Air Service Boys Over the Atlantic | Page 9

the others
manifested a desire to join in the chorus, though none of them dared let
their voices out, since it was against the rules.
"Did you learn anything about the job we've got on hand, Tom?"
"Yes, that's what I did; though I believe it was not generally told to all
who are to be in the party," came the cautious reply. "Of course just

before the flight they'll be given full particulars, when orders are issued
to the pilots and observers. It's a bridge this time, Jack!"
"That one spanning the river about twenty miles back of the German
lines, do you mean?"
"Yes, it's the most important bridge within fifty miles. Over it day and
night the retreating Boche armies are passing. There's hardly a minute
that guns and regiments may not be seen passing across at that point."
"Yes," observed Jack, "and a number of times some of our airmen have
tried to bomb it in the daytime; but Fritz keeps such a vigilant watch we
never could succeed in getting close enough to do any material damage.
And so the High Command has decided that bridge must be knocked to
flinders!"
"We're going out to make the attempt, anyhow," resumed Tom,
nodding. "Four big bombing machines in the bunch, guarded by eight
battleplanes; and we've the good fortune to be chosen as the crew of
one. I consider we're lucky, Jack."
"That's right, Tom. Though I don't feel quite as keen for it as I would
have been had I not received that letter from our lawyer, asking me to
hurry back home if I could possibly make it. Still, I'll be in for a bad
night, anyhow, and might just as well be working."
"Are you worrying about your cousin?" demanded Tom suspiciously.
"To tell you the truth I am, more or less," Jack confessed. "I know him
as a man utterly without principle. When he knows that it is a race
between us to see which one can get to America first, so as to win the
prize my foolish uncle left in such a haphazard way, there's absolutely
nothing, I honestly believe, that Randolph wouldn't attempt in order to
keep me from getting there in advance of him."
"Well, try to forget all that just now," said Tom. "I've a nice little
surprise for you, Jack. I suppose you know they've got a sort of 'Y' hut
running back here a bit?"

"Heard some of the fellows talking about it, but, somehow, didn't seem
to take much stock in the news. Fact is, I've temporarily lost my taste
for those doughnuts and the girls who give their time to jollying up our
fellows, as well as attending to their many wants in the line of letter
writing and such things."
"Perhaps," insinuated Tom, with a mild grin, "a doughnut mightn't go
so badly now if the girl who offered it happened to answer to the name
of Bessie?"
At that Jack suddenly began to show more interest. A gleam came into
his saddened eyes and a faint smile to his face.
"That's an altogether different thing, Tom!" he exclaimed. "Do you
really mean that Bessie and Mrs. Gleason are so close as all that?"
"If you care to walk out with me you can be talking to them inside of
fifteen minutes," came the ready answer. "And while about it, I might
as well tell you that Nellie is there too. Seems that she's attached to a
field hospital staff that's keeping us close company, and, meeting the
Gleasons, came over for the evening. She's been overworked lately, and
needs some rest. I promised to come back for a short while, and fetch
you along."
"Did--er, Bessie ask you to look me up?" asked Jack confusedly.
"To be sure! Twice at least. And I had to promise solemnly I'd do it
even if I had to take you by the collar and hustle you there. But our
time is limited, and we'd better be on our way, Jack."
The other showed an astonishing return to his old form. Apparently the
mere fact that he was about to see the Gleasons again caused him to
forget, temporarily at least, all about his fresh troubles. They were soon
hurrying along, now and then dropping flat as some shell shrieked
overhead or burst with a crash not far away.
Their relations with Mrs. Gleason and Bessie were very remarkable,
and of a character to bind them close together in friendship. In fact, as

has been described at length in one of the earlier books of this series,
Tom and Jack had been mainly instrumental in releasing the mother
and young daughter from a chateau where they were being held
prisoner by an unscrupulous and plotting relative, with designs