We know that later on a radical change was made in the program. The passage of the Dardanelles, promised for the first of May, had not been accomplished by the first of September, when there was trench warfare ashore, with tens of thousands killed and wounded on both sides, and the end still unknown.
At the time Jack and Amos found themselves with the battle fleet a spirit of optimism pervaded the various units composing the immense flotilla. Possibly the knowledge that they had already shattered a number of the forts at the lower end of the passageway had much to do with this confidence. They could not yet seem to grasp the fact that the swift current that set through the Narrows, coming from the Sea of Marmora day and night, was fated to be their eventual undoing, and render all their efforts vain, for it bore countless floating mines capable of sinking even a super-dreadnaught upon contact.
The boys had become heartily tired of it all by this time. Their heads rang from the dreadful concussion, and Amos even declared he had a splitting headache.
“I shall go crazy if they don’t drop out soon, stop these terrible broadsides of living, fiery metal, and get away!” he told his cousin, who was just then observing some of the aeroplanes that still sailed back and forth in the clear skies above.
“Watch that fellow away over yonder,” he told Amos, clapping the binoculars in his hand.
“Oh! do you think he can be Frank?” cried the other, trembling as he started to adjust the glasses to his sight.
“That’s more than I’d like to say,” replied Jack, “though it might be possible, for right now he’s taking desperate chances to carry out a little scheme he’s set up, hoping to do some damage to the Turks, in all this excitement, where the shells of the fleet can’t reach them.”
“He is swooping low, as sure as anything,” admitted Amos, eagerly. “It seems to me he must be throwing something down at a fort below him. There, I could see a little cloud of gray smoke burst close by the aeroplane, so they must be sending shrapnel up at him from those anti-airship guns.”
“That’s just what he is doing, Amos, throwing bombs down at a magazine he has discovered. Turn the glasses lower, and watch to see if there is any sort of an explosion on the ground. That would give it away if he succeeds.”
Ten seconds later and Amos uttered a shout.