CHAPTER XIX

THE FALLING PLANE

Bright and early the next morning Blake Stewart and Joe Duncan reported as they had been instructed to do, and found their speculations of the previous day justified.

“Those films you took yesterday turned out first rate,” said Merrick, their commander. “Now, to-day, we want to get some films of territory in the rear of the German positions. Of course, you understand this will be a lot more dangerous work than you were doing yesterday. You will have a rather excellent chance of getting shot down, as the German planes in this sector are very active, and besides that they have numerous batteries of anti-aircraft guns.” As he said this, he looked at them keenly, but could find no signs of dismay in their deeply-bronzed features.

“We’ve been through some pretty bad stuff, sir, and I guess you can’t scare us away from this,” said Blake, and the officer broke into a grim smile.

“No, I think I agree with you,” he said. “Well, then, this is what I want you to do,” and he proceeded to give them full instructions.

“You will have the same machine at your disposal as you had yesterday,” he concluded, “and will be accompanied by two fast fighting planes, that will engage the enemy if you are attacked. And I want to impress on you both the necessity of getting these pictures at any cost.”

“We’ll do our very best, sir,” stated Blake, and then, the interview being at an end, the moving picture boys saluted and went in search of their outfit.

It did not take them long to get ready, and in a very short time they found themselves in the same seats they had occupied during yesterday’s flight. The two wasp-like fighting planes that had been detailed to convoy the heavier observation machine, were already aloft, their motors humming as they slowly circled, waiting for the big machine to come up.

When all was ready, Trent gave the word to the mechanician, as formerly, and the powerful plane rose from the ground and joined its companions aloft. When it had reached an altitude of about a thousand feet, the battle planes flew alongside, one on each side, and a little above, and they straightened out in a bee line for the enemy territory.

According to their orders, they were not to take any pictures until they were actually over the enemy trenches, so they had more opportunity than before to note what went on about them. They had time to drink in the magnificence of the scene spread out before them, mile after mile, as far as the eye could reach. They could also notice the masterly way in which the pilot maneuvered his machine, going up or down, slower or faster, by an almost imperceptible movement of his controlling levers. They gave little thought to the dangers that lay ahead, having learned not to cross bridges until they came to them.

All three planes were travelling fast, and it was not long before they reached the outskirts of their own lines, and then found themselves actually over German territory, as Joe afterward said, “with nothing between them and Berlin but air.”

Their cameras were all ready for business, and without any delay they started sending the new films through. As yet they had met with no opposition from the enemy, but presently they heard a loud explosion ahead and a little to one side, and felt the aeroplane rock as the disturbed air buffeted it.

The aviator gave a fleeting glance behind him, to see what his passengers were doing, but found them industriously turning the cranks of their machines, and apparently no more minding the bombardment that had now set in than he himself did. The German batteries were in full swing by this time, and little white puffs of smoke were breaking all about them. The big plane rocked and swayed, but not one of its occupants even dreamed of giving up until their objects were attained, and they held steadily onward. The two escorting planes were by now high above the heavier machine, taking their altitude so as to be ready for any Hun machines that might be lurking in the higher air strata. Several times shrapnel bullets whistled through the wings of the aeroplane, or spatted against the engine, but by good fortune none of its occupants had been hit so far, nor had any vital part of the machinery been damaged.

The boys were just starting on their last reel, when Blake, in spite of the absorption of his task, suddenly sensed that all was not well with their motor, which up to now had been roaring its deep-throated song without any sign of faltering. But now there was a hesitation and irregularity in its note that boded trouble. Blake saw the pilot lean over, evidently doing his best to remedy matters, but apparently to no avail. The “missing” of the engine became worse, and then the motor suddenly stopped altogether.

“We’ll have to land!” yelled Trent, over his shoulder. “The engine’s burnt up, and we’ve got to take ground.”

The boys felt a great sinking of the heart, for they knew that this meant capture by the Germans, and not only of themselves, but of their precious films. However, there was nothing else to be done, and they nerved themselves for what was before them.

The aeroplane volplaned swiftly, the earth seeming to rise up to meet them. Their escorting machines, of course, could do nothing to save them, and when they saw that the big machine was making a landing, they turned and headed back for the American lines.

The big observation plane took the ground gently, and was immediately surrounded by gray-coated Germans. One of these, evidently an officer, stepped forward with leveled pistol, and demanded their surrender.

Of course, there was nothing the Americans could do but accept their fate as gracefully as possible, so they stepped out of the plane, and, much as it went against the grain, gave themselves up as prisoners of war. At a gesture and guttural word of command from the German officer, they were surrounded and disarmed, and then the officer ordered a search of the aeroplane to be made. His eyes lighted up when he saw the cameras and films, for he guessed that here was a prize worth having.

