“But stay in your places. Man your guns,” he warned. “Those planes may attack. If they do, give ’em all you’ve got!”
The enemy planes did not attack. Perhaps they had seen quite enough.
Thankful to be alive, the young Lord and his men flew to the rescue of those British seamen whose ships of the convoy had been sunk. Never before had Alice been so close to war as now. Helping these cold seamen, some of them frightfully wounded, from the water into the wings and into the cabin of their plane, then to the ships that had escaped the raider, she realized for the first time what it was costing these men to keep her native land fed, defended and free.
When their two hours of rescue work were over and they were prepared to take to the air once again, she was shocked to find that in her work for others she had quite forgotten her bright-eyed sister who must at this moment be drifting on this very sea or sleeping far beneath its waves.
It all came back to her like a sudden shock of pain as they rose above the sea.
Another hour of futile search, then the big ship pointed her nose toward the home base.
“Orders,” the little Lord explained, “just came in on the radio. The news of our good stroke has reached London. We are to come in for reassignment.”
“Reassignment!” Alice stared but said never a word.
Chapter XXV
The Rescue
The news of their success had gone on before them by radio. At the airdrome they were given a royal welcome. Congratulations were the order of the day. The entire crew was invited to the Squadron Commander’s home in a near-by village for dinner.