The Boy Volunteers with the French Airmen Part 13

The trip was a weary one all through the night, as they seemed to stop at every station, although it was the fast express. The intense excitement of the people all along the line; the pa.s.sing of trains; the crying out of the latest news; and the bustle of the new arrivals in the already crowded compartments, made sleep impossible. The sun had been up two hours before the station of St. Dizier was announced.

The boys were out and scampering along the platform ahead of most of the crowd. As they pa.s.sed out the end of the station they noticed a sign on a train: "For Bar-le-Duc, 10 o'clock."

"Let's see where that place is," said Alfred.

The information was obtained. It was twenty kilometers northeast.

"That's the place we must go; it's twenty miles toward Verdun, and now is our time," said Ralph.

"Let's have something to eat first," said Alfred.

After the meal they booked for Bar-le-Duc, and this train started promptly. Only two coaches were reserved for civilians, the others being filled with soldiers. The town, which was reached shortly before noon, had the appearance of an armed camp. Here they received the startling news that the Germans were at St. Mihiel, thirty-five miles northeast of that place.

There was no sign of panic there, however. Verdun, Toul and Nancy were still intact, and there was no fear that either place would yield.

Before they had been in the city an hour they saw a dozen or more airplanes overhead, and it was not long thereafter until they learned that one of the most famous stations belonging to the flyers was located north of the place. A conveyance was readily obtained, as a line of busses paralleled the railway track, and in another hour they were on the plateau where the great hangars were located.

As they were crossing the field, and approaching the first tier of hangars the boys noticed the two men whose conversation had been overheard in the Continental hotel. "They are the very men," said Alfred; "I wonder what they are here for?"

The men stopped and looked at the boys for an instant. Ralph approached them and said, with a smile: "You beat us here after all."

The men appeared to be puzzled at being thus addressed. Alfred saw that they did not understand Ralph's greeting, and said: "We are under obligations to you for telling us how to get here, and I want to thank you."

"I don't exactly understand," said one of the men.

"We heard you talking about making this trip, and as we wanted to get to the front without knowing just how to do it, your conversation helped us out," said Ralph.

"I'll bet you're American boys," said one of them, laughing.

"Indeed, we are," said Alfred.

"Belong to the service?" asked the other.

"Oh, yes," answered Ralph,--"that is, we did belong to it."

"Which branch?" asked the man.

"Messenger service in Belgium, aviation and trench service with the English, and Red Cross in the French army," answered Alfred.

This response was answered by hearty laughter on the part of both men, and one of them responded: "That is a pretty comprehensive service, I should say."

"Where are you from?" asked the other.

"New York," answered Ralph. "Why, you look like Americans, too."

"We're from the same place," was the answer.

"And you look like newspaper men," remarked Alfred.

"That's a good guess," was the reply. "But how did you know?" he asked.

"I saw you taking notes as we walked across the field," answered Alfred.

"Good inference," he replied. "Are you looking for a job?"

"Yes, we're going into the aviation service," answered Ralph, with all the a.s.surance of a winner.

"See you again," was the final reply, as the two men left them.

"Now, I wonder if they have any American flags at this place?" remarked Ralph.

They marched back and forth without a sign of that much desired emblem.

At one of the hangars two men were tugging at a machine, and slowly bringing it out of the hangar. Without a word the boys sprang forward and a.s.sisted in the operation, an act which brought thanks from the men.

Then, more in curiosity than anything else, they slowly walked around the machine and examined its construction.

The aviator watched them for a few moments. Evidently, to his mind, the boys knew all about flying machines, or, at least, must have had some acquaintance with them. This seemed to interest him, and he began a conversation with them. He soon learned their history, and bestowed words of praise on them for what they had done.

"So you want to be aviators, eh?" he inquired.

"Yes, and we'll do anything to get in," said Alfred.

"To be aviators in the service of the Government it will be necessary to take the Regulation course," said the man.

"There isn't time for that," said Ralph. "We can help out now, even if we don't do any flying, can't we?"

The man chuckled. "I suppose you can tighten up bolts, examine, and stretch the stay wires, and things like that?" he remarked.

"As well as take out the engine and overhaul it," added Ralph.

"Well, yes; that's a pretty good job; do you think you could do that?"

he asked.

"Why, yes; we know something about it," replied Ralph.

"Well, stay around here; we want some handy fellows; but I'm afraid you'll have a hard job to get on the pay roll," he added.

"Never mind about that end of it; we want to be doing something; that's the main thing," said Alfred.

It would not be interesting to go through the long details of work that the boys entered into under those circ.u.mstances. Each day for more than two months the boys found plenty of work to do. They became general favorites at the camp, and while their services were not recognized in an official way, as the regulations did not permit of the employment of minors, still, in view of the fact that they had such an interesting history, and had entered into the work with such zest the commandant at the station permitted them to remain, and eventually provided them with rations and quarters, to which was added a small pay, such as attached to those in the messenger service.

During this period the boys had many opportunities to go aloft on practice drills, and on more than one occasion they had the privilege of operating the machines while in flight, accompanied, of course, by the regular pilots. Attached to the station were a half-dozen machines used for the purpose of teaching control, and to enable pupils to become familiar with the handling of the machines. They were designed merely to skim the ground, the power being so limited that they could not be raised from the ground except for very short glides. These the boys frequently used, and the experienced aviators were greatly pleased at their wonderful progress. It was a strict rule, however, that none but regularly licensed aviators should pilot the government machines, and that prohibited them from handling the machines on regular service.

It was during the second week of the third month that the boys had the first opportunity of showing their capabilities. During a trial flight with sub-lieutenant Guyon, while at an alt.i.tude of five thousand feet, Ralph noticed the machine dart downwardly, and, glancing back, saw Guyon's head fall forward, and his hand drop from the lever.

Without waiting to inform Alfred he crawled out of the pit, and seizing the control lever, pushed it back in time to bring the ship to an even keel. Alfred saw the motion, and followed Ralph. Together they succeeded in drawing the pilot to one side, thus enabling Ralph to let himself down into the position which enabled him to handle the lateral controls, that were operated by the feet.

With Ralph thus fully in control of the machine, Alfred turned his attention to poor Guyon, who tried to raise his head, and occasionally gasped, as though trying to recover his breath. It was not until the machine was nearing the earth that he opened his eyes, and seemed to realize his position, but he was too weak to give any instructions or render a.s.sistance.

Ralph made a good landing, and the moment the machine ceased to move Alfred jumped from it, and ran to the office of the surgeon.