by E. J. Craine
CHAPTER XIII. A DARING SCHEME
Tom sat up on his bunk and looked across at Jack, who was just showingsigns of returning consciousness--that is, he was getting awake. It wasthe morning after the successful discovery of the hidden German battery,and since this exploit the two lads had not been required to go on duty.
"What's the matter?" asked Jack, opening his eyes and looking at hischum. "Has the mail come in? Any letters?"
"No. I was just thinking," remarked Tom, and though his eyes were fixedon Jack it was clear that his thoughts were somewhere else.
"Thinking, Tom? That's bad business. Have you seen the doctor?"
"Oh, shut off your gas!" ordered Tom. "You're side slipping. First youknow you'll come down in a tail spin and I'll have to be looking for anew partner."
"It's as serious as all that, is it?" asked Jack, as he began to dress."Well, in that case I withdraw my observation. Go ahead. How's thevisibility?"
"Low. We won't have to go up to-day, unless it clears."
"Um. And I was counting on getting a few Huns right after breakfast.Well, what's your think about, if you really were indulging in thatexpensive pastime?"
"I was," said Tom, and he got up and also proceeded to put on hisclothes. "I was thinking about Harry."
"Oh!" and Jack's voice was decidedly different. It had lost all itsflippant tone. "Say, he certainly is in tough luck. I wish we could dosomething for him--and his sister. Doubtless you were thinking of her,too," and a little smile curled his lips.
"Yes, I was thinking of Nellie," conceded Tom, and he was so bold andfrank about it that Jack choked back the joke that he was about to make."I was thinking that we haven't done very much to redeem our promise."
"But how can we?" asked Jack. "We haven't had a chance to do anything torescue Harry. Of course I want to do that as much as you do, but how isit to be done? Can you answer me that?"
"We can't do it by just talking," said Tom. "That's what I've beenthinking about. A scheme came to me in the night, and I've been waitingto tell you about it."
"Shoot then, my pickled blunderbuss," returned Jack. "I'm with you tothe last drop of petrol."
"Well, I don't know that it's so much," said Tom. "It's only that weought to get word to Harry, somehow, that we're thinking of him andtrying to plan some way of rescuing him. We ought to tell him his sisteris here, too, and, at the same time we might drop him something to smokeand a cake or two of chocolate."
Jack looked at his chum in amazement. Then he burst out with:
"Say, while you're at it why don't you send him a piano, and anautomobile, too, so he can ride home when he wants to? What do youmean--getting word to him? Don't you know that the beastly Huns willhold up the mail as they please, and anything else we might send. Theydon't even let the Red Cross packages go through until they get good andready. Talk about your barbarians!"
"Oh, I wasn't thinking of the mail," replied Tom.
"No? What then?"
"Why, we know where he is held a prisoner--at least we have the name ofthe prison camp, and he may be there unless he's been transferred. Ofcourse that's possible, but it's worth taking a chance on."
"A chance on what?" asked Jack, "You haven't explained yet. What do youplan to do?"
"Fly over the place where Harry is held a prisoner and drop down apackage and some letters to him," said Tom. "Now wait until you hearit all before you say it can't be done!" he went on quickly, for Jackseemed about to interrupt.
"If Harry is held where he was first made a prisoner, it's a big place,and there are thousands of our captives there, as well as French andBritish. Well, where there are so many they have to have a big stockadeto pen 'em in, worse luck. And dropping a bomb on a big place is easierthan dropping one on a small object."
"Say! Suffering snuffle-boxes!" cried Jack. "You don't mean to drop abomb in Harry's prison, camp, do you? Do you think he might possiblyescape in the confusion?"
"Nothing like that," said Tom. "I mean drop a package containing somesmokes, some chocolate and a letter telling him we haven't forgottenhim and that we're going to try to rescue him, and for him to be on thelookout. That could be done."
"How?"
"By us flying over the place in our speedy Spad. We needn't make a verybig package, though the more of something to eat we can give him thebetter, for those Boches starve our men. Let's get a week off--thecommanding officer will let us go. We can go to our old escadrille andmake arrangements to start from there. The boys will help us all theycan."
"Oh, there's no doubt about that," assented Jack. "They all liked Harryas much as we did. But I can't see that your scheme will succeed. It's arisky one."
"All the more reason why it ought to succeed," declared Tom. "It's thefellows who take chances who get by. Now let's see if we can get a fewhours off to go to Paris."
"Go to Paris? What for?"
"To see Nellie Leroy and have her write her brother a letter. It will bebetter to have one come direct from her than for us merely to give himnews of her in one of our notes."
"Yes," agreed Jack, "I guess it would. And I begin to see which way thewind blows. You wish to see Nellie."
"Oh, you make me tired!" exclaimed Tom. "All you can think of is girls!I tell you I'm doing this for Harry!"
"And I believe you, old top, and what's more, I'm with you from the wordgo. It's a crazy scheme and a desperate one, but for that very reason itmay succeed. The only thing is that we may not get permission to carryit out."
"Oh, I don't intend that anyone shall know what our game is," returnedTom. "Of course the authorities would squash it in a minute. No, we'llhave to keep dark about that. All we need is permission to do a littleflying 'on our own,' for a while."
"Suppose they won't let us do that?"
"Oh, I think they will, after what we did yesterday," said Tom. "Comeon, let's get ready to go to Paris."