CHAPTER XIV.
THE PERIL IN THE SKY.
Day after day the wounded from the front were being received in Dunkirk,Calais and other places along the coast. They were usually taken furtheron as soon as their immediate wants could be attended to.
In many cases the stricken soldiers would be carried by train to thelarge Red Cross hospitals in and around Paris. Then besides this, onmany a night a steamer would start from Dunkirk across the Channelbearing hundreds of British back to their own shores, where they couldreceive the best of care among their people. These voyages were madewhen possible in the gloom of night, and at full speed, in order toavoid the risk of having the vessel torpedoed by lurking Germansubmarines, ready to deliver crushing blows to her enemy's ships.
Frank stood in the crowd and watched the transfer of the poor fellows tothe temporary hospital. They were mostly British soldiers who hadreceived their injuries while trying to hold the trenches against somefierce drive on the part of Bavarians or Prussians.
As he saw one after another swathed figure borne on stretchers from theambulance motors into the hospital, Frank felt a sense of pity for allthese who were suffering on account of this terrible war, no matter onwhich side they chanced to be.
He finally turned away, not caring to see any more such pitiful sights.He marveled at the brave front displayed by even the most dreadfullywounded men, who tried to greet the crowd and smiled through the mudthat plastered their faces.
Remembering what he and Billy had discovered in connection with thegathering of a new army back of the German trenches, Frank expected thatin a few days there was bound to be a greater stream of wounded pouringinto Dunkirk than ever before, because a desperate attack was doubtlesscontemplated.
When he learned from Major Nixon that some of the Allies' aviators hadbrought in the news concerning that gathering host of gray-cladsoldiers, Frank realized that he could speak of it without reservation,since it would not be giving information as to the enemy's contemplatedplans.
Remembering one more errand which needed his attention, Frank, afterleaving the vicinity of the Red Cross hospital, had immediately startedto look after it. He was through with it and actually starting for thehangar when once again he became aware of the fact that a suddenconfusion had broken out. People were shouting in an excited manner, asthough a mad dog had broken loose and was coming down the main street ofDunkirk.
There was no difficulty in learning what was the matter. That wild cryof alarm was becoming very familiar to the ears of the worried citizensof Dunkirk these stormy days.
"The Germans are coming! The Germans are coming!"
In French and in English this shout was being carried along, constantlyadded to by scores of voices. People rushed pell-mell this way and that,many dodging down into cellars, as though seeking safety from someterror that was likely to descend on the coast city like a cyclone.
Those who were not yet running had their necks craned, and their eyesturned upward toward the northeast. Frank stepped over to where he couldsee better, and then he also "rubbered," as Billy would have called it.
On numerous occasions the German aviators had conducted an organizedraid on Dunkirk, dropping dozens of terrible bombs in what seemed likean indiscriminate fashion. Possibly these were in the main intended todamage the camps or accumulated stores of the British legions; but if sothe aim of the men in the Taubes was singularly bad, for the majority ofthe bombs had thus far either exploded in the open streets, or shatteredprivate houses.
Many innocent persons, including women and children, had suffered fromthese explosives, and it was not singular then that whenever the cry wasraised that the "Germans were coming," meaning a raiding flock ofaeroplanes, there would ensue a mad panic in the streets of the Frenchcity.
"There are several moving things over there away up in the heavens,"Frank told himself as he gazed in more or less excitement. "Even withouta glass I'm almost ready to say they can't be Taubes."
He stood there watching and waiting until the soaring objects drewcloser, when their true identity could be discovered.
Frank, being an aviator himself, quickly detected certain things thatthe common observer might never have discovered; and which told him thehalf dozen specks in the sky that February morning were birds and notaeroplanes.
"Some gulls flying high," he murmured as he watched. "Yes, there theycircle around, which aviators bent on bombarding the city and thenrunning off in a hurry would never think of doing."
He told those near him that there was nothing to fear, as the suspectedTaubes were only harmless birds. The cheering word was passed along frommouth to mouth, and some of those who only a few minutes before werelooking very peaked and white commenced to laugh, trying to make outthat they knew all along the advancing specks were only birds.
By degrees even the shivering inmates of the cellars learned that it wasa false alarm, and ventured to appear again.
"And I suppose this happens several times every day," Frank mused as hewatched the arteries of traffic once more begin to flow naturally."While little damage that amounts to anything has been done by thebombs, the coming of the Germans is looked forward to with dread. Isuppose if a flier happened to be brought down with a well directed shotfrom a gun it would give the people more pleasure than anything theycould wish for."
