CHAPTER XXXVI.

A MYSTERIOUS CAPTURE

But the disaster de Garros had feared more than admitted did not happen. Between two patches of wood lay an open field, readily distinguished even in the dark by its lighter color. In the stubble of a mown crop the aeroplane alighted, not without a considerable jolt to its occupants.

Their main anxiety now was the great Zeppelin they could hear, but not see, above them. Jack trusted they were equally invisible and that the searchlight would not reveal them, for high explosive bombs in a deadly rain from above would certainly follow.

De Garros, while wringing his wounded hand with pain, was helped out of the machine by Jack.

"Malediction, and I not get zee chance to fire on zat _chien_ of a Zeppelin," lamented the Frenchman. "Some day I pay zem back."

"Is your hand badly hurt?" asked Jack anxiously.

"I do not know and we dare not yet use zee electric torch I 'ave on zee machine."

"Why not?"

"It would show zee Zeppelin where we 'ide."

"Then you don't think they guess that we have descended?"

"No, if they had zey would search zee ground wiz zeir light."

"That's so."

"But now they are point eet 'ere, zere, all over zee sky. If zey no find us zey think zat we are keel and zey go away."

Jack shuddered at the narrow escape they had from this being made literally true.

For a long time, or so it seemed to the anxious watchers below, the Zeppelin soared above them, her searchlight swinging in every direction. But at last the noise of her engines grew dimmer and the light vanished.

"Zey go away disgoost," said de Garros, shrugging his shoulders. "Now we see what are zee chances of patching up my hand and getting zee engine going again."

The electric light, carried to locate engine trouble at night, was switched on and brought out by its long wires over the side of the craft. Then began an anxious examination of the aviator's hand.

It proved that the tip of his thumb, where it had laid on the edge of the wheel, had been badly nicked by a bullet, but luckily it was the left member.

"If zee engine ees capable of being fixed I can drive wiz my right hand," declared the aviator. "Thank the _bon Dieu_ that it was not zee steering wheel zat was struck."

With the first aid kit, carried by all soldiers in the field, they soon dressed and bound the injured member, and then came the examination of the engine, an investigation on which much depended. If it proved to have been too badly damaged to be repaired, they would not stand much chance for escape in a country so overrun with German troops. For all they knew some might be camped not far off. But they had to take their chance of that.

"_Ciel_, we are in zee luck!" exclaimed de Garros, after a brief examination, "the _chiens_ only smashed a spark plug. I soon fix 'im and zen once more we start."

The repair kit contained the necessary plug, which he quickly replaced. Then the journey through the night, which had already proved so eventful, was renewed. But now Jack felt a fresh alarm. How would they be able to tell at Louvain that it was a French and not a German aeroplane hovering above them.

He put the question to de Garros.

"Zat is easy. I 'ave on zee side of zee machine a set of four electric lights. Two are red, one is green, one is white. Zat is zee secret night signal of zee French machines."

"But suppose the Germans should find out your code?" asked Jack.

"Eet is changed every night. Sometimes two green, one white, one red--many combinations are possible."

"By Jove, I never thought of that!" exclaimed Jack, struck by the simplicity of the idea, and relieved at the thought that there would be no danger of being attacked by mistake.

Half an hour later they landed at a sort of fair ground in Louvain after answering all challenges satisfactorily. The Germans were not yet at the gate of the city. But they were near at hand and the place was wrapped in darkness. However, on account of de Garros' rank, they obtained an escort to the hotel.

Tired from the excitement and nervous strain, Jack went to bed, sighing with relief at the thought that all was so promising.

In about an hour or so he awakened from a deep sleep. The night was sultry, and there was a strange calmness in the atmosphere seemingly weighed with grave and impending events.

Jack could not resist an impulse to leave his room and wander out into the deserted streets of Louvain.

He had not taken a dozen steps when a heavy hand fell on his shoulder. Before he could turn to see his assailant, he was whisked from the ground and swept onward to a great height.

Still dead silence reigned.