THE FIGHT ON THE WATER
Below, the fallen aeroplane rested upon the surface of the sea. In the
darkness, it was hard for the lads to tell just how badly the craft was
damaged and whether it would float; but Jack's idea was to be on the
safe side.
While still some distance from the water, there was a shot from below.
"Hello!" said Jack. "They're alive and kicking, all right. Wonder if we
can't go down and get them from the water."
"It's a better plan, I guess," said Frank. "We'll have an even break
then. This way they have all the advantage."
He opened up the engine and the hydroplane ran some distance from the
position of the men below. Then he shut off the motor and allowed the
plane to glide down to the sea.
With the craft riding the swell of the waves, Jack picked up the enemy
with his night glass. The disabled craft also was riding the waves
gently perhaps five hundred yards away.
Jack gave the position to Frank, and the hydroplane approached the foe
slowly. Within a range that would make accurate revolver shooting
possible, the hydroplane came to a halt. As it did so there was the
sound of a revolver shot from across the water and something whizzed
overhead.
"Must have some pretty fair shooters over there," said Frank, quietly.
"However, they can't see us any better than we can see them. Of course,
they can see our craft all right, the same as we can see theirs, but
they can't spot us."
"No; nor we can't spot them, which makes it worse," said Jack.
"We'll try a couple of shots for luck," said Frank.
He raised his revolver and fired quickly twice. His efforts were
rewarded by a scream, apparently of pain.
"Must have hit one of them," he said grimly.
Again a revolver across the water flashed and the two lads heard a
bullet whistle by.
Jack fired but without result and then Frank fired again.
There was another scream.
"Either got the other one, or the same one again," said Frank.
They waited some moments in silence, but no further shots came from
the foe.
"By Jove!" said Jack, "you must have got them both. Let's go and have a
look."
Slowly, Frank started the hydroplane and they bore down on the enemy.
Now they were two hundred, then one hundred yards away.
"Must have got them, all right," said Frank. "I----"
The flash of a revolver from the disabled craft interrupted him. It was
closely followed by another and then two more.
With a sudden move, Frank changed the course of the hydroplane. He felt
a sharp pain in his left shoulder.
"Got me," he called to Jack.
The latter was alarmed.
"Where?" he demanded.
"Left shoulder," said Frank, quietly. "Nothing serious, though."
Jack levelled his revolver and fired rapidly at the enemy. His pains
were rewarded by howls of derision.
"They tricked us, all right," said Jack, as he reloaded.
"That's what they did. I should have known better, too. They almost
settled us."
"We've got to get them, some way," declared Jack.
"Show me how, and I'll go along with you," declared Frank.
"Well, I've got a scheme, but I don't know whether it will work or
not."
"Let's hear it."
"All right. But first, can you manage this plane all right with that
bad shoulder?"
"Sure; it's not very bad."
"All right then. Well, you keep under cover about here, moving about
just enough to spoil the aim of the foe. I'll drop over the side and
swim to the enemy. I can get there unobserved, all right, because they
won't be expecting me. I'll pull one of them over and settle with him
first. Then I'll get the other."
"I don't know," Frank considered the plan. "I suppose it might work,
but there is nothing sure about it."
"There's nothing sure about anything," declared Jack. "But it's better
than staying here all the rest of the night. Besides, we must hurry,
you know."
"That's right," agreed Frank. "All right, then. So be it. Will you take
your gun?"
"No use," said Jack. "It would be wet by the time I got there. Here I
go."
"Good luck," Frank called after him.
Gently, Jack lowered himself over the side of the hydroplane, first
divesting himself of his coat and shoes; then struck out for the
disabled aeroplane.
Slowly the lad swam, for he did not wish to betray his coming by the
sound of a splash. The distance was not great and a powerful swimmer,
such as Jack, could cover it easily in a few moments.
Jack did not approach the enemy craft from the front. Giving it a wide
berth, he swam around it and then, turning quickly, bore down upon the
aeroplane more swiftly. He swam with his head barely above the water,
and he was ready to dive immediately should he be sighted.
