANE.
The sentry paced by the tent as these greetings were exchanged, and bothboys held their breath as he hesitated in front of it but, to theirunspeakable relief, he passed on.
“You’ll have to cut me loose,” murmured Billy, as the sentry’sretreating footsteps informed them that he had got a safe distance away,“I’m tied hand and foot and my head feels as if it had a hole in it likethe crater of a volcano.”
In a flash, as Billy spoke, Frank conceived a daring plan. He would waittill the next time the sentry passed and then slip bodily into the tentunder the rear flap. As a matter of fact the most risky part of thisbusiness would be the actual creeping in. Once inside there was not muchchance of discovery unless the sentry should take it into his head tocome right inside—a thing which Frank thought was not likely to happen.His brief inspection of the room when he first lifted the flap had shownhim that the unfortunate Billy lay on a cot. It would be, then, an easymatter to slip under this in case the sentry took it into his head tolift the front flap periodically,—as Frank had seen him do from the_Golden Eagle_.
Waiting till the man had once more passed and was swinging down to theend of his post Frank wriggled under the tent-flap and into it.
“You seem to take a personal delight in risking your life to save mine,”whispered Billy with a pitiful attempt at humor as Frank whipped out hisknife and stood waiting till the sentry should have passed again, beforecutting the ropes that were bound round the unfortunate reporter’s feetand hands so tightly as to cut into the flesh.
As a measure of precaution Frank crawled under the cot as the man’sfootsteps drew near once more and it was a lucky thing that he did sofor this time the vigilant sentry pulled aside the front flap and peeredaround the dim place. He saw nothing unusual, however, and dropped itagain with a grunt and fell to pacing up and down.
“Now, Billy, we’ve got no time to lose,” snapped out Frank, slippingfrom under the bed. With a swift slash he released the reporter’s hands.A second later the ropes about his feet fell to the floor cut through.
“If he peeks in this time we are goners,” whispered Frank as the heavy,regular tread drew near once more; but the man passed by and as hisfootsteps died away the reunited boys clasped hands warmly.
“You can tell me all that has happened when we get away from here,”whispered Frank, cutting short the narrative of his adventures theirrepressible Billy had plunged into, “we’ve got all our work cut for usnow.”
“What are we going to do?” asked Billy helplessly, “I’m so stiff fromthose ropes that I can hardly run and when they knocked me down theygave me this bump that doesn’t make my head feel any too good.”
“Rub your joints, to get the circulation going again,” was Frank’srejoinder. “You’ll soon feel all right.”
“Yes, but then what are we going to do?” repeated Billy, “We can’t getoff through the forest. They’ll discover that I’ve gone in a short timeand Rogero will send his whole army through the woods to find us. Itwould never do for him to lose me now, you see. I know too much.”
“We are going to get away by aeroplane,” was the startling answer. “Oncewe get up aloft, I don’t think that even Rogero can get us.” Billy usedas he had recently become to the boys’ resourcefulness gasped out:
“What?” in such an amazed tone that, grave as was their position, Frankcouldn’t help laughing.
“That’s the idea,” rejoined Frank, then hastily he sketched out to Billytheir plan. He also pointed out to him the absolute necessity of keepinga cool head when the crucial moment came.
“There will be no second chance,” he warned impressively, “even to bringthe _Golden Eagle_ so near to the earth once, is a desperate measure. Ifwe don’t make the ladder on the first jump it’s goodnight, remember.”
To Billy’s credit, be it said, that he listened to Frank’s amazingproposal without batting an eyelid. Indeed, he had come to have suchfaith in the younger boy’s ingenuity and ability that he would willinglyhave jumped over a precipice if Frank had told him it would be allright. All he said was then:
“Count on me, Frank, if this thing gets ‘pied’ it won’t be my fault.”
“Or ours either, I can promise you that,” returned Frank earnestly.
