The Boy Volunteers with the French Airmen Part 3

"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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _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 princ.i.p.al 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.

CHAPTER III

THE WOUNDED AVIATORS

They were out early the next morning, and started for the tramway a mile distant. They pa.s.sed Tom's hangar, and stopped for a moment to take a look at his machine. As they were leaving they heard his voice:

"Going to leave us?" he inquired.

"No; but we must go to the city to get our mail, and we are expecting a telegram," shouted Ralph.