Air Service Boys Over the Atlantic | Page 8

over here acting in a confidential
capacity to some Government official."
"Yes, I've seen him," said Tom, frowning. "And to tell the honest truth
his face didn't impress me strongly. In fact, I didn't like your cousin.
What's the use? All Virginia knows that Randolph Carringford is a
black sheep--that no decent man or woman will acknowledge him for a
friend. Wonder what Joshua Kinkaid meant, anyhow, by ringing him in.
But are the lands worth as much as it was believed, Jack?"
"I learn in this letter from our lawyer that the richest kind of coal veins
have been located on the Burson property in West Virginia; and that
they promise to be valued at possibly a million dollars. Think of what
that would mean to the Parmly family! For we are far from being rich.
Father lost his grip on business you know, Tom, when he volunteered,
and went into the Spanish war, and when he died did not leave very
much."
"Do you suppose your cousin knows anything about this new
development?" continued Tom sympathetically.
"He is too greedy not to have looked after every possible chance," came
Jack's despondent reply. "And now that this thing's come up I can begin
to understand why he kept smiling in that way all the time he chatted
with me a week ago when we chanced to meet. I think he had had a tip
even then that this thing was coming off, and was laying his plans.
Though how he could known, I can't imagine."

"Then you suspect he may already be on his way across, and will arrive
before you can get there to put in your claim?" asked Tom.
"Even allowing that he had no news until this mail got in, Tom, he'd get
off a whole lot easier that I'll ever be able to, and so could catch a boat,
while I kept untwisting the army red tape. It's a bad job all around, I'm
afraid, and bound to make me feel blue."
"There's only one thing for you to do, Jack." remarked the energetic
chum promptly, and his confidence gave the other considerable
satisfaction.
"What is that?"
"Apply for leave at once. And include me at the same time, because I'll
go with you, of course, Jack. We'll try to get back in time to join in the
grand march to the Rhine. Promise me to do this before we sleep
to-night!"
"I will, Tom, and here's my hand on it!"
CHAPTER IV
THE REST BILLET
"Here's a pretty kettle of fish, Jack!" Tom Raymond remarked several
hours later, as he came into the dingy dugout where his chum was
sitting.
A number of other pilots and observers occupied the same quarters,
which had once been the refuge of German officers. Wretched though
these quarters were, they at least afforded security from the bursting
shells that were being sent across now and then by the enemy, from
their positions on the hills to the northwest.
Jack had been paying small heed to the merriment of his mates, who,
like most young men gathered together in a group, had been carrying
on high. Sitting there with his head resting on his hand he had allowed

himself to become buried in deep thought. A strained worried look had
taken possession of his usually sunny face.
"What's the matter now, Tom?" he asked, with a deep sigh, as though
he had been rudely brought back to a realization of the fact that he was
still in France, where the battle raged, and far removed from those
peaceful Virginia scenes he had been picturing.
"We're ordered out with that raiding party to-night," Tom continued,
lowering his voice to a whisper, since it was supposed to be a military
secret, and not to be openly discussed.
"Oh! Well, what does it matter?" asked Jack, beginning to show
animation. "We've put in our applications for leave, but the chances are
they'll not be acted upon immediately, although we asked for speed.
And nothing would please me more than to see action while I'm waiting.
I'm afraid I'd go clean daffy unless I could forget my troubles in some
way."
"Glad to hear you say that, Jack, because I'm feeling particularly keen
myself to be one of that bunch to-night"
"When do we start?" demanded the other tersely.
"Not until two in the morning," came the low reply. "All that's been
figured out with regard to the moon you know."
Jack took a quick glance around. So far as he could see, no one was
paying the least attention to him and his comrade. One of the air pilots
was trying to sing a song, being in jovial mood after receiving a letter
that he admitted was from his "girl in the States" and