The Boy Volunteers with the French Airmen. Kenneth Ward
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we ought to go in and see the lieutenant and Jack," said Alfred.
"Who are they?" interposed the doctor.
"Why, they fell with their machine yesterday, and we helped them out," said Alfred.
"What was the lieutenant's name?" asked the doctor.
"Why, we don't know; we forgot to ask for it; but maybe they will let us in," said Ralph.
"Come along," said the doctor. "We'll find a way to get in."
They followed him up the steps, and marched to the office, where the doctor was greeted by many of those present.
"Who was it that met with an accident yesterday?" he asked.
"Lieutenant Winston," was the reply.
"And was he badly hurt?" almost shrieked the sweet little nurse who had accompanied the party in the van.
"No; he is getting along well," said the attending physician. "He owes his life to a couple of brave lads, who happened to be near. He has been anxious to see the boys, and has asked where they were."
"We are the ones who helped him," said Ralph. "We want to see him; may we?"
"Oh, thank you, thank you so much," said the nurse.
"Do you know him?" inquired Alfred.
"He is my brother; may we go to him at once?" she asked.
"I will take you to him," said the physician.
"So you are Miss Winston?" said Alfred. "Isn't it funny how we happened to meet you?"
She almost hugged the boys in her joy at the news, and at her good fortune in thus meeting the boys who were instrumental in saving her brother.
The lieutenant saw his sister approaching arm in arm with the two boys. The greeting was a most affectionate one.
"I met the two boys in Dunkirk; they just happened to get into our van. We learned after we got here what they had done. Isn't it noble of them?" she said.
"I have tried to find them all day," said the lieutenant, and he pressed the hands of the boys. "Yes, I was in an awfully tight place when the boys found me; but I am all right now."
They remained with the lieutenant and his sister for more than an hour. They had entirely forgotten their appointment with Tom. It was nearly twelve o'clock.
"I am afraid we shall have to leave you," said Ralph. "We promised Tom to be over at the hangar at eleven."
"Tom Brandon; the American dare-devil?" said the lieutenant, smiling.
"Why, yes," replied Alfred, somewhat hesitatingly. "Is he a dare-devil?" he continued, with wide-open eyes.
"Well, he doesn't seem to be afraid of anything; I suppose he would go anywhere, if he was ordered to make the trip. Is your engagement an important one?" asked the lieutenant, with a curious light in his eye.
"Why,—yes,—we—we wanted to take a flight this afternoon," said Ralph.
"Do you think they would let us?" asked Alfred quickly.
"Rather against the rules and somewhat risky," said the lieutenant, slowly shaking his head, but his face relaxed, as he saw the crestfallen appearance of the boys. "We can get around the rules sometimes," he added.
"Tom said he would try to fix it for us," said Ralph.
"Then go at once, and tell him that Winston gave him permission," said the lieutenant. "Do you think it is safe, Addie?" he asked, turning to his sister.
"It seems to me it is safe to trust boys who have been in battles as they have, don't you?" she replied sweetly, as she arose and grasped the boys' hands. "Now, don't forget us, will you?"
"No, indeed; we intend to come over to see you in the morning," said Ralph.
The boys fairly flew across the broad grounds in order to reach the hangar. Their chagrin was great as they peered in to find that Tom and his machine were absent.
"Looking for Tom?" asked one of the men.
"Yes; do you know where he is?" asked Alfred.
"He's coming now, I think," was the reply, as the man approached the door and glanced upward. "Yes; there he is, winging it in."
Within two minutes the Morane gave a quick dive, then flattened out and skimmed the ground, and just before alighting the nose of the machine gave a short, quick, upward dart.
"He does that the slickest of the whole lot. That was a quick stop, sure enough," remarked an attendant.
The machine had landed not two hundred feet from the hangar. The boys were over without delay, and accosted Tom, as he reached the ground.
"We are sorry that we couldn't get here in time, but we met Lieutenant Winston's sister coming over, and we were detained at the hospital," said Ralph.
"It's just as well, as I couldn't make it. The commandant wouldn't give me the time to take you out," said Tom.
"But the lieutenant told us to tell you that he gave you permission to take us," said Alfred.
"Did he say that? Well, that's another thing. I'll tell the commandant," and, without another word, he crossed the field, and disappeared. He was back in five minutes, and waved his hat as he appeared.
"All right, boys; we'll have an hour's flight; how will that suit you?" he said.
The boys were too much excited to know what to say in reply. Tom walked around the machine, observing every part of the control plane and the wires, then mounted the chassis, and with a wrench unscrewed the base of the machine gun.
"Here, boys; we'll take this off for the afternoon; it'll give you more room. There, take hold of it at both ends, and carry it into the hangar," he said, as he handed down the weapon.
"Gee! but that weighs something!" said Ralph.
"Close to eighty pounds, I should say," observed Tom.
"Where shall we sit?" asked Alfred.
"You can easily crowd into the hole in front," said Tom. "Now don't get frightened and jump out; I can bring you down easier than that. If it seems to turn over, don't mind. That's part of the game."
The Morane was equipped with a self-starter, but three attendants were on hand to hold the machine. They took their places and Tom turned on the switch. Whir-r-r-r-r,—they felt the tremor of the machine. Soon Tom's hand was raised and came down with a swift motion. They felt the machine slowly gain headway, and then it seemed to spring forward with huge leaps. At first they could feel the oscillating motion of the wheels, and as the speed increased there was less jar until finally there was no further vertical movement, and they no longer felt the wheels traveling over the ground.
"We're up!" shouted Ralph in excitement, as he turned to Tom. The latter evidently knew what Ralph meant, even though the noise of the motor prevented him from hearing, for he merely smiled, and shook his head.
Alfred leaned over the side of the body, and gazed at the wheels, and as he did so something seemed to push the seat of the aeroplane upwardly. He quickly turned toward Tom and smiled. They were in the air. How glorious it seemed to Ralph and Alfred at that moment. The feeling was an indescribable one; they were now going up rapidly; ahead was a tall pylon, which seemed to be directly in their way.
Ralph seized Alfred's arm, and pointed toward it, their eyes being intently fixed on the square flag which flew above the mast, but the machine seemed to whiz by it like a streak. After passing it the machine seemed to slow down. They were not aware that the closer you are to an object the faster seems to be the motion. Looking down at the earth they could note an object for some time, and as they went further up and up, things on the earth seemed to pass by with less and less speed.
The most confusing thing to them was the constant change of position. Instead of making a straight-away flight Tom circled around the aviation field twice, going higher on each turn. The great hangar was plainly visible each time they came around, but it grew smaller and smaller.
The boys leaned over the body of the machine, and scanned the earth