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diff --git a/old/64184-0.txt b/old/64184-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index de6411e..0000000 --- a/old/64184-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5896 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Airship Boys in the Great War, by De -Lysle F. Cass - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The Airship Boys in the Great War - or, The Rescue of Bob Russell - -Author: De Lysle F. Cass - -Illustrator: Harry O. Kennedy - -Release Date: December 31, 2020 [eBook #64184] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Demian Katz, Craig Kirkwood, and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (Images courtesy of - the Digital Library@Villanova University - (http://digital.library.villanova.edu/)) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AIRSHIP BOYS IN THE GREAT -WAR *** - -Transcriber’s Notes: - -Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - -Additional Transcriber’s Notes are at the end. - - * * * * * - -The Airship Boys in the Great War OR The Rescue of Bob Russell - - * * * * * - -[Illustration: _The “Ocean Flyer” Surrounded by Zeppelins._] - - * * * * * - - - - -The Airship Boys In the Great War - - - or, The Rescue of Bob Russell - - BY DE LYSLE F. CASS - - [Illustration] - - Illustrated by Harry O. Kennedy - - The Reilly & Britton Co. - Chicago - - * * * * * - -Copyright, 1915 by The Reilly & Britton Co. - -THE AIRSHIP BOYS IN THE GREAT WAR - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I WHAT THE NEWSPAPER TOLD 9 - - II IN THE OFFICES OF THE NEW YORK _Herald_ 17 - - III SOMEONE TRIES TO BUY THE “FLYER” 27 - - IV GETTING THE “FLYER” READY 33 - - V BUCK STEWART--AND A WARNING 46 - - VI ESCAPING FROM DEADLY SHADOWS 54 - - VII WHAT HAPPENED TO NED 62 - - VIII SIX MILES UP IN THE AIR 70 - - IX PARIS PROVES UNFRIENDLY 78 - - X AN ADVENTURE IN THE ARDENNES 86 - - XI THE FIGHT IN THE FOREST 95 - - XII BUCK TAKES HIS LIFE IN HIS HANDS 100 - - XIII “TO BE SHOT AT SUNRISE” 107 - - XIV THE RESCUE 115 - - XV IN DEADLY PERIL 124 - - XVI NED SAVES THE “FLYER’S” CREW 129 - - XVII BOB RUSSELL’S STORY 134 - - XVIII HOW BOB WAS CAPTURED AS A SPY 142 - - XIX A STRANGE COUNTRY 149 - - XX A FIGHT WITH WILD COSSACKS IN POLAND 157 - - XXI INSIDE OF BESIEGED PRZEMYSL 165 - - XXII THE BOYS PERFORM AN ACT OF MERCY 173 - - XXIII STRANGE SIGHTS IN VIENNA 182 - - XXIV ON THE TRAIL OF THE CONSPIRATORS 191 - - XXV THE BOYS GET WORRIED OVER NED 199 - - XXVI AN ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE THE EMPEROR 209 - - XXVII THE MAN IN THE CLOAK SURPRISES EVERYBODY 216 - - XXVIII SURROUNDED BY GERMAN ZEPPELINS 225 - - XXIX THE BATTLE ABOVE THE CLOUDS 230 - - XXX THE MOST TERRIBLE ACCIDENT OF ALL 236 - - XXXI THE END OF THE “OCEAN FLYER” 244 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - The “Ocean Flyer” Surrounded by Zeppelins _Frontispiece_ - - A Narrow Escape _Page_ 60 - - The Rescue of Bob Russell _Page_ 118 - - The Mysterious Man in the Cloak _Page_ 220 - - * * * * * - -The Airship Boys in the Great War - - - - -CHAPTER I WHAT THE NEWSPAPER TOLD - - -“Great Guns!” exclaimed Alan Hope, bending down over the newspaper -which he had spread out upon the table in front of him. - -Ned Napier, who was deep in a pile of blue prints on his desk, glanced -over at his chum. - -“Great guns exactly describes it, if you’re reading those accounts of -the war in Europe,” said he with a grin, “or maybe you’d better say the -great-_est_ guns, because that’s what they are using over there just -now. But then, we shouldn’t worry as long as they aren’t shooting up -the good old Stars and Stripes.” - -“That’s just it, Ned; we _should_ worry,” answered Alan, his face -puckered into unaccustomed wrinkles, and his eyes still swiftly -scanning the pages of the newspaper before him. “We ought to worry -about this piece of news, because it concerns a mighty good friend of -ours.” - -“Who! How’s that? Where is it?” cried Ned, swinging around in his -swivel chair so as to face the other boy. Seeing that Alan was still -staring as if bewildered at the paper, he arose and hurried over to the -table. Leaning down over Alan’s shoulder, he at first could only see -flaring headlines of three and four-inch black-faced type. - -As Ned’s eye roved down the outspread sheet, however, it finally was -caught by a smaller sub-head, sandwiched in between reports on the -latest scandal on the Subway Investigation and alleged atrocities in -Belgium. He gave a gasp of mingled astonishment and consternation as he -read the following: - -“AMERICAN WAR CORRESPONDENT IN PRISON - -“Will Be Tried as a Spy! - - “Associated Press Syndicate, Muhlbruck, via Brussels, November - 13, (Delayed by censor).--Robert Russell, said to be an American - newspaper man, has been arrested here and put under guard, pending - trial as a spy by Gen. Haberkampf, commanding the division of the - West Battalion. The Germans are taking every precaution to safeguard - the secrecy of their maneuvers, and this arrest is said to be only - one of their determined efforts to discourage the presence of alien - war correspondents. Russell is in grave danger of being shot unless - he can satisfactorily explain certain papers found upon his person at - the time of his arrest.” - -No wonder that both Ned and Alan turned pale and looked at each other -in a dazed, stupefied sort of way. Bob Russell was one of their oldest -and dearest comrades, a lad only slightly older than themselves, who -had gone through innumerable adventures with them. He had so often -accompanied them in sensational exploits, that his name was often -linked with theirs: The “Airship Boys.” He had accompanied them on -the famous twelve-hour flight of the _Ocean Flyer_ from London to New -York; he had braved death with them in Mexico when the Airship Boys put -a stop to the smuggling of Chinamen into this country; he had proved -himself an intrepid comrade when they had dared wild Indian tribes in -Navajo land in search of the hidden Aztec temple; he had risked death -with them on their dash for the North Pole. - -The Airship Boys and their adventures have been written up in -newspapers and books and Bob Russell was no small factor in the success -of his friends. - -Bob Russell! As tried and true a comrade as ever a boy had--always -cheerful, full of expedients, and “game” to the core. They could hardly -realize that it was he who was now threatened by such frightful death, -without a single friend near to aid him. - -“Poor Bob!” exclaimed Alan, and was not at all ashamed of the -unaccustomed lump that crowded further speech from his throat. “Poor -Bob!” he repeated. - -Ned had dropped his face into his hands and with closed eyes mentally -pictured the crowded, ill-smelling prison where Bob sat unshaven and -forlorn, surrounded by other wounded and miserable beings who felt no -sympathy for him nor even spoke his language--who only shrank with -wide, scared eyes from the suspicious glare of the armed Germans on -guard. Maybe Bob was thinking of him too just then, wondering what the -Airship Boys were doing, picturing them skimming luxuriously out over -the sun-kissed ocean in careless forgetfulness of him, their devoted -comrade of past days. - -Alan interrupted Ned’s mournful imaginings again. - -“Just think,” he cried, “of all the terrible barbarities which the -newspapers say that the Germans have inflicted upon their captives. -Think, they may perpetrate some similar awful atrocity upon poor old -Bob!” - -Ned shook his head impatiently. - -“No, I don’t believe they would do anything like that,” said he. -“Two-thirds of these torture and massacre stories we read about are -hysterical exaggerations, prompted either by their enemies or newspaper -writers with a lively imagination. The Germans are a kindly, civilized -people, just as the English or French, and certainly more so than the -Russians. If they shoot Bob it will be because they honestly believe -him to be a spy.” - -“But they mustn’t shoot him! It must be stopped some way!” - -“Yes, but how? If all of the influence that Uncle Sam can exert won’t -protect him, what can?” - -“_We_ can, Ned. There is no time to wait for diplomatic negotiations, -which may accomplish nothing anyway. Remember that this newspaper says -that certain incriminating papers have been found on Bob’s person. If -he is to be saved it must be done immediately and by us two alone. We -can take the _Ocean Flyer_ and reach Belgium in twenty or twenty-one -hours, just as easily as we made that trip from New York to London in -eighteen hours last year.” - -“I admit that we can get there soon enough,” answered Ned, “but what -about the third man whom we’ll need to help us manage the airship?” - -“Why not ‘Buck’ Stewart, who went with us on the _Flyer’s_ trip to -London? We know that he is absolutely dependable, and is familiar with -the workings of the ship besides. Then, too, the _Herald_ will be more -than glad of the chance to send one of its reporters with us to see the -war at close range.” - -Alan’s intense enthusiasm began to communicate itself to the -slower-thinking, more practical Ned, but he was not ready to act -without mature consideration of all the difficulties involved which -might make a failure of their attempt. - -“I don’t want you to think me lukewarm about doing anything in our -power to save Bob,” said he, “but we’ve got to look carefully at -all sides of this thing. Don’t you realize that the United States -government wouldn’t sanction any high-handed breaking of neutrality -laws that might drag it into the war, just because an American citizen -was held captive?” - -“Then let’s go without the government’s permission! Who is there to -stop us? We can get enough credentials from Mr. Latimer, managing -editor of the _Herald_, to tide us over small passport difficulties, -and further than those we certainly can depend upon ourselves. We won’t -have to flaunt the Stars and Stripes under the nose of every foreigner -we happen to meet over there anyway. Remember what Senator Bascom said -in his speech on the Mexican war: ‘If the life of a single United -States citizen is at stake, it is worth all of the millions of mere -money that international war may cost us.’ We can’t desert good old Bob -in an emergency like this, can we?” - -“No!” shouted Ned, jumping to his feet and banging his fists on the -desk in front of him. “You’re right, Alan. We’re going to show those -chaps over there that it’s not such ‘a long, long way to Tipperary,’ -after all, providing one can travel in the Airship Boys’ _Ocean Flyer_ -at the rate of two hundred miles an hour. Get on your hat and overcoat, -Alan! We’re going over to the _Herald_ office right now to see what -the editor of the _Herald_ will do for us.” - -“Hip, hip, hurrah!” shouted Alan, and grabbing Ned’s out-stretched -hands they did a truly boyish war-dance around the sober, stately -offices of the Universal Transportation Company, of which they were the -heads. - - - - -CHAPTER II IN THE OFFICES OF THE NEW YORK HERALD - - -The managing editor of the New York _Herald_ received the engraved -visiting cards of Alan Hope and Ned Napier with mingled pleasure and -surprise. - -“The Airship Boys! Send them right in,” said he to the young woman who -had announced them from the outer office. Then the great newspaper man -turned with an apologetic smile to the gentleman who still stood, hat -in hand, beside his desk, as he had been about to leave just before the -boys’ cards were brought in. - -“Please excuse me, Mr. Geisthorn, for seeming to hurry you away in this -manner, but I believe our little interview was about terminated anyway.” - -“Yes, it is so,” replied the other, speaking with a strong German -accent. “It is not for me yet to take too much of your precious time. -As I have before said, I am myself a journalist, and know the value of -even a minute’s time.” - -The editor of the _Herald_ arose to shake hands in parting with his -visitor. At the door the latter turned, hesitated momentarily, and then -said: - -“My excuses again, mein herr, but what was it that you called these -gentlemen? The Aeroplane Children? What is that?” - -The managing editor permitted a smile to edge his lips as he turned and -pointed to a framed front page of the _Herald_, dated over two years -ago. It was double headlined in heavy, black-letter type, and profusely -illustrated with photographs of the coronation of King George V of -England. - -“I called them the Airship Boys,” said the editor. “That is a title -they have won as a result of their astounding feats and innovations in -aerial navigation. The page of the _Herald_ which you see there on the -wall represents a bit of newspaper history as well as the beginning of -a new epoch in aeronautics. Those two young men, Ned Napier and Alan -Hope, two years ago last June accomplished a flight from London to -New York in twelve hours, bringing back with them photographs of the -coronation ceremonies, and enabling us to publish them nearly a week -earlier than any other American newspaper.” - -“London to New York in _twelve hours_! Impossible!” ejaculated the -visitor, gaping at the picture. - -“I don’t wonder at your surprise,” responded the managing editor, “but -that’s exactly what they accomplished in their _Ocean Flyer_--the -largest and highest-powered aircraft ever devised--a vessel capable -of carrying six or seven passengers at a consistent velocity of two -hundred miles and more per hour; an airship which can be easily -operated at a height of eight or ten miles, where the driver of any -other machine would either freeze to death or die from lack of oxygen.” - -“You are not what you call making funnies of me?” queried the astounded -visitor, blinking at the editor fixedly through narrowed eyelids, as if -to read his inmost thought. “All this that you tell me is true then?” - -“Sir!” said the managing editor with a touch of temper. - -“Pardon, mein herr; I do not mean to offend, but--” - -“Mr. Napier and Mr. Hope,” announced the private secretary from the -doorway. - -Ned and Alan appeared, hat in hand, and were cordially greeted by -their newspaper friend. As they entered the room, the earlier visitor -brushed past them on his way out, staring almost rudely in each boy’s -face as he passed. - -“Well,” said Alan, when the door clicked shut behind the man, “I hope -whoever that is will know us the next time he sees us.” - -The managing editor laughed as he waved his guests to seats and offered -them cigars, which both boys refused with thanks. - -“You’ll have to excuse Mr. Geisthorn, boys,” said he. “He is a newly -appointed local correspondent for the _Tageblatt_, and I nearly floored -him with an account of that London-to-New York flight of yours.” - -“Oh, he was a German then,” said Ned, exchanging a significant glance -with Alan. - -“Why, yes, and seems to be a very nice fellow from what little I know -of him. He arrived in this country only shortly after the war broke -out and seems quiet and inoffensive,--never gets excited over the -war news nor yells Bloody Murder when the ‘Vaterland’ is mentioned. -He calls here every now and then to give me interesting bits of news -which filter through to him but are cut out of the _Herald’s_ regular -Berlin cable service by the censor. Ever since our Mr. Russell got into -difficulties over there we haven’t been able to get anything like the -exclusive copy we used to.” - -“That’s just what we’re here to see you about, sir,” Ned remarked. “We -read in this morning’s papers how Bob has been imprisoned as a spy and -is liable to be shot at any minute. President Wilson naturally doesn’t -want to embroil the United States unnecessarily in the war, and Bob may -be backed up against a wall with the firing squad aiming at him before -this ‘watchful waiting’ policy evolves any means of interceding in his -behalf. Something must be done to help him right away.” - -The lines of care around the great journalist’s mouth deepened with -melancholy as he nodded. - -“The _Herald_ has of course registered a formal protest. We can do no -more,” he said. “The life of a single individual doesn’t seem such a -very big thing to war-crazed men who are blinded with cannon smoke and -have been literally wading through human blood for three months past. -We can get no satisfactory answer of any sort from the German field -headquarters. The most that they will promise is that the affair will -be investigated and rigid justice meted out.” - -“But, hang it all--” broke in Alan, only to be silenced by the calmer, -more practical Ned. Pulling his chair closer to the editor’s desk and -lowering his voice, he explained: - -“Alan and I feel that for Bob’s sake we can’t afford to take chances on -any such vague promises as have been given you. We propose to rescue -him ourselves and without a moment’s unnecessary delay.” - -“But how can--” - -“Sh! In this case we must be careful that we aren’t overheard. There -might be some German sympathizer about who would send word of our -plans, or, on the other hand, even the federal government agents would -interfere if they got wind of our scheme.” - -“You are right,” answered the managing editor. - -He pressed the electric button on the side of his desk, summoning the -young lady secretary from the outer office. - -“Miss Bloomfield, is there anyone out there waiting to see me?” - -“No, sir.” - -“Good! Kindly contrive to knock the big dictionary off your desk the -moment anyone comes in, so that I may be warned of any visitors without -their knowing it. That is all.” She closed the door. - -“Now, boys.” - -Ned resumed his explanation. - -“The _Ocean Flyer_ is still there in the hangar of the Newark plant of -the Universal Transportation Company. Neither Mr. Osborne, president -of the company, nor Major Honeywell, the secretary, have any financial -interest in the airship. It belongs absolutely to Alan and me, and -we intend to use it immediately for the trip to Muhlbruck, where we -understand that Bob is awaiting trial. - -“The _Flyer_ is in the best of condition and almost ready for use -at any moment. All that we need to do is to equip her with a few -mechanical supplies, food, firearms, and so on. We can make the trip -in less than twenty hours. To-day is Tuesday. If all goes well, we can -have Bob back here ready to go out on a city assignment for you by next -Monday.” - -Wrinkles of deep thought lined the great newspaper man’s forehead as he -listened attentively to the brief outline of the Airship Boys’ plan. He -would have met such statements from any other boys not yet twenty-one -years old with absolute ridicule, but he knew that, despite their -youth, Ned Napier and Alan Hope were fully capable of carrying out -their scheme. - -“One thing more, though, boys,” said he, after a short period of -silence. “Just how are you going to get Mr. Russell out of prison -after you arrive in Muhlbruck? You won’t be able to overpower a whole -German garrison, you know. Then, too, the chances are that when they -see an airship of such unusual design as yours floating down upon them, -they’ll recognize it as being of foreign construction and fire upon -you.” - -Alan answered him: - -“We haven’t had time to plan that far ahead yet; we’re going to let -that part of it take care of itself. We’ll have to be governed by -circumstances after we get there anyway.” - -“And in regard to their firing upon us as a hostile airship,” -supplemented Ned. “I think the chances are that they may take us for -one of their new types of dirigibles that Count Zeppelin is said to -have almost ready for a big aerial raid upon England.” - -The editor smiled a bit sadly at their shining eyes and enthusiastic -faces. Then he shook his head. - -“I don’t believe that even a German private could mistake the unusual -build of the _Ocean Flyer_ for the bologna-shaped gas bag of a -Zeppelin,” said he. “Still, you are very brave boys, and I want to -compliment you sincerely upon your pluck in attempting this thing. All -luck go with you. Now, what is it that you came here to have me do in -your behalf?” - -“Just this,” said Ned. “We would like to have you furnish us with full -credentials as war-correspondents for the New York _Herald_ to protect -us from petty annoyances in case we should, for some unforeseen reason, -have to abandon the _Flyer_ and make our escape on foot. We promise you -that the passports will not be used in any way that might implicate -the paper in a breach of neutrality courtesies, and, anyway, we’re not -going to do any actual fighting if we can help it. - -“Also, we would like to have a personal letter to General Haberkampf, -the German commandant at Muhlbruck, explaining that Bob Russell is an -authorized and fully-accredited representative of the _Herald_, and -the last person in the world to be concerned in secret service for the -Allies.” - -“Certainly you shall have all that you ask for,” cried the managing -editor. “And here’s hoping that you make that bigoted old General -Haberkampf come to his knees with--” - -_Crash!_ - -Further utterance froze on the editor’s lips and both boys sprang -startled to their feet. Miss Bloomfield’s big dictionary had fallen to -the floor with a bang in the outer office! - -The editor strode to the private door just as it was pushed open by -none other than Mr. Geisthorn, the new correspondent for the _Berliner -Tageblatt_. Miss Bloomfield’s face showed angrily over his shoulder. - -For a breathless moment all four of those in the private office stared -quizzically at each other. The German was the first to recover his -composure. - -“Excuse, gentlemen,” said he, bowing low to each in turn, “I did not -mean to interrupt, but did I not leave my gloves there on the desk?” - -“I think not, sir,” replied the editor gravely. “Come in. You do not -interrupt us. My conference with these gentlemen is already concluded. -Mr. Napier, Mr. Hope, good day. I shall send you by boy this afternoon -the copies from our files about which you inquired. Good-bye!” - -As the Airship Boys passed out of the office, Mr. Geisthorn again bent -upon them his peculiarly disconcerting stare. They remarked that his -pale blue eyes were as hard and cold as steel. - - - - -CHAPTER III SOMEONE TRIES TO BUY THE “FLYER” - - -“Well, young men, I’ve good news--truly surprising news for you,” -said Major Baldwin Honeywell, as he shook hands with Ned and Alan -the next morning when they returned to the offices of the Universal -Transportation Company. - -“We hope that you’re right, Major,” answered Ned. “What is the good -news?” - -“First let me ask you a question. How much did it cost you to build the -_Ocean Flyer_ and at what figure do you estimate the time you spent -upon it, the only model of its kind yet completed? Your mechanism, -parts, et cetera, are, of course, fully protected by international -patents. The question is simply: For how much will you sell the _Ocean -Flyer_ just as she stands there in our Newark factory?” - -“The machine itself cost us about twenty-five thousand dollars, Major. -I should say that the market value of the craft itself, allowing -compensation for our time and the fact that the airship is absolutely -unique, ought to make it worth at least a hundred and fifty or two -hundred thousand dollars.” - -Major Honeywell was rubbing his hands delightedly. - -“Fine, fine! I knew that you would estimate it at about that amount. -Boys, what do you say to a prospective purchaser who is willing to pay -three hundred thousand dollars spot cash for this single model, leaving -the company full patent and all further construction rights?” - -“But the machine isn’t for sale at any price,” said Alan quietly. “We -intend to use it ourselves immediately, and until we are finished with -it, no consideration would tempt us to sell.” - -“But, Alan--boys!--think of the sum you are offered: twelve times the -actual cost, if the new owners are given immediate possession, and -providing you agree not to dispose of another similar machine within a -period of one year. You can build another airship just like the _Flyer_ -within two or three months at the longest, and you are at liberty to -use it yourselves as you may please. To what immediate use can you -put the vessel that will in any way compensate for the loss of three -hundred thousand dollars in cold cash?” - -“Major,” said Alan, “we are deeply grateful for your interest in the -matter, but we feel that we can’t look at it as a mere matter of -dollars and cents just now. Something a great deal more valuable to us -is at stake--the life of Bob Russell, whom you know.” - -Then Alan went on to tell Major Honeywell all about Bob’s predicament -and how they proposed to save him. The old gentleman’s face grew more -and more grave as he listened, and several times he shook his head -disapprovingly. - -“But, my dear boys,” he exclaimed, after Alan had concluded outlining -their plans, “have you sufficiently considered the terrible dangers -that you incur by this rash procedure? Quite aside from the momentary -probability of aerial mishap, you must realize that the Germans would -shoot you without scruple under the circumstances. Moreover, the entire -United States government would be powerless to help you if once you -were caught in a breach of neutrality laws, as your act certainly would -be construed.” - -“Thank you kindly for the well-meant word of caution, Major,” answered -Alan, “but there is nothing you could say which would make us give up -this chance of saving poor Bob’s life.” - -“Then, if that is the case, here is my hand, boys, and my heartiest -well wishes go with you. While I cannot conscientiously endorse so -dangerous a proceeding, I still can admire the pluck which prompts it.” - -Both boys flushed under their kindly old friend’s praise, and Ned, who -up to this time had played the part of a listener, said: - -“Just who were these prospective purchasers of the _Ocean Flyer_? Why -did they insist on taking immediate possession of it, and why the -stipulation that we were to sell no other similar airship to anyone -else within one year’s time?” - -Major Honeywell shook his head. - -“I am as much in the dark in that regard as you are, Ned. Just before -you arrived this morning, I was visited by a Mr. Phillips, whose -business it is to act as go-between and buyer for concerns which do not -wish their own names to appear in a transaction. Mr. Phillips would not -state for whom he was acting or for what purpose the _Flyer_ was to -be used, but said that he was authorized to pay spot cash for it. He -seemed to be very much excited and anxious to close the deal at once.” - -“Do you suppose that he could be representing one of the belligerent -countries in Europe and wanted the _Flyer_ for war?” asked Ned. - -This was a new thought to Alan, who slapped his knee, exclaiming: - -“I’ll bet that’s the whole secret. The war departments over there are -all wild over this armored aeroplane idea anyway. England probably -wants the _Flyer_ to protect her from air invasion by Germany.” - -“Or France wants it to use in dropping bombs along the western battle -front in Belgium,” said Major Honeywell. - -“Or maybe Germany wants it to supplement their rumored fleet of -Zeppelins for the long-planned raid on England,” added Ned. - -All three could not help but laugh heartily at the diversity of -opinions thus expressed. In the midst of their merriment the telephone -on Major Honeywell’s desk began suddenly to ring insistently. - -“Hello,” called the Major, with the receiver to his ear. “Yes, yes. -This is the offices of the Universal Transportation Company, Major -Baldwin Honeywell, the treasurer, talking.... What?... Speak a little -louder and more slowly, please; I can hardly understand you.... Yes.... -Mr. Phillips approached me about the sale of the _Ocean Flyer_ this -morning.... Oh! you are speaking for him. I see.... No, we have -decided not to sell the airship.... No, _not_ to sell it.... No, no, -the price was quite gratifying, but the _Flyer_ is not for sale.... -Positively, sir!... You are wishing to give twenty-five thousand -dollars more?... Hold the wire.” - -Major Honeywell rolled a wild eye at the intently listening boys. Both -shook their heads emphatically. The Major turned again to the telephone. - -“I’m sorry, sir, but our decision is not to sell the _Flyer_ at any -price whatever.... No, I am sure that we shall not change our minds -about it.... All right. To whom have I been speaking, please?” - -As the Major asked this final question, Ned sprang to an adjacent -extension of the telephone. He caught the distant guttural rumble of a -heavy voice: - -“My name, it is of no matter since you have not the airship for sale. -Good-bye.” - -The words were spoken with a marked German accent that in some way -seemed peculiarly familiar to Ned. He had heard that voice before, and -recently too. But where? - - - - -CHAPTER IV GETTING THE “OCEAN FLYER” READY - - -The rest of that day was a very busy one for the Airship Boys, even -though Major Honeywell himself lent as much assistance as he could. -There was a variety of miscellaneous supplies to be purchased, hurried -letters to be written to Ned’s parents in Chicago and to Alan’s sister, -Mary. Both boys agreed that it was best not to state the destination or -object of their trip for fear that their beloved ones might suffer all -sorts of anxieties until their safe return. So they wrote briefly that -they were going off upon a little three or four days’ business trip in -the _Ocean Flyer_ and that it was the urgency of the business in hand -that prevented their making the farewell visit they desired. - -Their shopping for necessary supplies did not take the boys long, for -they could estimate pretty closely what they would need. On account of -the extremely high altitudes at which they would fly it was necessary -for them to buy especially heavy underwear, felt boots, wool jackets, -fleece-lined fingered mittens and heavy caps for four persons--as -Alan said: “The fourth outfit for Bob Russell, so that he won’t freeze -coming back with us.” - -Then there were food supplies (the _Flyer_ was equipped with a regular -cook’s galley) to be bought, a dozen hair-trigger automatic revolvers, -half a dozen light-weight repeating rifles of the latest pattern, -cartridge belts, rounds of ammunition, and a large American flag. -Neither the firearms nor the flag were to be used except in case of -absolute necessity. - -Major Honeywell got the aeroplane works in Newark, where the _Ocean -Flyer_ was being kept in storage, on the telephone, and issued -instructions to the manager there to run the big aircraft out of the -hangar into the inclosed experimental field ready for inspection, and -to lay in fresh supplies of the special grades of gasoline and ether -needed for power. - -All incidental shopping completed, Major Honeywell placed his big -automobile at the disposal of Ned and Alan, and the trip between -Greater New York and Newark was accomplished at a rate that turned the -speedometer needle halfway around its circumference and raised angry -protests from every traffic policeman as the car whizzed by. This was -not, of course, a wise thing to do, but the Major’s chauffeur was an -especially good driver and the boys felt justified by the exceptional -matter in hand. - -An unusual stir was apparent inside the field of the aeroplane works as -the Major’s automobile raced up to the high brick wall which insured -privacy for the grounds. At the far end of the ground stretched the -squatty brick buildings of the factory, with a wireless station and -various other signaling devices on the parapeted roof. Extending out -from the yard front and ending at the edge of the big experimental -field, was the “setting-up room,” a drop of heavy canvas roofing, -supported every hundred feet by rough, unpainted posts. Under this -tent-like structure was to be seen almost every size and variety -of flying craft made in America, to say nothing of several flying -machines of obviously foreign design. Most of these were covered by -heavy tarpaulins to protect them while not in use. A whole corps of -mechanicians was just then pushing out into the aviation field another -and very different type of flyer, the heroic proportions of which -dwarfed all the other machines into insignificance. - -The eyes of the Airship Boys lighted up. - -“There she goes!” they cried in unison. “They are getting her all ready -for us.” - -They jumped out of the automobile and hurried across the field to where -the peerless wonder of the world’s aircraft stood, a literal monument -to their inventive genius. - -The _Ocean Flyer_ has been too fully commented upon and described in -scientific journals, magazines and newspapers