The last speaker was right, for a moment later the infuriated Spitzer, sweeping round at a frightful speed, swooped down upon the little hangar, where he presumed the English were in possession, swept the place with a burst of machine gun fire from his remaining gun, then dropped a bomb filled with high explosive right into the middle of the structure; whilst he, himself, was screened by the trees from the enemy's fire.
The roar of the explosion was deafening, and several trees in the vicinity of the workshop were blown to fragments, whilst the workshop was now a tangled mass of wreckage. It was also burning furiously, and a thick pall of dense smoke already hung over the spot.
"The professor!--we must save him!" cried Tempest, who was already limping from a bomb splinter which had pierced his leg.
Captain Watson ran to help him, but the two machine gunners, Sharpe and Hooper, stuck to their posts ready for the next attack, which they knew would not be long delayed, for Spitzer, during his last circuit, had marked the position of the two machine gun posts.
As the rescuers hastened to the assistance of the prisoners, they came upon Professor Verne, bleeding from the hands and face, dragging the prostrate form of the German from amid the burning wreckage.
"Ah, you are wounded?" cried the colonel.
"It is nothing," replied the other. "See to the mechanic. I fear he is killed, poor fellow, by his own countrymen."
It was so; his mangled form was found buried under the débris of the workshop. The German professor and his rescuer were both helped to safety; then the battle began again.
"Here comes the Scorpion!" shouted Captain Watson. "Look out there!" and instantly the air resounded with the sharp, short crackle of the air brigand's gun--
"Rep-r-r-r-r-r----!" as the raider swept the machine gun posts.