IN THE AVIATION CAMP
Once inside the ambulance the boys had an opportunity to watch the
doctors, as they removed the clothing from the men, and began a search
for the location and nature of the injuries. It was a gratification to
be able to assist in this work. Jack's legs were both broken, and the
lieutenant's chest, back and right arm were bruised and clotted with
blood.
"I think they are all right," said the doctor in charge.
"But it's awfully hard breathing," said the lieutenant.
"You must have had a pretty good weight on top of you," remarked the
doctor.
"I should think so," said Ralph. "It was all we could do to lift up the
cross piece of the frame from him."
"We'll straighten you out in a few days," answered the doctor, "but your
companion didn't fare as well. Compound fracture of one leg; but he has
a good constitution; he's good for several trips yet."
The gratitude of the lieutenant was plainly observable, and the doctor
was quick to notice it. "If these young men hadn't taken you out when
they did it would have been all over with you, because the weight
prevented you from breathing."
The lieutenant tried to smile, as he gazed at the boys, and they
understood.
When the ambulance reached the hospital there were fifty or more
aviators from the station, awaiting the news. The boys leaped out, the
attendants were on hand with the stretchers, while the excited men
crowded around the boys to learn the details. It was not long before the
story of the rescue was known. The chief of the flying squadron came out
of the hospital, and approached the boys. The latter straightened up and
saluted.
"You should be commended for the prompt work you performed in rescuing
the lieutenant and his pilot. I understand you belong to the Belgian
army; but you are not Belgians, are you?" he asked.
"No, we are not," said Alfred, slightly embarrassed at the question.
The Commandant smiled as he continued: "I take it that you are
Americans?"
"Yes, Captain; you are right," replied Ralph. "We joined the Belgian
army at Liege, and fought the enemy all the way to Antwerp, and we had
some pretty hot times, too."
This speech was applauded heartily, while a young man sprang forward,
held out his hand and said: "And here's United States, too."
"We are not with the army now," said Alfred, recovering; "we hope to go
to Paris, if it is possible to get there."
"The chances for that are not very good at present," observed the
Commandant, "but in the meantime, if you are not attached, you must put
up with us."
"Thank you for the offer," said Ralph eagerly. "We want to get into the
flying service; that will just suit us."
"I am afraid that the army provisions would not permit you to join,"
said the officer, and all noted the expressions of disappointment that
indicated the boys' feelings at this announcement.
"Then I suppose we'll have to force our way in, just as we did in
Belgium," said Alfred.
This was greeted with a sally of laughter. The boys had made a hit with
the corps, and they accepted the offer of quarters for their
accommodation in the firm belief that something would turn up to assist
them in their desires.
Boys are really at a disadvantage sometimes. This story, as well as many
others, shows that they are capable of doing things as well as men, and
that they can do some things better than most men; but in military
matters the service seems to have been made for grown-up people on the
principle that war is too barbarous a thing for young men until they are
twenty years of age.
The boys, who were now in their glory, had a portion of a small room in
a wooden building assigned to them. At this time there were fifty
machines of various types on the ground, the particular makes being
the Bristol, the B. E., several Farman machines, and a half dozen
Sopworth tractors.
Tom Walton, the young American who greeted them at the hospital, was
accorded the privilege of escorting the boys and introducing them. That
they had been in the first battles of the war was sufficient to give
them a coveted place in that company of enthusiastic men, for there was
some glory in having been on a battlefield,--a thing which could have
been said of only a few of those who entertained them that day.
"I suppose you want to see the machines," said Tom.
"Indeed, we do," said Alfred. "What is that big machine over there?"
"That is a Bristol," answered Tom.
"And there is another one," remarked Ralph, pointing to a machine, which
was being drawn out of the hangar.
"No, that's a B. E. biplane," answered Tom. "You will see the difference
by observing the shape of the planes. The Bristol has the ends of the
wings rounded so that the forward corners are cut away to a greater
extent than the rear corners. In the B. E. the wings are cut to conform
with the well-known Wright type."
"That's a Farman machine, I know," said Ralph, pointing to an aeroplane
which had a huge revolving type of motor forward of the main planes.
"Yes; but when that machine is high in the air it would be difficult to
recognize it from that description," said Tom. "You will notice that the
lower plane is much shorter than the upper plane, and that it has a
great spreading tail,--larger than any other machine now made."
[Illustration: _Types of Allied Airplanes_]
"Here is another kind, a little fellow. That certainly looks different
from all the others," said Alfred, as they stopped in front of a hangar.
"That's the Sopworth tractor, a fine, speedy machine, with square ends
to the planes, and a heart-shaped tail. It can be distinguished at any
altitude," answered Tom.
"I notice that that has different tails," said Ralph. "Does that make
any difference in the flying?"