from coast to coast to -require any very detailed account of it in this story. - -Overlapping, dull glinting plates of the recently-discovered metal -magnalium covered the entire body of the vessel like the scales of a -fish. The planes and truss were likewise formed of this substance, -which is a magnesium alloy with copper and standard vanadium, or chrome -steel. The extreme lightness of magnalium, combined with a toughness -found in no other metal or alloy, made possible the perfection of this -largest of all airships. - -The vessel was modeled after the general form of a sea gull, with -wings outspread in full flight, its peculiarly ingenious construction -insuring not only the maximum of speed, but also that hitherto elusive -automatic stability of the planes which for years past has been the -despair of aeroplane builders on both sides of the “big pond.” - -Braces extending from the bottom of the car body and metal cables from -the top partly supported the vast expanse of magnalium steel sheets, -but toward the outer ends, the wings, or planes, extended unsupported -in apparent defiance of all mechanical laws. Three sets of “tandem” -planes projected with slight dihedral angles for a distance decreasing -from eighty, to sixty, to forty feet, on each side of the ship body, -affording a wing-spread never before successfully attained, and giving -the whole the exact resemblance of a gigantic metal bird. - -Each of these planes was made of three distinct telescoping fore and -aft sections, with a full spread of twenty-one feet. By means of the -immense pressure gauges almost concealed under the curved front of the -main plane, the rear sections were drawn in by cables on a spring drum -until the width of each of the three planes was reduced to seven feet. -The moment the air pressure was lessened by descent or lessening of -speed, the narrow wing surfaces automatically spread. In rapid flight -the reverse pressure on the gauges allowed the spring drums to reel in -the extension surfaces, housing all extensions securely, either beneath -or over the main section of the wings. In this way the buoyancy of the -airship remained always the same. - -The body of the _Ocean Flyer_ consisted of two decks or stories, with a -pilot house, staterooms, fuel chambers, engineroom, bridges above and -protective galleries. The completely enclosed hull, pierced with heavy, -glass-protected ports, and doors, was twelve feet wide, thirteen feet -high and thirty feet long, ending in a maze of metal trusswork at the -rear, and a magnalium-braced tail, seventy-three feet more in length, -exclusive of the twenty-foot rudder at the stern. - -To drive this huge craft, a much higher percentage of motor power than -ever before secured had to be transformed into propulsive energy. The -ordinary aeroplane propeller permits the escape of much of the motive -power, but the _Ocean Flyer_ was equipped with the new French “moon” -devices, which do away with the “slip,” and allow the full power of the -engine to be applied to the greatest advantage. Viewed sidewise, this -new form of propeller looks exactly like a crescent, its tips curving -ahead of its shaft attachment. The massive eleven-foot propellers of -the _Ocean Flyer_, with a section five feet broad at the center, gave -ample “push.” They were located just forward of and beneath the front -edge of the long planes. Powerful magnalium chain drives connected -these with the shaft inside the hull. Behind the chain drives, a light -metal runway extended twelve feet from the car to the propeller -bearings, so that the latter might be reached while the car was in -transit, should adjustment or oiling be found necessary. - -Within the hull of the vessel, four feet from the bottom, a shaft -extended carrying a third or auxiliary “moon” propeller, differing from -the exterior side propellers by being seven instead of eleven feet in -length. This reserve propelling force was for use in case either of the -other propellers became disabled. - -The motive force of the _Flyer_ was secured by a chemical engine, -run by dehydrated sulphuric ether and gasoline. Magnalium cylinders -sustained the shock of the tremendous “explosions” as the cylinders -revolved past the exploding chamber and developed a power previously -undreamed of. - -Each of the two huge engines used was six feet in diameter, with -four explosion chambers cooled by fans which fed liquid ammonia to -the cylinder walls in a spray and then furnished power for its -re-liquefaction. In form, each engine resembled a great wheel, or -turbine, on the rim of which appeared a series of conical cylinder -pockets. These, when presented to the explosion chambers, received -the impact of the explosion, and then, running through an expanding -groove, allowed the charge to continue expanding and applying power -until the groove terminated in an open slot which instantly cleansed -the cylinders of the burnt gases. By this arrangement there was -only a twentieth part of the engine wheel where no power was being -simultaneously imparted, thus giving practically a continuous torque. - -Weighing over five hundred pounds each, and with a velocity of one -thousand five hundred revolutions per minute, those big turbines -generated nine hundred and seventy-three horse power, natural brake -test, and this could be raised to more than a thousand horse power -without danger. Revolving in opposite directions, they eliminated all -dangerous gyroscopic action. As has been said, power was applied to the -propellers by special magnalium gearing. - -The _Ocean Flyer_ was equipped with the first enclosed car or cabin -ever used on an aeroplane. The compartments of its two decks connected -with each other, but all could be made one air-tight whole. Even the -engines were within an air-tight compartment. Attached to the bow of -the hull was a large metal funnel with a wide flange. Tubes leading -from the small end of this passed into each room on the vessel. Flying -at sixty miles or more an hour caused the air to rush into this funnel -with such force as soon to fill any or all of the compartments with -compressed air. At a speed of two hundred miles per hour, this was -likely to be so great that, instead of having too little air, there -would be far too much were it not for regulating pressure gauges which -shut off the flow from time to time. Thus the aeronauts were not only -assured plenty of breathing air even in the highest altitudes, but the -pressure gave sufficient heat to prevent frost bite from the intense -cold which prevails beyond a certain height above the earth’s surface. - -A supply of oxygen was of course carried for use in case of necessity, -although the Airship Boys had in the past proved that their funnel -device obviated all need of it. - -The pilot room was located at the bow on the second deck. In appearance -it largely resembled the wheel-house of the ordinary ocean liner. The -compass box, with its compensating magnetic mechanism beneath, stood -just in front of the steering wheel, below and parallel with which, -but not connected with it, was a wheel for elevating or depressing the -planes. Both of these wheels operated indirectly, utilizing compressed -air cylinders to move the big rudder and wing surfaces. At the right of -these wheels was the engine control, consisting of a series of starting -and stopping levers for each engine and the gear clutch for each wheel. - -At the left, in compact, semicircular form, was the signal-board, -the automatic indicator recording at all times the position of each -plane, the set of the rudder and the speed of the engines. Below this -was the chronometer and a speaking tube which kept the pilot always -in communication with every other part of the vessel. Immediately -behind the pilot’s wheel was a seeming confusion of indicators and -gauges for the making of observations. There was the aerometer, -the automatic barograph, the checking barometer, the equilibrium -statoscope, a self-recording thermometer, the compressed air gauge for -all compartments, chart racks, indicators to show the exact rate of -consumption of fuel and lubricating oil and so on. - -As may be surmised, the duties of the pilot were not merely to steer -and keep a lookout ahead, but also to watch the machine and counteract -the influence of unexpected air currents and those atmospheric -obstructions like “pockets,” indistinguishable puffs of air, and the -like, which are always very dangerous and will jolt an airship exactly -as a rock or piece of wood will bounce an automobile into the air -and maybe completely overturn it. Among experienced aeronauts, these -air-ruts are recognized as being one of the chief perils in aviation. - -Ned Napier and Alan Hope usually took turns acting as pilot on a -three-hour shift, any longer interval of duty being too nerve-racking -a strain. The third man whom they usually took with them on the _Ocean -Flyer_ was supposed to be stationed in the engine room. It was his -duty to watch the automatic fuel and lubricator supply feed pipes, the -compressed air gauges and pipe valves, the signal and illuminating -light motor, the oxygen tanks and the plane valves, in addition to the -wireless apparatus for communication with the outside world. - -On long flights one of the three aviators slept while the others -remained on duty. Thus one of them was always kept fresh and alert to -meet the demands of any unforeseen emergency. - -Ned, Alan and Major Honeywell made a careful investigation of every -detail of the _Ocean Flyer_, satisfying themselves that it was in all -respects perfect for their hazardous trip. They found everything to be -absolutely shipshape, and those additional supplies which had arrived, -were already being stowed away on board. - -“Well,” said Alan, “everything seems to be attended to properly, and -there is no reason why we can’t start any time we like. The sooner the -better, because there’s no telling what they may be going to do to Bob -over there in Belgium any one of these days.” - -“Right,” echoed Ned. “Let’s see. To-day is Wednesday. What do you -say to starting off to-morrow morning early. Then we can arrive in -Muhlbruck not later than some time early Friday morning. We will have -darkness to cover our arrival there.” - -“That’s a good idea,” supplemented Major Honeywell. “I don’t like to -see you boys risking this thing, but if it must be done you should -take every possible advantage. And now, if you’re through inspecting -the _Flyer_, what do you say to riding back to New York with me in the -automobile and taking dinner at my house?” - -“The major is a man after my own heart,” cried Ned. - -“My stomach cries out for him,” grinned Alan, as they made their way -back to the waiting motor car. - - - - -CHAPTER V BUCK STEWART--AND A WARNING - - -It was not a particularly jolly meal at Major Honeywell’s that -night. The major was oppressed by grave fears of what might happen -to his young friends on their journey, and the Airship Boys felt the -seriousness of the step they were about to take. However, youthful -spirits are buoyant, and the good-smelling, appetizing dishes that were -served them soon drove away dull gloom and revived the boys’ spirits. -As Alan said: - -“What’s the use of sitting here staring at each other across the table -as if we were at a funeral? Nobody is going to die or even get hurt. -It’s no use trying to be melancholy on a full stomach, and I, for one, -am going to laugh right now.” - -The dessert course was just being served when there came a ring at the -doorbell, and a few minutes later the maid announced that a reporter -from the _Herald_ wanted to see either Mr. Napier or Mr. Hope. - -“Show the gentleman right in here,” said Major Honeywell, after the -boys had agreed to see him. - -The young man who came in was slightly larger and older than either -Ned or Alan. He was tall, wiry, and had the cool, assured bearing of -one who has survived many rebuffs and still got what he wanted. As he -entered the dining room door, both Ned and Alan sprang to their feet -and rushed impulsively to meet him. - -“Buck Stewart!” they shouted joyously, pumping his arms up and down. -“Well, if this isn’t both the most unexpected and the luckiest thing! -We’ve been wanting to have a talk with you for two days past, and meant -to ask the managing editor about you Tuesday, only we were interrupted -and got so flustered over it that we left before remembering that you -were one of the main reasons for our call.” - -“What good fairy brought you here to-night, Buck?” asked Ned, pulling -the newcomer down into a chair at the table and shoving a piece of pie -in front of him. - -“I’d rather eat that pie than talk right now, but I suppose I’ve got -to answer your question first,” said Buck. “We reporters always are in -hard lines. You ask how I happen to be here? Well, it was this way: -The night city editor called me over about an hour ago and gave me an -assignment on you two chaps.” - -“Why, what news is there about us that the _Herald_ could use?” asked -Ned, exchanging a rapid glance with Alan and the major. - -Buck removed a longing eye from the piece of pie to reply: - -“We learned in some way that unknown parties had made you a cash offer -of something like three hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars for -the _Ocean Flyer_ and that you turned them down cold. Is that true? -Also, who were the people who wanted to buy the _Flyer_ at such an -astounding cash figure, and for what purpose did they want it? If -you’ll give me full details I’ll be much obliged.” This as the reporter -pulled a folded bundle of note paper and a pencil from his pocket. -“These prospective buyers didn’t represent any one of the warring -nations in Europe, did they?” - -“That’s just what we don’t know and what we feared,” said Alan. “I’m -afraid that we can’t give you much dope for a story, though, Buck, -because we know as little about them as you do.” - -Then he went on to tell about Mr. Phillips, the go-between’s -mysterious call, and the telephone conversation with the man with a -strong German accent. - -“I’m sure that I’ve heard his voice somewhere before and that not so -very long ago, too,” added Ned. “I’ve racked my brains ever since -trying to place him.” - -“Huh, sounds funny,” commented the reporter musingly, “but you -certainly haven’t given me much of a lead for the ‘story’ I was after. -Well, I’ll be going and not interrupt your little party here any -further.” - -“Wait a minute, Buck,” said Ned. “We haven’t told you yet why we wanted -to see the _Herald’s_ managing editor about you.” - -“That’s so,” said Buck, sitting down more comfortably in his chair. -“Now if one of you gentlemen will hand me a fork, I’ll dispose of this -mince pie while you’re spinning the yarn.” - -So, while the reporter was busy making the pie disappear, Ned told him -of Bob Russell’s predicament in Belgium and what they proposed to do -towards a rescue. - -“We want you to go with us, Buck,” said he, “just as you did the time -we made the ‘twelve-hour’ London-to-New York flight two years ago with -the coronation pictures for the _Herald_. The managing editor will -surely let you go for the two or three days needful when you ask him, -especially as it will enable the paper to get a representative right at -the front, with no bull-headed censor to edit his ‘copy.’” - -“If the boss won’t let me off, I’ll throw up the job anyway,” shouted -Buck, jumping up in great excitement. “Why, Bob Russell and I are old -friends, just as you are, and I don’t want to leave him in the lurch -any more than you do. It’s mighty good of you to give me this chance to -make one of the rescue party. Count on Buck Stewart, boys--hair, tooth -and nail!” - -The reporter’s enthusiasm was contagious. All three sprang to their -feet, and, with exclamations of mutual pleasure, were shaking hands to -seal the compact when-- - -“Ting-a-ling-ling! Ting-a-ling-ling!” went the telephone bell. - -“Ned,” called the major, who answered the call, “it’s somebody that -wants to speak with you personally--_a man with a marked German -accent_.” - -The little company around the dining table stared curiously at each -other as Ned Napier took up the receiver. - -“Hello! This is Mr. Napier.... Yes, I’m one of the owners of the _Ocean -Flyer_. Who is this speaking and what do you want?” - -The voice at the other end of the line was harsh and guttural. The -words were spoken in a truly menacing tone: - -“You do not need to know who I am. It is sufficient that I warn you. We -who are banded together in this country know this thing that you think -of doing. We know that you intend a trip in your flying ship to the -war zone. Take our advice and do not attempt it. You are being closely -watched and we will not hold ourselves responsible for what may happen -if you try to carry out your plan. You are young and life is dear to -you. Beware!” - -The telephone clicked abruptly at the other end of the line and the -threatening voice was still. Ned sat as if petrified, his face a study -of mingled amazement, indecision and indignation. - -“What’s the matter, Ned? Who was it? Was it that same person who called -up about the _Flyer_?” cried the others crowding around him. - -“Yes,” replied Ned, “it was the same voice and I am sure that I have -heard it before.” - -Then he went on to tell them of the ominous threats of the mysterious -stranger. A chorus of exclamations followed his recital. - -“The blackguard!” ejaculated Major Honeywell. “We ought to set -detectives on his trail.” - -“Small chance of ever catching him that way with the meagre clues we -have,” said reporter Buck. “Besides, we haven’t time to monkey with -anything like that,--unless, of course, you boys decide that it is -better not to risk the enmity of these unknowns. They evidently mean -business.” - -Ned’s lips had fixed themselves into a grim, straight line, and Alan’s -frown was no less determined. - -“All he hopes to do is to frighten us into selling the airship to him,” -said Alan, “and I don’t believe that his big threats were anything but -sheer bluff. Why, they wouldn’t dare attack us right here in the heart -of civilized New York.” - -“Whoever they are, or whatever they may try to do, we’re not going to -let a phone call scare us out of this effort to save Bob Russell,” said -Ned. “We’re all ready to start now except for getting the _Herald’s_ -permission to let Buck here go with us. He can see the managing editor -about that the first thing in the morning, and then we’ll be off -immediately. - -“But if this gang really has you boys spied upon, they will certainly -make some attempt to stop you,” argued Major Honeywell. - -“Nobody stands any chance of stopping us once we get up in the air,” -answered Ned, “but, as you say, we may as well try to make our get-away -as secretly as possible. I would suggest that instead of starting out -by daylight to-morrow, as we planned, that we wait until midnight. Each -of us can leave his house at a different time during the day and go -about as if we have changed our minds and called the trip off. Then, -just in time to reach the Newark factory, each one can start off alone. -We should be able to disarm any suspicion in that way.” - -Everybody approved heartily of Ned’s scheme and parted that night -with a little more earnestness in their handshakes than usual. All of -the road back home the Airship Boys cast furtive glances over their -shoulders every now and then, but no sign of any followers was visible. - - - - -CHAPTER VI ESCAPING FROM DEADLY SHADOWS - - -Alan Hope spent most of the next day at the offices of the Universal -Transportation Company, and was inclined to scoff at the idea of his -being watched. Nevertheless he had a loaded automatic revolver tucked -away in his hip pocket, and, as night drew on, his assurance began to -ooze gradually, and he felt more than once to make sure that his weapon -was still there ready for defense. - -Ned Napier was really impressed with the threats of the mysterious -German, and, though he did not arm himself as Alan had, he kept a sharp -lookout for suspicious characters about him. All day long he wandered -with an air of affected carelessness through the downtown shopping -district, made a couple of short business calls, ate leisurely at the -Ritz, and seemed to have no thought of anything but home and bed for -that evening. - -Buck Stewart arose early that morning, ate a hearty breakfast, and when -he started out took with him what was apparently an ordinary cane, but -which really was a rod of steel, encased in leather. Many reporters -carry them when they are sent out on assignments into dangerous -sections of the city. - -Swinging his stick jauntily, he made his way first to the offices of -the _Herald_, where a brief chat with the managing editor readily -procured him permission to accompany the Airship Boys on their trip. -The editor, in fact, made a regular assignment of it and cautioned Buck -to take along with him plenty of pencils, notebooks and a small camera -that could be swung over one shoulder with a strap. - -Thus burdened, Buck again sought the street. Leaving “Newspaper Row” -behind, he sauntered along, stopping now and then to look at articles -in the shop windows, and finally decided to see the matinee at the -_Casino_. - -Broadway was thronged with the usual afternoon crowd of beautiful -women and fashionably dressed idlers for which it is famous. The -reporter shouldered his way through these, a little self-conscious -of the bumping camera-box over his shoulder and the way his pockets -bulged with surplus notebooks. Once a tall, plainly dressed man with a -close-cropped beard bumped into him. There was a mutual exchange of -apologies and the crowd soon swallowed him. Later on Buck met a fellow -newspaperman in front of the Astor and stopped to chat with him. An -inadvertent side glance during this conversation discovered the same -bearded stranger standing just to one side of the hotel entrance, as -if hesitating whether to go in or not. There was no recognition in his -cold eyes as Buck’s glance caught his, but the reporter’s heart gave a -little jump. - -“Pshaw!” growled Buck to himself, “I’m getting to be a regular old -granny! Here I see the same passer-by twice in an afternoon on Broadway -and am afraid that he’s a spy waiting to sandbag me.” - -His uneasiness was not thus to be laughed off though, and spoiled his -enjoyment of the performance at the theatre. He scanned the audience -around him narrowly to see if the bearded man was among them, and was -relieved at failing to find him. - -After the show Buck again wandered aimlessly through the streets. He -was keenly on the alert for spies, and found merely killing time to be -harder than he had thought it would be. The strain was beginning to -tell on his nerves. At dusk a million lights flashed out in a dazzling -array of figures and designs and the Great White Way made good its -name. But Buck was tired of it by then. He strolled over to near-by -Fifth Avenue, where there were fewer people to jostle him and the -rattle of the streets was less distracting. He felt, for no apparent -reason, increasingly sure that he was being followed. - -To make sure of his suspicions Buck walked at times very slowly; at -others rapidly; but he observed no suspicious “shadows.” True, there -were a number of people walking behind him, but his inspection revealed -nothing sinister about them. - -Buck told himself that his fears were silly--that he was as bad as a -girl in the dark. Still the vague dread oppressed him. - -He ate in a small restaurant just off Fourth Avenue, entering the place -at the same time as two other men whose dress indicated them to be -shop clerks, or something of the kind. When he arose to pay his bill -and leave, they did also. At the counter, one of them brushed as if -accidentally against him, and Buck felt deft fingers pass swiftly over -his pockets as if searching for something. Was the fellow feeling to -see if Buck carried a revolver? - -The reporter wondered, but said nothing to the strangers. Their -faces were innocent enough and their eyes met his questioning glance -candidly. Buck went on out into the night and they followed close on -his heels. As he stood quietly in the doorway there, however, the men -bade each other good night and parted--going in opposite directions -along the street. Finally they disappeared in the darkness. - -Buck was sorely perplexed. He felt absolutely certain that it was -unsafe for him to be wandering about alone, yet it was several hours -too early to start for Newark. Finally he decided to take in several -moving picture shows as the safest way to keep out of danger. One of -the men whom he had seen in the little restaurant was lounging outside -of the first playhouse Buck visited. Before the films were fully run -the reporter slipped out through one of the side exits into an alley. - -It was so dark there that he hardly could see the ground under foot. -Twenty assailants might be waiting in the gloom for aught he could -tell. The reporter was not ashamed to take frankly to his heels and -rush out onto the lighted street as fast as he could. He noticed that -the lounger had disappeared from the theatre doorway. - -Hoping now that he had thrown his unknown pursuers off the trail, -Buck visited a second moving picture playhouse. There a drunken man -plumped roughly down into the vacant seat next to him and tried to pick -a quarrel without any excuse at all. The reporter would have taken -this as rather a joke had it not been that there was no vile odor of -intoxicants on this drunkard’s breath. Shoving the rough to one side, -Buck hurried out of the theatre, walked quickly down the street to the -next corner; crossed there to see if he was followed; turned the next -corner; walked two blocks along an ill-lighted deserted side street and -there jumped into a dark doorway to listen. - -Yes! there was no mistake about it! He could hear the patter of running -feet less than a quarter of a block behind. Ere Buck had time to flee, -rubber heels on the pursuers’ shoes deadened their footfalls again and -two shadowy figures appeared directly in front of his hiding place. -They paused there, breathing hard, and holding a hasty conference. - -“How ever did he get away from you, Hermann?” snarled the bigger of the -two men to the other, whom Buck now recognized as the “drunken man” of -the theatre. - -“Why talk about that now that he has again eluded us?” he growled. “If -only we had him here on this dark street, we could soon finish with -him.” - -“Yes, we must catch him at once. He must still be in the neighborhood -and isn’t armed. I made sure of that in the restaurant a couple of -hours ago. But anyway, he can’t go far without Otto, Wilhelm or some of -the others seeing him. They are covering all of these three streets, -you know.” - -The man addressed as Hermann grunted his assent. - -“I’m winded from that run after the fool,” said he. “Let’s sit down in -this doorway and rest for a few moments.” - -Buck’s heart began to beat faster. He knew that his discovery and -assault were only a matter of a few seconds. The scoundrelly pair had -now approached within arm’s reach of him, so without further delay the -reporter swung aloft his loaded cane and brought it down in a smashing -side blow on the head of the nearest man. - -[Illustration: _A Narrow Escape._] - -A bellow of rage and pain shocked the neighborhood into wakefulness. As -the second man leaped savagely at him, Buck evaded a wicked knife -stab and struck him full between the eyes with his clenched fist. The -fellow reeled, jerked a pistol from his pocket and emptied it blindly -at the place where his combatant had stood an instant before. - -But Buck was bounding down the street as fast as his legs could carry -him, his camera bumping clumsily against his back. A cross-town trolley -car was clanging the bell down the next street and the breathless -reporter made a running jump to catch it. Just as he did so a third man -with a closely-cropped beard sprang after him from the curb. He caught -the camera and gave a mighty tug at it which broke the strap, and, with -the box in his hands, sent him sprawling backwards in the street. The -rushing trolley car did not stop, and Buck’s extraordinary agility was -all that enabled him to swing aboard safely. - -“It’s a fine night, mister,” said the conductor, as he rang up the fare. - -Buck answered him with the sourest of stares. - - - - -CHAPTER VII WHAT HAPPENED TO NED - - -Alan Hope reached the Newark factory of the Universal Transportation -Company shortly before eleven o’clock that night, after an uneventful -trip out via the suburban railroad service. He found the big plant -gloomy and silent, without a light to show that activity was really -going on within. In response to a prearranged code of rings on the bell -at the great main gates, he was admitted. - -The _Ocean Flyer_ had been wheeled to the extreme end of the big -aviation field where she might have plenty of room for her initial rise -into the air, and the factory foreman informed Alan that all was now -ready for departure at any minute. - -Ned Napier arrived within ten minutes after his chum. Although he had -sustained no actual mishap on the way out, it was by sheer luck only -that he escaped the trap which had been laid for him. He had attended -the performance at the Winter Garden, purposely leaving early. In the -foyer as he went out a stranger in full evening dress (apparently one -of the spectators finishing his between-acts cigarette) accosted him -with extreme politeness: - -“Dear gentleman, your pardon,” said he, “but are you not Mr. Edward -Napier, the aeronaut?” - -“No,” Ned answered him coldly. “My name is Lloyd Jenkins. I am a -traveling shoe salesman.” - -“My mistake, then,” laughed the stranger lightly. “Just to show that -there’s no hard feelings, won’t you join me in a little drink down at -the bar?” - -“No, thank you,” the boy answered, “I never use intoxicating liquors,” -and then, being already suspicious, brushed on past the stranger and -out into the street. - -The usual line of taxicabs lined the whole curb on both sides of -Broadway for a block or more. As soon as Ned appeared there was a -hoarse-voiced chorus of shouts: - -“Taxi! Taxicab, sir? This way, sir! Taxicab?” - -Several of the chauffeurs crowded around Ned, trying to persuade him -to patronize them rather than their fellows. One driver, muffled deep -in a fur-collared overcoat, even went so far as to lay his hand on the -boy’s arm. - -“I have a big, comfortable limousine car here,” he said. “Same price as -those stuffy little taxis.” - -Out of the corner of his eye Ned just then saw the persistent stranger -of the theatre lobby coming out of the entrance towards him, and, not -being anxious for any further acquaintance, the boy turned hastily to -the chauffeur, saying: - -“All right! Your limousine for me!” - -“Where to, sir?” - -Ned was properly cautious. - -“The Grand Central Station,” he answered, intending then to change to -another taxicab which could double on his tracks and take him on to the -rendezvous in Newark. - -The gentleman in evening clothes was hurrying towards Ned, signaling -wildly for him to wait. - -“Drive ahead!” called the boy to his chauffeur, and plunged into the -black, cushioned depths of the big limousine. Ned kept right on going -through, however, tore open the door on the opposite side, and was -plunged headlong to the pavement by the sudden rush of the machine as -it fairly leaped into high speed. There in the gloom of the car he had -vaguely observed the uneasy stir of a man hidden beneath the heaped-up -rugs in the corner. - -The boy raced across the street, dodging whizzing motors and heedless -of angrily-honking horns, sprang inside the nearest taxicab and yelled -to the driver: - -“Give her all the juice you can! Five dollars extra if you can get me -to Brooklyn Bridge within twenty-five minutes!” - -“I’ll do my darnedest,” the chauffeur, a grizzled man of fifty, assured -him. - -They were off in a jiffy, amid a grating of gear-shifts and thunderous -explosions of the opened exhaust. The motor began to whine as the gas -was fed more and more rapidly; the white glare of Broadway slipped -past the cab windows in a dull blur. Traffic policemen’s whistles were -merely unheeded incidentals of the mad race. - -Peering back through the little window in the rear of the machine, Ned -saw at least two other automobiles join in the pursuit from the front -of the theatre. The big limousine was one of them. The stranger in -evening clothes and another man were craning their necks out of the -other. - -“Turn over onto Fifth Avenue and double up and down