“Oh! they treated me all right, only that they kept me a prisoner and wouldn’t parole me on my honor not to betray them. Then, that cloth they tied around my face must have been something they picked up, for it seemed like an old rag. But thank goodness it’s all over with now.”
“Yes,” said Billy lightly, “no use ever borrowing trouble about things that are dead and gone. You know they say the mill will never run again with the water that is past. But there’s someone at the door, Frank.”
“I imagine it must be our friend, Major Nixon,” said Frank. “He’s heard that we’ve been away on some sort of trial spin to test things, and has dropped around to learn how we made out.”
“He’s going to be surprised a whole lot when he hears all we’ve got to tell,” said Billy, with a chuckle, as he started over to unfasten the door, upon the panel of which those knocks had been sounded.
It proved that Frank was a good prophet, for the visitor was the red-faced British officer connected with the aviation squad at Dunkirk. His manner betrayed the fact that he had come either to fetch some important news or else to be told something along those lines.
Once again did Billy have to start in. Fortunately, he was a pretty fair story-teller, and enthusiasm with his subject did more or less to help him. The Major was duly thrilled with the graphic account of all the stirring events that had come to Frank and Billy since the afternoon.
Being a man of considerable experience in aviation, though no longer allowed to make an ascent, on account of being subject to dizzy spells, the after effects from a severe accident, Major Nixon at least could enjoy hearing about the exploits of others.
Billy, too, was blunt, and not at all inclined to make himself and chum out to be any sort of heroes. He told the story in a most matter-of-fact way, though reading between the lines the officer was able to picture things about as they happened.
“I’m pleased to hear your grand account of this great seaplane,” he told them when Billy at last told of their safe return to the waiting hangar. “My word, if only we British had fifty like it, I believe we would be in condition to end the war before three months had passed. No Zeppelin would dare enter into the same class. What magnificent craft they would be for protecting the home coast from such bombardments as happened not so very long ago.”
“Well,” said Frank, thinking to strike while the iron was hot, “we’re going to ask that from now on our hangar be guarded against any sort of attack. This seaplane, after certain formalities have been complied with, really will belong to the French Government; so it’s surely up to you to defend the property of your ally from a raid.”