“Now,” he went on, to Billy, who had been vigorously chafing his numbedankles all this time, varying the performance by rubbing his wristsalternately; “if you’ve got some of the stiffness out the sooner we areon the move the better.”
“All right, Frank,” bravely whispered Billy. “It feels like every step Itook somebody was jabbing a knife into me,” he went on in a rueful tone,“but I guess I can do my part of this job.”
“Bully for you,” whispered Frank in reply. “Now then,” as the sentry’sfootsteps died away, “it’s now or never.”
As he spoke he slipped under the tent-flap closely followed by Billywho, plucky as he was, couldn’t suppress a slight groan at the pain hiswounded head and rope-grazed joints gave him as he moved.
A second later both boys were in the dark shadows of the clump of treesand in comparative safety. That is they were safe till the sentry lookedin the tent again and discovered that his prisoner had vanished, a factthey both fully realized.
“We’ll have to sacrifice caution to speed,” counseled Frank, glidingswiftly along with wonderful speed and making very little noise. PoorBilly with his hurts and stiffness did not make such good progress.
“Come on, Billy,” whispered Frank grabbing him by the arm, and halfdragging him along, “it won’t be long now.”
“I don’t think I can last much longer, Frank,” groaned Billy. “You’dbetter get out and leave me here. I don’t suppose they’ll dare to doanything much to me.”
“They won’t, eh?” returned Frank, “well you don’t know as much of thesepeople as I do. No, Billy, we’ll stand or fall together. Come on, buckup, and in a few minutes we’ll be safe in the good old _Golden Eagle_.”
Frank’s words and his bold determined manner had the effect he intended.Billy put on a stiff upper lip and a few minutes later they emerged intothe moonlight at the edge of the clearing. Frank fumbled in the bosom ofhis shirt for the signal light as they cautiously crept across thebrilliantly moonlit patch in which Frank and Billy both felt that theymust be as conspicuous objects as a pair of bull elephants.
When he found the tiny flash-light with which he was to give the signalto Harry in the _Golden Eagle_, that both boys could now see hoveringabove them, Frank pressed the button twice. Harry, scanning the groundbelow him anxiously, saw the tiny flashes instantly and with a feelingof relief, that, so far, the enterprise was going well. The boy set thedownward planes of the _Golden Eagle_ and muffled down the engine forthe peril-filled descent.
Crouching in the brush Frank and Billy, one of them at least with aqueer, sinking sensation at the pit of his stomach—watched the greataeroplane swoop down on them like a bird of prey. It was small wonderthat they felt apprehensive. What they had to do was to grasp the end ofa swinging rope-ladder as, for but the fraction of a minute, it brushedby them—yet neither of them dared entertain the thought of missing it.To do so would have been to unnerve them when they most needed everyounce of presence of mind and cool calculation they could muster.
“Now!” cried Frank suddenly as the air-craft’s black shadow envelopedthem.
Bracing every muscle till they were tense as steel springs Frank made aleap for the lashing end of the ladder as it tore by him at what seemedto be terrific speed. It was about three feet above the earth. As hejumped and caught it, bracing his foot on the lowest rung, he felt theaeroplane sag down with the sudden weight.
“Open up!” he yelled to Harry, fearing that if she sagged any more the_Golden Eagle_ might lose her equilibrium altogether. At the sameinstant he realized that Billy was making a desperate effort to haulhimself onto the ladder also. The reporter h
ad caught it all right buthis fingers,—weakened under the tightness of his recent bonds—refused togrip it firmly. Already he had let go with one hand and was gazing witha piteous white face up at Frank.
As the welcome roar of the powerful engine came to his ears and Frankfelt the good ship respond nobly to its impetus the youthful aviatorreached down and seized the reporter just as Billy’s grasp was about torelax altogether. He managed with a desperate effort to haul him up tillBilly’s foot rested on the lower round.
“You’ll have to let me drop, Frank, I can’t hold on any longer,” hegasped.
