Our Pilots in the Air | Page 6

'kerchief.
The German struggled but Blaine had tied him also to the posts
supporting the hollow chamber wherein pilot and observer sat, and now
springing in himself, he started off.
Right then the heads of a column of cavalry debouched in the field. The
roar of roar of the Taube filled the air and in an instant they saw what
was happening. By this time Orris was well up in the air and still
spiraling higher. The Taube, with which Blaine was already partly
familiar through prior captured machines among the Allies, was
making its first upward curve, when a thought came to Blaine. A ruse!
The German lay still helpless, bound and gagged. Though struggling
with his bonds, his eyes were spitting anger.

In its case, with pulley attached, was a small flag of one of the larger
German aerial squadrons. Blaine plucked it forth, jerked the pulley cord,
and there unrolled before all eyes the Imperial eagle, with certain other
designs, all on a black background, and with a death's head in white at
each corner. It was two or three feet square, and as it floated from one
of the poles sustaining the biplanes, no one in the clear morning light
could mistake its meaning.
Blaine himself was not sure as to the flag. But it really was the one
used only by a certain squadron especially endorsed and. supported by
the Kaiser and the Royal House of Hohenzollern and of which the
Crown Prince was the special patron. By the time Blaine was above the
treetops, some twenty or thirty horsemen had debouched into the sheep
pasture where these happenings took place. They were lancers and,
mistaking the real nature of this maneuver, every lance was depressed
in salute and a horse shout rose up that sounded much like a series of
Hochs with Kaiser at the end.
"Holy smoke!" said Blaine, getting the machine gun in shooting trim
with one hand while manipulating the controls with the other. "Say,
Fritzy," to the snarling German at his feet, who fairly writhed at his
bounds and gag, "your folks think I'm off after those English or Yankee
schwein! Savy?"
But here a sudden change came over the scene.

CHAPTER III
FIGHTING BOTH ENEMY AND ELEMENTS
The Bleriot which Erwin was now piloting, though far in the upper air,
was seen to be whirling round and returning, apparently to Blaine's
rescue.
Evidently Orris had also seen the irruption of lancers and had no
intention of deserting his comrade and friend while in possible peril. To

intensify the strain he began to spray the Germans below with the
remaining sheaf of bullets in the magazine of the machine gun.
Seeing no further need of camouflage on the part of the Americans,
Blaine, with one foot crushing down the German, who was now
attempting to rise despite his bonds, whirled the German machine gun
round upon the now suspicious lancers below.
These were unslinging their carbines. Blaine anticipated them with a
spatter of bullets from their own weapon. At this bedlam broke loose
below.
While Erwin had done little or no damage, probably owing to distance,
Blaine's discharge was pointblank and deadly.
Meantime in some way the German managed to loosen one arm.
Recklessly he seized hold of one the controls, wrenching it violently.
"You will, will you?" exclaimed the American, "We must get away
from here at any rate!"
Releasing both hands, he seized the German by the throat, pinning him
against the rim of the hole that held both, and with his feet on the
accelerator rose rapidly upward. By this time bullets were spitting
round them, one of which seared the German's bare scalp deeply.
Uttering a curious groan, the fellow sank back and Blaine released his
throat.
"He's out of it for the time being," thought Lafe. "Good thing, too. Hard
work to keep a strangle hold on that chap and keep his machine right
side up. Hey there, Orry!"
By this time Erwin had forged so close in swinging round again that
only a few yards separated the planes.
"Don't you go any nearer those Boches. I am all right. We got some of
them. Look at those riderless horses!"

True it was that several riderless horses were careering about the field
below. Also at another angle some men were dragging forth an
antiaircraft gun, or so it looked to be by its peculiar carriage and
mounting.
"Sure you are all right?" called Orris as the two machines sped along
side by side, all the while rising. "Didn't that fellow give you trouble?"
"None to speak of. I've looped a cord about his throat, and got the other
end round a cleat. If he tries to jerk away he'll strangle. Put on more
power, man! Can't you