"Here goes!" announced Ned, throwing his weight against one of the levers controlling the horizontal rudders. "Stand by for a jerk!"
Scarcely had the Eagle swerved sharply from her course before the lads heard a rushing, whistling sound. Far below on the ground a missle fell. A dull boom came up. A cloud of smoke rising from the spot indicated that the missle had been a bomb remarkably well aimed. They realized that only by a narrow margin had it missed them.
"Plenty close enough," gritted Jimmie between his teeth. "Rise, if you can, Ned, and give us a chance at them with our guns."
From his seat Ned glanced quickly downward and observed the cloud of smoke about the spot where the bomb had landed.
"Give them another one, Dave," he cried, righting the Eagle and altering the rudders so as to drive the machine higher.
Without waiting for further instructions, Dave seized his rifle again and began firing as rapidly as he could load.
"We're getting over the French trenches now!" cried Harry in a moment. "I can see the puffs of smoke from their guns, and the bursting shells mean that the Germans are getting the range."
"Then we haven't far to go before we are going to be able to land."
"If we can hold this fellow off a while longer we'll be all right."
"Can you see any place, Harry, that looks like a landing place?" asked Ned, anxiously. "We better look for a good spot pretty soon."