He spent the next hour making a very careful examination of the ground for a hundred yards around. He knew, none better, the immense labour of carting that mass of bullion any distance and, at the end of an hour, he was quite convinced that the gold had not been buried within that radius of the hen-house during the last fortnight; no place in the rough grass showed that turfs of it had been cut away and replaced, and the bare ground was firm and smooth, showing not the least sign of disturbance.
Very thoughtfully he strolled back through the workshops. At the entrance of one he saw Rex talking to a man he recognised as a friend of Matias Falcon’s, and a mechanic in Air Force uniform. A few moments later he came upon Falcon himself and had a word with him. The Syndicalist was extremely nervous in spite of Richard’s friendly attitude and protested that he had changed his views; he was a strong Nationalist now. Richard thought it a little strange that Matias had escaped being shot, but he made no comment.
That night, in celebration of Richard’s safe return from the clutches of the Reds, he and Rex were invited to dine in the Air Force mess. Richard was not an airman of Rex’s standing but he had flown his own plane for the last ten years, so he knew quite enough of flying technicalities to understand the airmen’s jargon. They fêted the two cousins with genuine Spanish hospitality and it proved a merry evening.
Towards its close Rex declared that since his cousin had turned up safe and sound there was nothing to detain him longer in Valmojado, but they had all been so good to him that he would really like to strike a blow for the Nationalist cause before he left Spain.
Richard was extremely interested in this strange announcement, but to his intense annoyance Don Baltazar button-holed him at the moment for more stories of Red atrocities. In consequence, he was unable to hear Rex’s further discussion with Ramon de Leon and two German officers.
When they were back in their billet and getting undressed for the night Richard asked, “What’s all this about your turning Nationalist and wanting to perform heroics in their cause? I thought you were fed up with the war.”
“So I am,” grinned Rex, “but I’ve got a big idea about how to quit this dorp with speed and comfort. You be on the airfield at a quarter to nine tomorrow and I’ll give you the low-down on it. Found the golden hoard yet?”
“No,” Richard confessed.
“And you never will, old son. I’m hitting the trail for home day after tomorrow. You’d better chuck this wild-goose chase and come along too.”
“Tempter,” smiled Richard. “I’d love to, but it can’t be done—at least, not till I feel I can quit with a clear conscience.”
Before eight next morning he was closeted with Jacinto, who listened with fury and amazement to the news of the complete disappearance of his hen-house. He reproached himself bitterly for allowing all four members of his old secret squad to go off to the war directly they had a chance to join the approaching army of the Nationalists. Had they remained until the town was taken they would have kept an eye upon the place after he was wounded but, since that occurred, there had been no one in the secret left to watch it.
The old Carlist could offer no new theory and was inclined to accept Richard’s—that the place had been blown down and pillaged piecemeal. The factory had certainly been shelled but there had been no hand-to-hand fighting there. The company of Militia which had occupied it for a week had retired when the Nationalists were still a mile off which further supported the idea that they might have been loaded down with gold and had had a special reason for not wishing to risk themselves in fresh fighting.
Richard inquired how it was that Matias and several of his Syndicalist friends had managed to save their skins and were still working in the factory.
“We made a pact, Señor” Jacinto smiled. “Matias and his friends, myself and a few of the other older men. They stood by us and gave us their protection, swearing we were all good fellows and pro-Government, when the Reds were at their killing before falling back on Madrid. In return we stood by them and swore they were all pro-Nationalist when the Nationalists arrived and their execution squads were purging the town.”
“That was a darned sensible thing to do.”
“Had we not done so there would have been few of the old hands alive at the factory now. During the many weeks since the Committee was formed we all worked well together on such work as there was to do; although that was little enough owing to lack of raw material. We disagreed in some ways but we had no wish to kill each other and the arrangement saved us all. Matias is a good worker and they have made him foreman now.”
“So I hear, and he should do well provided he keeps a still tongue in his head.” Richard stood up. “I must be off now. I’ve got a date at the airfield.”
Ten minutes later he joined Rex, who was pacing up and down before the row of hangars, and asked at once, “Well, what’s the ‘big feller’ been hatching? If the idea’s in proportion to your size in suits, it ought to be pretty hot.”
“It sure is,” said Rex. “It’s a wow and then some. Like to give a guess?”
“From the way you’re eyeing those hangars I should say the criminal instinct you term your brain had conceived the idea of stealing one of General Franco’s planes.”
“Say now!” Rex protested in a hurt voice. “You’ve got me all wrong, Richard. I wouldn’t do a thing like that.”
“Huh! Wouldn’t you? I seem to remember an occasion when you pinched a perfectly good war-plane off the Soviet Government.”
“Well, that was different. We had to get away from the Bolshies somehow and they were such darn poor hosts—not like these folk at all.”
“True enough, and these people aren’t after our blood anyhow. Is there any reason why you shouldn’t wait till I’ve satisfied myself the gold’s not here, and leave with me by car?”