some of the side -streets as fast as you can,” called Ned through the speaking tube -to his chauffeur. “Never mind about Brooklyn Bridge. There are two -machines behind that I want to shake off our trail.” - -“All right, boss,” replied the chauffeur. “You just leave it to Barney -O’Dorgan to lose any other chasing taxi in this old town.” - -From then on it became a game of hide-and-go-seek. Finally away over -on the East Side, it looked as if the pursuers had been shaken off. -No sign of them had been apparent for at least half an hour, and Ned -was just congratulating himself, when the car turned a corner, and -right there, at a standstill under the arc-light, in the center of the -otherwise deserted street, stood the big limousine, with the three men -arguing violently beside it. - -Chauffeur Barney O’Dorgan caught sight of it as soon as Ned did. -Simultaneously the trio recognized their lost quarry and started -towards it at a run. There was neither time nor space for Barney -O’Dorgan to turn his car about, so, as cool as you please, he simply -threw his gear lever as far as it would go, flooded the cylinders with -gas, and the taxicab began to race backwards at as furious a pace as -it had previously gone forward. - -Seeing their prey escaping, all three of the pursuers jerked revolvers -from their coats and opened fire. Two bullets shattered the windshield -in front of intrepid Barney’s face; another tore its vicious way -through the wooden body of the cab and imbedded itself with a dull thud -in the back wall not a foot from Ned’s head. All of the other shots -went wild. Two blocks down this side street and the cursing pursuers -were left more than half of that distance behind. Then chauffeur Barney -reversed his gears, turned the machine about, and sped on his way, with -Ned exulting behind him. - -“Barney, you’re a peach, and you won’t ever regret the way you’ve stuck -by me to-night,” Ned called gratefully. - -“Oh, that’s all right,” the Irishman made answer. “I knew by your looks -that you weren’t a crook, and certainly I wouldn’t let that gang of -high-binders nab you. Where to now, sir?” - -The driver certainly had proved himself trustworthy, so Ned decided to -tell him his true destination. - -“Have you gasoline enough left to drive me to the plant of the -Universal Transportation Company in Newark?” he asked. - -“Plenty of gas,” grinned Barney, “but I’m not so sure about the air in -my tires. Wait until I look at them.” - -The tires proved hard and sound, however. Once more Barney took the -wheel, and from there on the ride to the rendezvous was uneventful. -Ned presented the chauffeur with thirty dollars as a reward for his -fidelity. - -“That was a mighty close shave of yours, Ned,” said Alan, after he had -heard the story, “but where can Buck Stewart be? It’s already past the -time we agreed upon. Do you suppose they could have caught him?” - -“Not yet, my boys,” cried a hearty voice behind them, and there stood -the reporter, his clothes rumpled, his hat dented out of shape and -with pockets a-bulge with notebooks. “There are only two parts of me -missing--my camera and cane, and I had to leave them in other hands -without stopping to argue about it.” - -Then Buck told the story of his thrilling night’s experiences and -mutual congratulations followed. - -“Well, I guess that we’ve given them all the slip at last,” said Alan, -“and since it’s away past the hour we fixed for starting, let’s take -our places aboard the _Flyer_ and be off. We haven’t any too much time -to lose, you know.” - -“Right-o!” echoed Buck and Ned. - -So the trio made their way to where the huge airship stood ready. They -swung up the ladder into the main port. Ned took his position in the -pilot room; Buck in the engine room. Alan made a hasty survey of the -vessel, poking around here and there with a powerful hand-searchlight -to see that all was as it should be. Their hearts beat high with -excitement, which likewise agitated the little group of factory -mechanics who had gathered to see them off. Just as Ned was about to -signal Bob for their start, there came a tremendous battering upon the -great barred doors of the factory. - -“Open and admit us!” roared an authoritative, bull-like voice. “Let no -man leave here before we enter--in the name of the United States of -America!” - - - - -CHAPTER VIII SIX MILES UP IN THE AIR - - -For an instant the hearts of all the boys stood still and each looked -at the other in consternation. - -“In the name of the United States of America!” - -That meant that in some inexplicable way their project had leaked out -and that the federal government had sent officers to prevent their -going. - -The heavy pounding on the great gate had resumed and now the same -commanding voice shouted: - -“Are you going to open to us, or is this intended as resistance of the -law? I give you two minutes to open these doors before we smash them -in!” - -“That fellow means business,” whispered Alan. “Whatever can we do? -We dare not oppose them, yet to let them in means the indefinite -postponement of our flight.” - -“We’ll go anyway,” said Ned, his eyes lighting with determination. -“This is only another scheme to delay us. Are you all ready there, Mr. -Engineer?” - -“Whenever you say the word,” answered Bob up through the tube. - -“Then start your engines! We’ll be a mile up in the sky before they can -break in those heavy doors.” - -So saying, Ned jammed down hard on his starting lever, the whir of the -big turbines swelled forth. But not a tremor shook the _Ocean Flyer_. -It did not budge an inch. - -Someone had been tampering with the pilot room apparatus. - -With a groan of desperation, Ned bent over the complexity of gears. -He located the trouble almost immediately and was relieved to note -that it was merely superficial--a matter of minutes to repair. But too -late! At that moment the big yard gates were burst open forcibly and in -strode four burly federal plain-clothes men, displaying their badges -of authority. One other man accompanied them. Alan, who went out on -the lowest exposed gangway of the _Flyer_ to meet them, recognized him -in an instant. It was Mr. Geisthorn, the local correspondent of the -_Berliner Tageblatt_. - -“Is this Mr. Napier?” growled the leader. - -“No, I am Mr. Hope. Mr. Napier will be here presently.” - -The officer pulled an official looking document from his breast pocket -and extended it towards Alan. - -“We have a warrant for the arrest of both of you gentlemen. Also for -that of one Stewart, said to be connected with the New York _Herald_.” - -“Mr. Stewart will also be here presently,” said Alan. “Upon what charge -are we to be detained?” - -“Conspiracy--attempting to violate the federal neutrality by lending -aid to one or another of the warring nations in Europe.” - -“That is untrue.” - -“I have nothing at all to do with that. My instructions are simply to -place a man on guard over this vessel and to escort you gentlemen to -the secretary of state at Washington.” - -Alan’s wits were working fast. He was fighting to gain time, and the -taffrail beneath his fingers was aquiver with subtle tremors; he could -feel the premonitory hum of the engines as first one and then the other -of the big turbines began moving. Ned had fixed the damage and things -were going down in the engine room. The hum became a whir, a buzz and -steady purr. The _Ocean Flyer_ trembled momentarily from stem to -stern. The eleven-foot “moon” propellers began to whirl with rapidly -increasing velocity. Then suddenly the streams of compressed air began -to sing in a way that was like the terrifying moan of a cyclone near -at hand. Then the tornado burst. Driven irresistibly forward by the -most powerful propellers ever devised by man, that vast mass of steel -surrendered and slid jolting forward for twenty yards or so, scattering -the spectators wildly. With a bound the huge craft rose into the still -air and plunged forward and upward on a forty-five degree angle at -rapidly increasing speed. - -“Stop, in the name of--” The official’s thunderous voice was lost in -the distance. The factory buildings and the little group of detectives -seemed to be dropping farther and farther down below, and, were it -not for the rush of the wind, the _Flyer_ might have seemed to be -stationary. The figures on the aviation field already were dwarfed by -distance and half obliterated in the darkness. A sudden flash of red -light stabbed the shades far beneath, and the report of the officer’s -revolver was faintly audible. - -Already the airship was sailing out over Greater New York. The lighted -streets far below checked the area into rectangular figures like a -gigantic chessboard. Broadway became a hazy blur of white, and the -atmosphere took on a different quality--biting, hardy, more rarified. -The stars which sparkled coldly down there on earth, became blazing, -golden jewels in a setting of black velvet, which was the sky. The -noise of the engines was now a low, steady drone. - -The trip to Europe and the great war had begun. - - * * * * * - -There is nothing in particular to tell about the three-thousand mile -air voyage across the Atlantic. To Alan, Ned and Buck, snugly encased -within the automatically heated interior of the _Ocean Flyer_, the -sense of aloofness from solid earth was lost, and it seemed much as if -they were seated at their office desks back on Fifth Avenue. - -The height of six miles from earth level at which they traveled, -blotted out all sight of tangible objects, the comparative distance -from which might have made the altitude terrifying to less experienced -aviators than the Airship Boys. Sometimes the _Flyer_ cut its way -through clouds, but the main strata of these even lay far below them. -All that was visible through the heavily glassed portholes was a dull, -grayish void. The terrific rate of speed at which they were traveling -was not at all apparent. - -The young aeronauts were kept too busy managing the ship to have -spent much time star-gazing if there had been something of outside -interest. Ned and Alan took turns in steering the course and taking -hourly observations upon one or another of the exceedingly delicate -instruments at their command. Buck stood to the engines in the hold, -being relieved by one of the other boys when it came his turn to sleep -or prepare meals. - -Speaking of eating; those little repasts that Buck Stewart prepared in -the cook’s galley were absolutely mouth-watering. Had he not been so -able a newspaper reporter, he would have made a better chef. Oh! those -luscious, thick, juicy steaks, oozing such odoriferous steam and a-swim -in milk gravy from the same pan; hashed, golden-brown potatoes, one -mouthful of which was to implant an insatiable craving for more; little -green pickles with a real tang to them and flavored by the cinnamon, -nutmeg and tasty spices in which they were bottled; flap-jacks, rich -with molasses; sugar cakes and rich coffee that warmed one down to the -very toe tips; and _fruits_! Well, there were big, rosy-cheeked apples, -that kind of oranges which can be smelled all over the room, nuts, -raisins and what not. The larder was well stocked, and Buck Stewart -certainly knew how to prepare it appetizingly if ever anyone did. - -Fortunately the weather continued fair and no dangerous air-pockets or -unexpected whirlpool wind currents were met with. The eighteenth hour -of their flight found everything going as well as possibly could be -wished. Their watches were still set to New York time; it was now six -P. M. in America, but midnight in London. There was a full moon, and it -was quite light. - -“By this time,” observed Ned, “we ought to be pretty near the English -coast, so I would suggest that we drop the _Flyer_ down to an altitude -where we can locate ourselves more definitely by actual landmarks.” - -This was done. With the huge wing-like planes expanded to the full, the -_Ocean Flyer_ coasted aslant the air-waves. The cloud belt encircling -the globe was penetrated and passed through, leaving small drops of -moisture glistening all over the glass of the portholes. The moon’s -rays made the metal body of the vessel glitter like so much silver. As -they dropped lower and lower, the world became dimly visible, seeming -to be literally rising to meet the descending aviators. At an altitude -of three thousand feet, the downward planing was discontinued and level -flight again maintained. - -To the one hand stretched the seemingly endless expanse of gray, -breaker-crested ocean, but on the other, due ahead, lay the rock-bound, -irregular coast of the British Isles. Not so very far away now, was -poor Bob Russell on trial for his life. - -All three boys were thinking about him. It was not necessary to mention -his name. - -“Not long now,” said Ned. - -“No, not long,” agreed Alan and Buck. - - - - -CHAPTER IX PARIS PROVES UNFRIENDLY - - -The course of the _Ocean Flyer_ was altered slightly so as to avoid -passing over England and risking pot-shots from a people who were -already in a semi-hysteria over the threatened invasion by German -Zeppelins. The next land they saw was the coast of northern France. -They followed the Norman coast for a short distance and then once more -headed inland. - -The flying speed had been reduced to thirty miles per hour, when the -airship first sank to a three thousand foot level, and, traveling -thus slowly, the boys had a pretty good chance to observe the country -beneath them through their powerful binoculars. - -Normandy, the district where the Airship Boys first began flying over -France, had not yet been touched by hostile invasion, and, save for the -absence of the usual fleets of fishing smacks along the coast, was to -all appearances the same quaint, sleepy region as ever. Farther inland, -however, the ravages the war had made were more plainly visible. Few -trains could be seen, and in many cases railway bridges or the tracks -themselves had been torn up. Fields lay, for the most part, untilled; -smoke no longer belched from the long, finger-like chimneys of busy -factories. Nantes, Angiers, Le Mans and Chartres, all huge cities over -which the _Flyer_ passed, showed little activity save that even at -this early hour crowds were congregated in the principal squares and -in front of the government offices where daily returns from the battle -front were posted. - -The appearance of the _Ocean Flyer_ was invariably the cause of intense -excitement. People scurried frantically about, church bells rang the -alarm and soldiers ran to their posts on the fortifications. Observed -from the boys’ elevated position, the scene greatly resembled an -ant-hill disturbed with a stick. - -The city of Chartres was only a comparatively short flight, even at -their reduced speed, for the boys from Paris, the capital of France. -Twenty minutes after passing over the former city, the Eiffel Tower, -tallest structure in Paris, appeared, and soon other world-famous -landmarks were easily discernible through the glasses. There arose -the imposing, ages-old towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral, set on -an island in the middle of the river Seine, which, under its many -handsome bridges, wound like a silver ribbon through the gray expanse -of buildings which go to make up the fourth largest city in the -world. There lay the Palais Royal, with its celebrated shops and -restaurants; there the Louvre, Luxembourg and the Tuileries, stored -with priceless art treasures and famous in history as the palaces of -great kings. There was the green shrubbery of the public parks and the -white, ribbon-like lines which marked the Bois and the Champs Elysees, -those famous boulevards and promenades of fashion, radiating from the -Tuileries like the points of an immense star. - -But what a vast change from the gay, teeming metropolis of less than a -year previous. The streets were nearly deserted, the pleasure seekers -were fled before the hot, scathing blast of war, like chaff in a strong -wind; the tables before the gay little cafes lining the boulevards were -turned bottom-side up and dusty with long disuse. There was no roar of -traffic, no shrill cries, no rumblings of passenger-filled omnibuses. -The Avenue de l’Opera was as quiet and deserted as a village street. -Automobiles had disappeared; only here and there meandered ancient -cabs driven by doddering grandfathers and drawn by skeleton horses -with sprung knees. A mournful, oppressive silence brooded over the -lightest-hearted city in the world. - -The grass in the Tuileries gardens was unkept and stood ankle high. -The wooded shades of the Bois de Boulogne had been turned into a great -pasture for herds of cattle, goats and sheep, to provide food in case -the Germans again succeeded in actually besieging the city. Palaces and -celebrated public buildings were converted into hospitals. The young -men were all at the front fighting; only the aged and wounded remained -in Paris. - -The city had not yet recovered from its fright of four months previous -when the conquering regiments of the Kaiser trampled Belgium underfoot -and advanced almost within cannon range of the walls. Even then the -battle was raging and bayonet charges were daily occurrences in the -trenches less than an hour’s automobile drive to the northeast. - -Lookouts were stationed on all of the higher buildings to give warning -of the approach of bomb-dropping German aviators in their wide, white, -flat-winged “Taube” aeroplanes. - -The coming of the huge, shining _Ocean Flyer_ was seen while it was -yet a considerable distance from the city and a whole flock of French -military aeroplanes arose birdlike into the sky to meet it. They -resembled hornets defending their nest. As the big airship planed down -towards them with its seventy-two feet of planes, extended like wings -on each side, the flock of smaller French aircraft shot suddenly apart -in different directions, realizing their helplessness to combat this -new threatening monster of the air. Some planed down like arrows into -the city again seeking safety. Others began to sweep in wide circles -around the _Ocean Flyer_, not daring to approach nearer. The harsh roar -of their motors and propellers could be heard even within the pilot -house where Ned stood guiding the _Flyer’s_ course. - -Then the alarmed Parisians unlimbered their much-talked-of aerial -cannon on this new menace from the clouds. As each ugly black nozzle -was tilted skywards, there came a puff of greenish smoke, flame spat -forth and a huge shell was hurled straight at the approaching airship. -Most of these terrible missiles fell far short of their mark, but the -gunners of a battery stationed in the top of the Eiffel Tower were -quick in getting a better range and made it very dangerous for the -Airship Boys to continue their descent. - -“Holy smoke!” gasped Alan, as one cannon shell burst with a terrific -detonation less than one hundred feet to the left of the _Flyer_ and -almost keeled it over sidewise. “This is getting too hot for me. They -think we’re a new type of German Zeppelin. Shoot her up higher, Ned. -Let’s get out of here quick.” - -“I’ll raise her higher, of course,” answered Ned, at the wheel, “but -it’s a shame that we can’t get a closer view of Paris in wartime. That -would be something to tell the folks about when we get back home.” - -Cr--cr--cra-sh! Boom! - -The whole metal-plated frame of the _Flyer_ shook violently and -careened wildly to one side from the concussion of another lyddite -shell. Only quick action on Ned’s part prevented their capsizing. - -“We won’t ever get home to tell anybody about anything if you don’t -drive the ship higher pretty soon,” yelled Alan. - -Ned was the cooler of the two. - -“All right,” said he, “but I do wish that you could manage to signal -some of these aeroplanes skimming around us that we are friends -instead of enemies, and that we want to alight down there in the city.” - -Alan looked doubtful, but finally agreed. As Ned jammed the elevation -lever down hard in its socket and forced the _Ocean Flyer_ slowly -forward on a decided up-slant, his chum made his way out onto the -runway which encircled most of the _Flyer’s_ hull, and there, clinging -firmly to the iron taffrail with one hand, wig-wagged pacific signals -with a white flag gripped in the other. - -Either the circling French aviators did not understand his signals, -or thought that the white flag was merely intended to deceive -them, for all save one of them totally disregarded it. That single -dare-devil bird-man drove his monoplane--like a flea going against an -elephant--straight, head-on, at the _Ocean Flyer_ the moment Alan made -his appearance outside. His face was set in frantic determination. - -A startled cry of warning escaped the boy clinging in the terrific -wind there on the narrow runway, who thought that the madman intended -to crash into the bigger airship and so sacrifice his own life in the -attempt to disable the supposed enemy. - -But that was not the daring Frenchman’s intent. When the roar of his -whirling tail propellers deafened Alan’s hearing and it seemed as if -in another second the little monoplane would be dashed against the -_Flyer_, the Frenchman tilted his planes sharply, swerved on a perilous -angle that almost overturned his light craft, and, as he swept past in -a rush of wind, jerked a revolver from his belt with one hand and fired -full into Alan’s blanched face. A second later he swooped down towards -the watching city below. - -Alan felt a sudden stinging sensation on his cheek and could not -suppress a cry of pain. Something warm began to trickle down his cheek. -A sudden giddiness made his head swim. His eyes blurred and he felt -that he might topple over the narrow taffrail at any moment. - -Blindly he groped behind him for the handle of the door leading back -into the ship--found it, tried to call for help--then stumbled forward -and sank huddled to the airship floor unconscious. - - - - -CHAPTER X AN ADVENTURE IN THE ARDENNES - - -Both Ned and Buck were too busily engaged in getting the _Ocean Flyer_ -out of range of the aerial guns to miss Alan for fully ten minutes. -They shot the airship almost obliquely upwards over the city until the -clouds shut off all sight of it from them and even the most daring of -the pestering French aeroplanes could follow them no higher. Then Ned -noticed for the first time that Alan had not returned to the pilot -house. - -“Is Alan down there in the engine room with you, Buck?” he called -through the speaking tube. - -“No. Good gracious! Isn’t he with you either?” exclaimed Buck -anxiously. “Everything here seems to be running smoothly, so I’m going -to risk leaving it a few minutes to look for him.” - -It was not a hard matter to find Alan where he lay huddled up just -inside the port door. With a cry of consternation Buck dropped upon his -knees beside the silent figure, turned it over gently and was shocked -to note the bloody ghastliness of his comrade’s face. - -Severe newspaper training was strong in Buck Stewart though. He did not -turn squeamish or raise Ned’s anxieties by shouting that Alan had been -wounded. Ned needed his whole mind for the management of the Flyer, and -Buck realized that. - -Gathering the insensible boy up in his arms, Buck carried him into one -of the small staterooms, hurriedly bathed his face in warm water, and -was relieved to discover that what had at first appeared to be a mortal -wound was merely an abrasion of the flesh where the Frenchman’s bullet -had grazed its way. Alan revived a few minutes afterward, and while -his legs were still a little shaky he protested that he felt quite his -usual self. - -After their hostile reception at Paris, the Airship Boys realized that -it would be folly to attempt a similar daylight descent upon Muhlbruck, -where Bob Russell was imprisoned. Also the appalling screech of -bursting shells going past had given them a heartfelt disinclination to -get the _Ocean Flyer_ anywhere between the lines of fire on the battle -front. - -Examination of a war map presented to them by the editor of the New -York _Herald_ showed plainly that the nearest trenches of the opposing -armies lay about forty miles to the northeast of Paris, extending -thence in the form of a rough semicircle, indented towards the north, -for a length of nearly two hundred miles. One end of this titanic -battle front ended on the shores of the North Sea in Belgium; the -other in French territory in the Meuse prefecture. In order to reach -Muhlbruck it was necessary for the _Flyer_ to pass directly over the -firing-lines somewhere in the Ardennes forest region, and then to -proceed northerly, tending somewhat to the east until crossing the -Belgian frontier, near which Muhlbruck is situated. The latest reports -of the war showed the fiercest fighting just then to be going on -far to the south along the river Meuse, and northwesterly along the -Aisne, a few miles within French territory, where the Germans were -making desperate daily assaults upon the allied French and English -intrenchments. The severe guerrilla fighting which had nearly turned -the Ardennes region into a shambles had then ceased almost entirely, -while General von Kluck, commanding the German army of the west, was -endeavoring to force the arms of his crescent battle line westward -in around the Allied forces and by so doing compel them either to be -surrounded and captured, or else to fall back upon Paris once more. - -“It looks to me,” said Ned, outlining the positions on the map with one -finger, “that it will be best for us to cross the firing line there -in the Ardennes, flying high so as to be out of the range of those -tremendous German field guns which they say can carry a cannon ball -fifteen miles or more. If you boys think well of it, we might even drop -the _Flyer_ in the Ardennes forest, get a chance to stretch the cramps -out of our legs there, and still get to Muhlbruck long before dark.” - -Both Alan and Buck approved heartily of this plan and so it was decided -upon. Estimating the distance between their present position and the -Ardennes by their maps and instruments, the _Ocean Flyer_ proceeded on -its way, concealed from sight by the heavy cloud banks beneath. While -the sun was still high, they saw that they had arrived somewhere in the -neighborhood of the intended stopping-place. Ned then began planing as -straight downwards as he dared and shortly afterwards shouted: - -“There it is, boys! We figured the time and distance exactly. There are -the tree-tops!” - -Sure enough, there extended the green expanse of the great Ardennes -wood, with the dull glint of the setting sun gilding the leaves and -branches. Afar in the distance, a mere speck in the flame-colored sky, -a solitary observation balloon was ascending. Somewhere away to the -northwards the dull, monotonous booming of cannon could be heard like -the rumble of distant thunder. The woods showed no signs of life; there -were no spirals of smoke rising into the still evening air to warn the -young aeronauts of near-by camp fires. - -Sailing slowly over the tree-tops and gradually dropping lower and -lower, the _Flyer_ finally came upon an open glade perhaps half a mile -square and ideally located for a landing. Its only obstruction was a -clump of maybe half a dozen ancient oaks standing almost in the middle -of the area. - -There Ned brought the big airship to earth as lightly as a bird, and -the three boys jumped out to enjoy their first touch of Mother Earth -since leaving New York nearly a day before. The air was mild and -odoriferous with the smell of the forest and all took huge breaths of -it gratefully. Buck pranced about like a colt let loose in pasture, and -he and Alan ran short races up and down the glade to stretch their -cramped muscles. - -“Now, boys,” called Ned, “it is time that we held a serious council of -war to decide just how we are going to manage Bob’s escape. Let’s sit -down under these trees here and make final arrangements, because by -midnight we’ll be at Muhlbruck and won’t want to waste any time in that -dangerous vicinity.” - -So they sat there under the biggest tree in the center of the field and -talked things over. - -Alan said: “I don’t see how we can decide upon any very definite plan -until after we get there and find out the lie of the land. For all -that we know, the prison where they have Bob locked up may be right in -the center of the town with a couple thousand watchful soldiers around -it. I don’t believe that we’ll ever be able to get near enough to the -prison to get Bob out without some leg-work.” - -“I’ve been thinking of that too,” said Ned, “and feel pretty sure -that some one of us will have to go into town disguised to get exact -information, while the other two of us remain to guard the _Flyer_ and -be ready to lend assistance whenever we are called upon. The difficulty -is to say which one of us ought to undertake the perilous mission of -spy. You know if the Germans ever caught him he would be in an even -worse fix than poor old Bob.” - -“Let me go, Ned,” pleaded Alan, his face aglow with enthusiasm. “I’m -perfectly willing to take the risk.” - -“No, let me go,” said Buck. “Both of you boys are absolutely needed to -manage the airship, and in a pinch can get along well enough without -me. Besides that, I can speak German well enough to pass in the dark, -and my newspaper work has given me more practical experience in the -sleuthing line than either of you two have had. - -“Personally I don’t think the chances are that I would run much danger -of detection there in disguise after midnight, but, even if they do get -suspicious, I could show them the war-correspondent’s credentials given -you by the _Herald_. I don’t believe that even grouchy old General -Haberkampf is crazy enough to risk getting the American press down on -him by mistreatment of me should I have to shove those papers under his -nose.” - -“I think that you exaggerate the importance of the New York _Herald_ -over here in the war zone,” said Alan with a smile. “Remember that the -_Herald_ card didn’t prevent the Germans from throwing Bob into their -beastly prison.” - -“But that was quite a different case,” explained Buck. “Bob Russell was -caught with certain papers on his person which are said to have branded -him as a hostile spy.” - -“However--” began Alan again. - -Ned interrupted him. - -“Buck is right, Alan,” said he. “I don’t like to think of his risking -his life in this way, but he is clearly better fitted for the job than -either you or I. I understand how disappointed you are in not getting -the chance to risk it for good old Bob’s sake, and I’m just as sorry -that I can’t do it. But Buck’s knowledge of the German language, his -experience in this sort of thing, and the fact that he can the better -bluff about being a regular newspaper correspondent, all make him the -logical man for it. You and I will have to give in.” - -Alan was very much disappointed that things turned out so and tossed -back his head to conceal his chagrin. As he did so his eye caught sight -of something strange in the bushy tree-top directly above their heads. - -“Look, boys, isn’t that a little house up there?” he cried, pointing. - -As he did so there came a chorus of guttural exclamations from the -concealing leaves up above, and, before the startled Airship Boys -had time to do more than scramble to their feet, at least a dozen -shaggy-bearded German soldiers, in ragged, dirt-stained gray uniforms, -came sliding one after another down the surrounding tree-trunks. - -“Hands up!” roared one who seemed to be in command, and, even though -he spoke in German, there was no mistaking the meaning of the musket -barrels pointed threateningly at the three boys. - - - - -CHAPTER XI THE FIGHT IN THE FOREST - - -For an instant the heart of each boy stood still. Then things began to -happen. Ned shot straight from his hip, the revolver bullet tearing its -way straight through his coat pocket and wounding the nearest soldier. - -Buck grappled closely with the soldier closest to him, beat down the -threatening gun muzzle, felt the discharge scorch his leg in passing, -and rolled over and over on the ground, arms interlocked in deadly -combat. - -Alan sprang behind the nearest tree and opened fire on the assailants, -with a revolver in each hand spitting lead as fast he could pull the -trigger. - -Muskets belched flame and smoke in a half-circle around them, but Ned -was safely behind a sheltering tree-trunk before the deadly leaden hail -could reach him. Another soldier fell, howling with pain, and a third -clapped one hand to his shoulder where a well-sped bullet from Alan’s -revolver had lodged. The Germans took shelter behind adjacent trees, -as the boys had done, and only Buck and his opponent still rolled out, -exposed to fire. Yet neither the boys or the Germans dared shoot at the -struggling men for fear of wounding one of their own party. - -Ned cast a longing, regretful eye at the _Ocean Flyer_ where it stood -not fifty yards away. He blamed himself for their folly in ever leaving -its protecting walls. Besides, he knew that their revolvers were nearly -empty and that they had no spare cartridges in their pockets. - -He shouted to Alan in English, which the Germans could not of course -understand, to work his way back towards the airship. - -Dodging from tree to tree, the two boys gradually came within about -twenty yards of the _Flyer_. In the meantime, the Germans had divined -their intentions and had followed them closely, keeping up a hot fire -all the time. The intervening distance between the airship and the boys -would have to be covered by a dash across the exposed open ground, -where the Germans could hardly fail to get them. - -“Don’t risk it, Ned,” cried Alan. - -“One of us absolutely must,” answered the other boy desperately. “We -are all lost if we don’t.” - -Then before Alan could protest further, the courageous lad darted from -cover and was bounding across the dangerous open space towards the -_Flyer_. - -Twenty German bullets went hissing after him and the entire crowd -pursued with hoarse shouts of rage. Alan bowled over one of them as he -ran, and then himself rushed after Ned. None of the soldiers took time -to pause, aim and shoot. They were too anxious to catch the fleeing -boys. - -Up the swaying rope ladder leading to the open portway clambered Ned, -with Alan crowding close on his heels. The former threw himself inside, -but the Germans were too close for Alan to risk it. He felt hot breath -on the back of his neck, heard the man behind him panting heavily, and, -with one foot on the first rung of the ladder, wheeled with clubbed -revolver to defend himself. His arm swung back to dash it into the -man’s face, when-- - -“_Buck!