Part 12 (1/2)

Without a bit of trouble Blaine's triplane glided upward after a short slide over the rough level of No-Man's-Land, and he was off. Buck attempted to follow but the machine skidded sideways, struck a slope and after a mute struggle with adverse conditions came to a standstill.

Cursing to himself, Buck jumped out, forced his plane to a more stable level, then mounting to his seat again he put on all power to try to overtake his companion. But in that short interval Blaine had vanished in fog.

”If this isn't bad luck, I don't know what is!” soliloquized Buck, as his Nieuport began to rise. ”If I'd got off at first, I wouldn't 'a'

lost Lafe. Well, I must do a trifle of scouting on my own hook. ”

Buck was climbing, not too fast, for he watched, still hoping that something might happen that he would sight Blaine again. Flying thus easily, climbing still higher, he was all at once startled by a burst of machine gun fire from the ground ahead. There came a reply higher up, and he felt that this must come from Lafe.

Mounting swiftly, he presently became conscious that a machine was hovering above and behind, ”getting on his tail” as the slang runs among aviators at the front. The quickest way to avert the danger was first to try the ”side loop” which is a kind of ”loop-the-loop”

sideways, a risky trick, yet a good thing if rightly done. Buck tried it instantly. When upside down he darted ahead swiftly but in a reversed course, bringing him fairly behind the other plane as he, righted.

As he came up to a level again, now behind his opponent, he saw for an instant that the shadow looming scarce fifty yards ahead looked strangely like Blaine's machine. What to do next -- before firing?

Use his private signal, of course. No sooner thought than done. Two peculiar flares shot forth, each glowing brightly for an instant, then vanis.h.i.+ng.

”But -- hey?” Bangs was e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.n.g. to himself excitedly. ”Will he answer?”

Up, up climbed Buck, his pulses throbbing for one long instant, the nose of his machine settling rapidly on the tail of the other plane.

Then came an answering flash. After that another.

”Bully for you, Lafe! My, that was a close call! I mustn't lose track of him again. We'll be there with the goods yet, if we stick together.” This to himself.

Presently both machines were moving side by side, hardly fifty yards apart. To come closer at this rate of speed these small scouting planes maintaining would have caused a mutual air suction that might cause a collision. This is the real cause of many of the accidents that befall inexperienced aviators, when out flying, perhaps by themselves.

The night, of course, was far spent. The fog was lightening imperceptibly. Their watches betokened that it was nearing three a.m.

Blaine got out his megaphone, for talking at high alt.i.tudes is much a matter of expanded lung power. He began, as usual, with a joke.

”Like to 'a' got you back there!” he shouted. ”Where you been?”

”Looking for you mainly. What you going do next?”

”See that line of fire off norwest! We that's where our front and Johnny Bull's join. Appincourte Bluff seems either to have been turned or to have turned Fritzy off. Ready for a scrimmage?”

”You ought to know, Lafe!” Bangs laughed easily into the megaphone.

”Ready for most anything.”

”Well, our front there is rather weak. Follow me. Don't lose me.

We'll give that infantry a time trying to find out who we are that's spitting on them from overhead. Catch me?”

”Yep-fire away! Suits me!”

In another few seconds the two machines were flying through the thinning fog, gradually lowering their alt.i.tude and nearing at a rate of a mile and a half a minute the advancing lines of the enemy, revealed only to these fliers by the close barrage fire maintained by their artillery in the rear.

Of course beyond this barrage must be certain observation planes. The chance must be taken of meeting one of these. Meanwhile the first thing was to begin upon the a.s.saulting battalions with their machine guns.

Almost in an instant they were over the front platoons, flying as close as they dared in order to escape the barrage that was pa.s.sing overhead, falling now behind the front trench line of the Allies. This in order to stop, or at least hinder the arrival of such reinforcements as could be thrown forward to strengthen this suddenly a.s.sailed point.