Fighting in France Part 27

"Of course you wish to deliver them to him in person?"

"Yes," said Jacques.

"If you will come with me," said the corporal, "I will conduct you to him at once."

Jacques climbed out of the monoplane and set out across the field with the corporal.

"We'll wait right here for you, Jacques," called Leon, as he and Earl also stepped out of the machine and began to stretch their legs.

"Anglais?" queried one of the soldiers, hearing Leon speak in English.

"Americain," smiled Leon.

"_Bon_," exclaimed the man. "_Parlez-vous Francais_? _Je ne parle pas l'Anglaise_." (Good. Do you speak French? I do not speak English.)

"_Un peu_" (a little), said Leon and he and his brother did their best to carry on a conversation in French with their new friends.

It seemed that there had been spirited fighting for the last week along that portion of the front. The men were of the opinion that the attacks and counter-attacks thus far had been in the nature of feelers and that both sides were searching for a weak spot in their opponent's line. They all seemed to feel that a general offensive was about to be undertaken and every man was convinced that the dispatches the three young friends had brought were in some way connected with this movement.

The sun was warm in the field and the twin brothers spent a most enjoyable hour talking with their new comrades. Like all the French troops they were talkative, enthusiastic and hospitable. They were eager for news; they were certain that France and her allies would be victorious; they also brought hot coffee and sweet chocolate for the young Americans. They were delighted to think that people from a land so distant should think enough of France to fight for her in her struggle for freedom and justice.

Leon and Earl were particularly interested to learn that large forces of Russian troops were now fighting side by side with their allies on the western front. They had not heard that there were Russian soldiers in France, although such reports had often been freely circulated. A soldier knows little about the war in which he fights; he sees what takes place on the ground in the immediate vicinity of the place where he is located but the general outcome or fortunes of battles he knows nothing about. People at home or in neutral countries know much more about the actual trend of the war than does the soldier who fights its battles.

Finally Jacques went back to the monoplane and preparations for an immediate return were made.

"All ready to go back?" he inquired cheerily.

"Yes," said Leon. "Did you deliver your dispatches all right?"

"Yes, indeed, and now we have nothing to think about except getting back home to the _douzieme_ once more."

"I'd hardly call it home," laughed Earl. "I hope there aren't as many bullets and sh.e.l.ls flying around our homes as there are around the _douzieme_. Home wouldn't be very comfortable under those circ.u.mstances."

"Well we'd better start anyway," said Jacques. "All aboard!"

The boys quickly scrambled back to their places. The little group of soldiers they were leaving wished them the best of luck and then the machine started.

"Do you suppose we'll have as easy a trip home as we did coming?" asked Earl as they began to soar higher and higher.

"We can go the long way if you want to," said Jacques.

"What do you think, Leon?" demanded Earl. "Don't you think we might as well take the longer but the safer route on the return trip?"

"I don't see why not," exclaimed Leon. "We can fly just behind the battle-line all the way back. I'd like to see what it looks like."

"So should I," agreed Jacques. "We'll do it then, only we'll have to keep a mile or so behind the front."

"That's all right," exclaimed Earl. "We can see if we're a mile or so high."

They had covered scarcely two miles from the village of Flambeau when Leon suddenly spied another aeroplane.

"Look!" he cried excitedly. "There's another monoplane!"

"Where?" demanded Jacques.

"To your right."

One glance was enough for Jacques. His experienced eye immediately identified the stranger and he turned to his two aides.

"That's a German flier," he remarked. "Get the machine-gun ready."

"What are you going to do?" demanded Earl eagerly.

"Chase him of course," said Jacques.

CHAPTER XXI

DISABLED

"Now you fellows will have to do all the work with the machine-gun,"

exclaimed Jacques as he s.h.i.+fted the course of the big monoplane and started in pursuit of their enemy.

"Leave that to us," cried Leon.

"I'll have to; maneuvering this machine will keep me busy."

Higher and higher Jacques steered the monoplane. His desire was to rise above their opponent if possible and thus take him at a disadvantage.

"Do you suppose he sees us?" demanded Earl.

"Certainly he does," said Leon.

"And he's ready to fight?"

"If he wasn't he'd turn and run."

"How soon shall we open fire?"

"I don't know yet; he's two miles away now, anyway."

Speeding through the sky the two great mechanical birds rushed at each other. With jaw set and a cool calculating eye Jacques sat in the pilot's seat and directed the course of his flier. Earl and Leon held the machine-gun ready for instant action.

"We're almost over the battle-line," announced Earl suddenly. "I can see the trenches below."

"Never mind them," exclaimed Leon. "Watch that machine."