_” cried he. - -It was the reporter, who had finally succeeded in mastering his -assailant and had followed his two chums in their desperate race for -the safety of the _Flyer_. - -There was no time for further conversation, however, for the yelling -Germans were now fairly on top of them. Alan’s revolvers snapped -harmlessly. They were empty. Buck fired his remaining four bullets -right into their faces and then struck out with his fists. It looked as -if it were all up with the brave boys until suddenly Ned appeared on -the airship runway overhead. In his hand he held raised a black, round, -metal object about the size of a football. - -“Stand back!” he shouted in a terrible tone. “Every one of you Germans -stand back or I swear I will blow you all to pieces with this lyddite -grenade!” - -The deadly explosive hung there almost above their heads and every man -of them knew what it was. - -Involuntarily they fell back, and in that minute while they hesitated, -Alan and Buck bounded up the companion-ladder into safety in the hold -of the airship. As the metal door clanged shut and locked automatically -behind them, they heard the enraged Germans hammering upon it with the -butts of their muskets. - -“To your engines, Buck!” shouted Ned from above. “Quick! Alan, help me -in the pilot house here!” - -The starting lever was jammed down into place. The hum of the great -turbines became a roar. The huge propellers swished mightily round and -round. The _Ocean Flyer_ began to slip over the grass, with the frantic -Germans giving ground reluctantly. Then the huge bulk gradually lifted -itself from the earth and skimmed like a swallow heavenwards over the -now dusky tree-tops. German bullets rattled like hail over the metal -sides of the vessel. - -Alan smiled grimly at Ned. - -“They don’t realize that magnalium alloy is as good as armor plate,” he -said. “Unless a stray bullet happens to snap some mechanical part of -the tail propellers, they’re welcome to shoot as much as they want to -now.” - -Ned nodded as he shaped the _Flyer’s_ course towards the north where -the frontier and Muhlbruck lay. - - - - -CHAPTER XII BUCK TAKES HIS LIFE IN HIS HANDS - - -Black night had already fallen, blotting out sight of all lower -landmarks, and the Airship Boys had only their maps and instruments by -which to guide their path. But, as had been before proved, those were -ample for the purpose. - -The young aeronauts were unable to tell just when they passed over -the long zig-zagging double line of trenches, which marked where the -hostile armies crouched, menacing each other, because all camp fires -were blanketed there. Experience in the early days of the war had -taught both Germans and Allies that a shining camp fire is an excellent -mark for bombs from any prowling aviator overhead. - -Several villages sparsely lighted, and several cities with all lights -extinguished, were passed over before the _Flyer_ reached a point where -the boys knew that Muhlbruck must lie very nearly below them. They -planed down gently, found no place adequate for a safe landing, and -finally were forced to circle uncertainly there in mid-air, straining -their eyes down into the gloom below. They did not dare to investigate -the lie of the land with their searchlights, as that would instantly -have betrayed their presence to everyone within miles of the spot. - -At last Alan observed a comparatively open and flat stretch of ground, -and they decided to take a chance on it. Fortunately it proved to -afford a better landing area than had been apparent from above, and the -_Ocean Flyer_ was once more brought to rest on firm ground. - -The boys instantly discovered that they were in a large farmyard, with -a broad, dusty highway on the one side and a small unlighted cottage -near by. They were afraid at first that the inhabitants, if there were -any, had observed their approach and had slipped away to give warning. - -Further examination of the premises showed this dread to be groundless, -however. As they stealthily tiptoed around the cottage, the boys could -plainly see that war had long since passed that way and driven off its -occupants. The walls were charred with fire, half of the straw-thatched -roof had fallen in and the door swung crazily askew on one hinge. - -Investigation on the inside made clear that whoever the owners were, -they had left in great haste. Furniture was broken and overturned; -linen, bed-clothes and wearing apparel lay scattered all over the -floor. One wall was riddled with bullets. - -Stooping, Buck gave vent to a pleased exclamation. He had found enough -old clothes out of which to disguise himself completely as a Belgian -peasant. Even the clumsy wooden shoes were unearthed from one corner of -the room. - -“This simplifies everything,” he cried to Alan. “I’ll put these things -on right now and be off into town to see how things are. Unless I’m -much mistaken, this road beside us is the main highway into Muhlbruck, -which itself can’t be much more than a mile away if those maps of ours -are correct. - -“In the meantime, you and Ned can wait here for me. If I’m still alive -and at liberty, I’ll be back here by sun-up sure. If I don’t show up by -then, you can rest assured that something unforeseen has happened to -detain me. In case anyone comes snooping around here while I am gone, -you boys had better go aloft in the _Flyer_ and return here again for -me to-morrow night. But be sure and wait here until daylight for me, -unless you are discovered.” - -This plan was about the best that any of the boys could suggest, so -Buck donned the old clothes he had found, dirtied his face with dust -from the roadway and bade his chums good-bye cheerfully. They stared -regretfully after his retreating figure in the gloom. - -“If anything happens to him, I never shall forgive myself,” said Ned. - -Alan laughed in a brave attempt to seem lighter-hearted than he was. - -“If anybody can come through this stunt safely, it’s Buck Stewart,” -he said. “Mark my words, he’ll be back here chipper as a sparrow by -sunrise, with a full plan of how and when we are to rescue Bob.” - -“I certainly hope so,” muttered Ned, doubtfully. - -Meanwhile, Buck was striding rapidly along the road into town, with his -cap pulled low over his eyes and his right hand nursing the handle of a -big revolver in his hip pocket. He skulked mostly along the side of the -way, where the black shadows from the hedges tended to conceal him. His -eyes kept shifting warily from left to right and his ears were strained -to catch any sound that might warn him of other prowlers on the road. - -Frequently he passed wayside graves--sometimes a single mound of earth; -at other times a number of them side by side. Every somber mound of -earth was marked by a wooden cross, on the apex of many of which the -fallen soldier’s hat was hung. Buck noticed that in many cases, the -rough cap of a French infantryman hung side by side with battered -German helmets. The German army does everything neatly, thoroughly. -Whenever there is time it buries the fallen enemy as well as its own -dead. - -By and by little gloomy houses began to appear straggling along the -wayside and Buck knew then that he was in the outskirts of the town. -No lights were shown in any of the windows. Not a cow lowed, nor dog -barked. The hush of either dread or desertion seemed heavy in the dark -night air. - -Buck had not gone much farther when he was startled by a sharp: - -“_Wer geht da?_” (Who goes there?) as a stalwart, gray-cloaked sentry -stepped out from the shadows of the roadside, with leveled and -bayoneted musket. - -“_Ein Freund, ein armer Landsmann, Excellenz_,” (a friend, a poor -farmer, your excellency) answered Buck, gripping his revolver firmly. - -“Stand out in the middle of the road where I can see you more plainly -in the moonlight,” gruffly ordered the sentinel, poking at the seeming -peasant with his sharp bayonet. - -Buck obeyed him, feigning great humility. There was nothing suspicious -to the German in his appearance, but-- - -“What are you doing out so late and alone on the highroad here?” -demanded the sentry. - -“Excellency, three weeks ago I had a home--such a nice cozy little -place!--down the road a mile or so. I ran away into Muhlbruck when your -army marched past on the road to Paris, and to-day I went back to see -if there was anything left for me.” - -“And did you find anything, _Landsmann_?” - -“No, excellency. The place was swept clean; even the nice little -cottage was half torn down.” - -The burly German guffawed, as if at a huge joke. - -“Now I know that you are telling me the truth, fellow,” he said. “I -know your place well. Why, I myself helped burst in the door you locked -so carefully on leaving. But you don’t bear me any ill-will for that, -do you, now?” - -“No, excellency.” - -“You had better not,” growled the sentry. “Pass on and don’t let me -catch you prowling around here any more of nights. I have orders to -shoot anybody whose looks I don’t like.” - -“Yes, excellency, I will remember,” said the seeming peasant, and slunk -away in the direction of the town. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII “TO BE SHOT AT SUNRISE!” - - -The streets of the town were unlighted, but several houses on the -public square showed illumination through lowered window shades. There -were no citizens to be seen, and very few soldiers about. In front of -the Hotel de Ville (townhall) a sentry paced restlessly to and fro on -duty, with a musket laid across his arm. He took no notice of the dirty -peasant stalking past. - -Buck made it his first business to locate the civic prison where he -knew that Bob would be confined. This he found not far from the main -thoroughfare of the town, a massive, square, gray-stone building, -with iron doors and many little grated windows high up on the walls. -A sentry-box beside the door was occupied, so Buck spent no time -loitering around there. He made his way back to the public square in -search of an inn where he might sit down, and while eating inquire -casually about news in general and the trials of war prisoners in -particular. He felt pretty sure that the down-trodden Belgians present -were sullen and discontented under the iron German rule, and would be -willing to discuss almost any topic relative to the oppressions. - -The first tavern to which Buck came was large and pretentious; -evidently the main hostelry of the city. Even at this late hour people -were passing in and out of the big entrance. The disguised boy noted, -however, that many of these guests were German officers, and rightly -guessed that this being the chief inn of the city, it would be most -largely patronized by the conquerors, so he passed on in search of some -less popular place. - -A little farther on down the street he came upon a smaller, more -dingy-looking public house, with apparently less revelry going on -inside. Buck determined to take a chance here, and, pulling his -disreputable cap lower over his eyes, pulled open the door and slouched -in. - -He found himself in a small, low-ceilinged room, the walls and oaken -rafters of which were dirty and smoked black by the huge open fireplace -at one end. Rickety little wooden tables stood here and there, none too -clean nor inviting. A doorway at the far end of the room led out into -the kitchens, from which a vile odor of cabbage and onions penetrated. - -There were only a few people present, and they appeared to be merely -scared townsfolk. Buck dropped into a chair at one of the greasy -tables, and a slatternly servant-maid took his order for something to -eat. - -While she was serving him a little later on, she said: - -“I do not recognize you as one of our regular customers, goodman. Are -you a stranger in Muhlbruck?” - -“Yes,” replied Buck, “I was a farmer near Dinant before this war broke -out, but since then--well, you know how it is!” - -“We here in Muhlbruck should know if anybody does,” grumbled the girl. -“The Germans have overrun the town, taken all the best for themselves, -half of the time without paying for it, and treat us honest people as -if we were born their servants. Now, old General Haberkampf, who is in -command of the division stationed here, is throwing all of our best -citizens into prison on trumped-up charges of one kind or another.” - -“Ah!” said Buck. “Is he doing such an outrageous thing as that? But -then, maybe he thinks that they are playing him double--are spies, in -other words.” - -“Bah! Spies nothing!” exclaimed the girl indignantly. “That is an -old yarn! There is that young American newspaper correspondent now! -The Germans have thrown him into prison too and claim that papers -were found upon him. And now they are going to shoot him at sunrise -to-morrow.” - -“_To shoot him at sunrise?_” ejaculated Buck, with difficulty -restraining himself from showing his agitation. “Surely you cannot mean -that!” - -“Oh, but I do,” replied the girl. “They tried him before a military -tribunal in the Hotel de Ville this afternoon. No outsiders were -admitted, and that beast of a General Haberkampf wastes no time in -carrying out his decisions. The poor young man will be taken out and -shot at sunrise in the fields just west of the town. That is where -all these ‘acts of justice’ have been taking place since the terrible -Germans came to Muhlbruck. - -“They back the condemned man up against the remaining wall of the old -church there; the firing squad stands off at a distance of thirty -paces; ‘Ready! Aim! Fire!’ says the corporal in charge, and pouff! -another life is snuffed out.” - -Buck was horror-stricken at the terrible fate that threatened his old -friend within less than three or four hours. Almost the Airship Boys -had come too late, and even now it was a question whether or not he -could get back to the airship and make plans for a rescue in time to -save him. - -Buck easily recalled the place set for the execution. He had passed it -not a hundred yards from the highroad, about a quarter of a mile from -town. - -His brain was in a whirl. He was unable to formulate any practicable -scheme of effecting the rescue. The sun at that time of year rose about -five o’clock, or five-thirty at the latest. All preparations must be -made before then. - -Paying his bill at the inn, Buck hurried out into the damp night air -again and set out for the place where he had left his comrades. Once -clear of the town, he broke into a run. Approaching the vicinity of the -sentinel who had challenged him on his way in about an hour before, -the reporter made a wide detour through the dew-wet fields to the left -of the road. He got by that danger point in safety, struck the highway -again and resumed his breathless race against time. - -Finally, panting with his exertions and bathed in perspiration, he -arrived at the peasant’s ruined hut and saw the vast black shape of -the _Ocean Flyer_ looming up behind it. Then something icy cold and -round was suddenly pressed against the back of his neck, strong arms -pinioned his arms to his sides, and a voice said sternly in English: - -“Not so fast there! One outcry and you are a dead man. Where do you -think you are going?” - -“Alan!” breathed Buck in relief. “Don’t shoot! It is I--Buck -Stewart--with news of Bob.” - -“Hurrah!” cried Alan. “Come along over to the _Flyer_ where Ned is -anxiously waiting. You are back sooner than we expected.” - -It did not take Buck long to tell his story. - -“Now,” said he, “what’s to be done? We have less than three hours left -to do it if ever we want to see Bob alive again.” - -Half a dozen wild plans were suggested and discarded as quickly. -Finally it was resourceful Ned who said: - -“Let’s work it this way, boys. You, Buck, will have to go back afoot to -the ruined church where the execution is to be, and wait there until -the firing squad arrives with Bob at sunrise. Hide behind the wall -against which they back him up to be shot, and then, when they are -pacing off the firing distance, jump out, cut his bonds and run around -to the other side of the wall again with him. With a couple of loaded -revolvers in each of your hands and one of you at each end of the wall, -you ought to be able to keep even the dozen soldiers in the guard at -bay until we can arrive. - -“We will have the _Flyer_ all ready for instant flight the minute the -squad shows up, and at the first shot, we’ll be on hand. At the rate of -speed we can travel we oughtn’t to be more than a few moments covering -the distance. A couple of hand grenades tossed down among those Germans -ought to send them about their business pretty quickly. - -“Of course I know that this is a pretty risky plan, but it’s the best -we have been able to hit upon so far.” - -“But won’t those soldiers be able to shoot Buck down before he has time -to free Bob of his bonds?” Alan queried. “Buck can’t be shooting at -them and cutting the rope off Bob’s hands at the same time?” - -“No, I don’t think so,” answered Ned. “I believe that it is customary -for only a certain number of guns in a firing squad to be actually -loaded with bullets. Blank cartridges are used in the others, and no -soldier knows just who carries the fatal weapons. This is to keep any -self-respecting man among them from feeling that he is committing -cold-blooded murder by shooting down a prisoner with his hands tied. -Undoubtedly the officer in charge will be loading the guns while poor -Bob is being given a last chance to think it over. That’s the time.” - -“You think of every little point, Ned,” cried Buck admiringly. “Of -course I’ll go and do my best to save Bob. As time is slipping away -fast, I’d better set off right now, too. But remember that you are to -show up the minute you hear the first shot fired.” - -“Count on that, old boy,” answered both of the others. - -Then, with four “six-shooters” weighting down his coat pockets, Buck -Stewart again disappeared into the night. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV THE RESCUE - - -Buck arrived at the ruined church just as the first pallid gray of -morning light was smudging the eastern sky line. The air was cold and -damp. It bit to the bone. Shivering, the reporter drew his coat more -tightly around him, made sure for the eleventh time that his supply of -revolvers was all loaded and in good working order, and then tramped up -and down on that side of the crumbling wall which best sheltered him -from the wind. - -The hush of dawn pervaded the entire landscape. Not a single human -being was to be seen. - -Gradually the dull light on the horizon spread up into the sky and -widened. It changed color from yellow to pink, and finally the sun rose -through the mist of the deserted fields like a great round globe of -fire. - -A quarter of a mile distant the chimes of the cathedral in Muhlbruck -could be faintly heard, calling the people to early mass. Somewhere far -off to the right a cock crew lustily, welcoming the sunlight. Little -birds began to chirp and hop through the grass. - -It was the time! - -Waiting in that way was unbearable to Buck. The strain on his nerves -drove him nearly frantic. Once more he took out his revolvers for -examination, paced restlessly up and down, up and down, and wished that -they would come. - -A distant rumble far down the highway warned him of other travelers. He -crouched down behind the wall, fingering his weapons with heart-strings -taut--waiting, watching. - -Finally a vehicle hove in sight, but it was only a farmer’s cart drawn -by two big black dogs, and loaded with vegetables for sale in town. The -blue-smocked peasant striding alongside was whistling a little song, -all unconscious of the grim-faced figure behind the old church. - -The cart vanished around a bend in the road towards Muhlbruck. Then all -was silence again. The sun rose higher, dissipating the mist before its -warmth. It was not fully daylight. Then it was that Buck’s straining -ear caught the distant rhythmic footbeats of marching men. It was the -firing squad with Bob. - -Tramp, tramp, tramp, tramp! - -Around the bend in the road they came, a dozen soldiers whose uniforms -and spiked helmets were a dull gray, like the dust they stirred up -underfoot. They marched in a little column of twos, with a corporal in -command at one side. In their midst was the condemned prisoner. - -The watching Buck was moved to great pity at his old friend’s haggard -and unkempt appearance. There were great bluish hollows under his eyes, -his cheeks were unnaturally pale, and the growth of a two-weeks’ beard -made his face almost unrecognizable. But, although he knew that they -were taking him to his death, Bob marched with shoulders squared and -his head thrown back. It would never do for an American to show fear -before foreigners. - -“_Zum Recht! Halt!_” (Wheel to the right! Halt!) snapped the corporal. - -The firing squad was now on the other side of the wall from Buck, -standing like so many statues, with their rifles stiffly presented. - -The corporal grasped Bob roughly by the arm and backed him up against -the wall. - -“If you wish to pray, do so now,” he said in German. “Make it brief.” - -Bob closed his eyes for a few moments, while he thought of his old -friends away back in New York, wondering what had become of him. - -“I am ready, corporal,” said he, shortly. - -His hands were bound tightly together behind his back and a bandage -tied over his eyes. - -“Pace your distance,” the officer ordered his men. - -They retreated for about thirty paces, the corporal counting gruffly: -“Hup! hup! hup!” as they marched. - -It was at that instant that Buck Stewart darted around the corner of -the old wall with a sharp knife in his hands. He was at Bob’s side -and in a trice had slashed the rope free of his hands. The blindfold -followed in less time than it takes to tell it. - -Just then the firing squad reached their appointed position and wheeled -machine-like about. They saw in a flash their prisoner about to escape. - -“Donnerwetter!” roared the corporal, brandishing his sword. “Fire, men! -Shoot them down!” - -The roar of a dozen German muskets crashed out just as the boys turned -the corner of the wall. The bullets shattered the masonry in a cloud of -flying debris. Buck shoved two big revolvers into Bob’s hands as they -dashed behind the wall. - -“Stand guard there at the other end of the wall, Bob,” he shouted. -“I’ll take care of this end.” - -[Illustration: _The Rescue of Bob Russell._] - -Then, before the Germans had scarcely recovered from their surprise, -each boy was peppering away at them in deadly fashion from opposite -ends of the protecting masonry. Their first fusillade brought down -three groaning soldiers, one of them the corporal. The rest made for -cover, the nearest shelter--the tumbled masonry of the church itself. - -“Spread out on each side of the young devils!” yelled the raging German -corporal from where he lay. “Scatter and surround them! Work up on them -from behind!” - -His commands were quickly obeyed, and even such a rapid fire as the -boys were able to pour into the enemy could not prevent three or four -of them from running far around on either side, where, lying flat in -the long weeds, they opened a dangerous flank-fire that immediately -made the wall of no further protection to its gallant defenders. - -“It’s all up with us now,” called Bob, as he took another ineffective -shot at one of the sharp-shooters. - -“If only the _Ocean Flyer_ would come!” groaned Buck. “I can’t -understand why it hasn’t arrived before this!” - -At that moment, as if in answer to his desperate cry, there came the -ominous roar of a powerful motor, high up in the air, and there came -the great airship, swooping down with its seventy-two feet of planes -magnificently outspread, and Alan Hope standing out on the lower -runway, swinging deadly bombs in his hand. - -The Germans saw the approach of the strange aircraft at the same -instant, and startled cries of: “_Ein Flieger! Ein Flieger!_” (an -airship) broke from them as they diverted part of their fire upon it. - -The _Flyer_ swept on down in gradually narrowing circles and lessened -speed until it hung almost directly over the hard-pressed boys by the -wall. Then a hundred-foot rope ladder, one end of which was attached to -an opened port, was tossed down to them and Alan, making a megaphone of -his hands, shouted: - -“Climb up! Quick! There is a whole division of cavalry dashing down the -road!” - -Buck caught the loose end of the ladder first, and ran up the tough -spruce rungs like a monkey, despite the sway of the rope supports. Bob -did his best to weight down the end of the ladder with one hand, while -with the other he emptied his remaining pistol at the Germans who now -came at him in a body and on the run. Chips of masonry from the wall -were flying all around his head as the bullets struck it. - -Buck reached the top of the ladder and was dragged safely inside -through the porthole, while Bob made a flying leap, caught the fifth -rung and began to climb as fast as he could. German bullets whizzed -past his ears, but fortunately none hit him. As he climbed, he yelled: - -“Tell Ned to shoot her on up into the sky! Full speed! I’ll be up there -with you in a minute or two!” - -Buck rushed to the engine room, while Alan hurried to tell Ned. The -porthole was left open so that Bob could crawl in. Ned was excited; -with his right hand he jammed the long starting-lever down as far as it -would go; with his left he tugged at the lever of the lateral control -rudder. It stuck. With both hands he gave one desperate pull. The -sudden give, and the quick swerve upward of the _Flyer_ threw him off -his balance. He lunged heavily against the rod. It broke off short in -his hands. - -The sudden burst of power shot the big airship suddenly skyward on an -angle of almost eighty degrees and with a suddenness which nearly threw -both Ned and Alan off their feet. The huge propeller began to whirl -with dizzying velocity, and the wind screeched and whined through the -propellers like an animal in pain. - -With blanched cheeks both boys bent low over the broken lever, but -though they broke their finger-nails trying to loosen it, they were -unable to pry it up even with such tools as they could lay their hands -on. - -Horror showed in each face. With a ghastly attempt at composure Ned -turned to Alan. - -“Well, I’ve certainly done it now!” he groaned. “There seems to be no -hope of being able to pry that broken lever up. And I don’t dare to -shut off the speed; no telling what would happen going at this angle. -At present it is driving the _Flyer_ at maximum speed almost straight -upwards into the sky!” - -Alan was speechless, and could only gulp; his eyes were bulging in -mortal terror. - -At that moment a frantic call came up through the tube from Buck. - -“Great heavens, boys!” he screamed, “look down below! There is Bob -clinging sixty feet down the ladder, beaten nearly insensible by the -terrible wind, and unable to climb further because the current is -sweeping that light rope ladder straight out behind us like a ribbon. -If we don’t stop in a minute or so, he is as good as dead!” - - - - -CHAPTER XV IN DEADLY PERIL - - -Here was a condition the boys had never foreseen; they were undoubtedly -“rattled.” At their present high speed the wings were folded in their -utmost. Let the speed be reduced, the planes would automatically -expand; they were headed into the wind--an extra inch of surface to -catch the terrific pressure might cause the _Flyer_ to turn turtle. - -The only possibility that remained for those on board to save Bob was -the desperate chance that they might be able to haul the ladder in, -hand over hand, until the boy was near enough to crawl into the hull -himself. None of the boys had much hope of being able to accomplish -the feat, and indeed the first minute of tugging on the rope ladder -convinced them that it was an utter impossibility to haul it in against -the terrific wind current created by the machine. - -“No hope!” sighed Buck, wiping the perspiration from his face. - -“Wait! I have it! Rig up that windlass in the storeroom. I’ll bet we -can haul him in on that,” exclaimed Alan. - -The windlass was brought and the loose end of the ladder finally lashed -to it. The barrel crank of the windlass they attached to one of the -machines in the engine room, and then the previous ladder attachments -were cut loose. Buck started the donkey-engine, and all were delighted -to see that with each chug of the engine another lap of the ladder was -dragged aboard and wound about the windlass. - -Buck speeded the little engine up faster and the clinging figure below -rapidly rose from sixty to fifty, to forty, to twenty, to ten, to two -feet of the porthole, when strong, eager arms were outstretched to drag -him aboard. Poor Bob was so numb with cold and so exhausted from the -frightful strain he had undergone, that he collapsed almost as soon as -he found himself in safety. - -“Safety” is, however, no word to describe the situation of the -_Flyer’s_ crew. The big airship was shooting on, on, on at an abrupt -angle up into uncharted space, the limits of which are beyond the -deductions or comprehension of science. The highest cloud strata had -been surmounted long since; a strange darkness seemed to close over -them, making it necessary to turn on the electric lights. - -The _Ocean Flyer_ was passing into a region of the most intense cold. -First frost appeared on the plate glass of the portholes; then this -rapidly thickened to a thick coating of ice which prevented all view of -the outside. Even the wind funnel device on the _Flyer’s_ prow, which -had in past flights proved practical in keeping the interior heated, -was now inadequate. The ship became so cold that the boys’ breath -steamed; their hands turned blue and their noses reddened. Soon it even -became necessary for them to put on their heaviest underclothing and -fur overcoats. They had to huddle close together for warmth. - -The altitude gauge began acting queerly; it had long since passed the -ten-mile mark. - -The young aeronauts had the choice of only two expedients in this -desperate emergency. They could keep on going as they were, trusting to -luck; or they might shut off the gas supply and take a chance of having -the _Flyer_ turn on its back. Their chances of coming right-side-up -were better now; there was no air-movement in this high altitude. But -suddenly Buck made a discovery that made a choice unnecessary. - -“Look, fellows!” he cried, pointing at the gauge which showed the angle -of flight. “Sure as you live, her nose is dropping every second.” - -Ned nodded his head gravely. “I’ve been hoping for that. The air’s -getting too