This from Roque, as he rejoined his companions standing by the aëroplanes.
"Give us a precious ten minutes and we need not care," volunteered Henri, who had discovered the defect in the machinery which had brought them down.
"Get at it, then," urged Roque.
The boys did "get at it" so vigorously that they raised a perspiration, despite the frigid air.
"It's all right now," triumphantly announced Billy, hastily repacking the tools.
That they had been spared the time required to meet the emergency was due to the fact that the cavalrymen had diverted their course so as to make a sudden frontal charge on the artillerymen from the cover of the ruins.
"Now for a move backward," ordered Roque in low tone; "even though the gunners to the right may wear the gray we would have no show for recognition if we bounced up like a flock of partridges."
So the aviation party cautiously wheeled the biplanes in the deserted street as far as they could from the supposed line of the coming clash.
None too soon were they out of range, for with savage yells the Cossacks rode full-tilt from cover at the German guns and gunners in the shallow trenches.