Part 30 (1/2)
”The others are evidently waiting for it to come back.”
”How do you make out that?”
”Because they merely float about beyond our reach and don't try anything against us. The day's pa.s.sing, and if they didn't have some plan dependent on the machine that left, they'd be at work now trying to shoot us up.”
Carstairs reached over and patted John on the head. ”You talk sense, Scott,” he said, ”if it weren't for your accent you could pa.s.s for an Englishman.”
”Then I'll see that he never changes his accent,” said Wharton.
”I think I'll take a nap,” said Carstairs, ”and I really mean it. The gra.s.s and the bushes were heavy with rain when we came in here, although we didn't notice it, but the fine sun up there has dried everything now, and I've a good bed.”
He lay very comfortably, with his head on a mound of turf, but he did not close his eyes. The lids were lowered but nevertheless he watched the heavens.
”Sorry for those poor horses of ours,” he said. ”One's killed and the other two, I suppose, will be scared to death before this thing's over.”
”And then we'll have to walk,” said Wharton.
”But we'll go on just the same.”
”We can buy new horses, at the next village. No more walking for mine than I can help.”
John was intently watching the eastern horizon. He was longing now for Lannes' powerful gla.s.ses. Nevertheless his eyesight was good, the best of the three, and presently the great pulse in his throat began to leap.
But he did not say anything yet. He wanted to make sure. He waited a minute and then he said:
”A black dot has reappeared in the eastern sky. It's so tiny you couldn't see it unless you swept your eyes around the circle until they met it.”
Carstairs sat up.
”Where?” he asked.
”Begin as I told you and sweep your eyes around the circle.”
”Ah, I see it now! Or maybe it's just a mote in the dancing sunbeams.”
”Oh no, it's not. Watch it grow. It's an aeroplane, and I'd wager everything against next to nothing that it's the one that left a little while ago. Whatever it went to do it's done.”
”Upon my soul, I think you're right. It is growing as you say. Now the dot becomes a black spot as big as an egg, now it grows to the size of your hand, and now the shape of a flying machine, coming at terrific speed, emerges. The whole process of departure is reversed.”
”And it's making straight for that overhanging group,” said Wharton.
John watched the big birds of prey await the messenger, and again he longed intently for Lannes' powerful gla.s.ses. The returning machine was received by the others which formed a circle about it, and for some minutes they hung there in close company.
His nerves began to quiver again with excitement. He was sure that it was a menace. The small aeroplane would not have gone away on a mission without some excellent reason. Sure of his leafy covert he stood up, and watched the group which now circled almost exactly over their heads.
Carstairs and Wharton stood beside him, and again they turned to him as the leader, now that it was an affair of the air.
”What do you make of it?” asked Carstairs, anxiously.
”It means harm, some new method of attack,” said John, ”but for the life of me I can't guess what it is.”
”Then we've merely got to wait,” said Wharton.