thin to give the rudder enough resistance. Our speed’s -lessening every minute. We’ll soon be on an even keel--and then we at -least stand a chance.” - -“Won’t we just drop like a rock?” gasped Alan in dismay. - -“Why no. Not if we keep our engines going. We simply won’t gain any -ground. I’ll give you an exhibition of fancy flying about that time. -We’ll try ‘dodging.’” - -“Play tag with the clouds?” grinned Buck. - -“We’ll play tug-o’-war with our rudder. We’d naturally drop headfirst -without the propellers. We’ll use our power just often enough and -strong enough to keep level. In other words, we’ll jump down.” - -“And where will we land?” asked Buck. “We’re headed west, aren’t we?” - -“We won’t be in Belgium when we see terra firma, and I wouldn’t be -surprised if we got pretty well across Germany--” - -“We can’t land there.” - -“Well, we can’t land here, that’s sure. We’ve got to take a chance. Me -to the engines--we start dropping in five minutes.” - -The floor of the cabin was nearly level; then it began to rock -violently. From the alternate hum and silence of the engines, the -others knew that Ned had begun the descent. Aside from that, the -airship was as steady as ever. - -In the meantime Buck busied himself in the cook’s galley, and -when he finally emerged carrying steaming hot pots of coffee and -savory-smelling victuals, you may well believe that the half frozen -boys greeted him with enthusiasm. They shouted up to Ned through the -speaking-tube: - -“Lash the plane gears fast where they are and come on down. Buck’s got -ready a fine lot of stuff for us to eat.” - -“You boys go ahead and enjoy it without me for a little while,” Ned -answered from his place in the pilot house. “I’m going to have just one -more try at that broken lever.” - - - - -CHAPTER XVI NED SAVES THE “FLYER’S” CREW - - -Dull despair gripped even the ordinarily cheerful Ned’s heart as he -stared at the broken lever, flush with the metal work around the socket -where it had defied all efforts to pry it up and loose. If only there -were a half inch or so of the lever still projecting above the metal -frame so that one might get a purchase on it with pincers, or-- - -“Silly that I am!” shouted Ned. “Here we have all been wasting our time -and effort trying to pry the lever up, when we can just as easily rip -off the metal top casing around the socket. That will certainly leave -at least three-quarters of an inch of the lever sticking up where we -can get at it. Boys! Oh, boys! Come here, quick, and bring some screw -drivers, a cold chisel, a hammer, and a pair of good strong plyers with -you!” - -The other lads came running with the desired tools and Ned explained -his idea in a few words. All looked at each other sheepishly, but with -vast relief they began at once to carry out Ned’s instructions. - -“What ninnies we were not to think of so simple a thing long before -this!” exclaimed Alan. - -“I guess it was because the idea was too simple,” Buck said wisely. - -Ned cut short further discussion. - -“To work! To work, you fellows!” he cried. “Remember that every instant -wasted in chatter carries us so much the nearer to earth where there’s -no telling what may await us.” - -So thereupon all of the boys set to work with a will. In their -excitement they forgot the freezing cold and their own discomfort. -While Ned kept the _Flyer_ in its course, Bob and Alan and Buck were -working loose the screws which held the heavy metal top plates in place -and hammering and prying with the razor-edged chisels. It was far from -being easy work, but they made good headway for all that. - -Presently Alan gave a triumphant shout and tossed the first dislodged -screw to the floor. Others soon followed it. By that time Buck had cut -free the entire upper plate of metal from the wooden box base on his -side, and Bob had pried it almost as loose on the other side. Soon the -whole thick sheet of metal came loose and could be lifted free of its -pedestal. - -As Ned had surmised, its removal left fully three-quarters of an inch -of the broken end of the lever protruding where it was easily possible -to get a grip on it with the heavy plyers. - -Getting a firm grip on the shaft and pulling it out were two entirely -different matters, however, as the boys soon found out. For a long time -the jammed lever resisted their every effort to loosen it and faces -again began to look grave. It was not until they were almost ready to -give it up as a hopeless job, that, all of a sudden, Buck, who was -tugging with might and main, felt the lever give slightly. A second -later the whole length slid smoothly up into view. - -“Hurrah!” shouted Alan, throwing his cap wildly into the air. “Saved! -saved! Now we can get her under control again and laugh at whoever may -be waiting down there on Mother Earth!” - -The boys certainly were justified in performing a war-dance of -jubilation around the walls of the little pilot house. - -It only remained for them to repair the broken handle, and then the -_Ocean Flyer_ was once more responsive to the slightest touch of -the hand upon her delicate steering mechanism. Fully two hours had -elapsed; Alan’s watch showed nearly eight o’clock. - -As the airship continued to drop, the ice melted on the port windows -and a grateful warmth began to make the blood circulate freely again. -The heavy overcoats were discarded and everybody began talking -excitedly about what they were going to do when they reached the earth -once more. All agreed that, even if it were only for a few minutes, -they wanted to land and feel good solid ground beneath their feet. - -“But where do you suppose we’ll strike terra firma?” asked Bob. “It’s -pretty certain that we won’t find ourselves over Belgium as when we -left.” - -“What difference does it make anyhow?” exulted Alan. “We’ll be on earth -again, and that’s enough of a guarantee for me just now. I don’t care -whether we land in Germany or Japan.” - -“Hold on there! It does make a difference to me though,” cried Buck. -“Remember that the New York _Herald_ really sent yours truly along on -this expedition as a war correspondent, and I haven’t yet had a chance -to write a word of ‘copy’ or even to see a battle in progress. I -didn’t bring along all of those notebooks for nothing, Alan!” - -Everybody had to laugh heartily at that. Bob agreed with Buck. - -“I’m a newspaper man too, you know,” he said, “and I also would like to -see the actual fighting at close range.” - -“Thanks, old man,” rejoined Alan dryly, “but I’ve seen quite enough -fighting lately to last me the rest of my natural life. However, your -words remind me that we haven’t yet heard the story of your experiences -in the war zone, or how it was that the Germans came to arrest you as a -spy. Now that none of us have anything much to do for a while, give us -the yarn, won’t you, Bob?” - -Bob nodded, but before he could begin, Buck cried: - -“Wait a minute. Let’s all go up to the pilot house where Ned can hear -the story too.” - -“That’s only right,” agreed Alan, so the three of them rejoined Ned, -where he sat at the wheel, and Bob Russell related his adventures as -follows. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII BOB RUSSELL’S STORY - - -“Shortly after international war was declared last July, the _Herald_ -decided that it needed a personal representative at the front, and I -was selected for the job because I had been over here several times -on pleasure trips before, knew the lie of the land pretty well and -moreover could speak half a dozen languages. As you may guess, I was -mighty proud of being honored by so responsible a position. - -“Before leaving I called at the offices of the Universal Transportation -Company to bid Ned and Alan good-bye, but found that they were visiting -their families in Chicago, and so had to leave without seeing them. - -“Following instructions, I landed first in England, where I interviewed -both Lord Roberts, commander-in-chief of the British army, and Sir -Edward Grey, the prime minister. At that time no one in London seemed -to be much worried over the war and it was prophesied that the Kaiser -would soon be treating for peace. - -“Knowing the truly magnificent organization of the German military -machine as I did, I didn’t think so, and really I don’t believe that -gallant Lord Roberts did either, despite his remarks in our interview. - -“I crossed the channel from Dover to Calais on August fifteenth, -shortly after the fall of Liege and while sharp fighting was going on -between the Germans and French in Alsace-Lorraine. Everything was in -confusion. Train service was disrupted, the French army was only half -mobilized yet, the Belgians, despite their wonderful resistance, were -being crushed by the invading Germans on every hand, and the country -people were fleeing in abject terror to get out of harm’s way. - -“Contrary to expectations, I found that foreign war correspondents were -not at all welcome and I was subjected to all sorts of petty annoyances -from both civic and military officials. It was then that I began -showing my neutral newspaper credentials less frequently, and tried -wherever possible to pass myself off as a tourist unable to return home. - -“The allied French, Belgian and English forces engaged the conquering -German host all along a two hundred and forty-eight mile battle -line on the Alsatian frontier about that time, and the Germans threw -millions of men into Belgium, seeking a shortcut to already terrified -Paris. There were wild rumors afloat that Brussels, the Belgium -capital, would resist German occupation. This promised to be a big -‘story’ for my paper, so I hurried there with what haste I could. - -“As you know, however, the terrible fate of other Belgian cities which -had resisted the invaders, had pretty well cowed the citizens, and -Brussels surrendered without a shot being fired. I was there when that -wonderful German army marched in and took possession, and I want to -tell you boys right now that it was the most imposing spectacle I ever -hope to see. The crowds were packed eight and ten deep along all the -principal streets to watch the triumphal entrance. They waited there -anxiously from early morning until two o’clock, when we heard that the -burgomaster had officially turned over the keys of the city to the -advance guard and removed his scarf of office. - -“‘They are coming! The Germans are here!’ ran through the tremendous -throngs of citizens. - -“On they came, preceded by a scouting party of Uhlans, horse, foot, -artillery and sappers, with siege train complete. There were fully a -hundred armored motor cars on which rapid-firing guns were mounted. -Every regiment and battery was headed by a band. - -“Then came the drums and fifes, the blare of brass and hoarse, -lusty-voiced soldiers singing ‘Die Wacht am Rhein’ and ‘Deutschland -Uber Alles.’ - -“The legions of the war-king of Europe swept down through the ancient -streets of Brussels like a great flood. But the gorgeous garb of the -German army was missing--the cherry-colored and lilac uniforms of -the horsemen, the bright blue of the infantry. All wore greenish, -earth-color gray, which made them less conspicuous for hostile -marksmen. All of the spiked helmets were painted gray. The gun -carriages and even the pontoon bridges were gray. - -“To the quick-step rattle of drums, the Germans marched to the city -square. Then at a sharp word of command, the gray-clad ranks, like one -grand machine, broke into the famous stiff-legged ‘goose step,’ while -the simple folk of the town gazed with mouths agape. They did this -after a long, grueling night of continuous marching, when we expected -that they would be staggering with fatigue. - -“There were the renowned 26th and 64th regiments, already -battle-scarred veterans. There rode on prancing black horses the famous -Brunswick Death’s Head Hussars, and their comrades on many bloody -fields, the Zeiten Hussars. There the dashing, reckless Uhlan lancers, -some of whom had Belgian officers manacled to their stirrup leathers -and caused a subdued murmur of resentment to run through the crowd. -Instantly the German horsemen backed their steeds into the densely -packed ranks of the spectators, threatening them with uplifted swords -and effectually quelling the outward manifestations of momentary revolt. - -“All day long and far into the night that ominous gray column kept -passing through the streets, and it seemed for days afterwards as if -I could still hear the muffled _tramp, tramp, tramp, tramp_, and the -rumble of heavy gun carriages over the cobblestones. - -“The difficulties of my position were immensely increased after this, -for the Germans proved very strict about signing passports or letting -noncombatants wander about the country. While I was detained thus in -Brussels, reports came of the fall of Liege, fierce fighting around -Malines and the terrible sacking of Louvain. The German hosts invaded -France, Rheims fell, the French government fled south to Bordeaux, and -it was commonly said that the Germans would eat their Christmas dinner -in Paris. - -“As you may guess, I was wild to get nearer the battle front, but no -efforts of mine could persuade or bribe the German officers to let me -accompany the army on the march. About the only news that I could cable -back to the _Herald_ was made up of sketchy little sidelights on how -the Belgians lived under the conquerors, and even those were grossly -edited by the official censor. - -“Early in September we heard that the Allies had rallied, however. The -English had imported Sepoys from India, and the French, black men from -Algeria to help them in fighting, and had thrown themselves between -trembling Paris and the advancing Teuton. Then, on the 7th, I think -it was, came news that the German right wing had been checked almost -within cannon shot of the French capital, and that the whole auxiliary -army of the Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm had been hurled back by a -masterly flank movement on the part of the French under General Joffre. - -“That seemed to be the turning point. Reinforcements were daily -arriving for the Allied army from England and elsewhere; it was -difficult for the hard-pressed Germans to get sufficient supplies so -far from their own boundaries, and, moreover, the Russian hordes had in -the meantime overrun all of East Prussia and had become a dire menace -there. A party of the Army of the West was rushed across Germany to -help General Von Hindenburg resist the Russian assault, and Von Kluck -reluctantly fell back from Paris to the French frontier, fighting -desperately every inch of the way. - -“There the most sanguinary battles of the war were fought as the Allies -pressed on after the retreating Germans. All of you boys have read in -the newspapers of the battles of the Meuse, of the Marne, at Mons, and -along that tremendous battle line of the Aisne. - -“Those terrible conflicts will go down in history as the most awful of -their kind ever known on earth. The dead filled the trenches and river -bed so deep that they formed a solid footing for their comrades to -fight hand to hand with Englishman, Frenchman, Hindu, Belgian, Algerian -and Lorrainer. - -“Winter came with cold, ice, sleet and snow, to intensify the -sufferings of the inadequately protected soldiers. Thousands of wounded -died from exposure on the field where they fell. They fought on the -earth, in tunnels under it, high up in the air, on the sea and under -the sea. They mined the whole North Sea and the English Channel. -Antwerp surrendered and Ghent fell before the Germans. - -“And all of that time I was cooped up in one Belgian town or another, -stopped every time I tried to get anywhere near the battle front, with -the _Herald_ cabling me every day or so for some _real_ news--the stuff -that they didn’t get through Associated Press channels--‘copy’ that -would enable them to print something that everybody else didn’t have. - -“So finally I grew desperate and determined to get closer to the scene -of actual fighting, at no matter what hazard. Right then my real -troubles began.” - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII HOW BOB WAS CAPTURED AS A SPY - - -“Now,” said Buck with a grin, “we are about to get down to something -that hasn’t been printed forty times in the newspapers.” - -Bob could not help getting a little huffy at that. - -“You’d be a mighty poor newspaper man,” he said, “if you hadn’t heard -something about all of those things by this time. But of course if you -don’t want to hear the rest of this, why all right.” - -“Shut up, Buck,” said Ned, himself smothering a smile, for Bob was -really funny when he flared up in this way. “Go on with your story, -Bob, please. Of course we’re interested. You were just going to tell us -about what really happened when you finally determined to take matters -into your own hands and go to the front, whether the German authorities -wanted you to or not.” - -Somewhat mollified, Bob continued his narrative: - -“I happened to be in Malines at the time and the point where the -heaviest fighting was going on was in the Yser River district, a -considerable distance to the south. Nothing but military trains were -running between the two points and naturally I wouldn’t have been -permitted to take one of them. My only remaining course was to buy -a horse and to take my chances of getting there alone. It took me -four days to buy that horse and then I had to pay about four times -what he was worth, owing to the fact that the cavalry had long before -appropriated every sound animal in the country. - -“This noble charger of mine was wind-broken and wall-eyed, those -probably being the only reasons why he had not been commandeered -previously. He was such an awful looking object that I hated to be seen -riding on him, but beggars can’t be choosers and I had to make the best -of it. - -“While staying there in Malines I had struck up quite a friendly -acquaintanceship with several young officers, one of whom--Hoffmansthal -by name--was good enough to volunteer his services in securing a -passport for me from the commandant. There was all sorts of red tape -to be gone through before I finally got it, and when I did I found -out that it was made out in the name of ‘Philip Maestrich, citizen of -Malines, and by trade a silversmith.’ The papers went on to say that -I had been given official permission to travel to Namur, not far from -where the fighting was, to the bedside of my sick wife. My friend, -Lieutenant Hoffmansthal, explained that he could never have got the -passport for me except by this subterfuge. - -“So I set out on my wobbly old mare and as far as Corbais all went -well. From there on every patrol guarding the roads stopped me and -acknowledged the passport with extreme ill-grace. I took to avoiding -the main hotels in the towns and slept in all sorts of unpleasant -places--sometimes even under a haystack out in the open fields. - -“Near Wasseige I found all of the roads blockaded with reinforcements -marching to the front, and, rather than risk detection by them, I -made a wide détour to the east, turning south again somewhere in the -neighborhood of Villers le Temple. That night a dreadful rainstorm -drove me to take shelter in a peasant’s cottage, and he, while I slept, -galloped on a plough-horse to the nearest German outposts and won a -reward for declaring me a spy. - -“I was jerked roughly out of bed by a big, red-bearded Uhlan -captain, my saddlebags were searched and even the linings cut out to -discover the presence of secret papers. There they found my _Herald_ -credentials, which said that my name was Robert Russell and not ‘Philip -Maestrich.’ That was enough with the blockhead who had arrested me, -and, all puffed up with his capture, he sent me with a special detail -of men to Combret. Later I was transferred from one camp to another -until a hospital train happened along bound for Muhlbruck. They bundled -me aboard this for trial by ferocious old General Haberkampf, whose -field headquarters were located at our destination. - -“Never will I forget the ghastly horrors of that five-hour ride on that -hospital train. The engine barely crawled along, bumping over rails -which the Belgians had torn up in the early days of the war, and which -had subsequently been re-laid by the Germans. Every railway coach was -packed to suffocation with wounded, some of them so frightfully mangled -as to appear scarcely human any longer. - -“Groans and piteous cries for water or more air echoed in my ears both -day and night. Each morning we stopped to put out three or four poor -fellows who had died overnight. Some were delirious with pain and would -scream, sing or curse frantically, defying the Red Cross nurses to come -near them. The smell of blood, ether and arnica made the air sickening. -I myself was wholly unnerved by it, but my soldier guards maintained -the appearance of stolid indifference. Perhaps they had become used to -seeing such suffering as that. - -“Finally we arrived in Muhlbruck. I was completely fagged out by then, -and really scarcely cared whether they shot me or not. My brain was -numb with the horrors with which I had been surrounded. I couldn’t -think, let alone invent a story that would plausibly account for my -traveling about under an assumed name. - -“When they hauled me up before old General Haberkampf, he hardly gave -me a chance to defend myself. He is a soldier of the old, hard school -of the Emperor Wilhelm I--the sort of fellow who makes militarism his -god. - -“‘In other words,’ he growled at me, ‘you confess that you are not the -person whose passport you use, and that you have for some time past -been penetrating our lines under false colors. You now say that you are -an American newspaper man, yet you know that war correspondents have -been officially ordered out of the war zone. How do I know but that you -are lying to me as you already have to all of my officers between here -and Malines? You are a spy!’ - -“I tried to bring him into a reasonable frame of mind, but that is a -hard thing to do with a man whose army is being daily beaten further -back. He would not listen to me. - -“Then they took me to a foul prison where I stayed for three weeks -with about fifty other wretched men--some of them Frenchmen who had -been captured in battle; a couple of them peasants who had been caught -looting dead bodies on the battle field; and three or four common -malefactors. We were treated well enough there, but sanitary conditions -were unspeakable, and, really, the news of yesterday that my case was -at last to come up for final decision, struck me as an actual relief. - -“Long before this I had given up all hopes of ever escaping and I -expected to be condemned. My trial was a mere form. All the way down -that road to the place of execution this morning I kept thinking about -you boys, wondering what you were doing and if you would have tried to -rescue me had you heard of my plight. - -“All of the adventures and happy times we ever had together in the past -recurred to me vividly. Good old pals! How I wanted to see you just -once more before I died! - -“When they backed me up against that wall, I closed my eyes, expecting -to hear the death volley ring out at any moment. Then I suddenly felt -something tugging and slashing at my wrists, the hard ropes fell away, -and I turned, half-dazed, to find Buck shoving two big revolvers into -my hands, with word that you other boys were near with the _Flyer_. - -“You know the rest of the story, and I can’t say anything more except -that words don’t suffice to express my opinion of the perfectly bully -way you have acted towards me.” - -“Land! Land!” shouted Ned just then. “I can see the trees down below!” - - - - -CHAPTER XIX A STRANGE COUNTRY - - -The shout of the lookout on Columbus’ ship when he first sighted the -New World created no greater excitement than did Ned’s words among -the boys on the _Ocean Flyer_. Each and every one of them rushed to -the port windows with binoculars through which to scan the view more -closely. - -The scene was, however, most disappointing. As far as the eye could -reach below stretched an expanse of sparsely-wooded uninviting plain, -with white patches of snow still showing upon it. Far off to the -southwest the peaks of a mighty range of rugged mountains loomed -hazily. Not a bird flew in the sky; not a human habitation was to be -seen. Away to the northwest a narrow ribbon of something gray was -twisting slowly across the country. Little points of light flickered -above it where the sunbeams struck. - -“What is that?” asked Alan, pointing out the snake-like thing. “Is it a -river?” - -“No, I don’t think so,” answered Buck. “Ned, let’s get nearer to that -thing and see just what it is.” - -Accordingly the course of the _Flyer_ was altered and, flying at an -elevation of about 1,100 feet above the ground, she rapidly drew near -the mysterious object. - -Closer approach gave the boys a genuine surprise. The “snake” proved -to be five battalions of soldiery on the march--infantry, cavalry and -artillery. There seemed to be thousands and thousands of them--more -men than any of the boys had ever seen gathered together before. The -uniforms were of a dark blue. Some of the regiments wore little round -caps of the same color, set rakishly on one side of their heads; others -wore huge flat fur or wool hats. Most of the soldiers seemed to be -unusually large and rough looking. The majority of them were bearded. - -“Russians!” exclaimed Bob. “See those flags! Russians on the way to -reinforce either the army invading Austria or their comrades fighting -the Germans in East Prussia is what they are!” - -The appearance of the big airship caused the greatest confusion in the -ranks. The cavalry galloped wildly this way and that; infantrymen -broke their regular marching formation to scatter and fire their guns -futilely at it; the cannon were hurriedly unlimbered and efforts made -to elevate their muzzles which would bring the _Flyer_ within range. - -The young aeronauts could not help laughing at the disorder their -approach caused, and agreed with Ned that it was better not to get too -close to the Russians. So the airship was raised to a greater altitude -and took a southwesterly course. - -“Why this particular direction?” queried Alan. “We have no idea where -we are except that it is Russian territory, which may mean Siberia or -Lapland.” - -“Well,” said Ned, “we want to get back to the seat of war, and it’s -a pretty safe bet that those Russians are bound for there by the -shortest possible route. They are headed in a southwesterly direction, -so it stands to reason that if we follow the same course, we’ll arrive -somewhere near their destination.” - -This was a logical deduction, so the _Flyer_ was held to that position, -and all sight of the army was soon lost in their rear. - -For perhaps three hours the character of the underlying landscape -remained the same as when it first was sighted. After that it gradually -began to vary, assuming a more rolling aspect, with considerable -stretches of forestland. Indications of snow became less frequent; -cultivated fields began to appear here and there, then little villages -and finally a large city. Several towns of considerable size were -passed over, but the airship was flying at too great an altitude for -the boys to see much of them or to locate more exactly where they were. - -By this time the sun was sinking, and there was danger of the _Flyer’s_ -passing completely over and beyond the “theater of war” in the -darkness. Alan and Bob counseled a descent to earth for the night. This -seemed to be a pretty safe procedure, as the vessel could be got under -way again within a few minutes should any unexpected need arise, and -it would, further, give the weary young aeronauts a chance to stretch -their limbs and inhale some fresh air. - -After a short discussion it was decided to do this. Sweeping in a -diminishing spiral downward, the boys sighted a little village nestled -snugly in a valley. The smoke from fires where goodwives were cooking -the evening meal, arose in delicate streams in the calm air. Here and -there a light already twinkled in a cottage window. Peasants were just -driving the lowing cattle home for milking. - -“Let’s land over there!” exclaimed Buck. “I’m fairly hungry for the -sight of somebody who won’t shoot before asking who you are, and, aside -from that, I’ll bet that these simple folk would be willing to set us -up a regular homelike meal!” - -“How do you know that they won’t shoot at us, Buck?” asked Alan. - -“I guess that we’re pretty safe on that score,” Bob broke in. “These -people are evidently honest countrymen who’ll be far more afraid of us -than we need be of them.” - -“Yes, and besides,” added Buck, “we can find out from them just where -we are and how near we are to the battle front.” - -“That’s a good point,” Ned said, “but they’re probably Russians or -Poles, and they wouldn’t understand what we wanted to know. None of us -speak their outlandish language.” - -“I know a little Russian--at least enough for our needs,” volunteered -Bob. “If you boys think that it’s safe to make a landing, I’ll -guarantee to do all interpreting.” - -“Fine!” chorused the others, and so the landing was made in the -meadows within a stone’s throw of the first cottages. - -There was, of course, immediate excitement throughout the town. The -rusty bell in the steeple of the weather-beaten old church pealed an -alarm, lights were immediately extinguished, and everybody came rushing -out from their house-doors. At sight of the monster airship settling -down there in the pasture with the blood-red rays of the sunset turning -her metal body into the seeming of molten steel, a genuine panic ensued. - -The women and children fled within, slamming and barring their -doors behind them. The male villagers hastily caught up the first -objects of defense that came to hand--flails, pitchforks, scythes, an -old-fashioned muzzle-loading musket or two. They huddled together like -so many frightened sheep in front of the town church, uncertain whether -to fly or fight. - -“Look!” called Buck. “We’re frightening these poor people to death. -Show a white flag, some of you, and show them that we mean to be -friendly.” - -Alan complied by jumping down from the lower runway, waving a flag of -truce, and both Buck and Bob followed him, holding their empty hands -high in the air to show that they were unarmed. The trio walked slowly -straight towards the group of peasants, while Ned remained on one of -the outer galleries of the _Flyer_, rifle in hand, ready to defend them -if need be. - -“Don’t be alarmed, good people!” shouted Bob in Russian. “We don’t -intend to harm you. All that we want is a good square meal, a chance to -walk around a bit, and a little information as to our whereabouts.” - -Although their suspicions were not altogether allayed, the peasants -showed immediate relief, and three, who seemed to be the ringleaders, -advanced hesitatingly to meet the approaching boys. - -“_Gott gruessen Ihr, Gefremde_,” (God bless you, strangers) said one of -them, extending his right hand. - -“Holy smoke! Did you hear that, boys? He’s addressing us in _German_,” -cried Bob and Buck together. “This is better than we looked for, but -surely we can’t be back in Germany!” - -Everybody shook hands solemnly all around, and Bob explained to the -villagers. - -“We are American newspaper men, over here to gather war news and find -photographs for our papers,” said he. “We had an accident yesterday -and lost our way, and now are simply looking for a chance to rest a -little before going on.” - -“You are all welcome to do that here,” said the spokesman for the -villagers with true Teutonic hospitality. “We shall be glad to have you -eat with us. In return you can tell us about the great war.” - -“We certainly will take you up on that,” cried Buck, and led the way -back to the airship to tell Ned of their cordial reception. All of the -villagers--the women and round-eyed children too--crowded gaping around -the strange aircraft with exclamations of wonder. - -“I guess it will be safe for us to leave the _Flyer_ here unguarded,” -said Ned. “These people don’t act as if they would tamper with it, and -I want to get in on those ‘eats’ too. Anyway, we won’t have to go very -far away, and can get back here in a jiffy if we have to.” - -All of the boys agreed to this and so it was settled. Before leaving -the ship, to accompany the villagers, they all secretly slipped -revolvers into their coat pockets. As Bob said: - -“It’s always better to be on the safe side.” - - - - -CHAPTER XX A FIGHT WITH WILD COSSACKS IN POLAND - - -The leader of the villagers escorted his young guests to the largest -house in the town, where immediate preparations were made for the -finest dinner that German housewives--and there are no better!