A stentorian note of defiance, a rush, two shapes springing out into space, a great splash in the icy waters below!
If the morning revealed a single trace of the daring fugitives dead or alive, no word of it reached the aviation camp, to which the young airmen had returned, conscious that of this mission they were acquitted.
"Do you know, I can't help believing that they got across?"
Henri had a thought, perhaps, of the rabbit's foot that Schneider carried.
The boys had many under-the-breath discussions as to the possible connection of Roque with the explosion that had destroyed the war depot. They had no reckoning that in the little shop of a silversmith, not far removed from the very column and statue that had twice served them as a guide-post, the whole story might have been told by a wily confederate posing as a peaceful artisan. This same man could also have confessed to the first error of his expert career in the handling of a time-clock.
With plots and counterplots, however, the young aviators had no time or inclination to meddle. They would rather work in the open.
"I wonder if that lieutenant meant what he said about giving us a peek at Petrograd?"
Billy put the question to his chum as they contemplated with satisfaction a particularly neat job of aëroplane repair they had just completed.
"Don't see why he should say it if he did not mean it," replied Henri. "Next time he comes this way there would be no harm in reminding him of what he said."