BURIED ALIVE
Even as Blake and his chums looked about for some place of refuge, the
firing of the German anti-aircraft guns began. These weapons, designed
especially for shooting straight up and sending shrapnel shells to a
considerable height, were rapidly manned and fired by crews that seemed
to be in readiness for just such danger.
The raid of the French and American airships, quickly as the defensive
preparations were made, seemed to take the Germans by surprise. That is
the only way the boys could account for the fact that their guarding
escort deserted them. For deserted they had been, some of the Germans
running back in the direction whence Blake and the others had come,
while a few, under orders from one of the German officers, helped to man
the guns of which several score were now shooting at the aircraft high
above the Hun position.
Joe, Blake and Charlie paused a moment, before seeking some shelter, to
watch the thrilling sight. On came the aeroplanes, like a flock of great
birds, and they did not resemble anything else quite so much, high up as
they were. They came on in regular formation, for the day of the lone
attack by an aeroplane was passed, except under special circumstances.
Straight for the German camp--if camp it could be called--came the
flying squadron. As yet the airships were too high to be hit by the
German guns, however great their range.
But the airships came on. Their speed was not apparent at so great a
height, but it must have been wonderful, for but a few minutes seemed to
have elapsed from the time they were first sighted, far down on the
horizon, until they were almost overhead.
"And now's the time for us to get under cover!" said Blake. "When they
begin to drop bombs, there'll be something doing around here."
"Where'll we go?" asked Charlie.
"Oh, there ought to be plenty of bomb-proofs and dug-outs in this camp.
The Germans must have been air-raided before, or they wouldn't have the
anti guns ready. The most likely place to find the best cyclone cellars
will be near the officers' headquarters, I think. Trust those fellows to
have a safe place ready."
"Do you think they are making the raid to help us?" asked Joe.
"Hardly," replied Blake. "They probably don't even know that we have
been captured. No, I guess this has been in preparation on our side for
some time, judging by the number of craft in it. I hope they wipe out
this dump!"
"But not until we get under cover!" said Joe. "Look! There goes one of
our ships!"
As he spoke a white cloud seemed to burst in the vicinity of one of the
aircraft. The machine, which with the others had come lower down, was
seen to dip and plunge. Then, after what seemed a dizzy fall, it
straightened out again and kept up with the others.
"Hit but not disabled," murmured Blake, as he and his chums paused in
their race for shelter. "The Germans are getting the range, I guess."
"Why don't we drop some bombs?" cried Joe, speaking as though he and his
friends were personally engaged.
"I guess they're waiting until they get in a favorable position,"
returned Blake. "Look out! Here comes one!"
Something black dropped from one of the airships. It fell in a long
curve, landing in a spot which the boys could not see, and an instant
later there was a terrific explosion.
"That hit an ammunition dump, all right!" cried Charlie. "Duck,
fellows!"
"In here!" yelled Blake, for at that moment they came opposite what
looked like the entrance to a tunnel. It was lighted by small electric
lamps and appeared to extend some distance into the earth. No one could
be seen in it or entering it as the boys made a dive for it.
And it was well that Blake, Joe and their assistant found shelter when
they did, for an instant later the whole area was under bombardment by
the airships. The boys, racing through the tunnel, dug underground and
timbered and braced as is a mine shaft, could not see what went on, but
they could hear and imagine.
By this time the American and French aeroplanes were directly over the
German camp and were dropping tons of explosives. The bombs struck and
burst, some of them setting off stores of ammunition and powerful powder
designed for the big guns. And these explosions, combined with the
firing of the weapons aimed to bring down the flying enemy, made a
pandemonium which penetrated even to the tunnel along which the boys
were fleeing.
"That's some fight out there!" cried Joe.
"If we could only film it!" added Charlie, his voice and that of his
chum ringing hollow in the tunnel.
"We'd stand about as much chance as we did when the volcano let loose in
Earthquake Land," answered Blake. "Come on, fellows! This isn't over
yet."
"I only hope we don't run into a party of Huns who'll drive us out,"
murmured Joe.
But, so far, they had met no one, though ahead of them they could hear a
sound as though others were running through the underground shaft
seeking a place of safety.
"Where are we going, anyhow?" asked Charlie at length.
"Going until we stop," answered Joe.
"And that'll be soon," added Blake, "for I see the last of the lights."
The boys looked down the long passage, which was well made and was high
enough to permit them to run upright. It was wide enough, also, for
three to go abreast. As Blake had said, the string of incandescent
lights, suspended overhead, came to an end a little farther on. They
stopped under the third light from the last and looked about them.
"Isn't this as good a place as any?" asked Joe. "If we go on any farther
we may get into a hole we can't get out of. I say, let's stay here.
We'll be safe from the airship bombs."
"I don't know about that," said Blake. "If you'll notice, we have come
along pretty much on the level. This tunnel wasn't dug in the side of a
hill. It went into the ground slanting, and at such a gradual slope that
the top can't be very far under the surface."
"What does that mean?" asked Charlie.
"It means that we haven't much dirt over our heads, and if a bomb were
to drop directly above us we'd be in a bad way. I think we'd better keep
on until we get to a deeper part of the cave, or whatever it is."
"But we'll have to go on in the dark," objected Joe. "There are only
three more lights, and----"
Suddenly came a muffled explosion, and the lights went out, leaving the
place in black gloom.
"Now there aren't any lights," said Charlie, when the echo of the dull
roar had passed away. The tunnel had been shaken, and there was a
pattering sound all about the boys, as if little particles of earth had
been dislodged, but no other damage appeared to have been done.
"It _is_ dark!" said Blake. "But come on. Use your pocket lights. No,
hold on. We'll use only one at a time. No telling how long we may need
them."
Bringing out his own light, he flashed it on and led the way. Above them
a continuous roar could now be heard, and they guessed that the airships
were attacking in force, directly over the German camp, and were being
fired at from all sides.
"One bomb must have splattered Fritz's electric plant," observed Joe, as
he and his chums hurried on as best they could in the somewhat dim light
of the little pocket lamp Blake carried.
Hardly had he spoken when there came a tremendous explosion--one that
staggered the boys and seemed to crumple up the tunnel as though it were
made of paper.
They had no time to cry out. They were thrown down and felt rocks and
stones falling about them, while their ears were deafened by the roaring
sound.
Then came silence and darkness--a darkness that weighed heavily on them
all, while Blake, who had been in the lead, tried to move his hand to
flash on the electric light that had gone out or been broken. He could
barely move, and as he felt dirt and rocks all about him there was borne
to his senses the horrible message:
"Buried alive!"
After that thought mercifully came unconsciousness.