“Put your leg through the lower round,” commanded Frank sharply. With alast effort, that almost cost him his place on the ladder, the reporterobeyed the order and found that he had at least a chance of holding onwith his leg hooked firmly over in this position.
At this moment,—and as the _Golden Eagle_ gave a sickening leap upwardthat made Billy’s head swim and would undoubtedly have been the last ofthe reporter but for the firm grip Frank had of his arm—a shot flashedout from the camp. Instantly there was a turmoil in the place thatreached the boys’ ears even above the roar of the laboring engine’sexhaust.
Lights could be seen moving rapidly about below, and shouted commandsrang sharply out on the night. With the additional weight she wascarrying, at an angle to which she was not accustomed,—and for which shehad not been designed,—the _Golden Eagle_ behaved erratically. DespiteHarry’s most skilful handling and jockeying she refused to rise at herusual rapid pace. In fact she seemed as sluggish as a snail and yawedand lurched in a manner that swung Frank and the reporter about as ifthey had been suspended at the end of a pendulum.
In this urgent crisis the men in the camp perceived the unaccustomedsight of the struggling aeroplane and, shouting in Spanish, made a dashthrough the grove of trees into the open space above which the BoyAviators’ craft was struggling bravely to attain the upper air.
Frank, as if in a dream, saw from his perilous perch a dozen riflesleveled at them and, in the glare of a kerosene torch, perceived Rogerohurrying about giving orders and striking men with the flat of his swordin his fury at losing his prisoner.
It seemed as if it was all over when suddenly from the car above themHarry’s clear voice rang out.
“Stand clear; or I’ll throw the bomb!”
The effect of his words was instantaneous. The boys, clinging to theswaying ladder, saw the soldiers dash back as if terror-stricken andRogero himself—crazed with fury—seemed to have ordered the men not tofire for they dropped their rifles.
Like a flash Frank saw his opportunity. If they could reach the top ofthe ladder the lurching aeroplane would answer her helm.
“Climb, Billy. Climb! It’s your last chance!” he cried. “Climb withevery drop of strength in your body!—Quick Harry—the picric acid!”
“CLIMB, BILLY. CLIMB! IT’S YOUR LAST CHANCE.”]
As though galvanized into a last spurt of life by Frank’s emphaticwords, Billy’s tired muscles came into play and slowly, with whatdifficulty he never knew, for to this day the young reporter says hedoesn’t know how he did it—he managed to follow Frank up the ladder. Asthey did so Harry emptied the acid into the gasolene tank and urged bythe tremendous impetus this gave her engines, the ship began to rise.
As they climbed desperately higher, the _Golden Eagle_ graduallyregained her equilibrium and began to respond to her riding planes asHarry frantically manipulated them. Frank crawled after what seemed anhour through the trap in the pilot-house floor. Instantly stretchinghimself out—he reached down to Billy. He seized the reporter by thewrists and fairly lifted him into safety beside him.
Of this brave struggle, however, Billy knew nothing; for as he waspulled through the trap his overwrought nerves gave way and, as the_Golden Eagle_ shot into safety at thirty miles an hour, the youngreporter lay in a dead faint on her pilot-house floor.
* * * * *
“Bravely done, Harry,” cried Frank, grasping his younger brother’s handin a firm grip which you may be sure was heartily returned.
“That’s all right. All’s well that ends well”—replied Harry,—with agrin, “it was just a bit of bluff, Frank, but it worked.”
“What did you do?” demanded Frank.
For reply Harry pointed to the brightly-polished cylinder of thesearchlight that, detached from its socket lay on the floor.
“You heard me call, ‘Lookout for the bomb!’ or words to that effect?” heinquired.
“Yes,” replied Frank, puzzled, “but those fellows don’t understandEnglish.”
“Well, they understood what it meant when they saw me raise thatsearchlight over my head as if I was going to chuck it down and blowthem all to Kingdom Come,” replied Harry, cheerfully.