“They’re ascending in spirals now,” remarked Billy, “and edging away at the same time. Guess they’ve had all they wanted of the game, and for the time we’re safe from interference. Go it you terriers, or English bulldogs, rather; keep them up so high that they’ll see the folly of trying to hit so small an object as our van here.”
Acting on Frank’s suggestion the chauffeur had come to a dead halt with his machine. If they kept on and lost the support of the soldiers on the road the crafty birdmen might again chase after them, to renew the unequal contest by hovering above and bombarding them with those dangerous missiles until one finally struck.
Presently, having mounted to a height where they need not fear the bullets from the guns of the British soldiers the airmen once more circled around and a bomb was dropped.
It exploded not fifty feet away from where the loaded van stood. There was somewhat of a scattering on the part of the soldiers. No one looked anything but annoyed because of this happening; but this sprang wholly from the fact that they could do so little against the aërial enemy.
Just then, however, Billy cried out that “as sure as two and two make four” he had discovered help in the offing. Some floating objects in the air increased rapidly in size, and quickly took on the attributes of other aëroplanes.
“Oh! more Taubes coming!” shrieked Pudge as he glimpsed the several dots that were heading their way.
M’sieu therefore proceeded to enlighten them as to the last difference between the machines used almost universally by the Allies and those which the Germans believed answered their demands best of all.
“They are the Allies!” he told Frank, with ill concealed satisfaction; and after that even Pudge could sit contentedly and watch how quickly the Germans started full tilt toward their own lines.
The two fresh arrivals pursued the other craft in hot haste, and there could be heard faint reports from up aloft as though they were trying to wing the fugitive Taube. When last seen pursuers and pursued were still making fast time toward the north.
Of course Frank begged the chauffeur to put on all possible speed so as to get as near Dunkirk as he could before any further trouble might arise to endanger the safety of the precious seaplane.