Jack complained a little but decided in the end that it was best not to wander over London at that time of the night.
“But above all things, Tom,” he said, as they started back toward their hotel, “we must see the wreckage of that airship in the morning. It’s in line with our own business, understand, since we, too, are aviators. And don’t be afraid that I’ll be knocked out if we happen to run across one of the poor wretches who fell. I expect to get used to such things over in France. For all I know some day or other I may wind up by the same channel.”
“Huh,” was Tom’s grunted reply, when they turned in at the hotel entrance, “if any of the men fell to the ground they’ll hardly be left lying around for hours for us to view.”
The raid over London was at an end. The remaining Zeppelin sped away, as if loth to accept further chances of meeting the fate of its sister craft. Doubtless British airmen would follow after and harass the invader as long as it remained over the land; and even when the Channel was reached they might still pursue with the dogged determination characteristic of their race.
The boys finally got to sleep again and were not disturbed with further outcries. There were other airships over England that night, they afterwards learned, but these did not get past the barrage fire that protected the metropolis, dropping their stock of bombs over Kent down nearer the coast.
In the morning the air service boys managed to reach the scene of the wreckage, but were unable to get close up because of the enormous crowds. Still, they saw the mass of wreckage, and even watched a corps of workmen digging away part of the piled-up airships in search of other bodies supposed to be still unfound.
All that day Tom and Jack went around London seeing what they could of the city. They came upon several other places where damage had been done by the air raiders, and never would they forget the horror and detestation that filled their souls when they saw other hospital vans removing still more of the victims of that atrocious method of conducting war upon defenseless men, women and children.
“I can’t get over to Pau any too soon,” said Jack savagely, as they stood and watched the heart-rending scenes around one of the devastated districts. “I want to finish my schooling and be sent to the front to join the French and American fliers. If only they’ll take us in the Lafayette Escadrille, and put us to work raiding German cities, I’ll be pleased.”
“The Lafayette Escadrille doesn’t engage in that sort of work,” Tom reminded him. “They leave that to the French bombing machines. Their business is to engage German airplanes single-handed and to drop bombs on military camps back of the lines. Also during a battle to keep in constant touch with the advancing troops, and by their system of signals have the fire-control of the batteries in their hands.”
“Well,” added the impatient Jack, “so long as it’s getting a whack at the Kaiser I don’t suppose it matters much what kind of work we engage in.”