CHAPTER XXXIII.

THROUGH BULLET-RACKED AIR.

The man with the revolver gave a sudden cry:

"_Mon ami_ Read-ee!"

"Great Scott, de Garros!" gasped Jack, recognizing the French aviator. "What are you doing here?"

"I might ask zee same question of you," smiled the other. "I leave you on zee sheep and now, voila! I find you in a Belgian wood wizout zee hat, wiz your face scratched by zee bramble and looking--pardon me, please,--like zee tramp."

"I guess I do," laughed Jack, in his relief at finding that instead of falling again into the enemy's hands, he had met an old friend; "but I'm lucky that there's nobody to say 'how natural he looks'----"

"Pardon, I don't understand," said de Garros in a puzzled tone.

Jack plunged into a recital of his adventures, interrupted frequently by a hail of "_Sacres_," "_Nom d'un noms_," and "_Chiens_," from the Frenchman.

"And now it's up to you to explain how I find you here in the heart of a Belgian wood with a war machine," said Jack as he concluded.

"Zat is eezee to explain," said the Frenchman. "After you leave me in New York I get passage on a French liner for Havre. We arrive and I am at once placed in command of zee air forces of Belgium. Since zat time, pardon my conceit, monsieur, I think zat wizout bragging I can say I 'ave cause zee Germans very much trouble. Last night I fly over zee country and where I see Germans I drop a little souvenir,--but what is zee matter, monsieur, you look excited."

"No, no, go on," said Jack; "I was just thinking that it's possible the day of miracles has come back."

De Garros stared at him but went on:

"In zee course of my journey I see a farmhouse where Gerrman cavalry horses and stacked arms show in zee moonlight," said the Frenchman.

"How did you know they were Germans?" asked Jack.

"Did you not know all zis territory is now overrun by zem? Yesterday they advance. They are now near Louvain. But nevaire fear, someway we drive zem back. But to continue. I drop one, two bomb wiz my compliments and----"

"Saved my life!" exploded Jack.

De Garros looked concerned.

"Once more pardon, my dear Readee, but you are well in zee head? Zee sun----?"

"No, no, don't you see?" cried Jack; "those were your bombs that resulted in my being saved from a spy's death."

"_Sacre!_ Ees zat possible? And yet it must 'ave been so! Embrace me, my dear Readee, nuzzing I 'ave done 'ave give me so much plaisair as zees."

Jack had to submit to being hugged by the enthusiastic little aviator to whom, as may be expected, he felt the deepest gratitude.

"And now what are zee plan?" asked de Garros, when his enthusiasm had subsided.

"I want to join my friends in Louvain," said Jack.

"_Nom d'un chien!_ You are trying to walk zere through zees part of zee country!"

"Why, yes. I----"

"_Mon ami_, you might as well commit zee suicide. It is swarm wiz German. I hide in zees wood till night when I can travel wizout having zee bullet swarm like zee bee round what you call zee bonnet."

"Then what am I going to do?" he demanded. "I can't stay here and I've had one experience with the Germans, and I assure you it was quite sufficient to last me for a lifetime."

"I 'ave zee plan," said de Garros.

"Yes."

"My aeroplane hold three people."

"Go on."

"You shall fly wiz me."

"To Louvain?"

"If that is possible. If not, to some place where you can communicate wiz your friend. 'Ow you like zat?"

Jack hesitated a moment. He was not a timid lad, nor did he fear ordinary danger. Yet flying above the German troops, between the place where they were talking and Louvain, was a risky business to say the least of it.

Yet there was no alternative that he could perceive. The mere idea of getting captured by Uhlans again gave him goose flesh. As if he read his thoughts de Garros said:

"You run no more of zee reesk in zee flight than you do on zee ground. Not so much. At night I fly high and I promise you I will not make any attacks."

"You're on," said Jack, extending his hand.