There was not a sound aboard the aeroplane as Jack drew close to it.
Raising his head slightly, he could see no human form.
"Funny," the lad muttered to himself. "Wonder where they keep
themselves. No wonder we couldn't hit them."
He was within a few feet of the disabled craft and he now rose higher
in the water to get a good look about. Still he saw no one.
Twice around the machine the lad swam and not a human being did he see.
"There is something awfully queer about this," he told himself. "I'll
go aboard."
He laid hands on the aeroplane and scrambled aboard. Quickly he sprang
to his feet, ready to tackle any foe that might have seen him crawl
aboard. Nothing happened.
Jack made a careful inspection of the disabled plane. Then, as he still
gazed around, a sudden thought struck him. Without taking time to
consider it, he sprang suddenly to the side of the plane and leaped
into the water and with swift and powerful strokes struck out for his
own craft.
Jack had hit upon the solution of the desertion of the German
aeroplane.
Even as Jack had lowered himself from the hydroplane and swam across
the water, the Germans in the other craft had done the same thing. Both
sides had struck the same plan almost simultaneously. Jack, in making a
wide detour as he approached the foes' machine, must have passed the
two Germans in the water.
Now, realizing that the Germans must be close to the hydroplane, had
they not already reached it, and remembering that Frank was wounded,
Jack felt a sudden dread steal over him. His long, powerful strokes
sent him through the water at great speed.
But the Germans had not made their presence known to Frank yet. Neither
was as swift a swimmer as Jack, and for that reason, their progress
through the water had been considerably slower. Also they had gone very
cautiously.
A short distance from the hydroplane, one had swum to one side of the
plane and the second to the other. The Germans also had discarded their
revolvers, for they had realized they would be useless after their
trip through the water. Also, not being expert swimmers, they had
wanted to be unhampered by weight as much as possible.
Frank was still guiding the plane about occasionally to avoid a chance
bullet from the enemy, but at the moment the Germans came close, he had
stopped the craft and was peering into the darkness, straining his ears
for the sound of a struggle that would tell him Jack was engaged with
the enemy.
Suddenly a sound came to his ears from across the water, but it was not
what he expected, although it was in Jack's voice:
"Frank! Look out! They are after you!"
Instantly, the lad understood the situation. He drew his revolver with
his uninjured arm and sprang to one side of the aeroplane. As he did
so, a figure reached up and grabbed him by the hand so that he could
not fire. At the same time a second figure clambered aboard the craft
from the opposite side. Frank raised a cry:
"Hurry, Jack!"
Jack needed no urging. He was swimming through the water as fast as
possible.
With a sudden move, Frank jerked his hand loose from the grip that held
him and turned just in time to encounter the second German. Frank
raised his revolver and fired quickly; but the German ducked, and
before Frank could fire again, he had come up close to Frank and
grappled with him. In vain Frank sought to release his arm so that he
could bring the weapon down on his opponent's head. The man clung
tightly.
A sudden lurching of the hydroplane told Frank that the second German
was coming aboard. Unmindful of his wounded shoulder, Frank struggled
on. With a sharp kick of his right foot he succeeded in knocking the
first German's legs from beneath him; and again the lad tried to raise
his revolver to shoot the second German, who now advanced.
But the latter was too quick for him. Closing with the lad, the man
knocked the revolver from the boy's hand with a quick blow. The weapon
spun into the sea.
The first German returned to the attack.
"Get him quick!" he shouted. "There is another one around here some
place."
Jack, at this moment, was within a few yards of the boat.
"You bet there is!" he said between his teeth. "And he'll be there in a
minute."
He did not call encouragement to Frank, for he wished to get aboard the
plane, if possible, before the men could stay him.
The two Germans rushed Frank simultaneously, and bore him back in the
plane. At the same instant, Jack, unmindful of danger that might lurk
aboard and thinking only of Frank's danger, laid hold of the plane and
climbed aboard. Then he stood erect and shouted:
"Come on, you cowards! Here's the other one!"