PURSUIT
As the Eagle circled about in a widening spiral Harry and Jack looked
over the rim of the fuselage at the country spreading like a gigantic
map in bas-relief beneath them.
A tiny glow from the cowl lamp in front of the pilot's position showed
Ned that the Eagle was now headed almost directly west, while the
indicators showed an altitude of approximately three thousand feet. At
a speed approximating forty miles per hour the great bird-like machine
winged its way with its burden of adventurers.
"Tell you what, boys," Jack said presently, growing weary of trying to
discover features in the obscurity below that covered the landscape,
"this makes me feel just like I imagine that old guy must have felt
when he went out after the Golden Fleece or something or other."
"Who was that?" asked Harry as he reached for the binoculars for the
purpose of scanning their position in the hope of discerning some
indication of their whereabouts. "What are you talking about?"
"Well, I guess it was Jason," answered Jack. "Remember the stories Ned
was reading to us about those old Greeks and others?"
"Oh, yes, now I do remember. But where do we resemble him?"
"Well, he went out after a great prize, and we are after the same sort
of thing, only with us we want live game. We are after the prize of
Jimmie's freedom and safety."
"Good thought!" cried Ned. "And, like the chap in the story, I am sure
we'll go after the prize with the same determination and resolve to win
out at all costs."
"You're right, we will!" exclaimed Harry with vigor. "We won't rest
content until we have Jimmie away from those German Uhlans!"
"And Dave, too!" put in Jack. "We can't forget the fact that he wants
to get back as well as Jimmie. And he's done us pretty good service,
while we're speaking about him."
"That he has," declared Ned. "I wonder just where those two young
rascals may be at this minute. I hope we're not running ahead of them
and missing them in the running."
"They were going west by train unless Jimmie was greatly mistaken when
he gave us those signals from the hilltop," said Jack. "Now, if they
got going soon after we dropped Dave into their camp, we ought to be
able to see their train soon."
"Are we anywhere near the line of railroad?" asked Harry, peering
through the glasses in an effort to sweep the surrounding country.
"We are not a great distance away, at any rate," answered Ned as he
gave a touch to the levers to straighten the Eagle from a dip due to
running into an air pocket. "It should be near here, I think."
"I think I can see an illumination away to the southward that looks
like it might be a locomotive," announced Harry.
"Let me have the glasses a moment," requested Jack. "Maybe I can pick
up something. But," he added, "I think the railroad will be more to
the northward. We passed Cracow some time ago."
"Guess you're right, after all," agreed Harry. "Take a look over to
the northward and see what you can see."
"More than likely," said Jack, preparing to shift his position
slightly, the better to observe the landscape to the northward, "it'll
be a case of the bear going over the mountain to see what he could see.
The other side of the mountain is about all we can discover. In this
darkness we can't get much of a view."
"It won't do any harm to look, anyway," ventured Harry.
Jack accordingly raised the binoculars and swept the northward section
of the country. Nothing could be seen that was of interest, and he
swung around, the better to complete his view.
"Great smokes!" he ejaculated as he peered toward the rear. "If
they're not coming after us, I'll be a Dutchman myself!"
"Who?" asked Ned eagerly. "Can you see the train?"
"Train nothing!" declared Jack. "It's those bloomin' Dutchmen from the
village! They've evidently got a supply of gasoline to replace what we
stole and are coming up like a greyhound after a rabbit. That's some
speedy plane they've got!"
"Can you see how many men are riding?" asked Ned.
"Can't make them out," replied Jack. "Suppose you look a bit. My eyes
get tired from the strain. Guess I look too hard."
"Take the levers a minute," requested Ned, "and I'll see what I can
see. Maybe they're not after us at all."
"Well, if they're not after us, they stick to the trail most remarkably
close, that's all I can say!" remarked Jack as he prepared to take
Ned's place at the pilot's position.
"I can see them now," announced Ned as he leveled the glasses at the
pursuing plane. "They are getting nearer all the while. It seems to
me I can discover three men in it, too."
"I suppose they're too far away to discover what they look like,"
suggested Harry, "I can just see the machine now myself."
"It's pretty hard to tell what they are," said Ned, "only they seem to
be pretty well protected with helmets and heavy clothes."
"Wish we were in the same comfortable condition," smiled Harry. "I'm
slightly chilly myself and hope you are the same, thank you."
"Greatly obliged," returned Ned. "You are entirely correct."
"Look here," interposed Jack, "if you fellows are sufficiently frozen,
I've got a scheme to propose. Want to hear it?"
"Slip us an earful," said Harry in response to Jack's query, although
he winced slightly at Ned's reproachful glance, for he knew well the
older lad's aversion to slang.
"Suppose the railroad is over there to the northward," went on Jack.
"In that case, Jimmie and Dave'll be in that direction. Now, by
running over that way we can get nearer to them and at the same time
discover whether that other machine is following us."