--could -make. All of the townspeople who could crowd into the room did so, and -both windows and the doorway were jammed with the curious faces of -others who wanted to hear news of the Great War. - -There were not stools enough to go around, so they all sat cross-legged -on the floor and talked as they ate. - -“First of all,” said Bob, “what is this place called and in what -country is it?” - -The question struck the simple villagers as being very funny and they -all laughed uproariously. - -“You will have to excuse us,” smiled the spokesman, “but we supposed -that everybody had heard of Kolwinsk, which is the name of our town. -You are now in East Prussia, about twenty miles over the boundary -from Poland, and perhaps thirty or thirty-five miles from where the -nearest fighting is going on. Lying this far to the northwest, we are -out of the line of invasion and so far have been lucky enough to escape -Russian raiding parties about which such terrible stories are told. -They say that the Cossack horsemen have perpetrated the most inhuman -atrocities. No village through which they pass is left unpillaged. -They butcher or torture the aged in cold-blood, dash out the brains of -babies against tree-trunks, and reduce the screaming, helpless women to -worse than shame. If they resist, the Cossacks mutilate them in awful -fashion.” - -“Oh, I can hardly believe all that,” interposed Alan. “The Russians are -civilized people.” - -“Maybe so,” replied the village head-man with some heat, “but remember -the old saying: ‘Scratch a Russian and you’ll find the Tartar -underneath.’ This war has made brutish beasts of everyone taking part -in it. Also remember that this Russian army is made up not only of -full-blooded Russians, but also of Baltic Province men, Jews from Riga -and Libau, huge, hairy Siberians, barbarous Circassians and Kalmuck -Tartars, who are half Chinese--as mongrel and savage a horde as ever -devastated a Christian country. But, of them all, the wild Cossack from -the steppes is the worst and most to be dreaded. He knows no religion, -no law, no pity, and couples with that a daring which even our own -gallant Uhlans cannot surpass.” - -Ned tried to get the German to change the subject, for he was working -himself into a frenzy. - -“How has the war progressed here in the east?” he asked. “We Americans, -you know, have been watching the western struggle more closely.” - -The village spokesman shrugged his shoulders. - -“Here it has been now in favor of the Germans, now with the Russians. -At first General Rennenkampf led millions after millions of his wild -men swarming into Poland. We had too few men on the frontier to -resist and so were beaten back. Then the Kaiser sent us General Von -Hindenburg, a hero who won the Iron Cross for distinguished services -when we captured Paris in the time of the present Emperor’s father. -Von Hindenburg is of the old hard school, but he is a great commander. -He rallied our troops and in turn pressed the Russians back. He lured -Rennenkampf into a trap at Tannenberg and nearly annihilated the whole -Russian army. Then the Grand Duke Nicholas arrived from Petrograd with -millions more Russians. The struggle seesawed back and forth all of the -way from Angerburg to Gumbinnen and between the Warthe and the Vistula. -We lost a big battle before Warsaw in Poland, lost again at Lodz, and -then won on the same battlefield, and again at Lowicz, in which two -engagements we captured over 120,000 prisoners. So it is going on -even now. We are still fighting hand to hand with the Russians around -Warsaw; and Lowicz, which was ours yesterday, may be theirs to-morrow. -Our army is holding eight times their number of Russians in check, and -that’s enough to be proud of.” - -“But what about the Austrians? Haven’t they helped any here in -combating the Russian invasion?” asked Bob. - -“No, the Austrians have had quite enough to do protecting themselves -at home, and have left Germany to fight the whole world single-handed. -The Austrians invaded Servia six months ago, captured Belgrade, the -capital, and then were driven out of the country altogether. Now the -Serbs and Montenegrins are themselves invading Austria in the south -and east, while the Russians have completely overrun Galicia and -Transylvania. No, Austria has been of no real help to Germany in this -war. - -“But you, sir, were going to tell us about what has been going on in -the west. Who is winning there now?” - -So Bob and Buck, both of whom spoke German with fair fluency, went on -to outline the operations in France and Belgium. They were still in -the midst of this when all at once there came a noise as if bedlam had -broken loose on the other side of the village. - -The thunder of furiously galloping horses filled the air. Then came -fusillade and fusillade of shots and hideous demoniacal yells, with -which were intermingled the shrieks of terrified women and children and -the clang of the alarm bell. - -“Help! Help! Ah, help! The Cossacks are upon us!” - -Everybody gathered in the big room leaped to their feet. Terror seemed -fairly to paralyze the peasants. Some few seized clubs or knives to -defend themselves, but most ran aimlessly about wringing their hands -and calling upon heaven to save them. Those men having wives and -children at home unprotected, rushed forth into the street directly -into the path of the wild riders from the steppes. - -The boys dashed for the door at the first warning, but the raiders were -thundering down the street almost upon them. There were perhaps sixty -Cossacks all told--barbarous looking, swarthy fellows with flying long -black hair and sheepskin jackets. Their beards were a-bristle; their -eyes rolled red and wickedly; they brandished curved Mongolian swords -or shot to right and left with sawed-off carbines pressed against their -thighs. The shaggy, under-sized ponies were as wild-looking as their -worse than savage masters. - -Seeing them come galloping pellmell not a stone’s throw away, the -boys dodged inside the house again, barely escaping a random volley -which was fired at the cottage as the horsemen swept past. In a few -minutes they had overrun the whole village, and the horrid noise of the -slaughter was half drowned in shrill, uncouth Siberian yells and the -roar of flames from houses which had been ruthlessly set on fire. - -The glare of the burning hut across the street shone weirdly through -the doorway, making the boys’ faces look ghastly. The rolling clouds of -smoke half choked them and smarted their eyes. - -“We’ve got to get out of here--_quick_!” gasped Ned. “Those fellows may -discover the _Ocean Flyer_ at any moment, and there’s no telling what -may happen then. Follow me and have your weapons ready!” - -Straight out into the street they plunged and found themselves in the -midst of a scene more frightful than words can adequately describe. -Half of the village was already ablaze, the thatched roofs of the -cottages spurting yellow flames high up into the air and giving off an -intolerable heat. The scene was almost as light as day. Silhouetted -against the lurid glare, wild Cossacks were cutting down the -fear-crazed peasants. - -One fleeing woman with a babe in her arms was caught by her unbound -hair and dragged screaming to her knees. As her frantic husband leaped -at her assailant, the Cossack shot him deliberately through the -heart. The dead lay fallen in grotesque postures half out of doorways -or huddled bleeding on the street. Here and there a wounded man was -crawling away to die in the fields. - -Crack! Crack! Crack! sounded the revolvers of the intrepid boys as they -charged down the street. Shot for shot answered them from the surprised -marauders, who had not expected quarry like this. They leaped upon -their prancing ponies again and tried to ride down these determined -opponents, but, sheltered behind a yet unburnt hut, the boys met them -with so withering a fire that they galloped on past. - -“Run!” yelled Buck. “It’s our only chance!” - -The boys did. It was heart-breaking work, but they arrived unwounded at -the side of the _Flyer_. As they bounded up the hanging rope-ladder, -their pursuers galloped madly up behind them. Shots rattled against the -metal hull of the airship like hail against a window-pane, and half a -dozen wild fellows tried to follow their escaping prey up the ladder -before it could be drawn in. - -It was a matter of seconds, but just in time the ladder was jerked out -of the reach of clutching hands. - -“All ready there, Mr. Engineer,” shouted Buck from up above the pilot -room. - -Buck made a dash for his post, the current was turned on, and in -a minute more the _Flyer_ was soaring high above the scene of the -massacre. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI INSIDE OF BESIEGED PRZEMYSL - - -“The fiends!” exclaimed Alan, staring horrified down upon the heap of -blazing ruins which so short a time before had been happy, peaceful -homes. “It would be only right if we were to drop a few lyddite bombs -down upon them!” - -“No,” said Bob, “we mustn’t do that, because we would be almost certain -to blow up a good many of those poor German villagers along with the -guilty Cossacks.” - -“I don’t believe that there are any Germans left alive there,” grumbled -Alan. - -“Nevertheless, we shouldn’t bombard the Russians,” interposed Ned. -“Remember, Alan, that we aren’t in Europe either to fight or take sides -in any way, unless we absolutely have to in order to protect our own -lives. The United States is a neutral country, and we must do nothing -which might later imperil that neutrality. I know that it’s hard to -spare such wretches as those we have just escaped, but we ought to do -it.” - -“Ned is right,” chimed in both Bob and Buck, so Alan had to forego the -bomb-dropping, richly as the Cossacks deserved it. - -“Well, where to now?” asked Ned, when the _Flyer_ had continued on her -course in a westerly direction for about ten minutes. “Shall we head -for Russian Poland and see what General Von Hindenburg is doing towards -capturing Warsaw?” - -“Don’t go there because you may think that I want to,” replied Bob. -“I’m sick of the way they fight here on the eastern frontier. They may -kill more men in Belgium with their big cannon, but at least they do it -in a soldierly fashion.” - -“I’d rather go somewhere else too,” said Alan. “How about a flight to -Asia Minor? I read in the papers just before we left America that the -Allied fleets were knocking the Turkish forts on the Dardanelles to -pieces with thirteen-inch guns. That might be an interesting sight.” - -“No, let’s not go there,” Bob objected. “Let poor little Turkey die -alone. She had no business getting mixed up in this war in the first -place. We’ll pass up the scrap there and the Japanese assault on -Tsing-Tau. As far as I’m concerned there’s only one place more I’d -like to see before we start for New York again, and that is Przemysl. - -“You know that it is one of the great strategic fortifications in -Galicia, and was the first real stumbling-block in the way of the -Russian invasion of Austria-Hungary. When the Austrian army was crushed -at Jaroslaw and retreated in disorder to protect Budapest, they asked -for volunteers to garrison Przemysl. It was pointed out at that time -that the town and fortress would surely be besieged, and that there was -very little hope of any Austrians remaining ever escaping with his -life. The orders were to hold out at no matter what sacrifices. - -“Volunteers came forward a plenty. Then millions of Russians poured -down around the city. These burned the town, shelled the citadel and -tried actual assault. All in vain! So the Russians left three army -corps of men besieging the fortress and marched on to the conquest of -Hungary. Those besiegers are still camped around the brave fellows in -Przemysl. Six months and more of famine rations, terrible disease and -unceasing bombardment have not quenched their determination to hold out -until the last man drops. - -“Now, don’t you boys agree with me that a visit to Przemysl ought to -prove worth while?” - -“Przemysl it is then,” cried Ned. “You’re a wonderful speech-maker, -Bob.” - -“Quit your kidding,” grinned the newspaper man. “Also, if you really -want to reach Przemysl, I’d advise you to ship our course more to the -southeast.” - -“Aye, aye, sir!” grinned Ned, with a mock-serious salute. “Sou’ by -sou’east it is, sir!” - -“Humph!” grunted Bob. “I hope that Buck Stewart has our breakfast -ready.” - -The jagged summits of the Carpathians--mountains more rugged and -awe-inspiring than those of Switzerland itself--scalloped the southern -horizon and seemed to overshadow the countryside for leagues, when Ned -announced from the pilot-room that Przemysl was in sight. - -For an hour past they had been traversing a region of wild grandeur, -where broad rivers rushed tumbling and foaming down from the rocky -heights, where wild sheep browsed on lonely hillsides and where the -binoculars showed natives as fantastically garbed as the bandit chorus -of a popular musical comedy. - -They had seen whole brigades of Russians on the march, plodding -sullenly along like slaves under the driver’s whip. They had seen -signal fires leap flaming from hill crest to mountain crag. They -had seen a flotilla of Russian barges being poled down the broad, -glistening waters of the Vistula, an ugly, snub-nosed cannon on every -boat. They had seen the remnants of a once natty Austrian regiment -being hunted down and shot like rabbits by mounted Cossacks. All this -they had seen and much more. - -Away off to the west the dull rumble and muttering of heavy cannonading -vibrated through the air. That was the battle of Cracow in progress, -although the boys did not know it then. - -Death and devastation was everywhere. Smouldering villages with -unburied bodies among the embers lay in the track of each army, whether -Serb, Russian or Austrian. - -“Przemysl is directly ahead!” called Ned down through the speaking -tube, and the _Ocean Flyer_ began to plane slowly towards it. - -The shell-battered citadel stood upon a little rise of ground with the -ashes and fire-charred walls of what had been the flourishing town -surrounding it. The tattered red, white and green flag of the dual -empire still flapped defiantly upon the walls. All around the fortress, -for miles and miles, stretched the vast encampment of the great horde -of Russian besiegers. - -They had dug a zigzag line of shallow trenches as close to the walls -as they dared, and sharp-shooters lay flat on their stomachs in these, -watching for an incautious head above the battlements. Every now and -then a little puff of bluish smoke somewhere along the line showed the -alertness of the marksmen. - -Some distance farther back three batteries of artillery had been -planted behind earthworks and these every now and then belched forth -fire, shaking the ground as their shells went hurtling towards the -obstinate defenders. - -As always before, the appearance of the _Ocean Flyer_ created an -instantaneous disturbance among all who saw it. Aerial guns were -trained upon it from both the fortress and the Russian lines, and -several smaller military aeroplanes shot bird-like into the sky to -reconnoitre it. - -The first of these rose directly from Przemysl itself and Alan signaled -to it from one of the _Flyer’s_ outside runways by waving a white flag. -The Austrian aviator swung near enough for Bob to explain that their -mission was peaceful and that they wanted to alight inside the walls. - -“Wait until I report concerning you,” called back the Austrian. - -He volplaned down into the city and returned with the message that the -_Flyer_ would be permitted to descend. - -It seemed as if every man in the garrison not on guard duty gathered -to see the big airship as it settled down upon the parade ground, and -the commandant himself was there to meet his unusual visitors. After -learning their identity, he greeted the boys cordially, but said: - -“I confess that I am disappointed too, because the general outline -of your vessel suggested to me that it might be a new form of German -dirigible, come with news of a relief army on the way. You have heard, -of course, of the great fleet of Zeppelins which they are getting ready -for the aerial invasion of England?” - -“We have heard rumors of something like that,” answered Alan, “but were -inclined to believe that it was all just a bugaboo to frighten London.” - -“Oh, no! Not at all,” the commandant assured him warmly. “You will see -in the course of the next few weeks. Yes, and England shall see too!” - -After that the young aeronauts were shown over the fortress, which -really was a small town in itself. Many of the buildings had been set -afire or demolished by bursting shells, but a corps of engineers was -kept ready at all times to repair damages as fast as they were made. - -Food supplies had run short some time before and the garrison was then -reduced to starvation rations, consisting of a little soup with a few -crumbs of black bread and, twice a week, a bit of tinned meats. Horses -and even rats had been eaten with relish. The soldiers presented a -pathetic but inspiring spectacle. The hospitals were crowded with sick -and wounded; the walls were gradually crumbling under incessant shell -fire, yet that garrison of heroes remained undaunted. - -It was as Buck said, “just as if they had been Americans.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXII THE BOYS PERFORM AN ACT OF MERCY - - -The Austrian commandant’s story of the frightful privations which his -garrison had undergone, stirred all four of the boys deeply. Buck took -Ned to one side and said: - -“Did you note all of the awful things that the governor there says -these poor chaps have had to eat?” - -“Yes.” - -“Well, what do you say to inviting him on the sly to have one little -square meal with us aboard the _Flyer_ before we leave? Just leave it -to me to make it a Jim dandy! I’d like to feed the whole lot of them if -only we had the victuals.” - -“Let’s ask the commandant if he will accept,” said Ned, brightening. - -The Austrian listened gravely to their well-meant offer, but the boys -could feel him stiffening. - -“You forget, gentlemen, that whatever hardships the soldier of the dual -monarchy may have to suffer, his officers are proud to endure with -him. I thank you for your courtesy, but cannot honorably accept it.” - -Many pitiful sights were seen by the Airship Boys on their tour of the -fortress, but none impressed them more deeply than that of a young man -in one of the hospital wards. He was wasted to mere skin and bones with -fever which flamed insanely in his eyes. His feet they had swathed -in great layers of bandages, at the ends of which wooden splints -protruded. All the time in his delirium he would keep whispering in the -most heart-rending accents: - -“Ah, Liebchen, dich kann ich nicht mehr gruessen!” - -“What is that he keeps saying?” asked Alan of their guide. - -“He is speaking of his young bride in Vienna--bemoaning the fact -that he may never see her again. Lieutenant Racoszky here came of -a comparatively poor middle-class family but fell in love with the -heiress of Count Polnychek, one of the most influential noblemen of -Budapest, and the head of one of the oldest families in Hungary. The -girl was a reigning beauty of the fashionable set, but that did not -keep her from falling in love with Racoszky here. He was handsome, -gay, dashing, in those days before the war. So they were married -secretly. - -“By and by the old Count found out about it and would not permit -Racoszky to see his girl-wife any more. Then she eloped one night and -they fled together. They settled in a little town not far from Budapest -and were happy. And one day she told Racoszky that she was about to -bear him a child. - -“That was one week after war had been declared. Already the Serbs were -across our borders and Montenegro was daily threatening to join them. -The war office was in a panic. All available troops were rushed to the -southern frontier, where we were defeated badly. A second army was sent -and it too met with reverses. Then the Russians began to cross our -northeastern frontier by the millions. Every able-bodied man in the -land was drafted. - -“Racoszky here hoped to escape until after his child was born, but -that he was not permitted to do. It was the hard-hearted old count, -her father, who himself told the recruiting officers that Racoszky was -a coward and was trying to avoid his duty. So one day they came and -seized him in the market place as he was coming out of the doctor’s -office. - -“‘Come with us. You are called to the colors!’ they told him sternly. - -“Racoszky was desperate. He tried to plead off. - -“‘Good sirs,’ he pleaded, ‘I am but now come to hasten a doctor to the -bedside of my wife. See, he is running there now. Let me at least wait -until the crisis is past.’ - -“‘No!’ growled the recruiting sergeant roughly. ‘We have heard all -about you and your trickiness. Come along now before we make you.’ - -“Then Racoszky became like a madman. He tried to break away from them -and run back to his suffering wife. All in vain. They clubbed him -insensible with their pistol butts, handcuffed him and took him away to -Koloszvar, where the regiments were forming. For whole weeks thereafter -he remained like one distraught. It was then that I first met him and -learned the story. Finally a sort of dreadful calm came over him. He no -longer raved nor wept nor tried to escape. His face lost all expression -and he went methodically about his work like a person in a trance. - -“Word had come that his old enemy, the count, had gone for his daughter -and taken her away with him down the Danube to Vienna. All of the idle -rich fled there when they saw there was really danger that the invading -foe might overrun all Hungary. - -“Poor Racoszky never has heard from his girl-wife since then. He never -spoke of her to any of us until the delirium of this fever began to -rack him. He became a terrible fighter. His ferocity in hand-to-hand -combats with the Russians was appalling even to us who fought shoulder -to shoulder with him. He was that way at Slovno, on the blood-soaked -field of Lemberg, at Doukle in Galicia, where our great retreat first -began. - -“Then we came here to Przemysl, and Racoszky was among the first to -volunteer to be one of the garrison which everybody agreed was doomed -to certain death. I said to him at that time: - -“‘Racoszky, my friend, why do you not go on with the main army? They -are falling back upon Vienna, and there maybe you might see your -cherished wife again.’ - -“He gave me so terrible a look that I never have dared mention the -subject to him again. - -“After that the army marched away and left us to our fate. Then came -the Russian hordes, until the whole plain was black with them. They -assaulted, they bombarded, they dug mines, and blood ran as freely -as water. We beat them back. So then they camped all around us here -like so many of their own Siberian wolves, waiting until the poor dog -dropped from hunger and they could rend him limb from limb. - -“We of the garrison all suffered cheerfully together. There was very -little grumbling. The commandant’s hair turned white when we served up -the roast flesh of his favorite charger as a delicacy on his birthday. - -“Two weeks ago it seemed as if we all were about to starve at last. -Only our spirits remained strong. Racoszky came forward and volunteered -to lead a sortie out into the enemy’s camp if twenty men would follow -him. He promised to bring back food, and did, but he came back with his -legs riddled with bullets. All but two of them who accompanied him fell -somewhere outside there. - -“Long before this we had run out of all adequate medical supplies. Our -surgeons could not probe Racoszky’s legs properly to remove but one of -the three bullets which had lodged there. They wanted to amputate, but -he swore that he would kill himself if they did. So there he has lain -ever since, poor fellow, with his wounds festering, and blood poison -getting more assured every day. Always he keeps moaning in that way for -his girl-bride and the baby he has never seen.” - -This touching story moved all of the boys profoundly and weighed on -their spirits to such an extent that Alan finally said: - -“What do you fellows say to playing the Good Samaritan and taking -Lieutenant Racoszky out of here in the _Flyer_ to some place where he -can get the medical attention that his bravery deserves?” - -“That’s just what I was thinking,” answered Bob. - -“And I,” echoed Buck. “But where shall we take him?” - -Ned spoke up. - -“Why not to Vienna, the capital? The very best hospitals and surgeons -in the country are there and--so are his wife and baby. The sight of -them would undoubtedly do him as much good as all of the expert medical -attention he would receive.” - -“The very thing! A great idea!” exclaimed the other boys. “But what -about that crabbed old count, her father! Do you think that he will -relent enough to permit Racoszky to see his daughter?” - -“That,” said Ned briefly, “is up to us and can, I think, be managed. -Anyway, it certainly is worth the trial. Now let’s go to the commandant -and see if he will permit us to remove the lieutenant.” - -The governor, they found, was only too pleased to afford his faithful -officer this unexpected chance of recovery, and helped remove the -invalid to a soft bed they had made ready in the airship’s spare -stateroom. - -“By nightfall we shall have him in competent hands there in Vienna,” -said Ned, already at the wheel. - -“Good luck and tell them there in the capital that Przemysl still holds -out,” called the commandant. - -“No fear that we won’t do that!” the boys cried, and, amid the -increasing whir and roar of the powerful propellers, the _Ocean Flyer_ -once more swept up into the sky and out over the great plain where the -Russian encampment lay. - -Buck threw a large, black, pear-shaped object overboard and down at the -crowd below waving good-byes. - -“Great heavens, what was that? A bomb?” exclaimed Bob, startled. - -“No,” Buck replied solemnly, “that was a smoked ham--our last one, -too.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII STRANGE SIGHTS IN VIENNA - - -The course of the _Flyer_ to the Austro-Hungarian capital was -southeasterly, and it was already dusk by the time the vicinity was -reached. Had it only been lighter the boys might have been treated to a -magnificent view of the outlying ranges of the Alps directly in front -of them, with the ancient historic city lying there below on the right -bank of the lordly Danube. - -Their approach had, however, been seen, and long before they reached -the city ten or twelve military aeroplanes were hovering excitedly -about them. According to directions given by the commandant at -Przemysl, the boys hung out two flags--one German, the other -Austrian--and, encouraged by the sight of these, one aviator more -daring than his comrades, planed up parallel with them, shouting in -German: - -“Who are you, aeronauts?” - -Bob answered him from one of the outer runways. - -“Friends from Przemysl with a wounded soldier,” he shouted through a -megaphone. “We want to alight in the city as near the largest hospital -as possible. Will you show us the way?” - -“What is the code word?” questioned the circling Austrian aviator, -still suspicious. - -“The Double-headed Eagle and a Third Crown,” replied Bob, as instructed -by the governor. - -This apparently satisfied the airman, who at once passed the word to -his flying companions and the whole crowd of aircraft descended upon -the city like a flock of sparrows settling down upon a telegraph wire. -The Austrian flyers guided the _Ocean Flyer’s_ direction of descent. - -A landing was successfully accomplished in the Prater, which is a vast -expanse of wood and park on the east side of the city between the river -Danube and the Danube “canal.” Here in former times the fashionable and -the blue-blooded rolled in stately carriages along the Haupt-Allee, and -the light-hearted, pleasure-loving middle-classes whiled away their -time boisterously in the Wurstel Prater. - -Now all was very different though. This plaisance of indolent fashion -was changed to a military aviation field. Flimsily constructed plank -hangars dotted the terraces all around the celebrated Rotunda, and -wireless apparatus towered gaunt and skeleton-like into the air. -High-powered automobiles, driven with reckless speed, were rushing -between there and the city across the canal. - -It is hardly necessary to relate here the astonishment and curiosity -of the Austrian aviators over the _Ocean Flyer_ as it finally alighted -in their midst. Alan was selected to remain in charge of it, while the -three other boys and the wounded Racoszky were whirled rapidly into -Vienna in one of the waiting automobiles. On the way Bob told the two -officers who accompanied them the pathetic story of the invalid, and -they were at once all sympathy for him. - -“Since the old count is the sort of man you say he is, you will -probably find him to-morrow dawdling in the ‘Inner City’ where the -palaces are, or else driving here along the Ringstrasse,” said one of -the officers. “You may not believe it, sir, but practically no steps -have been taken to fortify Vienna here against capture. The military -aviation corps is supposed to guard aerial approach, and nobody save -the good old Emperor seems to take other dangers seriously. - -“Our nobility is too pleasure-loving, too loath to acknowledge -responsibility. To-day, with all of our outside territory in the throes -of a death struggle, with three nations across our borders, and with -the ugly rumble of national revolution, the fashionables still parade -grandly about, affecting to ignore conditions. Last week there were -bread riots and the scum of the city’s alleys and back streets sacked -shops throughout the Leopoldstadt district. It took two regiments of -soldiers to drive them back. Conspiracy is rank around us; pestilence -stalks abroad through the byways. I hear that Bohemia is already in -revolt. No one knows what terrible disaster will come in the next news -from the front. - -“The aged Emperor can do nothing but sit there in the Hofburg, while -his peers, fled here in terror from all other parts of the kingdom, -spend their time in the gambling casinos, dance as if frenzied in the -_Zinspaeleste_ or, believing the end of the world at hand, are lost to -religion, morality and the commonest decencies of mankind in debauching -there in the Tabarin and vice-sinks like it. - -“All day long they ride in landaus with silk parasols, lap-dogs and -frippery, where cavalry divisions should be maneuvering. Silk hats are -seen where helmets ought to gleam. The cane is more widely flourished -here than the sword! But ‘drink and be merry, for to-morrow we die.’” - -As the indignant officer paused in his tirade, the automobile wheeled -into the Alsergrund district and in a few seconds more was at the foot -of the great flight of gray stone stairs leading up to the official -military hospital. - -“We want to get a light, airy, private room for Lieutenant Racoszky,” -Ned explained to the tired, white-uniformed attendant who met them. - -He shook his head wearily, shrugged his shoulders and replied patiently: - -“That is what they all say. Each day I hear it hundreds of times--as if -there were room in all of the Alsergrund for half the sick in Vienna! -Is this one of the plague-ridden too?” - -Finally, however, accommodations were found for poor Racoszky, and -the boys left, promising to return on the morrow. The officers then -escorted them to their military headquarters, where their story had to -be retold before they were given the liberty of the city. They told too -of the gallant defenders in Przemysl and evoked loud cheers from all -who heard them. - -“Ah!” exclaimed one old soldier, “would that I were there to die a -hero’s death with them, rather than standing guard over this madhouse -here!” - -Inasmuch as the night was still young, the boys decided to look about -the city a bit before returning to Alan and the _Flyer_ out in the -Prater. In a rented taxicab they toured the city and found conditions -much as they had been described to them. All of the street lamps, -cafes, dance halls and places of amusement were ablaze with light and -thronged with patrons as if on a gala night. The dreamy strains of a -Strauss or Gungel waltz were weirdly intermingled with the barbaric -staccato of banjorines thrumming the latest tango. - -The shocked and astounded boys sat for a few moments in the gallery -surrounding one of the huge dance pavilions where hilarity was at its -height. The babel of incongruous noises beat all around them, but every -now and then during a momentary lull in the clamor, they were conscious -of a subdued conversation going on at an adjacent table. - -The four men who sat there were neither noisy nor bent on amusement. -That was plain. One was of gigantic physique and wore a huge black, -bristly beard. One was short and unwholesomely fat. He had pouches -under his wicked little pig’s eyes and his skin was blotchy. On his -one hand three rings set with magnificent jewels sparkled. The third -man was evidently from a different social class, for his hands were -stubby, with black-rimmed finger nails and a loose, brutal mouth. The -fourth man at the table sat with his back to the boys and wore a cape -pulled high up so as almost completely to muffle his face. They all -were leaning with heads close together over the table, scarcely having -tasted the wine in their glasses. - -Ned, who sat nearest to them, at one time heard the little fat man with -the rings, saying: - -“... best done as you say. To-morrow night I know from His Excellency -the Grand Chancellor that A Certain Distinguished Personage will remove -for the week-end to the imperial chateau of Schoenbrunn. That is only -fifty-five minutes run by motor car from the Hofburg and certainly we -can----” - -The blare of music beneath the gallery as the giddy dance resumed, -drowned his further utterance. By and by, though, Ned again caught a -disjointed phrase or two: - -“... only a guard of ten Hussars ... servants in the chateau all -bribed. We’re sure of them ... he sleeps ordinarily in that suite in -the southwest wing, easily reached by a ladder against the wall.... No! -no! Don’t use your knife, Ottaker, you fool! He is so old and feeble -that a good minute’s grip on his windpipe will finish him!” - -“And the Lerchenfeld cathedral chimes will go ‘_Ding, dong, ding! Ding, -dong, ding!