The Boy Volunteers with the French Airmen Part 14

"Something is the matter with the lieutenant!" he cried, as he entered the door.

"What is the trouble? Where is he?" asked the surgeon, as he moved out of the door in response to Alfred's appeal.

"He was taken sick while we were in the air," said Alfred.

"And how did you happen to get down safely?" asked the surgeon.

"We took charge of the machine," replied Alfred.

"Who are _we_?" he asked.

"Ralph and myself; we were up with him."

The lieutenant was being taken from the machine when the surgeon arrived. Restoratives were at once applied, and within a half hour the attack seemed to wear itself away, and he began to show a normal color.

His eyes rested on Alfred when he awoke from the first quiet nap, and raising his hand approvingly said: "That was a good job, Alfred; couldn't have been better."

"What do you mean?" asked Alfred.

"You brought us down all right, I mean," he replied.

"Oh, Ralph did that," was the reply of Alfred.

"Well, no matter; you fellows didn't get rattled; that's the main thing," said the lieutenant.

An incident of this kind could not remain a secret long in a camp of this character. The Commandant took particular occasion to commend them for their performance, and it was a long step in their favor when the corps moved to the north to take its place in the great aviation camp directly south of Verdun.

CHAPTER VIII

AN AEROPLANE AMIDST THE LIGHTNINGS

Two days after the occurrence related in the preceding chapter, the first section of the Corps was ordered to proceed to the Verdun station.

Lieutenant Guyon belonged to this part of the force, and, as he had now recovered, was instrumental in securing the a.s.signment of the boys to his care.

"Then we can go along?" asked Ralph, with some doubts and misgivings, as they were packing the belongings of the lieutenant.

"I have arranged that," said the lieutenant.

"What is that?" asked Alfred, who appeared at the door of the hangar.

"We are going," shouted Ralph.

"Yes; you might as well get your things packed and put them in the machine," said the lieutenant.

The boys laughed, for outside of a few trinkets, and underclothing, they had nothing of importance to take along. They remarked that it was singular how few things seemed to be really needed, traveling, as they did, from place to place at a moment's notice.

"When do you intend to start?" asked Ralph.

"Whenever we are ready," was the reply. "We intend to leave in squadron formation and manoeuver for an hour, and afterwards each is to make for the station on his own hook."

Shortly thereafter the first signal was given. The machine was pushed out and lined up. At the second signal the machines were mounted. At the third tap the motors began to hum, and soon there was a movement in the whole line. It was a splendid spectacle, as the machines left the ground, and rose majestically toward the west, the direction from which the wind was blowing.

The manoeuvers were particularly interesting to the boys, and the lieutenant led his section in the formation during the entire practice until the captain's flag on the great Duperdessun indicated that the machines were free. After making a great sweep to the west the lieutenant turned to the left, encircling the town, and pointed due east.

Before they had proceeded fifteen kilometers, something happened to the engine, for it ceased to hum. They were then at an alt.i.tude of a mile, and inability to start the motor made it necessary for them to volplane to the earth. Sighting a considerable town to the left, which was located south of a ca.n.a.l, the machine was directed toward a smooth, open field, not far from the environs, and after landing they learned that the place was Ligny-en-Barrois.

It was found that through some accident the petrol tank had started a leak, and that the liquid was slowly oozing out during the flight, without giving the first indication until the engines failed. It was just the kind of an accident which necessitated the removal of the reservoir in order to make the proper repair.

"Which is the fastest machine?" asked Alfred, while they were waiting for the return of the reservoir.

"The Morane, by all means," replied the lieutenant.

"I thought the Caudrons were the best?" remarked Ralph.

"It depends on what you mean by _best_," answered the lieutenant. "The different machines are used for various purposes, and while speed is important, there are other things just as necessary."

"What other things?" asked Alfred.

"Well, bomb-dropping for one thing; then, some machines are better adapted than others for directing artillery fire, or for using machine guns," said the lieutenant.

"The captain has a Caudron," said Alfred, "and he doesn't use a gun on it either."

"No; the Caudron is admirably adapted for observations, and is used almost wholly in France for directing artillery fire," answered the lieutenant.

"It seems to me that this machine is good for observing," said Ralph.

"Yes; and it is used for that purpose, but it is now being put to use for photographing purposes,--that is, most of the Maurice Farman types are so used," answered the lieutenant.

"Why is that?" asked Alfred.

"For two reasons; first, because you will see we can get a good view downward; and, second, because it is the most stable machine in flight, the latter making it especially well adapted to take good views,"

replied the lieutenant.

"Which are the largest ships?" asked Ralph.

"The Voisin and the Breguet, by all means. They are able to carry heavy loads, and are used as bomb-dropping machines, as their fuselages are especially well adapted to carry and release the missiles," said the lieutenant.

"But I saw a Voisin at one of the hangars which had a big gun on it,"

said Ralph.

"Ah, that was the Voisin Cannon, which carries a 37-millimetre gun,"

said the lieutenant. "That is used for bombarding captive balloons and Zeppelins, if the latter should ever make their appearance."

"A 37-millimetre gun?" repeated Alfred.