Part 6 (1/2)
”Use your gla.s.ses, John,” said Lannes, ”and tell me what you can see.”
”Some captive balloons, five other planes, all our own, and on the horizon, where the German army lies, several black specks too vague and indefinite for me to make out what they are, although I've no doubt they're German flyers.”
”I'd like to have a look at the Germans, but our way leads elsewhere.
What else do you see, John?”
”I look downward and I see the most magnificent and glittering city in the world.”
”And that's Paris, our glorious Paris, which you and I and a million others are going to save. I suppose it's hope, John, that makes me feel we'll do something. Did you know that the Germans dropped two more bombs on the city last night? One, luckily, fell in the Seine. The other struck near the Madeleine, close to a group of soldiers, killing two and wounding four more.”
”Bombs from the air can't do any great damage to a city.”
”No, but they can spread alarm, and it's an insult, too. We feel as the Germans would if we were dropping bombs on Berlin. I wish you'd keep those gla.s.ses to your eyes all the time, John, and watch the skies. Let me know at once, if you see anything suspicious.”
John, continually turning in his seat, swept the whole curve of the world with the powerful gla.s.ses. Paris was now far below, a blur of white and gray. Above, the heavens were of the silkiest blue, beautiful in their infinite depths, with tiny clouds floating here and there like whitecaps on an ocean.
”What do you see now, John?”
”Nothing but one of the most beautiful days that ever was. It's a fine sun, that you've got over here, Philip. I can see through these gla.s.ses that it's made out of pure reddish gold.”
”Never mind about that sun, John. America is a full partner in its owners.h.i.+p and you're used to it. I've heard that you have more suns.h.i.+ne than we do. Watch for our companions of the air, friend or foe.”
”I see them flying; over Paris, but none is going in our direction. How far is our port of entry, Lannes?”
”We should be there in two hours, if nothing happens. Do we still have the course to ourselves or is anything coming our way now?”
”No company at all, unless you'd call a machine about three miles off and much lower down, a comrade.”
”What does it look like?”
”A French aeroplane, much resembling the _Arrow_.”
”Is it following us?”
”Not exactly. Yes, it is coming our way now, although it keeps much lower! A scout, I dare say.”
Lannes was silent for a little while, his eyes fixed on his pathway through the blue. Then he said:
”What has become of that machine, John?”
”It has risen a little, but it's on our private course, that is, if we can claim the right of way all down to the ground.”
Lannes glanced backward and downward, as well as his position would allow.
”A French plane, yes,” he said thoughtfully. ”There can be no doubt of it, but why should it follow us in this manner? You do think it's following us, don't you, John?”
”It begins to look like it, Phil. It's rising a little now, and is directly in our wake.”
”Take a long look through those gla.s.ses of yours.”
John obeyed, and the following aeroplane at once increased in size tenfold and came much nearer.