_ Franz Joseph dead! Franz Joseph----’” - -Both the fat little man and he of the enveloping cape swung quickly -around and eyed the near-by boys sharply. Ned met their scrutiny -innocently enough. - -The iron jaw and full eyes of the man in the cloak impressed themselves -indelibly upon his memory. - -“Huh!” grunted the fat man, as he turned, back to his companions. - -“They don’t matter--only young boys--maybe tourists caught over here by -the war!” - -Ned furtively motioned Bob Russell closer to him. - -“Bob,” he whispered, “those men are talking in French, although they -are every one Austrians, and I can understand them.” - -“Well, what of it?” asked Bob, puzzled. - -“Just this!” breathed Ned. “They are plotting to assassinate the -Emperor to-morrow night!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV ON THE TRAIL OF THE CONSPIRATORS - - -The effect of this announcement upon the boys was of course electrical. - -“Quick!” whispered Buck to his companions, “let’s get right out of here -and call the police. We’ll nab the scoundrels as they try to leave.” - -“No, sit still, Buck,” Ned said in an equally cautious tone. “The -arrest of these four conspirators wouldn’t necessarily stamp out the -plot. For as bold and big a scheme as this, there must also be a good -many others implicated. It may be more important to capture them than -these fellows. Besides, even if we were to call in the police and have -these four arrested, we couldn’t actually prove anything against them.” - -“True enough,” agreed Bob. “What do you propose to do, Ned?” - -“This: I’ll sit quietly here. You and Buck get up leisurely, bid me -good night and appear to leave. Instead of that, each of you secrete -himself somewhere near the bottom of the stairs leading up to this -gallery. When the men here get up to leave, I’ll follow the man with -the cape muffled around his face, and you boys each take one of the -others.” - -“But there are four of them and only three of us,” objected Buck. - -“That’s all right. I don’t think that the shabby man with the dirty -finger nails is anything more than a mere tool anyhow, so we can afford -to let him go. You, Bob, shadow the little fat man with the rings, you, -Buck, trail the fellow with the big black beard. Follow them around all -night if necessary, but make sure that you trace them to their homes -finally. We can all meet with Alan at the _Ocean Flyer_ over in the -Prater at, say, sunrise by the latest.” - -This scheme struck the other boys as feasible and soon Bob and Buck -drifted off as arranged, leaving Ned alone at the table. He had sat -there, seemingly half asleep, for perhaps ten minutes more, when the -four conspirators arose from their table together and started down the -stairs. Ned followed slyly at a safe distance, screened by the jostling -crowd. - -All four men passed out of the place in company, chatted for a minute -or two at the street entrance and then parted. The ruffianly looking -individual plunged straightway into the nearest alley, after a furtive -look behind him. The pudgy man with the wicked pig’s eyes and bejeweled -rings took a taxicab at the curb stall and chugged away, followed -by Bob in a second taxi. The herculean black-beard, after leisurely -lighting a cigar, walked aimlessly a little way down the thoroughfare; -paused and felt of his hip pocket as if to make sure that something -quite important was still there; and at last he too hailed a taxicab -and disappeared, with Buck still in his wake. - -The fourth conspirator--he who kept his face so carefully concealed in -the collar of his cape--stood thoughtfully in the lighted doorway of -the dance hall until all of his companions were gone. Then he glanced -with affected nonchalance at the faces in the crowd around him and -turning, strolled slowly westward along the street. Ned followed. - -At the second square the man suddenly quickened his pace until it was -all that Ned could do to keep up with him. At the fifth square, he all -at once wheeled about abruptly and stared after him; then plunged into -an ill-lighted side street. By the time that Ned got to the corner, the -quarry was just turning the next corner, running at top speed. - -Ned sprinted after him, turned the corner and found himself again -on a brightly-lighted thoroughfare thronged with revelers. The man -had vanished into the crowd. Bitter disappointment choked Ned until -suddenly he saw his man again, this time on the opposite side of the -street, hesitating as if at a loss which way to go. Finally he again -turned westward, with Ned keeping closer on his heels this time. - -Thus the pursuit went on for more than an hour’s time. Had not the -boy been himself a good walker, the man would soon have tired him -out. The chase ended at last in what your Viennese calls “Die Innere -Stadt,” (The Inner Town) which lies in the heart of the city and is the -most aristocratic section. The Hofburg, or Imperial Palace is there, -the palaces of many of the nobility, the government offices, the now -abandoned foreign legations, the opera house and principal hotels. - -The man in the cloak strode swiftly past the hotel section into the -palatial residence district. He now had the manner of one who knew -exactly where he was going and was in a hurry to get there. - -At the gates of a great iron fence enclosing the park-like grounds of -one of the palatial residences with which the street was lined, the -stranger paused, then entered without a glance behind him. Ned followed -him swiftly up the gravel walk, to drop flat behind a spreading -rosebush as his quarry wheeled like a flash and stood stock still, -staring intently back at the street. - -For a few moments the boy dared scarcely to breathe. Then, to his -relief, the man again turned, but instead of mounting the imposing -flight of stone steps, flanked by two carved lions bearing an armorial -crest in their mouths, he slipped a key into a little half-concealed -postern door and vanished inside, leaving the door slightly ajar behind -him. - -Ned hesitated but an instant, then himself plunged into the yawning -black hole. It was so dark that he had to grope his way forward with -hands outstretched in front of him, shuffling his feet along, one after -the other. Scarcely had he gone three steps forward when two muscular -hands closed around his throat from behind, half strangling him, and a -heavy voice boomed through the narrow confines of the entry: - -“Ho! Emil, Oscar, Friedrich! This way! Hurry! I have caught a burglar!” - -Ned’s sight began to blur. There was a loud buzzing in his ears and -sparks of red, vivid blue and yellow light danced before his eyes. He -was helpless in the iron clutch of the man behind him. Then came the -heavy sound of running feet and three husky servants in livery arrived -and overpowered him. One tripped him flat on his face, while the others -bound his arms immovably to his sides with a piece of rope. They mauled -him about and gave him a couple of kicks for good measure. - -“Bring him up here,” commanded the master of the house abruptly, -leading the way up a narrow little flight of stairs. - -As Ned stumbled upward, pushed by the excited serving-men, he saw for -the first time that a very comely young woman was standing at the head -of the staircase, with a loose dressing gown thrown around her, just as -if she had been frightened from her bed by the noise of the scuffle and -shouts below stairs. - -“What are you doing here, Marya?” demanded the mysterious man in the -cape in what seemed to Ned to be an unjustifiably gruff tone. “Why -aren’t you in bed where you belong at this hour?” - -The girl’s hands were pressed to her heart, but she was making a brave -effort to conceal her agitation. - -“Oh, I thought--I hoped that--father?” This last in piteous appeal. - -The man in the cloak scowled savagely and shoved her aside, while he -and his men pushed Ned into a large, sumptuously furnished room. - -“I know what you thought well enough,” he growled. “You thought that -Racoszky, that scoundrelly husband of yours, had come and tried to see -you secretly. That’s what you thought! Well, you are a fool and, though -I’m ashamed to say it, a daughter of mine at the same time. Look at -him as much as you want, Marya! You see that this doesn’t happen to be -your husband. Instead, he is a rascally fellow who--you can go now, -men!” The servitors went out silently. “Instead of that, he is a fellow -who has been dogging my footsteps for the last hour or so and whom I -trapped at the foot of the stairs there just to find out who he was and -why he has followed me in this way.” - -Ned did not quail before the menace in his captor’s eye. Instead it is -to be doubted if he even had heard his last words. One poignant thought -was ringing through his head: - -Marya? The man in the cloak whom he knew to be a conspirator was her -father and he had called her the wife of Lieutenant Racoszky. - -Then this would-be assassin was none other than old Count Polnychek of -Budapest! - - - - -CHAPTER XXV THE BOYS GET WORRIED OVER NED - - -It was about half-past eleven when Alan, nervously pacing the outside -runways of the _Ocean Flyer_ there on the Prater, heard Buck Stewart’s -welcome voice greet him cheerily from the darkness. - -“Are the others back here yet?” asked the reporter. - -“What! Aren’t they with you?” exclaimed Alan, peering through the -gloom. “Where on earth have you fellows been all night? I got as -nervous as a girl thinking that something might have happened to you.” - -“Well,” drawled Buck, enjoying Alan’s impatient curiosity, “we did bump -into a little adventure.” - -Then he went on to give Alan the details of their chance discovery of -the plot to assassinate the aged Emperor Franz Joseph on the following -evening. - -“Bob followed one man, Ned another, and I the third--a gigantic chap -who could almost pulverize me with a single blow. I followed him about -for an hour or more, going to first one low dive and then to another, -but always in the poorer, more squalid sections of the city where there -were few street lamps and where the second stories of ramshackle old -houses nearly met overhead. The smells were awful, and every street -corner had its individual knot of evil-looking loafers being harangued -by wild-eyed, long-haired chaps, looking as if they would cut one’s -throat for a nickel. Each demagogue was working his little gang of -listeners up to a point of frenzy. Some of the orators were preaching -socialism, others a reversion to pious living. Some waved their arms -in an impassioned plea for absolute anarchy; still others stood on -old soap boxes, with thin lips that alternately sneered or snarled, -preaching atheism, revolution, murder. - -“You may well believe that I wasn’t at all at ease passing through -throngs of that sort all the while and having to stop every now and -then because Black-beard’s taxi did, while he leaned out of the -window to note the attitude of the rabble. Once in a while he would -be recognized by persons loitering in the street-corner aggregations. -Several times men sidled slyly up to his taxicab and seemed to be -making reports or getting fresh instructions from him. - -“I followed my man around that way for more than two hours without -anything in particular happening, and finally trailed him to bed at a -middle-class boarding house in the Neyban district. Then I came on back -here.” - -The last words were hardly out of his mouth before Bob Russell joined -them, his manner triumphant. - -“Hello, boys!” cried he. “I don’t know what luck you may have had, but -I ran my little fat man to ground and have found out enough about him -to hang him higher than Haman.” - -“Tell us about it,” both boys said. - -Bob continued: - -“It turned out that the man I followed was so eminent a dignitary of -the realm that I myself now can hardly believe it to be true. The chase -in the taxicab led me straight into the ‘Inner Town’ and to the very -steps of the Hofburg itself. My man paid off his chauffeur and went -on up the grand stairway with all the assurance of proprietorship. -Liveried lackeys saluted him respectfully on all sides, but the -gorgeously uniformed guards at the entrance stopped me when I tried to -follow him. - -“‘It’s all right, my man,’ I tried to explain, in my best Austrian, ‘I -am with--’ pointing after the vanishing figure--‘him.’ - -“The guardsman raised his eyebrows in polite disbelief. - -“‘But His Excellency the Chancellor did not tell us that you were -accompanying him.’ - -“‘_His Excellency the Chancellor?_’ I nearly fell over backwards when I -heard that this arch-conspirator was _he_. Then in reckless spirit of -bravado and with a fine assumption of haughtiness, I said: - -“Go ask him. Bring him back here, and mind that you do not keep me -waiting long either!” - -“Impressed by my tone, one of the guardsmen went in after my quarry, -who came back with a face that was like a mask. - -“‘You wished to see me, sir?’ he queried, taking me in from head to -foot at a single glance. - -“‘No,’ said I, ‘you forget that I am with you.’ - -“‘Ah!’ said he, without exhibiting the slightest interest. ‘I have -indeed forgotten. Will you not enter with me? His Imperial Highness is -waiting now.’ - -“‘No, I must leave you now,’ I told him. ‘We shall see the Emperor -again _to-morrow night_, I think.’ - -“For a brief second his brows knit in a puzzled frown. Then his face -cleared and he bowed very graciously. - -“‘Until then, good friend,’ he murmured. - -“‘Until then, your Excellency,’ I parroted and, turning, descended the -steps with all of the dignity that I could muster. So here I am again.” - -“Well, of all the unmitigated nerve!” Alan burst forth. “Now I see how -it is that you newspaper men get your ‘stories.’ It’s a wonder that -he didn’t either have you kicked downstairs or thrown into prison on -general principles!” - -“He was suspicious all right,” grinned Bob, who was highly pleased with -himself, “but he didn’t dare risk forcing my hand too strongly there -with all of the servants standing about. Believe me, though, I’ve given -him something to think about!” - -“I can’t understand why Ned doesn’t show up,” broke in Bob. “It’s past -sunrise now. What can be delaying him?” - -The anxiety in Bob’s tone was reflected in the faces of the other two -boys. - -The hours dragged slowly by. Broad daylight came and wore on to noon. -Still no sign of Ned. Late afternoon found his chums pacing restlessly -up and down the area about the _Ocean Flyer_. No one of them dared -voice his fears to the others. The sun’s rays became more slanting; the -shadows longer and heavier. And still no Ned. - - * * * * * - -The man with the cloak, Count Polnychek, whirled his captive around -facing him with a heavy grip on his shoulder. - -“So?” cried he, “I know you now! You sat with two others at an -adjacent table there in the _tanzenhaus_! You are a spy then? You were -eavesdropping on our conversation. Did it interest you so much that you -were constrained to follow me all this distance?” - -“It interested me,” said Ned shortly, meeting his glare coolly, eye to -eye. His calmness enraged the old count still more. - -“And what did you hear, you snake?” he growled, stepping closer and -thrusting his bearded face close to that of the undaunted boy. “Quick -now! Tell me what you overheard!” - -“It would be no news to you, Count Polnychek, of Budapest,” said Ned. - -“Donnerwetter! You even know my name then! You show your teeth to me, -do you? Are you aware that your life is wholly at my mercy?” - -Ned disdained to answer him. - -“Will you tell me how much you know?” - -Silence. - -“Marya!” - -The distracted girl jumped with fright at the explosive force of the -command. - -“Marya, heat your poker in the flames of the fireplace and then bring -it here to me!” - -“Oh, father--dear father, no! no! no! Not that! You wouldn’t torture -this poor boy?” she pleaded. - -The old wretch snarled savagely at her as he ripped open the bosom of -Ned’s shirt, showing the soft, white skin underneath. - -“Did you hear me, Marya!” - -Trembling violently, the girl did his bidding. Shortly the white-hot -iron was glowing in his threatening hand. He held it so close to Ned’s -shrinking flesh that the heat it gave off was almost intolerable. - -“Now will you tell?” - -The boy shut his eyes and with gritted teeth awaited the scorching -touch upon his chest. But it never came. A harsh voice that one would -never have recognized as that of the girl who a few minutes before had -cowered in terror, said: - -“Father, throw up your hands, or, as there is a hereafter, I will shoot -you with your own revolver!” - -Marya Racoszky stood with one arm steadily pointing a huge revolver at -her parent’s head. - -“Drop that poker!” - -He did so. The iron fell into the thick woof of the carpet, sizzling -and causing a vile odor. - -Still covering the astounded old wretch with her weapon, the girl -sidled over to Ned and slashed the rope from off his arms with a -penknife. Instantly she shoved the revolver into the boy’s hands and -collapsed swooning into the nearest chair. Ned kicked the smoking poker -over into the fireplace. A grim smile edged his lips. - -“Now will _you_ tell _me_ the things that you know are planned for -to-morrow night out at the Schoenbrunn chateau where Franz Joseph will -spend the night?” he asked sternly. - -“_No!_ Shoot if you wish, but I never desert my comrades. I am a man of -honor.” - -“‘A man of _honor_?’ You, who in cold blood contemplate the -assassination of your sovereign--a poor old man, already shattered in -health and spirit over the miseries of his country? You are a disgrace -to the ancient name you bear!” - -Old Count Polnychek winced under the scathing scorn in the boy’s voice. -The red blood suffused his deeply lined face. - -“You would not dare insult me in this way were I not unarmed and at -your mercy.” - -“How about when you threatened to scar me with that hot poker? Count, -you are--_keep away from that bell or I fire!_--are going to do my will -this time. Let us sit down while you tell me all about it.” - -“_Tausend Teufeln_, no!” - -“I said _sit_!” - -The Count plumped down abjectly into the depths of a big easy chair. -Ned likewise seated himself, with the ugly-looking revolver still ready. - -“Now, Count,” said he evenly. - -“N--no!” - -“Now!” - -Old Count Polnychek shrank before the rising black muzzle not two yards -away. - -“Well, a curtained limousine is to call here for me at ten to-night. -The chauffeur understands that he is to drive me to Spvodka, ten -minutes’ walk from the chateau where the Emperor is to sleep. All ten -of us who head the plot are to meet there at eleven. Then we are to -...” - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI AN ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE THE EMPEROR - - -Alan, Bob and Buck were nearly frantic with worry over the -still-missing Ned by the time darkness closed in. - -“If any harm has come to that boy,” vowed Buck fiercely, “I swear that -I’ll leave no stone unturned until I find out the guilty parties and -punish them!” - -Bob bit his lip gloomily. - -“We’re all hoping for the best, of course,” said he, “and really I -believe that Ned can take care of himself all right.” - -“A knife in the back--a blow from a dark doorway as he passed--any of a -score of possibilities here,” muttered Buck. - -Alan shuddered and made a desperate effort to change the conversation. - -“What are we going to do to frustrate this plot on the Emperor’s life!” -he asked. “If we do anything on that, it must be pretty soon, because -time is flying, and I recall that Ned overheard them say at that other -table that the meeting hour had been set for eleven o’clock.” - -“That’s right,” chorused the other boys. “We mustn’t let our anxiety -for Ned permit us to neglect the other thing. How shall we go about it?” - -They missed their chum’s ready foresight in planning a course of action -then, but, on the whole, did succeed in mapping out a pretty fair -course of procedure. It was Bob Russell’s idea. He said: - -“Ned stated that some of the servants in the chateau had been bribed -into sympathy with the conspirators and will admit them secretly into -the house. The man with the big black beard and he of the twisted mouth -were to slip into the sleeping Emperor’s bedchamber through a window -reached by a ladder against the wall. The Emperor was to be strangled. - -“Now what I suggest is that we use the _Ocean Flyer_ to get there. -Landing some distance away so as not to be heard from the chateau, we -can then lie in wait hidden by the lawn shrubbery until the miscreants -arrive. We can then pounce upon them and nip the murder right in the -bud.” - -“Would it not be better first to warn the inmates of the chateau of -what is afoot?” asked Alan. - -“No, that wouldn’t do at all, because neither we nor the Emperor know -which of the attendants are faithful and which are treacherous. We’ll -have to play this game single-handed, boys.” - -So finally it was agreed to adopt the scheme as originally suggested by -Bob. Their preparations for departure at that hour of the night were -noted with great curiosity by the other aviators from the Austrian -hangars, and Capt. von Schleinitz, the young officer who had driven to -the hospital with them and told them about local conditions when they -first arrived, said casually: - -“You choose a peculiar hour for starting off again, gentlemen.” - -“Yes,” Bob answered him, “we are only going on a small flight. Mr. -Napier is not returned yet, so we will, of course, be back for him.” - -“How I wish that I might be privileged to accompany you on one of your -flights!” - -Alan and Buck overheard his remark, and after excusing themselves for -the seeming discourtesy, took Bob aside. - -“Listen, Bob,” Alan whispered. “Why not take Captain von Schleinitz -along with us on to-night’s expedition. He impresses me as a brave, -good fellow, and the presence of a regular Austrian army officer -aboard might prove of great help in several ways. Patrolling military -aeroplanes might stop us with all sorts of questions once we get into -the air.” - -“I guess you’re right, Alan,” said Bob thoughtfully. “Let’s take him -into our confidence then and explain the whole matter.” - -This was accordingly done. The Austrian was horrified by the revelation -of the plot and urged all possible haste. By ten-thirty the _Flyer’s_ -engines were started and the short flight to Schoenbrunn was begun. -No lights were shown aboard as the boys were anxious to avoid all -unwelcome attentions. - -No attempt was made to hinder their progress, and a landing was made -almost noiselessly not far from the enclosed gardens of the chateau. - -No one of the boys was willing to be left behind in charge of the -airship while the others went forward into the adventure, yet it -was imperative that someone should stay. After considerable heated -discussion it was finally decided to draw lots. This method determined -upon Buck as the one to remain behind, which he submitted to with much -disappointment. - -Alan, Bob and Captain von Schleinitz gripped his hand hard in a last -good-bye, and slipped stealthily away into the darkness. Buck was left -alone. - -There was no moon visible that night. The sky lowered with the threat -of storm, streamers of clouds scudded as if frightened before the -strong wind. In a near-by marsh the frogs and crickets made melancholy -music. Afar off to the right somewhere a dog howled mournfully. - - * * * * * - -Nine cloak-shrouded figures stood in close conference at the Spvodka -turnpike, a bare ten minutes’ walk from the Chateau Schoenbrunn. Their -manner was mysterious, sinister. They were impatiently waiting for -someone. - -Far down the road the purr of a motor could be heard, growing rapidly -lower. Suddenly it ceased altogether and a tenth sepulchral figure -stalked towards them through the gloom. - -A subdued murmur of satisfaction greeted his approach. - -“At last you are here, Count Polnych--” - -A quick hand was clapped over the mouth of the big black-bearded man -who spoke. - -“Hush, you fool! No names here!” - -The newcomer did not address the others, but with a finger to his lips -enjoining silence, he led them towards where the high walls enclosing -the grounds of the Chateau Schoenbrunn loomed up through the darkness. - -Tiptoeing close to the huge iron gates, the leader of the band shoved -gently. The ponderous gate swung inwards upon hinges that had been -freshly greased to preclude all danger of squeaking. Just inside the -gates a sentry lay securely bound and gagged on the damp grass. The -chateau servants had earned their blood money. - -Alan, Bob and von Schleinitz were crouched behind the thick shrubbery -so near that they could have reached out and touched the stealthy -intruders. Revolvers were held ready for instant use. - -“Look!” whispered Bob. “The huge bearded man there is the one whom Buck -trailed down. There is the thug with the twisted mouth. That fat little -man shivering in the wind is the Grand Chancellor and--yes, by Jove! -That fellow there who seems to be giving them directions is the very -man whom Ned set out to follow. If he is here, where is poor Ned?” - -The tall man whom the conspirators had addressed as “count” did very -little talking. At a signal from him, Black-beard and Twisted Mouth -slipped away around the corner of the chateau, and the remainder of the -band slunk noiselessly over the grass to where the silent black pile of -the building showed through the trees. - -Alan, Bob and von Schleinitz skulked close at their heels, dodging from -bush to tree-trunk, to shrub. It was harrowing work. - -Once a stone crunched under Bob’s foot as he darted across a gravel -path. - -“What was that?” - -The group of conspirators had whirled about in consternation, weapons -shining dully in their hands. Only a deathly stillness rewarded their -listening, however. Finally the little fat man, who was chancellor of -the realm, laughed nervously. - -“Bah! It was nothing! We are unstrung to-night,” he said in a low tone. -“But to-morrow--” - -Evil anticipation lit up the faces of his companions. - -“Ready now!” whispered he whom they had called “count.” - -The ten of them slipped through the unlocked door into the house where -the aged Emperor slept all unconscious of the hands at his throat. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII THE MAN IN THE CLOAK SURPRISES EVERYBODY - - -Franz Joseph, the aged Emperor of Austria-Hungary--whose life history -is one of the most tragic of all contemporary royalty--tossed uneasily -as he slumbered on the great four-posted bed, around which heavy damask -curtains had been drawn, shutting off all view of the bed chamber. The -Emperor had fled here to his Chateau Schoenbrunn for at least a day or -so of quiet and ease from the heavy cares of state. - -“Go, your Imperial Highness, and sleep in peace,” his trusted friend -the Grand Chancellor had told him. “For the time being I will take the -burden from your shoulders.” - -“There are couriers waiting there in the ante-room, from Plotz -and the army at Lublin. There is a messenger from the routed army -before Belgrade. There is yet another ultimatum from Bulgaria to be -considered,” said the aged monarch doubtfully, passing a listless hand -across his careworn brow. - -“Highness, cannot I attend to all that?” - -The Emperor, broken in spirit and body, acquiesced weakly. - -“_Rest!_” he murmured, as if invoking a saint, “undisturbed slumbers -and a few hours in which to forget a bleeding, beaten nation that cries -out for the help I cannot give.” - -Thus it was that Franz Joseph came to go to Schoenbrunn, but -forgetfulness did not come to him with the darkening of the lights -around his bed. The whole sad picture of his reign passed in review -before him like a horrid nightmare--murdered relatives, degenerate -heirs who had disgraced his name, and, finally, apparitions of -the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the Duchess of Hohenberg, whose -assassination by Serbs at Sarajevo had been used as the excuse for the -war now convulsing the world. - -There stood the ghastly shades of the Emperor’s dearly beloved son and -his wife whom Franz Joseph never would recognize. They extended bloody, -mutilated hands to the old man and seemed to say: - -“See, we are come to take you with us to where countless thousands of -our countrymen lately have gone. Come, Franz Joseph!” - -With a strangling cry of terror, the aged Emperor awoke and half -started up in his bed. At that instant there came quick, catlike -footfalls in the outer rooms, a gurgling shout that ended in a groan -from the halberdiers who kept watch by the door, and then the heavy -curtains screening the bed were wrenched violently aside and a terrible -figure towered over the palsied Emperor. - -It was Black-beard, his huge, knotty hands working spasmodically as if -already strangling the poor old man in imagination. Behind him appeared -the villainous visage of the Twisted Mouth. A knife in his hand was -stained red to the hilt with the life-blood of the door guard whom they -had caught unawares. Behind the pair the window was open and the upper -rungs of a ladder showed above the sill. - -Fate was upon him. The Emperor knew that, and in that crucial moment -when his life seemed worth but a farthing, the noble bearing of his -forbears came suddenly to him, straightening the bowed shoulders, -throwing back the bent head and putting the truly regal blaze of eleven -generations of Hapsburgs into his watery eyes. - -“Dogs! what do you here in our presence unannounced?” Franz Joseph -thundered, and even the pajamas covering his wasted form did not -detract from the impressiveness of his mien. “Begone!” - -The Emperor pointed one long forefinger from the wretches to the door. - -Neither assassin vouchsafed a word in reply. Black-beard crouched to -hurl himself upon his defenseless victim when-- - -_Crash!