"Not in the least. Shape has nothing to do with it. Surface is all that
counts. They are made with distinctive forms so that they may be easily
distinguished, one from the other."
"We saw some German airplanes, several dozens of them, in Belgium, and
the only one I could recognize was the Taube, as they called it. They
have fan-shaped tails," said Alfred.
"But here is the machine for business," said Tom, as they halted in
front of a gaily decorated hangar, and pointed to a trim little machine,
which was being overhauled.
"I see you have the Stars and Stripes above the door," said Ralph.
"Yes; and this is my machine; isn't it a beauty?" said Tom with a
considerable show of pride.
"What is it? I mean what make?" asked Alfred.
"It is a French Morane; I have made many trips in it," said Tom, "and
now I am going to use it against the Dutchies."
Thus they were conducted from place to place, visited the machine shop,
which had been set up for repairs, and then inspected the landing field,
which was designed to be illuminated for night work.
"Do you mean to say that you use the flying machines at night?" asked
Ralph.
"Why, certainly; that is going to be a great stunt," said Tom. "The only
trouble is that where there are many lights about it is pretty hard for
a pilot to hunt out the landing place, so the authorities have made
special provision for returning aviators to enable them to land with as
much safety as in the daytime."
"How is it arranged so they can land without a mistake?" asked Alfred.
[Illustration: _Airplanes of the Central Powers_]
"Do you see that tall pylon, over there?" replied Tom. "That has on it
the pilot light, much more brilliant than anything in sight. Now, look
over to the left, nearly a quarter of a mile away; that pylon carries a
brilliant red light. The other two pylons to the north and to the south
have blue lights. The aviator knows that the bright light is to the east
of the red light, and that he must make a landing somewhere between the
brilliant light and the red light, between the limits marked by the blue
lights."
"I should think that would be easy," said Ralph.
"It is when the night is clear; but the trouble is that the fog from the
channel gives us considerable trouble, and then we have to glide back
and forth very low to get our bearings, and that is dangerous business
in the night."
The inspection raised the enthusiasm of the boys to the highest pitch.
For them there was now no other life than flying, and, indeed, things
seemed to be coming their way. They had learned more about machines
during the two hours thus spent than they had acquired in all their
lives previous to that time.
"I want to ask a favor of you," said Alfred, as they were returning to
their quarters.
"Go ahead," said Tom.
"I would like to go up in a machine with you," was the reply.
Tom stopped, and looked at Alfred. "Do you really mean it?" he asked.
"Of course I do," replied Alfred.
"That's what I want to do, too," chimed in Ralph.
"It's against the rules to take up any one but the observers during
practice hours; but let me see,--we may be able to fix it up some other
time," said Tom.
"Do you have to do much practicing?" asked Alfred.
"Only from six to eight hours a day," answered Tom.
"What! do you mean practice flying when you are not scouting?" asked
Ralph.
"Well, I should say so," was the answer.
"How long have you been flying?" asked Ralph.
"About two years," said Tom.
"And still they make you fly every day, for practice?" asked Alfred.
"Of course," said Tom.
"And what is that for?" asked Alfred.
"Flying airplanes for war purposes is something different to ordinary
flying. The principal practice is to learn the methods of attack and
defense. But that is not all. The airplane is the eye of the army; the
observer must know how to observe. He must be able not only to see, but
to put his knowledge into such form that it can be handed in in the form
of a report. While he may get the information he must learn that the
information is not for his own gratification, but for the use of the men
in the field," said Tom.
"Do all the machines carry a pilot and an observer?" asked Ralph.
"Not by any means," answered Tom. "The first duty of a pilot is to learn
how to control his machine when approaching an enemy, and how to attack
or to avoid him. For that purpose he has a machine gun which he uses in
flying."
"I had no idea that there was so much to do in the business," said
Alfred.
"That is only part of the practice," continued Tom. "The most
interesting part of the work is to practice flying in squadron
formation, to observe the signals of the commanding officer and to
execute movements. For this purpose two squadrons oppose each other, and
sally forth, the object being to judge the objects of an attacking force
and to devise means to repel the enemy."
The boys sat on their improvised bunks until a late hour that night.
They discussed the airplanes; the men they had met; their work in
rescuing the fallen aviators, and the things they had learned in this,
to them, the most eventful day.
"I wonder what father would say if he knew we were going to join the
aviation corps?" said Alfred.
"Well, I wonder what he will say when he hears what we were doing in
Belgium," replied Alfred.
"He must have gotten our letters by this time," said Ralph.
"Then why doesn't he answer our telegram?" asked Alfred.
"Why, we forgot to go back to the city and inquire for it," said Ralph.
"That's so; but we've been too busy for that; we must do that the first
thing in the morning," said Alfred.