In a few more minutes the lorry stood on the road, facing towards its original destination.
"Now for loading up," said Harry. "This is back-aching work; I shouldn't care to be a docker."
The three men started to carry the boxes and baskets from the field to the lorry, the driver sitting on the grass by the roadside. They were about halfway through the work when they heard the hum of an aeroplane. Like the reports of artillery it was so common a sound that they paid little attention to it. But Kenneth, glancing up as the sound grew louder, exclaimed:
"It's a Taube, about 5000 feet up. I fancy. There'll be a pretty chase presently. By Jove! it's dropping. Something must have gone wrong with the engine. I'll try a pot shot at it if you fellows will go on loading."
Seizing his rifle, he stood watching the aeroplane as it circled above them, gradually coming lower.
"Look out!" he cried suddenly.
Almost as soon as he had spoken there was a terrific crash on the road about thirty yards away, and a shower of earth and stones bespattered the lorry and the men. Kenneth fired as the Taube made another sweep round, still lower.
"Here's another!" he called. "Down with you."
They all threw themselves flat on their faces. The second bomb exploded farther away than the first, doing no damage. They sprang to their feet, and all three fired at the aeroplane, which was now making a vol plané, and would come to earth apparently about half a mile away.
"We'll nab them," cried Ginger. "Come on."