Part 10 (1/2)

”I hardly know what to do, as we ought to be at the field hospital, and here the driver has dropped us, naturally from our costumes, before the Y. M. C. A. hut. But of course you can advise me.”

”Certainly I can,” Jack hastened to say. ”I'll see that he takes you on as soon as he unloads some things I notice he has for the people here.

Yes, and for fear that you get lost I'll try to go along with you, for there's the officer who can give me permission to leave quarters.”

”Where are Tom and Harry?” asked Bessie, for she noticed that the nurses who had also come in the ambulance were listening with smiles to this conversation, and it embarra.s.sed her.

”Over at the hospital. We'll possibly meet them there,” replied Jack.

”But I'll tell you all about it while on the way, Bessie.”

CHAPTER XI

THE PROWLERS

THE officer must have thought there was a great attraction over at the field hospital for certain members of his air squadron, considering the frequency of the calls upon him for permission to visit there.

However, he granted the request without hesitation, though Jack thought there was a quizzical gleam in his eyes as he turned and took a good look at the younger of the ”friends” whom the lad said he wished to pilot to her temporary quarters.

Besides, the two Air Service boys happened to be prime favorites of his, and consequently he was in a humor to go far out of his way to grant any reasonable request either of them might make.

So presently they were seated once more in the ambulance along with the nurses and heading for the spot where the humble sheds and tents stood which const.i.tuted the American field hospital in that sector of the Argonne.

”Now tell me all that's happened since I saw you last, Jack,” demanded Bessie, with a little show of authority that amused, yes, and also pleased the other; for boys like to be domineered over at times by a pretty tyrant.

”Couldn't begin to do it in this little ride, Bessie,” he a.s.sured her.

”But I'll take the first chance I can find to spin the whole yarn.”

”I'm certain you boys have been carrying on up here with your usual rashness,” she told him. ”I've had my heart in my throat, so to speak, every day, when the news would filter in from our front, together with a partial list of the lost, for fear I'd see one of your names there. And when some particularly daring feat of a Yankee air pilot was mentioned I could just picture you or Tom as the hero.”

At that Jack laughed, although feeling highly complimented.

”Thank you, Bessie, for being such a fine little champion!” he exclaimed. ”But we don't claim to be the equal of a lot of the clever aces now strafing the Boche along our American sector. Of course we meet with our little adventures in the course of our daily work; but they've been mere trifles beside some of the fine things others of the boys have done.”

”Well,” Bessie told him, ”knowing you as I do, Jack, I wouldn't accept your judgment in the matter. Your friends are better able to decide that.”

”Here we are already at the hospital,” put in Mrs. Gleason. ”I couldn't write to Nellie just when we were coming, for that depended on when we could get transportation. But she had told me she could put us up temporarily until we found quarters with the Y. M. C. A. outfit. She will be surprised to see us, and I hope pleased, too.”

”I warrant you she will be delighted,” a.s.serted Jack confidently.

Great was the surprise of Nellie and Tom when Jack and the Gleasons burst upon them. Harry was at another part of the temporary makes.h.i.+ft building talking to an orderly at the time.

Such subdued chattering as followed. Jack, seeing that Bessie and Mrs.

Gleason were very tired, did not mean to linger long. Bessie would probably speedily take up her duties at the hut, and consequently he could see her every evening if he chose.

So the three boys a little later on once more turned their faces in the direction of the camp. As they walked along they found much to talk about, although it might have been noticed that Tom and Harry did most of the exchanging of opinions, Jack seemingly being too much engrossed with his thoughts, a fact that caused the others to pa.s.s many a significant glance back and forth.

It chanced that some question arose, bringing out quite a warm discussion concerning a certain appliance which Harry was trying out on his battleplane, and of which a friend was the inventor.