CHAPTER IX
THE PLAN WORKS—ALMOST
"Time to get busy."
It was Frank who spoke. All was quiet among the sand dunes. The commander of the Germans had laid down upon the ground, some distance from the others, half an hour before. Snores from various points announced that most of the men were sleeping soundly.
Jack and Frank got to their feet
"Careful," said Jack as they separated. "Remember, don't give your man a chance to let out a cry."
Frank nodded in the darkness and walked slowly toward the sentinel he had selected to silence. Jack moved in the other direction.
As Jack came within a few yards of his prey, the man raised his rifle and commanded:
"Halt!"
"It's all right," said Jack. "I couldn't sleep and it was lonesome back there. I want company."
The German lowered his rifle.
"It's lonesome here, too," he said. "Wish you had been selected for my job."
"I wouldn't have minded it tonight," said Jack, approaching closer.
The German reached in his pocket and produced a pack of cigarettes. He extended the pack to Jack.
"Have one?" he invited.
Jack accepted a cigarette.
The German produced a match. He laid his rifle upon the ground as he struck the match upon the leg of his trousers.
It was the moment for which Jack had been waiting.
Quickly his revolver leaped out. In almost the same instant he reversed it and before the German realized what was about to happen he brought the butt down on the man's head with great force.
The man fell to the ground without a sound.
Frank, advancing upon the other German, also was challenged when he drew close, but he, too, engaged his prey in conversation. As the man turned his head for a moment to gaze across the dark sand, the lad struck him violently over the head with his revolver butt. The German dropped like a log.
A few moments later Frank and Jack met again near the first aeroplane.
"It'll have to be quick work here," Jack warned "We haven't a whole lot of time, you know."
Frank nodded that he understood. Rapidly they passed from one plane to another letting out the gasoline. Five minutes later, with the exception of their hydroplane, which rested some distance away, every craft upon the beach was dry. They were absolutely useless—or so the lads thought.
"Now for the papers," said Jack, as he straightened up after tinkering with the last machine.
Cautiously the two lads advanced upon the sleeping German. Frank raised his revolver and would have brought it down on the man's head had not Jack stayed him with a gesture.
"No need of that," he said. "I don't like to hurt a man except when it is absolutely necessary."
Frank put the revolver back in his pocket.
Gently, Jack thrust his hand into the German's pocket. He fumbled about a moment and then drew forth a paper. Turning his head aside he struck a match and glanced at the paper. Then he nodded his satisfaction.
"This is it," he said.
Frank, at that moment, had risen to his feet. Believing the work was accomplished, he was moving off toward the hydroplane. As Jack now made to get to his feet, he chanced to glance at the German he had just relieved of the papers.
The lad uttered an exclamation of surprise, and no wonder. The man's eyes were open and gazed straight at Jack. In his hand he held a revolver and it was levelled at Jack's head.
"Hands up!" said the German, quietly.
There was nothing for Jack to do but obey or be shot. His hands went high in the air, but he still retained the valuable papers.
"Drop those papers," was the next command.
Jack obeyed and the papers fluttered to his feet. The German reached out and picked them up with his left hand while with his right he still covered the lad with his revolver.
"So you're a spy, eh?" said the German.
Jack made no reply, but a gleam of hope lighted up his eye; for, Frank, chancing to turn for some unexplainable reason, had taken in the situation and was now advancing on tiptoe to his friend's aid.
"How did you get here?" demanded the German, making ready to rise.
Again Jack made no reply; but none was necessary, for at that moment Frank had come within striking distance. His arm rose and fell, and as his revolver butt descended upon the German's head, the latter toppled over in a heap.
Quickly, Jack stooped and again recovered the papers he had taken so much pains to get.
"Come on!" cried Frank. "We haven't time to fool around here. The rest of this crowd is likely to wake up in a minute or two."
Jack followed his friend across the sand. They laid hold of the hydroplane and rolled it toward the water. In it went with a splash and Frank cried:
"Climb aboard quickly!"