"Fine!" declared Ned. "Head to the northward, and if they are after us
we'll quickly find it out. Then we can determine what to do."
Accordingly Jack shifted the levers and the Eagle swung sharply to the
northward. Ned kept the glasses leveled at the following machine in an
effort to discover the movements of its pilot.
Scarcely had the Eagle regained a level keel after the sharp turn
before Ned's exclamation of dismay attracted the attention of his chums.
"They're after us as sure as shooting!" he cried. "They're cutting
across the corner of the angle. That'll give them some advantage. It
won't pay us to try any more dodging if we want to outrun them."
"Sure!" declared Jack. "The pursuer always has the shorter course to
travel if the one running away tries to tack about any."
"In that case it would be best to keep straight ahead and trust to our
speed to carry us away from them," suggested Harry.
"Yes," agreed Jack, "stern chases are always long chases."
"Do you suppose we can give them the slip somehow without using up all
our gasoline?" asked Jack. "I don't want to get too far away from
Jimmie and Dave, either. Can't we work it somehow?"
"If it were only a little lighter," ventured Harry, "we might land
somewhere and argue it out with them from behind a stone wall or
trench."
"That wouldn't be very profitable," Ned argued. "If we should start
anything like that we'd be in all kinds of trouble at once. Our best
plan would, I think, be to cut and run for it to the westward. If
they're after us and mean to catch us, they would try to follow. Even
though this may be an army plane they are using, I believe the Eagle is
capable of outrunning them."
"Then here goes for a fast ride," declared Jack, reaching for the
handle controlling the mixing valve of the carburetor. "I'm going to
slip in a little more air and shove the spark ahead a few notches."
"Hang onto your hat," laughed Harry. "If Jack gets the speed bug
nicely working there won't be much left that isn't tied on!"
"Right you are," responded Jack as the Eagle seemed to fairly leap
forward in answer to his touch. "Hang on tight!"
Jack's caution was needed, for the speed materially increased. Ned
continued to keep watch with the aid of the binoculars, while Harry
scanned the surrounding country in an effort to make out any features
that would guide them.
Presently the others were delighted to hear a cry from Ned.
"We're leaving them behind at last, boys!" he managed to shout as he
sheltered his head from the stinging blast of air singing through the
rigging of the Eagle. "They're getting smaller in the glasses!"
"Slow down, Jack," advised Harry. "Let's watch them a bit and see what
they're going to do. Maybe it's only a trick."
"No, it isn't a trick," said Ned as the Eagle's speed decreased. "That
plane is going to land, I believe. I think I can see a light on the
ground a little to the northward of their position."
"Suppose we swing round in a big circle and see if we can discover what
they are going to do," suggested Jack, reaching for the rudder levers.
"If they're going to land and get assistance we ought to know it before
it's too late. If they're giving up it'll be all right."
"Stand by to come about, then," agreed Ned. "It won't do any harm, and
if we cut in the muffler we should be able to ride above them without
being discovered. The upper sky is very dark yet."
Accordingly Jack shifted the rudders and brought the Eagle sharply
about, heading directly eastward again. As the plane proceeded to
retrace the course so recently followed the lad brought the machine to
a higher level and cut in the muffler, entirely deadening the clamor of
the motors. He had been running with the exhaust partly open in order
to obtain every bit of the engine's efficiency in the flight.
When the boys had reached an altitude that seemed sufficient Jack again
described a circle in the air that brought them almost directly over
the position to which the pursuing plane had descended.
"Ha!" cried Ned, turning the glasses downward. "I can see a train
standing at a station. The grounds are lighted by shaded electric
lights, I believe, and there seem to be soldiers moving about beside
the train. I saw a shower of sparks just then that looked as if they
came from a switch engine. I'll bet that's a railroad terminal and the
train is one moving troops westward from Peremysl to Verdun!"
"Hope you are right and that the train has got Jimmie and Dave on it,"
put in Jack eagerly. "Maybe we can get a chance to rescue them yet.
What do you say to trying?"
"The chances would be very poor just now, I'm thinking," replied Harry
doubtfully. "With all those soldiers there we wouldn't have much of a
chance, especially as we are not able to communicate with the boys,
even granting that they are on that train."
"Better give up the idea, then," regretfully acknowledged Jack.
"Can you make out anything, Ned?" asked Harry, peering downward.
"Nothing in particular," replied the lad. "It seems to me that the
aviator is trying to start the plane again. I can see it at the
station under the lights. Can you hear the exhaust of his engine?"
"I thought I did just then," replied Harry. "Listen!"
All three boys strained their ears to catch any possible sounds from
below while the Eagle on noiseless wings circled high above the station
grounds. A confusion of minor sounds came faintly up.
Out of the murmur a crashing, rending noise was heard.