THE GREAT STRAFE
BILLY BARCROFT would have been disagreeably surprised had the R.N.V.R. sub given him an answer in the negative. He was perfectly aware that Nigel Farrar was rightfully entitled to be sent home on leave, following his escape from an enemy country. Yet, with characteristic impetuosity and zeal, Farrar had jumped at the offer to guide the "Avenger" to the secret U-boat base, and incidentally "get his own back."
In less than twenty minutes the flying-boat returned to her base. Barcroft made his report and obtained the squadron-commander's ready permission to attempt another stunt. Sylvester, rigged out in new civilian clothing and taking the baron's uniform with him as a souvenir, lost no time in catching the first train to Milan, where, with luck, he might join the through express to Paris—and home.
"You'll look me up directly you arrive home on leave, old man?" he asked, when Farrar bade him farewell and a speedy journey, knowing perfectly well that the latter wish was almost as hopeless as asking for the moon.
"I'll certainly look you up before I rejoin my ship," replied the sub evasively.
The Moke regarded his chum curiously.
"Wonder what the move is?" he asked himself. "Farrar's people aren't in England. He has no relatives there as far as I am aware of. I wonder—ah! the sly dog!"
As soon as the flying-boat had replenished her petrol tanks, taken on board a stock of bombs and trays of ammunition, the flight began. Barcroft was anxious to carry out the stunt in broad daylight. With reasonable luck he hoped to be back again by sunset.
The "Avenger" was not alone. Following in V-shaped formation were four of her sister craft, their load of bombs aggregating a little more than a ton. They flew high—between 8,000 and 10,000 feet—with very little noise: the motors were effectively silenced, and only the purr of the pistons and the whirr of the huge propellers disturbed the stillness of the rarefied atmosphere.
High over the Istrian coast they flew, keeping above, but just inside, the chain of islands that had proved more than once the salvation of a hard-pressed hostile vessel.