As he lifted them from the machine, the soldiers guarding the Americans relaxed their vigilance for a moment, in an endeavor to see what it was that had been captured, and Blake, always on the alert, was quick to seize the opportunity thus afforded. He noted that there was a strip of thick woods some hundred yards from where they stood, and in a flash it crossed his mind that if he and his companions could reach this woods, they might make good their escape.

Stealthily he touched Joe and Trent on the arm, and glanced meaningly toward the trees. They were not slow in grasping his meaning, and suddenly all broke through the Germans surrounding them, and raced at top speed for the sheltering woods.

The slow-witted Germans were taken completely by surprise, and to a spectator it would have been comical to see their clumsy and frantic efforts to get their rifles into position and fire. They wasted several precious seconds, that were as the breath of life to the three Americans, racing for their lives. They had covered almost half the distance before the first bullets began to sing past their ears. They crouched low, and, following Blake’s example, ran in jerky zig-zags, disconcerting the aim of their enemies. But the little, steel-coated bullets were singing all about them, and the line of trees still seemed a long way off. Suddenly the aviator, Trent, gave a sharp cry, staggered on a few steps with his own momentum, and then crumpled to the ground.

Grief was in the boys’ hearts, but they knew that to stop would only sacrifice their own lives, without in any way benefitting Trent, who, indeed, had received a bullet through the head and was dead before he struck the ground.

With a final desperate burst of speed, the two boys dashed forward, and found themselves at last in the shelter of the friendly trees, and for the moment hidden from their pursuers. Their position was still a desperate one, however, for they were in the enemy’s territory, surrounded on all sides, and totally ignorant of the extent or direction of the woods in which they now found themselves. The underbrush was very heavy, however, and after running a short distance further, they buried themselves in it, and lay quiet, getting back their wind, and listening to the angry shouts and cries of their pursuers as they beat about in the brushwood, in a vain attempt to locate their elusive captives. But they were soon recalled by their officers, and at the time the boys were greatly surprised at this, although later they found out the reason for it.

After they had recovered from their strenuous race against death, and the sounds of pursuit had died down, Blake and Joe set out on an exploring expedition, making, as well as they could, in the general direction of their own lines. They went, very cautiously, stopping often to listen for any sign of enemy life. They were not molested, but had not been traveling in this way for much more than an hour, when they saw light through the trees in front of them, and shortly found that they were near the boundary of the little patch of woods, beyond which was only open country.

They glanced at each other, and Blake remarked: “Looks as though we had gone about as far as is good for us in this direction, doesn’t it?”

“Sure does,” assented Joe briefly. “What do you think we had better do now?”

“It seems to me our best plan will be to skirt around the edge of this little forest glade,” said Blake, “and get an idea of just how big it is. If it isn’t any more extensive than I think it is just now, we are emphatically out of luck. And think of those dandy films, gone!”

“Out of luck is right,” assented Joe. “But, at any rate, we may be able to make a break at night, and get back to our own lines.”

“That’s about our one best bet,” agreed Blake soberly. “We’ll find out how we stand now, and after dark we’ll see what we can do. If only we had our films,” he added regretfully.

“I guess we can say good-bye to them,” said Joe sadly. “We’ll be mighty lucky to get out of this alive.”

“Well, never say die,” quoted Blake, and without more words the two comrades set out to ascertain the extent of the woods in which they now found themselves. As Blake had anticipated, they covered less than a square mile, and it did not take them long to ascertain this fact. Peering out from the edges, they could see masses of German infantry and artillery out in the open, and suddenly a thought struck Joe.

“I’ll tell you why they did not hunt for us longer!” he exclaimed. “Their leader figured that we’d either have to come out and surrender, or else starve in here, so he wasn’t particularly anxious to capture us just then. He figured he had us either way.”

“Guess that’s it,” said Blake, who had little doubt that his friend was right. “Besides, he had the films, and I suppose he was anxious to get them to headquarters and see what they were.”

“Well, we may fool him yet,” said Joe grimly. “It’s fairly certain that we won’t stay here to starve to death, and also pretty likely that we won’t surrender without having a try for liberty, anyway. How about it, old fellow?”

“Right you are!” agreed Blake heartily; “as soon as it gets dark, we’ll make our attempt, and see what comes of it. I only wish we had Trent along with us,” and his face saddened as he thought of the untimely end of the gallant aviator.

Both moving picture boys realized the necessity of conserving their strength for the ordeal that lay before them, so they hunted out a dense growth of underbrush, and crawled in. Thus snugly hidden, they waited for the coming of night to start their dash for freedom. From afar off they heard the thunder of guns, knew that a big battle was in progress, and wished that they were back where they could become part of it. The shadows gradually lengthened, as the afternoon wore on, and after what seemed an interminable period, the boys knew that the time had come for them to make their venture. By this time they were both as hungry as young wolves, but wasted little time in regretting this condition, as they saw little prospect of remedying it just at present.

Creeping cautiously out from their brush shelter, they advanced to the edge of the woods, and peered out.

##