“Yep. Out of loyalty to the Duke you may decide to stick around here for a fortnight, just as I’ve stuck around for a fortnight on Simon’s account.”
“You’re right there. I may have to confess failure but I won’t do that before I can honestly say I’ve exhausted every line of investigation I could think of.”
“O.K. An’ I’m not waiting till you have. I’ve done all I can do already. That old carrion-crow, Don Baltazar’s, seen my picture in a news-sheet some time and if he remembers where, it might prove mighty awkward. What’s more, each day I stick on here there’s a chance someone who’s escaped from Madrid may turn up and recognise me as having played along with the Government boys there. Then it’s me for the firing-squad. That wouldn’t be so pretty. I’m fed up with the war and I’m lighting out of here tomorrow. You can come with me or not as you like.”
“Well, if you’re not going to pinch a plane and you won’t wait to come with me by car, how are you going? You might be able to cadge a lift here and there, but this is central Spain and to reach any of the frontiers means the hell of a long walk.”
“To the cheers of the assembled thousands I’m sailing straight out of here in the Lord Mayor’s coach.”
“What the devil are you talking about?”
“That’s my name for her, but the Jerries all call her The Flying Sow’—take your choice.”
“Then you are going to pinch a plane.”
“I’m not, I keep telling you. I’m going to be given it free, gratis and for nothing with a whole lot of bombs thrown in. At least. I’m going to be loaned it for the laudable purpose of blasting the guts out of the women and children of Madrid.”
“So that’s the idea. D’you really think they’ll let you take one of their planes up?”
“Sure. They saw me stunting in my own before they borrowed it—and lost it. They know I could make rings round any of them as a pilot. When I put it up to them in the mess last night they gave me the ‘big hand’ and suggested I took the Flying Sow up for a trial spin this forenoon.”
“Damn clever scheme, I admit. Actually, of course, you simply mean to hop over to Government territory in it?�
��
“Not on your life. When I go up in that flying omnibus tomorrow I’m saying good-bye to Spain for a long, long time.”
“You really mean to quit, then?”
“I certainly do.”
“But, Rex, this is stealing a plane every bit as much as if you laid out a couple of sentries to get it. The only difference is you’ve thought up a dam smart way to avoid trouble at the start. I’m with the Nationalists, remember, and honestly I don’t see how I can stand by and watch you make off with one of Franco’s planes.”
“Don’t you, sweetheart? And how are you going to stop me? By shooting the works that I’m Red Rex of Bolshiville? I can’t see you doing it.”
“No,” Richard admitted. “You’ve got me there.”
“There she is!” Rex pointed to a huge machine that was being towed out of a hangar by a motor tractor. “That’s the Lord Mayor’s coach I’m going home in.”
“What! That thing?” Richard stared in amazement. The mighty four-engined German monoplane had a wing-span of over two hundred feet and was larger than any air-liner he had ever seen.
After a second he burst out, “Now, Rex, play fair. That Flying Fortress must have cost thousands. The Nationalists will have to pay for all these machines in the long run, and in the meantime they’ve got their war to fight. It’s a lousy trick to go and bilk them out of their prize bomber. Take a plane if you like, they owe you one anyhow for losing yours, but take one that’s a reasonable size and didn’t cost the earth.”
Rex grinned down from his superior height. “Talk sense,” he said kindly. ‘I’m treating these folks on the level. Mind, as I’m pro-Government I’d be justified in stinging them for the best bus they’ve got. But they’ve been mighty decent to me so I’m not going to. There’re two of these Flying Sows and they’re a drug in the market. There’ll be a lot of Happy Huns here when they tumble to it that at least one of their white elephants isn’t coming back.”
“I don’t get you. It looks brand new and a beautiful thing. It’s got simply lovely lines.”
“Sure, it has; but that’s the only good thing about it.”
“Why? The Germans are first-class designers.”
“They certainly are, and it isn’t the designers’ fault. Quite a lot of countries went all wrong in just the same way. They only thought of bigger and better bombs, so they built a few of these grandfather planes to carry them. The thing they left out of their calculations was the enormously increased speed of the modern fighter. That thing there can cruise at a hundred and sixty miles an hour carrying a load of twelve tons, but what the hell’s the good of that when a chaser plane can do getting on for four hundred?”
“I see. They haven’t turned out a practical proposition for war purposes, then?”
“Not now chasers can climb so fast. Even if they don’t get off the earth before the bombs drop they can be making rings round one of these sky whales inside fifteen minutes. That’s why all these guys here are so scared of their Flying Sows. They took this one up once just before I arrived here and a couple of fast Russians got up from Madrid after her. They had the fright of their lives and would never’ve lived to sink another lager if some of their fighters hadn’t been on hand to tackle the Bolshies. She’s not been out of the hangar since and they just hate the sight of her.”
“The German Air Staff must know the type’s a failure.”
“Sure. That bunch is wise to most things in air fighting.”
“Then why the devil should they have sent these Flying Sows to Spain?”
