Of course the place was open to attack by German fliers, but this was true of every place along the line. Sufficient camouflaging had been done, however, to render the spot reasonably secure from bombing. Of course a direct attack from in front would be met by the admirable French system of defense, and there were plenty of reserves that could be brought up if a general advance were attempted by the Germans. But as there was no particular place of any military or strategic importance on that sector, the worst that was to be feared was an attack from the air.
And this would be guarded against both by the French fliers themselves and by a battery of the newest type of anti-aircraft gun.
"They don't seem to have forgotten much," observed Tom, as he and Jack, with the others, went to the quarters assigned to them.
"You said something!" exclaimed Jack, admiringly.
Thus had been set up in this locality, where heretofore no aircraft activities had been carried on to any extent, a most perfect escadrille.
It was designed to destroy the big German cannon. Would it succeed?
That was a question every man of the Allies asked.
Shortly after the arrival of the picked squadron at the camp, which, in honor of Tom and Jack had been named "Lincoln," word came in over the wireless that the big gun had again fired on Paris.
"It's funny we didn't hear any report of it," said Jack.
"There have been reports enough," Tom remarked. "I've heard the booming of distant guns ever since we got near this place. Any one of them may have been the monster, or they may have been firing other guns to hide the sound of this cannon. Then, too, it may not make as much noise as we think it ought to. The Germans may have found a new kind of powder, or even some propelling gas, that makes no extraordinary report. In that case we couldn't locate the gun by the sound."