Jack needed no urging and a moment later the two boys were ready for flight. And then, suddenly, there was the crack of a revolver behind them and a bullet flew close to Jack's ear.
The German leader had recovered consciousness, and springing to his feet, dashed to the water's edge and fired point blank at the machine. Fortunately, in his excitement his aim was poor and he missed. Before he could fire again, Frank wheeled about and his revolver spoke sharply.
The German threw up his arms, and with a gasp, pitched headlong into the sea.
But the sounds of the two shots had aroused the sleeping camp. Wild cries came from the shore, followed by heavy footfalls as the Germans rushed toward the water.
"Hurry, Frank!" cried Jack.
As lightly as a fairy the hydroplane skimmed over the water; then went soaring in the air. Frank gave a loud cheer.
"Safe!" he exclaimed.
But the lad was wrong.
From on shore came a chorus of angry cries and imprecations. Hastily the Germans made a rush for their aeroplanes to give chase. None would move. Followed more cries and angry shouts.
"Wait," said one German. "I've some gasoline."
Rapidly he opened up a big can, which he took from the bottom of his machine. Quickly the tank was filled and the man climbed into the pilot's seat. Another jumped in with him.
"Give us some of that gasoline!" cried another.
The German shook his head.
"Not enough," he replied. "We'll overtake those fellows and then come back for the rest of you."
The aeroplane leaped skyward and started in pursuit of Frank and Jack.
The two boys, believing that they were safe, were going along only at a fair rate of speed when Jack's keen ears caught the sound of the pursuing machine.
"They're after us, Frank!" he called.
"Impossible!" replied Frank. "How can they fly without gas?"
"Well, they're coming, all the same," declared Jack.
He produced his two revolvers and examined them carefully.
"You run this thing and I'll do what fighting is necessary," he said. "Wish I could shoot like you can; but I can't; and I can't run this machine either."
The German aeroplane was gaining steadily.
"He can outrun us," said Frank, quietly. "There is only one, thank goodness. You'll have to bring him down, Jack."
"I'll try," was Jack's reply. "If I had a rifle I might be able to pick him off now."
"Well, he won't hardly have any the best of it," said Frank. "The chances are he has no rifle either."
Frank was correct in this surmise.
Rapidly the German aircraft gained.
"Crack!" the German had fired the first shot.
It went wild. Jack fired, but with no better result.
"Hit anything?" asked Frank, without turning his head.
"No," said Jack, "but neither did the other fellow."
"Try it again," said Frank.
Jack did so; but again the bullet went wild. All this time the two craft were flying straight out to sea.
Once more the German fired and Jack felt something whizz overhead.
"This is getting too close," the lad muttered to himself. Then he called to Frank.
"Slow down, quick!"
Frank had no means of telling what plan Jack had in mind, but he did not hesitate. The hydroplane slowed down with a jerk.
The pilot of the German craft was caught off his guard. He dashed upon the hydroplane. But as he neared it he swerved to the left to avoid a collision. It was what Jack had expected. Standing up in his precarious position, Jack took a snap shot at the pilot as the German craft swept by.
At that close distance, in spite of the rate of speed at which the enemy was travelling, a miss was practically impossible.
The German machine swayed crazily from one side to the other; then dived.
"I got him, Frank!" shouted Jack.
Both lads gazed over the side at the falling enemy.
Suddenly the machine righted and descended more slowly.
"By Jove! a cool customer," said Frank. "He's regained control of the plane. He'll be up again in a moment."
Again they watched the foe carefully.
"No, he won't," said Jack, "he's still going down."
"Then we may as well be moving," said Frank.
"Hold on!" shouted Jack. "We can't leave those fellows there. They may get to shore or be picked up. Then they would give the warning and all our efforts would be for naught."
"Right," said Frank. "We'll go down after them."
The hydroplane descended slowly.