The sea wall was battered out of shape under the hurricane of bombs sent at it. Further on cars and motors were smashed when another well directed shot burst in their midst, causing a wild stampede on the part of a company of gray-coated Bavarians. These men had been firing several of the guns that could be elevated at an angle of almost fifty degrees, and were made especially with the idea of bringing down aircraft.
Several of the hostile airmen seemed to have marked out an oil tank as the target of their aim. It was a small thing to strike at such a distance, and a number of shots had gone wild. As though provoked at such a waste of precious ammunition, one of the most venturesome of the pilots suddenly swooped downward.
“Oh! watch him!” cried Pudge. “Now there’s going to be something doing worth seeing. I take off my hat to that chap for daring!”
He stopped talking then, for he had to actually hold his breath with admiration and fear while watching the evolutions of the bold voyager of the air.
The birdman swung this way and that with an eccentric movement that effectually balked the designs of the gunners to burst a shrapnel shell close to him. His altitude changed constantly, so they were unable to regulate the fuses of their shells to meet the conditions.
It looked as though he were simply defying them to do their worst, or begging a Taube of the enemy to risk rising to engage in a duel with him.
“Why, he’s right over their heads now, for you can hear all sorts of rifles going off in volleys,” said Billy. “Let’s hope he keeps out of their range.”
“Dories and dingbats, but doesn’t it beat anything you ever heard tell of?” Pudge was heard to say as he leaned over and watched the exciting picture; though he afterward declared it made him dizzy to see so many seaplanes speeding this way and that like angry bees when the hive is being robbed.
“Watch!” called Frank, who guessed from the signs that the bold pilot must by this time have reached a point where he was ready to have his assistant make the next cast.
Yes, they could see that he was leaning over now and apparently balancing some object in his hand. The seaplane grew somewhat steadier in its motion, as though they were willing to take additional chances in order to obtain stability.