“You poor fish!” Rex winked cheerfully. “Use that head of yours to do some thinking. The Nazis want the Nationalists to win, don’t they? Then they’ve got to encourage ’em and lend half a hand here and there. But d’you think the German General Staff are such mutts as to give a free exhibition of their newest and most deadly weapons for the benefit of all the International Observers that are sitting around watching this war? Is it likely?”
“No,” Richard agreed. “It certainly is not. The situation is then, that you’re taking a virtually useless plane. But why ever did you pick on such a big one?”
“Because I had the sense to see they wouldn’t stand for me taking any other. They’ve plenty of use for the smaller stuff themselves whereas these Flying Sows are nobody’s babies. They want to be able to say they’ve used one but none of them want to risk their own necks in it. That I’m a competent pilot they haven’t a doubt, so when I volunteer to do their dirty work they just think I’m either a mad Americano or one big hero.”
Richard laughed. “It looks to me as if they’re right. You’ll be in a hell of a mess if some of those Russian chasers get after you.”
“I’m risking that. But I should worry. I meant to lighten her up a lot by unshipping ever scrap of surplus gear and not taking any crew. She’ll be a brute to handle if I do meet trouble but the other side’ll have to send up real crack men to get me.”
“You couldn’t pilot that thing and bomb Madrid all on your own.”
“I’m not going to bomb Madrid.”
“No, but they’ll expect you to take a bomber.”
“Sure. That’s where you come in.”
“Thank you. No!” said Richard decisively. “I’ve still got a job of work to do here.”
“Then I’ll take a volunteer from among the men.”
“And have him force you to turn back at the point of a gun directly he finds you don’t mean to bomb Madrid at all?”
“Plenty of lads here who’re pro-Government on the q.t. and would give their eyes for a lift out of this dorp.”
“So that’s the game.”
“Yep.”
The Flying Sow had been out in the open for some minutes with a dozen mechanics busy about her. As Rex turned to walk over to the big plane, he added, “Those guys in the mess last night thought I was only a bit tight and bragging. They had grins on them like Cheshire cats when they tackled me about it this morning, but I soon smoothed their faces out when I told them I’d take her out for a trial as soon as they could get her ready. Like to come up for a flip?”
‘I’ll try any drink once,” said Richard.
The monster plane was not loaded with bombs but its full crew was in attendance. All six of the German pilots and a number of the Spaniards were present to watch the ascent. There was a lot of good-humoured chaff when Rex and Richard climbed into the huge machine.
Another three-quarters of an hour passed before her mechanics declared the plane ready and a German officer, named Fritz von Auerbach, took off with her, Rex sitting beside him. She was a two-decker and Richard roamed from one deck to the other exploring at his leisure. At three thousand feet Rex took over the controls and it was soon plain to the German that he was perfectly capable of handling her. He put her through her paces but attempted no monkey tricks and very sensibly did not attempt to fly anywhere near the battle-line, keeping well to the south of Valmojado.
After twenty-five minutes he brought her back to her base and persuaded von Auerbach to let him make the landing. It was a very tricky business with such a weighty machine but he accomplished it most creditably. Ramon de Leon, who had accompanied them, declared himself quite satisfied that Rex could make the short hop to Madrid and back without any trouble at all and it was agreed that he should be allowed to do so on the following day.
Fast pursuit by the enemy would be the only danger but a very definite one, and Rex set about enumerating the gear he wanted unshipped to give the plane greater speed, while Richard went off on his own concerns.
He did not rest during the siesta and took only twenty minutes off for lunch. Apart from that short interval he spent his entire time between half-past ten and six o’clock in making an exhaustive examination of the factory and the land about it. This painstaking survey convinced him that the gold was certainly not concealed anywhere in the factory buildings or buried near by.
He then went to have another look at the Flying Sow, which had been ru
n back into its hangar. It was amazing to think that one man could control this giant of the skies and guide it with a touch of the hand when it was thousands of feet up in the air, but Richard knew that, apart from taking off and landing, the actual flying of such a monster in decent weather presented even less difficulty than driving a car along a road There was the question of navigation, but both he and Rex were well qualified in that and once a course was set her gyroscopes would keep her steadier than any human hand could do. That was one of the big advantages she had over a small plane; she was equipped with every conceivable safety device and scientific instrument to ensure that once up she would practically fly herself.
A German sergeant-mechanic took Richard to see the long rows of huge bombs lying in racks at the back of the hangar. Richard had heard that bombs up to five hundred pounds in weight apiece were being manufactured in some countries but these were approximately five hundred and sixty pounds each. No squad of men could possibly have lifted one, but from the time of their manufacture they were hardly touched by hand. They were loaded into lorries, ships or railway trucks by crane, and at their destination were transferred by chain pulleys to hand trolleys specially made for the purpose. The trolleys, in due course, could be run under the bomber where other chain pulleys lifted the bombs into position ready for flight. As Richard looked at the huge projectiles a shudder ran down his spine. A single one of them was capable of fanning down a whole row of houses, and the sergeant said that the Flying Sow could carry forty-eight.
The Golden Spaniard Page 42