Chapter 18

PURSUIT

As the Eagle circled about in a widening spiral Harry and Jack looked over the rim of the fuselage at the country spreading like a gigantic map in bas-relief beneath them.

A tiny glow from the cowl lamp in front of the pilot's position showed Ned that the Eagle was now headed almost directly west, while the indicators showed an altitude of approximately three thousand feet. At a speed approximating forty miles per hour the great bird-like machine winged its way with its burden of adventurers.

"Tell you what, boys," Jack said presently, growing weary of trying to discover features in the obscurity below that covered the landscape, "this makes me feel just like I imagine that old guy must have felt when he went out after the Golden Fleece or something or other."

"Who was that?" asked Harry as he reached for the binoculars for the purpose of scanning their position in the hope of discerning some indication of their whereabouts. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I guess it was Jason," answered Jack. "Remember the stories Ned was reading to us about those old Greeks and others?"

"Oh, yes, now I do remember. But where do we resemble him?"

"Well, he went out after a great prize, and we are after the same sort of thing, only with us we want live game. We are after the prize of Jimmie's freedom and safety."

"Good thought!" cried Ned. "And, like the chap in the story, I am sure we'll go after the prize with the same determination and resolve to win out at all costs."

"You're right, we will!" exclaimed Harry with vigor. "We won't rest content until we have Jimmie away from those German Uhlans!"

"And Dave, too!" put in Jack. "We can't forget the fact that he wants to get back as well as Jimmie. And he's done us pretty good service, while we're speaking about him."

"That he has," declared Ned. "I wonder just where those two young rascals may be at this minute. I hope we're not running ahead of them and missing them in the running."

"They were going west by train unless Jimmie was greatly mistaken when he gave us those signals from the hilltop," said Jack. "Now, if they got going soon after we dropped Dave into their camp, we ought to be able to see their train soon."

"Are we anywhere near the line of railroad?" asked Harry, peering through the glasses in an effort to sweep the surrounding country.

"We are not a great distance away, at any rate," answered Ned as he gave a touch to the levers to straighten the Eagle from a dip due to running into an air pocket. "It should be near here, I think."

"I think I can see an illumination away to the southward that looks like it might be a locomotive," announced Harry.

"Let me have the glasses a moment," requested Jack. "Maybe I can pick up something. But," he added, "I think the railroad will be more to the northward. We passed Cracow some time ago."

"Guess you're right, after all," agreed Harry. "Take a look over to the northward and see what you can see."

"More than likely," said Jack, preparing to shift his position slightly, the better to observe the landscape to the northward, "it'll be a case of the bear going over the mountain to see what he could see. The other side of the mountain is about all we can discover. In this darkness we can't get much of a view."

"It won't do any harm to look, anyway," ventured Harry.

Jack accordingly raised the binoculars and swept the northward section of the country. Nothing could be seen that was of interest, and he swung around, the better to complete his view.

"Great smokes!" he ejaculated as he peered toward the rear. "If they're not coming after us, I'll be a Dutchman myself!"

"Who?" asked Ned eagerly. "Can you see the train?"

"Train nothing!" declared Jack. "It's those bloomin' Dutchmen from the village! They've evidently got a supply of gasoline to replace what we stole and are coming up like a greyhound after a rabbit. That's some speedy plane they've got!"

"Can you see how many men are riding?" asked Ned.

"Can't make them out," replied Jack. "Suppose you look a bit. My eyes get tired from the strain. Guess I look too hard."

"Take the levers a minute," requested Ned, "and I'll see what I can see. Maybe they're not after us at all."

"Well, if they're not after us, they stick to the trail most remarkably close, that's all I can say!" remarked Jack as he prepared to take Ned's place at the pilot's position.

"I can see them now," announced Ned as he leveled the glasses at the pursuing plane. "They are getting nearer all the while. It seems to me I can discover three men in it, too."

"I suppose they're too far away to discover what they look like," suggested Harry, "I can just see the machine now myself."

"It's pretty hard to tell what they are," said Ned, "only they seem to be pretty well protected with helmets and heavy clothes."

"Wish we were in the same comfortable condition," smiled Harry. "I'm slightly chilly myself and hope you are the same, thank you."

"Greatly obliged," returned Ned. "You are entirely correct."

"Look here," interposed Jack, "if you fellows are sufficiently frozen, I've got a scheme to propose. Want to hear it?"

"Slip us an earful," said Harry in response to Jack's query, although he winced slightly at Ned's reproachful glance, for he knew well the older lad's aversion to slang.

"Suppose the railroad is over there to the northward," went on Jack. "In that case, Jimmie and Dave'll be in that direction. Now, by running over that way we can get nearer to them and at the same time discover whether that other machine is following us."