_ the whip-like report of a revolver sounded from the doorway -and through the drifting smoke the figure of him they had called the -“count” was visible. - -“Perdition!” groaned Black-beard, half-rising from the floor. “You have -killed me, Polnychek!” - -Twisted Mouth had dodged in amazed terror behind the table, whence he -now flourished his knife uncertainly. - -Pandemonium had broken loose below stairs. Cries of alarm, screams, -curses, stentorian commands mingled with a thunderous fusillade of -shots. The staircase resounded with the rush of many feet upon it. The -treacherous Grand Chancellor burst wildly into the room. He took in the -scene with one sweeping glance. - -“What is the meaning of this, Polnychek?” he cried threateningly. “Are -you playing us false?” - -In answer, the “count” dramatically threw aside the familiar cape and -hat which had up to this time concealed his face. A ferocious curse -burst from the astounded Chancellor. - -[Illustration: _The Mysterious Man in the Cloak._] - -Instead of facing Count Polnychek, he was confronted by the glinting -muzzle of a revolver in the hands of _Ned Napier_! - -What followed thereafter happened far more swiftly than it can be told. -Seeing the entire plot crumbling about him, and lacking the moral -courage to fight it out, the Chancellor sprang to an open window and -cast himself headlong down into space. They later found him lying with -his neck broken in the gardens. Twisted Mouth threw up his hands and -surrendered as Ned advanced upon him. - -Meanwhile the sound of Ned’s shot had awakened the entire household -downstairs. Weapons were quickly seized and haste was made to secure -the safety of the Emperor. The faithless servants were among the -loudest in proclaiming their horror of the attempted assassination. - -Alan, Bob and Captain von Schleinitz had attacked the nine conspirators -skulking down stairs the moment Ned’s shot rang out, and, although the -trapped men fought with unparalleled ferocity, they were driven -at bay against one wall of the building and forced to yield to their -intrepid assailants who were by then reinforced by thirty or more -domestics and imperial guardsmen. - -Owing to the already disturbed conditions in Vienna it was the -Emperor’s wish that all news of this dastardly attempt on his life be -kept absolutely secret. He rode back along the Ring Strasse, the main -boulevard encircling the city, in state the next morning and made it a -point to rise up and bow frequently in acknowledgment of the cheering -sidewalk crowds. This effectually counteracted any premature stories -of his death which might have been circulated in preparation for the -plotted revolution. - -The Airship Boys were given a formal audience in his private reception -chamber of the Hofburg on the following afternoon and Captain von -Schleinitz also was ordered to be present. The grateful emperor -conferred the Order of St. Stepan upon his faithful officer and -promoted him to the rank of lieutenant colonel of the Imperial Aviation -Corps. To the smiling boys Franz Joseph said: - -“It is a matter of difficulty for me to decide how best to acknowledge -my life-long indebtedness to you young gentlemen. The fact that you -are not of the nobility nor yet soldiers precludes my decorating you -with any of the Orders of Merit in my power. So, gentlemen, I am going -to leave it for you yourselves to say how I best may please you.” - -Of course all of the boys blushed and were much embarrassed by such a -gracious reception. None of them knew exactly what to say until Buck -blurted out: - -“Why, we wouldn’t think of taking any rewards ourselves for a thing -that it was our plain duty to do, sir, but we have a favor that we’d -like to ask for a friend who, by the way, happens to be a subject of -yours.” - -“Your request is already granted--even though the man be one of those -implicated in the conspiracy,” said the Emperor kindly. - -“While we were in Przemysl,” continued Buck, “we met an infantry -officer, one Lieutenant Racoszky, who lay dying in the hospital for -lack of proper attention to his wounds. He is one of your most devoted -subjects.” - -Then Buck went on to tell how the lieutenant had married above his -station in life and of his subsequent misfortunes as a result of the -old count’s brutal enmity. - -“We want you to intercede with the count on Racoszky’s behalf and bring -the young couple and their child together again,” Buck concluded. - -“Mr. Stewart hasn’t told you the entire story yet, though,” Ned here -interrupted. “It seems that Count Polnychek was one of the moving -spirits in this plot. While trailing him down, I fell into his power -and probably would have been murdered had it not been for his brave -daughter, Racoszky’s wife, who forced him at a revolver’s muzzle to -liberate me. - -“Armed with the weapon she had given me, I forced him to reveal the -full details of the conspiracy and now have him bound and locked there -in his daughter’s room. She agreed to stand guard over him while I -impersonated him at the conspirators’ rendezvous. The lady has asked -that I beg leniency for her parent in view of her own great services on -your behalf.” - -The Emperor paced the room thoughtfully for a few moments. Then he said: - -“Young gentlemen, you shall have both of your wishes. Lieutenant -Racoszky need no longer dread separation from his family, and Count -Polnychek shall not be accorded the sentence he so richly deserves. But -he must leave Austria at once, and the first time that he ever again -sets foot across our boundaries shall be the signal for his arrest.” - -Thus the happiness of Racoszky was assured and the boys were left once -more free to pursue their way. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII SURROUNDED BY GERMAN ZEPPELINS - - -The war had by this time begun to pall upon the boys, and Alan voiced -the sentiments of all four when he said: - -“I’m sick of all this treachery, thunder of cannon, wails from the -wretched common people and indiscriminate bloodshed. The United States -is good enough for yours truly, and I wish that I was there right now.” - -So it was decided that the _Ocean Flyer_ be headed homeward without -further delay and, after bidding good-bye to the genial von Schleinitz -and Racoszky and his courageous little wife, the boys early one morning -started their engines and let the hectic life of Vienna sink into a -miniature panorama far beneath them. - -The course was set northwesterly and a spanking breeze in a murky sky -accelerated their speed. - -“Off for America again at last!” shouted Bob jubilantly, and the other -boys echoed him in three rousing cheers. - -By ten o’clock, however, there was a marked change in the atmosphere. -The barometer fell low in the glass, and every delicate instrument in -the pilot room gave ominous indications of nasty weather. - -Ned’s face showed his worry, but he forced a cheerful smile before his -chums. - -“It will blow over, I am sure,” he said. - -The _Flyer_ was being held to an elevation of perhaps 2,500 feet. The -lower cloud banks cut off all view of the world beneath, and Alan -suggested that they descend to a lower level where, although they -might feel the effects of the rainstorm from the clouds, the rapidly -increasing velocity of the wind would not hold them so surely in its -grip. - -Ned listened to the demoniacal shrieks of the wind as the _Flyer_ -scudded along, and was not slow to acknowledge the common sense of -Alan’s advice. So the airship was dropped down to a considerably lower -level below the clouds. - -In that region a terrible storm was raging. The thunder burst in -crashes that seemed louder than ten thousand cannon. The air vibrated -with the shocks. Appalling zigzags of lightning shot yellow across the -sky. The rain fell in torrents from an inky sky and dashed dismally -against the metal sides of the speeding airship. - -Being mistrustful of air eddies or whirlpool currents as a result of -the hurricane, Ned reduced the _Flyer’s_ speed to the minimum. As he -wisely observed, “No use taking unnecessary chances.” - -Thus the big vessel fled before the storm for half an hour or more -when, with astonishing suddenness, the reverberations of thunder ceased -and the sun turned the rainfall into a fog so dense that it seemed that -the _Flyer_ was cutting its way through a solid substance. It became so -dark inside that the boys had to turn on the electric lights. - -“I don’t like this at all,” muttered Ned at last, as he strained his -eyes through the mist-clouded observation-port. - -“Well, anyway, we aren’t flying low enough to hit any trees or church -steeples,” grinned Bob. - -“No, but all the same I don’t like to keep going even this slowly -through vapor as thick as this is. If I could only see the character of -the ground below, I’d try to make a landing.” - -The earth, however, continued wholly shrouded and Ned had to hold on -his unwilling way. - -It was perhaps a quarter of an hour later that Buck, who had been -calculating at the speedometer, and referring to various charts, -announced that the _Ocean Flyer_ was probably over northern Germany. -Shortly afterward the increasing strength of the sun’s rays began to -dissipate the fog, which assumed fantastic forms that writhed and -squirmed as they floated away into nothingness. It amused the boys to -pick out these patches of mist and to note their outline resemblance to -one animal or another. - -“There’s a cow!” laughed Bob, pointing. - -“And over there is a giraffe--see his long neck?” - -“Look straight ahead, boys, and see the bologna sausage,” called Ned -from his station at the wheel. - -Sure enough--there it was, gigantic and dull gray, directly ahead -of them. But strange to say, while it kept moving along in the same -direction as the _Flyer_, it did not soon dissolve into thin air. -Instead of that it took vast tangible form. Other vapor forms began -to appear transparent beside it. The vague outlines of complicated -rigging extending down from the sausage became easily apparent. Then a -suspended metal body, punctured with many windows, appeared. - -By this time the speeding _Ocean Flyer_ was almost upon it, and only -Ned’s presence of mind in veering the huge right side planes abruptly -averted a sure collision. The _Flyer_ swept down past the other huge -voyager of the sky at an acute angle and did not right itself until a -considerable distance below. - -“Holy smoke!” gasped Bob. “What is that curious looking thing?” - -Ned was deadly pale, but his lips were pressed grimly together. - -“That, boys,” said he, “is one of the famous German armored Zeppelins. -Look up there to the left--three more of them sailing close together. -See over there to the right--two more of them. I can see more flitting -along down below us, and I think that there are more ahead. We have -descended into the very midst of them. Look out for trouble now, -because I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts that this is the long-dreaded -aerial raid upon England!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX THE BATTLE ABOVE THE CLOUDS - - -Almost before the words had passed Ned’s lips, an ugly black muzzle was -protruded from a window in the hanging body of the nearest Zeppelin. -Then came a puff of bluish smoke, a dull roar and flash of flame: - -BZZ--Zz--z--z--z--z--z--z.... - -A huge shell had passed athwart the _Ocean Flyer’s_ bows in stern -warning for her to stop and await inspection. - -Perspiration started out profusely on the boys’ foreheads. The huge -German war balloons were approaching in a rapidly narrowing circle. -There were at least fifty of them, and soon an advance patrol of -military “Taube” aeroplanes came skimming back to support them. Cannon -were shoved menacingly out of a score of portholes. There was no -mistaking the determination of the Germans. - -“Heavens!” groaned Alan, his cheeks blanched. “What shall we do? If we -don’t stop in a minute, they’ll all get our range and blow even our -stout magnalium covering to bits. We haven’t a single weapon on board -that can compare with those heavy cannon!” - -“Don’t surrender unless there is absolutely nothing else for us to do,” -cried Buck. - -Bob added: “No, because then they’d simply lock us up in some German -prison and use the _Flyer_ for their raid on England!” - -The two nearest Zeppelins could now be seen letting gas out of their -huge sausage-like bags as they settled down towards the almost -stationary airship. As they changed position, it left a narrow break in -the ring of enemies. - -“Shall we risk a chance on breaking through there? That’s our only -hope,” said Ned quietly. - -“Yes, yes. Quick--full power ahead before they think to close the gap!” - -Ned jammed the acceleration lever hard down in its socket; the -machinery groaned with the pressure of too suddenly added power; the -exterior planes folded automatically before the rapidly increasing rush -of air. The _Ocean Flyer_ swept upwards at an abrupt angle, heading -straight for the only opening left unguarded. - -Simultaneously the Zeppelin crews saw the boys’ desperate intent. Flame -belched from twenty cannon mouths. Shells burst screaming all around. -Four light aeroplanes skimmed like swallows up and over to cover the -gap in the ring. The two huge Zeppelins bearing down upon the Flyer -from above converged and charged her, head on. - -“There’s only one thing for us to do,” groaned Ned, “and that is to -ram them. We can do it, but it means that the Zeppelins we hit will be -destroyed and with them I don’t know how many men. Those craft carry a -crew of forty or more, you know.” - -“I hate to think of it too, but they themselves have made it our lives -or theirs!” yelled Alan. “So go to it, Ned.” - -The _Ocean Flyer_ had now attained an incredible velocity. It was only -a matter of minutes, of seconds, or instants, before it would crash -straight into the huge but clumsier enemy advancing to meet it. There -was a bare glimpse of drawn, panic-stricken faces crowding the hanging -compartment. The pointed snout of the _Flyer_ tilted suddenly at an -eighty-degree angle and-- - -_B o o m--m--m--psthsh--sh--sh--ss!_ - -She had struck and pierced the huge gas bag of the Zeppelin, leaving -a huge, gaping rent from which the gas rushed as the craft sagged -sidewise more and more. Several of the heavy cables supporting the car -from the bag parted with reports like shell explosions. The Zeppelin -began slowly to sink, while her sister craft sheered off from the -rushing destroyer. - -Wild-eyed and remorseful for the awful necessity of their deed, the -boys now saw the light aeroplanes darting up to block their path. The -futility of their trying to stop an airship when a Zeppelin twenty -times their size had failed, did not seem to occur to those daring -German aviators. - -They sat braced there in their narrow seats among the intricacy of -wire rigging, guiding their frail craft with one hand and shooting -rapidly with the other. Rifle and revolver bullets rattled against the -_Flyer’s_ magnalium sides like hailstones. - -The rush of wind set in lateral motion by the velocity of the huge -airship nearly capsized two of the little craft. The planes of a third -one were brushed roughly by the _Flyer_ as it rushed past. - -The sun had now dissipated the last of the mist and the shapes of the -other Zeppelins could plainly be seen sailing down upon their prey. The -whole sky seemed to be full of them. No wonder England was terrified -by such a menace as this! - -The _Ocean Flyer_ now had, however, a clear field in front of her and -the situation resolved itself into a race to get out of range. Here -was where the tremendous motive power of the airship stood her in good -stead. No Zeppelin could maintain such a terrific speed as Ned set. - -The guns of the Zeppelins roared almost continuously, but a moving -target is hard to hit. Most of the deadly shells either fell short or -went wide of their mark. One by one the huge “bologna sausages” began -to drop behind and abandon the pursuit. Finally there were only two -left--one a quarter of a mile in the rear and the other hanging almost -stationary to the left of the _Flyer’s_ course. The last Zeppelin had -evidently been foremost of the raiding squadron. - -“Good-bye, old chaps,” Bob yelled mockingly, just as the Zeppelin to -the left let fire a broadside with every one of her seven cannon. The -“kick” of the discharge caused her to careen backward amid clouds of -powder smoke. - -Shells droned gruesomely past the speeding _Flyer_--overhead, beneath, -on both sides. - -A rending thud that hurled the airship on her beam ends ... the -splintering crash of wood and metal ... frenzied cries for help from -Buck down in the engine room. A perceptible “missing” of the engines -and an alarming tilt to one side. - -The _Ocean Flyer_ had been hit! - - - - -CHAPTER XXX THE MOST TERRIBLE ACCIDENT OF ALL - - -“What in goodness’ name is the matter down there? Where did that shell -strike us?” shouted Ned, anxiously, through the speaking tube, while -both Alan and Bob tumbled downstairs in answer to Buck’s frantic appeal -from the engine room. - -“Put on every ounce of pressure you can,” they signalled up to the -boy in the pilot room presently. He did so, and for a bit the _Flyer_ -showed a spurt of her old speed, leaving the Zeppelin a dwindling -speck in the distance. Within twenty minutes, however, despite the -application of every power appliance in the equipment, the speed again -began to diminish until the airship was not making more than fifteen -miles an hour. - -As the velocity gradually decreased, the huge wing-like exterior planes -automatically unfolded, but, to the horror of the boys, no sooner had -they attained full expansion than the whole lateral series on the right -side of the hull collapsed into mere wreckage, dragging the _Flyer_ -violently over in that direction and hurling the young aeronauts off -their feet. - -The bursting shell had indeed done effective damage. It had struck the -armored magnalium hull just about amidships, ploughed its way through -the metal, leaving a great jagged hole in the twisted sheets of steel, -and had exploded just outside the engine room, one partition of which -was demolished with various alarming damage to the machinery. At the -same time, some flying pieces of the exploding shell must have struck -the exterior plane and propulsion mechanism, snapping the supports and -rendering the entire outside wings wholly useless. - -In his confusion, when the right lateral plane series collapsed, Ned -threw on every particle of power at his command, mindful that an -increase of the vessel’s velocity would cause the disabled planes -to fold away again automatically out of the wind and so lessen the -imminent danger of overturning. The acceleration was only momentary -though, and the _Ocean Flyer_ seemed in danger of rolling over sidewise -at any minute. - -“Ned, shut off ‘juice’ on those main outside propellers and try to run -on the interior auxiliary propeller!” yelled Buck up the speaking tube. - -“That ought to give us a little extra speed while we are trying to cut -away the plane wreckage which is dragging us over sidewise!” - -Ned was rattled. He had not thought of that before, but he instantly -did as he was bid. Despite the damaged mechanism, the _Flyer_ responded -to this new application of power and speeded up until a fifty mile an -hour velocity was registered on the instruments. - -Leaving Buck on his knees beside the half-incapacitated engines, Alan -and Bob seized sharp axes and rushed out upon the exterior runways -extending two-thirds of the way around the hull. A cry of astonishment -burst from both boys simultaneously: - -“The sea! We are passing out over the ocean!” - -It was true. Dim in the distance behind them stretched the broken coast -line of Germany, while beneath, to north, to east, to west, tossed the -angry gray waters of the North Sea. The misty shape of the British -Isles lay like a low-hanging cloud to the southwest. Almost directly -below the airship a huge merchant vessel could be seen steaming grandly -along. - -“Say, I wish that we were all down there aboard that big ship instead -of where we are,” said Allan. - -“Not for me!” replied Bob, emphatically. “Don’t you remember hearing -how both the English and Germans have declared an absolute embargo on -all merchant ports and have mined the entire ocean to interrupt each -other’s commerce? Dangerous as our position up here now is, I’d lots -sooner be here in a crippled airship than down there.” - -Even as he spoke, there came a terrific explosion far down below. -Sparks and broken spars were hurled high. The big merchantman appeared -suddenly to rise straight up on her beam’s ends. Immense funnels of -ocean water spurted hundreds of feet in the air all around her and, as -the vessel settled down again, she seemed to snap in the middle and to -disintegrate as if the bolts and bars from every clinch and support -had been suddenly removed. Her stern began slowly disappearing beneath -the churning, white-crested waves. Fire broke out amidships and dense -volumes of black smoke half obscured the terrible disaster from the -horrified boys’ view. - -They saw the attempted launching of two long lifeboats. Both were -swamped almost before they had been lowered into the water. The sea all -around the doomed ship became dotted with human heads and floating -pieces of wreckage. Then, all at once, a whirlpool seemed to form about -the ship and to be dragging it resistlessly down into the icy depths. -The water boiled over it and nothing save a few scattered bits of -driftwood remained to mark the spot. - -Alan shuddered and closed his eyes as he leaned against the _Flyer’s_ -taffrail. - -“Awful!” he muttered huskily. “All of those poor souls--noncombatants -at that--hurled into eternity without warning or provocation. Do you -suppose that the vessel struck a submerged mine?” - -“Either that or it was torpedoed,” answered Buck. “They say that the -whole North Sea and English Channel swarms with German submarines for -this sort of thing. But quick now, Alan; to work cutting us free of -these dragging planes, or we ourselves will soon feel the water at our -necks!” - -It was hard work getting through those rivet supports of the huge -planes. Bolts had to be cut away, steel cables to be sawed through, and -seasoned wood supports hacked away. The boys’ hands became sore and -calloused, and their fingers stiffened. Despite the cold air sweeping -past, their faces were damp with perspiration. - -The airship staggered in bewildering fashion, but the auxiliary engines -kept it going at a speed that quickly put England beneath them. The -young aeronauts had no leisure to study the effect of their appearance -upon spectators below, however, for the airship was sagging more and -more surely to one side. Fortunately they passed over no large towns -and so were not fired on. - -“At last!” gasped Alan, as with a final vicious blow he chopped loose -the final attachment of the great lateral planes on his side of the -airships and saw them plunge downward into the sea. - -“Same here!” shouted Bob from the gangway on the other side. “I’ve just -managed to cut us free over here!” - -The beneficial effect of this lightening of the drag was at once -apparent. The _Flyer_ righted itself and picked up a fair degree of -speed. The elevation was increased to 2,000 feet, where propulsion was -less modified by earthly wind currents. The little auxiliary propeller -was performing its extra duties gallantly. It was now getting well -along in the afternoon and daylight was failing rapidly. Far ahead of -them showed a thin rim of silver beyond the dark shadow of the land. - -“A river?” questioned Alan. - -“The Irish Sea,” replied Ned shortly. - -“Where we going to land?” asked Bob, a bit anxiously. - -“It’s not safe here. I had thought of crossing to the coast of Ireland -and following along as far as our gas holds out--supply’s running -mighty low--in the hopes of getting as close to Queenstown as we dare. -Then we’ll drop in some deserted spot and arrange to ship the _Flyer_ -back, while we get passage out of Queenstown for good old New York.” - -“But we haven’t the slightest idea where we are,” objected Alan. - -“We’ll know after we hit land again; we’ll light long enough to get our -bearings. Somebody go down below and relieve Buck. He must be about -worn out.” - -But Buck refused to leave the wrecked engine room, where, stripped to -the waist and grease from head to foot, he still tinkered with the -faulty-acting machinery. In spite of his efforts the speed gauge needle -steadily shifted back. A bare twenty miles an hour was all it showed. - -Sunset flamed across the sky. Then gloaming came, and by and by the -stars appeared one by one. - -Towards midnight there was a perceptible lessening of the airship’s -momentum which no mechanical efforts of Alan in the pilot room could -counteract. When the velocity had decreased to ten miles per hour, he -grew so alarmed that he was tempted to call Ned and Bob. - -“But no!” said he. “They are worn out, poor fellows. As long as there’s -no land in sight I’ll let them sleep as long as I dare.” - -It was about five in the morning when Buck’s voice coming up through -the speaking-tube startled Alan out of the doze into which he had -fallen as he sat there at the wheel. - -“What is it, Buck?” Alan asked anxiously. “Nothing new has developed, -has there?” - -The voice at the other end of the tube was hoarse with desperation: - -“Wake up the other boys! Quick, Alan! This is the end! The sulphuric -ether and gasoline won’t mix properly in the engines any longer. Two -of the magnalium cylinders are damaged beyond all hopes of repair and -I can’t get any concussion in the explosion chambers. The ammonia fans -are gradually slowing down and the turbines are getting red hot. Within -ten minutes more the engines will stop altogether and we will drop into -the sea like so much lead. This is the last of the _Ocean Flyer_.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI THE END OF THE OCEAN FLYER - - -Ned and Bob were immediately awakened and a hasty examination of the -engines showed plainly the terrible truth of Bob’s prophecy. - -“We’ll drop like a rock!” he repeated hoarsely, trying to control the -tremor in his voice. - -The boys stared at each other, blank horror in each face. - -“Oh, if only we had not been forced to chop away the big wing planes,” -groaned Alan. “With them spread, the force of our fall would surely -have been checked and given us at least a fighting chance for our -lives!” - -“No use of crying over spilt milk,” said Ned. “We’ve got to decide upon -something quickly. The engines are slowing down now and a fall of 2,000 -feet upon the surface of the Atlantic will dash us to pieces just as -surely as if we hit bed rock. What can we do?” - -“Nothing,” answered Bob with grim resignation, “nothing except to shake -hands and tell each other we hope to meet in the hereafter again. We -are doomed, boys, and you all know it.” - -Outside it was already getting light. Morning sunlight blushed rosily -over the eastern sky, and the gray tossing surface of the pitiless -ocean far below became dimly visible. At first sight it appeared to be -wholly devoid of any sail, but closer inspection through the binoculars -finally brought to view a large ship beating its way toward them, -perhaps three miles to the north. Long streams of smoke hung on the -horizon line in its wake. - -“See!” exclaimed Ned. “One of the big passenger liners--a Cunarder by -her build, I should guess. If only they were near enough to see and -save us!” - -“No hope,” muttered Bob dully. - -“_The wireless!_” yelled Buck, springing suddenly to his feet. “We can -signal to them with that!” - -In a trice he was gone and his nervous fingers were flashing out a -frantic call. - -“_S. O. S! S. O. S! S. O. S!_” - -Two more seconds passed. Then a blue electric spark leaped across the -instrument. The big ocean liner had intercepted the message and was -asking for information. - -Buck’s fingers ticked out his plea like lightning: - -“Airship falling three miles south of you ... help quickly ... help -quickly.” - -The eagerly watching boys by the portholes could see the effect of this -message upon the distant vessel. Great volumes of black smoke began to -vomit from her three funnels as full steam ahead was put on. Her course -was changed slightly and she forged as rapidly as might be in their -direction. Tiny black figures could be seen crowding the decks and -rigging of the distant liner. - -The boys were a-quiver with excitement and hope until a sudden, -unaccustomed quiet around them forced itself upon their notice. - -“What is it?” queried Bob. - -Ned answered him quietly: - -“Boys, the engines have stopped running--we are about to fall!” - -Each was ashamed to show the mortal fear that agitated him. White-faced -they gripped hands in silent farewell. - -“Hurry now,” Ned cried, in command to the very last, “run and get into -pneumatic life-jackets and each one lash his hands to the handle of a -parachute. When once the _Flyer_ begins to drop, we’ll have to jump -quick, or the force of the contrary air will turn our chutes inside -out. Be quick, boys!” - -For perhaps three minutes the _Ocean Flyer_ hung motionless, as if -suspended there in the air. Then she wavered slightly and suddenly the -stupendous plunge straight downwards began. - -With each passing second, as earth gravity took a more relentless hold -upon the falling vessel, the momentum increased until it attained a -velocity past computing. Like a stone it whizzed down through the -whistling air to an unmarked resting place in the foam-crested waves -far below. - -All of the four boys jumped wide out from the outer taffrail the -instant the fall began. Their parachutes spread and bellied to meet the -upward rush of air, which struck the stout umbrella-like frames with a -reactionary force that nearly tore the boys’ arms from their sockets. -The _Ocean Flyer_ shot swiftly down past them before their own more -gradual descent became perceptible. - -Down, down, down, down, through seemingly endless space they sank with -that intolerable strain on their arms and the blood pounding madly at -their temples. - -Down, down, down! - -Ned ventured a hasty glance below him. There swung the big Cunard -liner not a quarter of a mile away. There raced the lifeboats filled -with jackies in white, bending rhythmically to and fro, while the long -oars glistened like silver in the morning sun. A raucous blast of -encouragement from the liner’s whistles half stunned the senses. - -Ned closed his eyes again. It seemed as if he had been hours floating -down through the air. Had it not been for the stout cords which secured -his blue, swollen wrists to the handle of the parachute, he could not -have kept his hold. - -Hearty shouts--_English_ words--resounded almost beneath him. A little -puff of wind carried the parachute off a hundred yards to one side and -then it began sinking again. - -Ned felt something icy cold lave, submerge and rise higher and higher -up around his body. It was the waves. - -Up they crept, first to his ankles, then to his thighs, then above -his waist, then closed around his neck. The parachute collapsed, but -the pneumatic life-jacket buckled around him buoyed Ned up. The spray -buffeted saltily against his mouth and smarted in his eyes. His body -became numb from the chill of the icy water. Then-- - -“All aboard there, mates!” shouted gruff, cheery voices, and strong -hands seized upon Ned and dragged him half-insensible into the -lifeboat. Alan and Buck were already huddled shivering there, and Bob -was rescued a few minutes later. - -Propelled by the powerful arms of sixteen sailors, the lifeboat fairly -leaped over the waves toward where hundreds of curious, pitying faces -lined the taffrails of the big liner. - -“Where are you bound?” asked Bob of the boatswain. - -“From Liverpool to New York, U. S. A.,” came the cheery answer. “We’ll -sight the Statue of Liberty in the harbor within six days.” - -Ned felt the clasp of Alan’s hand in his. - -“Well, we’ve seen the last of the _Ocean Flyer_,” Alan said drearily. -“We’ve lost the finest craft of its kind in existence.” - -“Never mind, Alan,” answered Ned, renewed vigor sparkling in his eyes. -“We’ve accomplished all that we set out to do and I promise you that, -back in New York again, we’ll build a brave new airship beside which -the old _Flyer_ would have seemed like a joke. Remember that we’re now -bound for the ‘land of the free.’” - -“And ‘the brave,’” rejoined Bob quickly, casting an affectionate glance -over at Alan and Buck. - - * * * * * - -Transcriber’s Notes: - -Illustrations have been moved to paragraph breaks near where they are -mentioned. - -Punctuation has been made consistent. - -Variations in spelling and hyphenation were retained as they appear in -the original publication, except that obvious typographical errors have -been corrected. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AIRSHIP BOYS IN THE GREAT -WAR *** - -***** This file should be named 64184-0.txt or 64184-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - https://www.gutenberg.org/6/4/1/8/64184/ - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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