"Right!"
The plane swung around in a wide circle.
"Volley!" cried the doctor. Carnes pulled the master lever and the rest of the bombs fell earthward.
"Now glide to the east, McCready, until you are forced down."
McCready banked the plane and started on a long glide toward the east. Carnes and the doctor watched the falling bombs. The doctor's aim had been perfect. The first bomb released struck the building squarely while the other landed only a few feet away. Instead of the puffs of smoke which they had expected, the bombs had no effect. The volley which Carnes had discharged fell full on the building as harmlessly as had the two pilot shots.
"Were these bombs armed, Lieutenant?" demanded the doctor.
"Yes, sir. I inspected them myself before we took off and they were fused and armed. They had always fused and should have gone off, no matter in what position they landed."
"Well, they didn't. That building is our goal all right. Saranoff would naturally expect an air raid and he has perfected some device which renders a bomb impotent before it lands. How far from the building will you land?"
"A couple of miles, Doctor."
"Get as far as you can. If you can make that line of thicket ahead, we'll take to our heels and hope to hide in it."