It struck him that possibly the other boys might have heard something ofall this excitement and would be worried about him. So Frank steppedinto a store he knew of and proceeded to get the hangar on the wire.There was some little difficulty at first, as though a good many peoplewere trying to communicate with their homes for some purpose or other.Finally a voice called in good English:
"Hello! that you, Frank?"
"Yes, that's who it is, Billy. I only called you up thinking you mighthave heard all the shouting, and wonder what it was."
"Oh! some of the guards here guessed it, and we've been watching thegulls through our field glass. But how about the other business, Frank;is it all fixed?"
"I'm coming back right away," Frank told him. "Soon after I join you,there will be something doing. I'll tell you the rest when I get there;but everything is going on O. K. So-long, Billy. Keep watching, forthey're ready to try everything under the sun to gain their end. I'vegot a new story for you when I come."
Frank by this action had not only accomplished his purpose of relievingthe minds of his chums, but at the same time he had made sure thatthings were unchanged at the hangar.
Determined not to take any risks that could be avoided, Frank waiteduntil he saw a battery of field-pieces moving along the road that ledclose by the gate of the hangar. Perhaps the guns had come over fromEngland on the previous night, and being badly needed at the front, werestarting forth.
This was the opportunity he wanted. By keeping alongside the guns andcaissons he could defy any hidden danger. If there were spies waiting towaylay him in some rather lonely spot, just as they had Pudge on thepreceding night, the presence of those young khaki-clad warriors seatedon the gun carriages and ammunition carts would foil them.
There was no trouble. Possibly Frank might not have been held up eventhough he chose to take the walk without any protection; but when indoubt it was always his policy to "play safe."
When he again found himself in the hangar, the others were eager to hearwhat he had promised to tell them.
"You've been having another scrape of some sort, like as not," venturedBilly, pretending to look morose, as though he begrudged his comradethat privilege while he and Pudge were only sitting there killing time.
Frank thereupon related how he had been drawn into rendering assistancewhen the said-to-be wife of an apparent citizen of Dunkirk, who spokeexcellent English without a French accent, appeared to faint close tothe door of her own home.
The other boys were thrilled by what seemed like a narrow escape on thepart of their comrade.
"Ganders and gridirons, Frank!" exploded
Pudge after listening withdistended eyes to the account given by the returned chum. "That was anarrow squeak for you, as sure as anything."
"Yes," added Billy, "they had it all laid out to trap you. If you'ddared to step inside that open door I reckon you'd have been tapped overthe head, and when you came to again it would be to find yourself insome old damp and moldy cellar. I give you credit for tumbling to theirsmart game, Frank."
"Bayous and bullfrogs, they certainly do want to get hold of this bullymachine of ours the worst kind, and that's a fact!" spluttered Pudge.
"But tell us about the Major, and what he agreed to do?" asked Billy.
"It's all fixed just as we figured it," replied Frank. "I want this manhere to understand what has been done, so come over to where you've gothim."
The prisoner had been watching them eagerly. He must have guessed thatFrank had been gone to settle about his fate, and, if ever a man lookednervous, he did, as the three boys advanced toward him.
"Listen to something I want you to hear," said Frank. "We know what youare, and that if you were given in charge as a spy you'd likely be shotby to-morrow morning. But we are American boys, and not at all inclinedto have the blood of a German honestly serving his Fatherland on ourhands. Do you understand what I am saying?"
"Yes, go on," muttered the man, brightening up, though still anxious.
"I have arranged it with the authorities that you will only be looked onas a petty thief. You will be held in close confinement for a few daysuntil it is certain that any information you may have picked up whilehere in this building will be useless. Then they will take you out ofthe city and set you free, with a warning never to be seen here again ifyou value your life."
Now the man's face lighted up in a smile.
"That is much better," he said, after drawing a long breath of relief."We thought you were on the side of the Allies, because you meant toturn _it_ over to the French Government."
"You must remember," said Frank impressively, "that this machine hadbeen over here, boxed but not assembled, for months before the waropened. My company had a contract with the French people, who insistedon representatives being sent across to demonstrate the new flier;otherwise they threatened to seize it, and make duplicates without ourreceiving any remuneration--the necessities of war. That is why we havecome, and are even now trying to carry out the terms of that agreement.You can tell your people that only for this our company would not dreamof making aeroplanes for one side or the other. They could not beshipped out of the United States, anyway."
"I understand your position," said the man; "and while it explains manythings it does not change our design to prevent the enemy from profitingby your improved type of machine. If by any means it can be stolen ordestroyed we believe we are only doing our duty by the Fatherland inrisking our lives to attempt it."
"Well, here comes the patrol to take you to the city prison; and,remember, you are to insist that you entered our hangar to steal, not tospy on us," Frank told him.
Boy Aviators with the Air Raiders: A Story of the Great World War Page 14