"Fine!" declared Ned. "Head to the northward, and if they are after us we'll quickly find it out. Then we can determine what to do."

Accordingly Jack shifted the levers and the Eagle swung sharply to the northward. Ned kept the glasses leveled at the following machine in an effort to discover the movements of its pilot.

Scarcely had the Eagle regained a level keel after the sharp turn before Ned's exclamation of dismay attracted the attention of his chums.

"They're after us as sure as shooting!" he cried. "They're cutting across the corner of the angle. That'll give them some advantage. It won't pay us to try any more dodging if we want to outrun them."

"Sure!" declared Jack. "The pursuer always has the shorter course to travel if the one running away tries to tack about any."

"In that case it would be best to keep straight ahead and trust to our speed to carry us away from them," suggested Harry.

"Yes," agreed Jack, "stern chases are always long chases."

"Do you suppose we can give them the slip somehow without using up all our gasoline?" asked Jack. "I don't want to get too far away from Jimmie and Dave, either. Can't we work it somehow?"

"If it were only a little lighter," ventured Harry, "we might land somewhere and argue it out with them from behind a stone wall or trench."

"That wouldn't be very profitable," Ned argued. "If we should start anything like that we'd be in all kinds of trouble at once. Our best plan would, I think, be to cut and run for it to the westward. If they're after us and mean to catch us, they would try to follow. Even though this may be an army plane they are using, I believe the Eagle is capable of outrunning them."

"Then here goes for a fast ride," declared Jack, reaching for the handle controlling the mixing valve of the carburetor. "I'm going to slip in a little more air and shove the spark ahead a few notches."

"Hang onto your hat," laughed Harry. "If Jack gets the speed bug nicely working there won't be much left that isn't tied on!"

"Right you are," responded Jack as the Eagle seemed to fairly leap forward in answer to his touch. "Hang on tight!"

Jack's caution was needed, for the speed materially increased. Ned continued to keep watch with the aid of the binoculars, while Harry scanned the surrounding country in an effort to make out any features that would guide them.

Presently the others were delighted to hear a cry from Ned.

"We're leaving them behind at last, boys!" he managed to shout as he sheltered his head from the stinging blast of air singing through the rigging of the Eagle. "They're getting smaller in the glasses!"

"Slow down, Jack," advised Harry. "Let's watch them a bit and see what they're going to do. Maybe it's only a trick."

"No, it isn't a trick," said Ned as the Eagle's speed decreased. "That plane is going to land, I believe. I think I can see a light on the ground a little to the northward of their position."

"Suppose we swing round in a big circle and see if we can discover what they are going to do," suggested Jack, reaching for the rudder levers. "If they're going to land and get assistance we ought to know it before it's too late. If they're giving up it'll be all right."

"Stand by to come about, then," agreed Ned. "It won't do any harm, and if we cut in the muffler we should be able to ride above them without being discovered. The upper sky is very dark yet."

Accordingly Jack shifted the rudders and brought the Eagle sharply about, heading directly eastward again. As the plane proceeded to retrace the course so recently followed the lad brought the machine to a higher level and cut in the muffler, entirely deadening the clamor of the motors. He had been running with the exhaust partly open in order to obtain every bit of the engine's efficiency in the flight.

When the boys had reached an altitude that seemed sufficient Jack again described a circle in the air that brought them almost directly over the position to which the pursuing plane had descended.

"Ha!" cried Ned, turning the glasses downward. "I can see a train standing at a station. The grounds are lighted by shaded electric lights, I believe, and there seem to be soldiers moving about beside the train. I saw a shower of sparks just then that looked as if they came from a switch engine. I'll bet that's a railroad terminal and the train is one moving troops westward from Peremysl to Verdun!"

"Hope you are right and that the train has got Jimmie and Dave on it," put in Jack eagerly. "Maybe we can get a chance to rescue them yet. What do you say to trying?"

"The chances would be very poor just now, I'm thinking," replied Harry doubtfully. "With all those soldiers there we wouldn't have much of a chance, especially as we are not able to communicate with the boys, even granting that they are on that train."

"Better give up the idea, then," regretfully acknowledged Jack.

"Can you make out anything, Ned?" asked Harry, peering downward.

"Nothing in particular," replied the lad. "It seems to me that the aviator is trying to start the plane again. I can see it at the station under the lights. Can you hear the exhaust of his engine?"

"I thought I did just then," replied Harry. "Listen!"

All three boys strained their ears to catch any possible sounds from below while the Eagle on noiseless wings circled high above the station grounds. A confusion of minor sounds came faintly up.

Out of the murmur a crashing, rending noise was heard.