Part 15 (1/2)

”We're not going through the German lines we're going above 'em; in an aeroplane. And when we get over the prison camp where Harry is held, we're going to drop down a package to him, with the letters, the chocolate and other things inside.”

”Oh, that's perfectly wonderful!” exclaimed Bessie. ”But will the Germans let you do it?”

”Well,” remarked Jack, ”they'll probably try to stop us, but we don't mind a little thing like that. We're used to it. Of course, as I tell Torn, it's a long chance, but it's worth taking. Of course it isn't easy to drop any object from a moving aeroplane and have it land at a certain spot. We may miss the mark.”

”For that reason I'm going to take several packages,” put in Tom. ”If one doesn't land another may.”

”But if you do succeed in dropping a package for Harry in the midst of the German stockade, won't the guards see it and confiscate it?”

asked Mrs. Gleason. ”You know they'll be as brutal as they dare to the prisoners--though of course,”' she added quickly, as she saw a look of pain on Nellie's face, ”Harry may be in a half-way decent camp. But, even then, won't the Germans keep the package themselves?”

”I've thought of that,” replied Tom. ”We've got to take that chance also. But I figure that, in the confusion, Harry, or some of his fellow prisoners, may pick up the package, or packages, un.o.bserved. Of course there's only a slim chance that Harry himself will pick up the bundle.

But it will be addressed to him, and if any of the French, British, or American prisoners get it, they'll see that it goes to Harry all right.”

”Oh, of course,” murmured Mrs. Gleason. ”But what was that you said about the 'confusion?'”

”That's something different,” said Tom. ”I'm counting on dropping a few bombs on the German works outside the camp, to--er--well, to sort of take their attention off the packages we'll try to drop inside the stockade. Of course while we're doing this we may be and probably shall be, under fire ourselves. But we've got to take that chance. It's a mad scheme, Jack says, and I realize that it is. But we've got to do something.”

”Yes,” said Nellie in a low voice, ”we must do something. This suspense is terrible. Oh, if I only could get word to Harry!”

”You write the letter and I'll take it!” declared Tom.

”And I'll help!” exclaimed Jack.

And then the letters--several of them, for each one wrote a few lines and made triplicates of it, since three packages were to be dropped. The letters, to begin again, were written and the bundles were made up.

They contained cigarettes, cakes of hard chocolate, soap and a few other little comforts and luxuries that it was certain Harry would be glad to get.

The rest of the plan would have to be left to Tom and Jack to work out, and, having talked it over with their friends, they found it was time for them to start to their station, since their leave was up at eleven o'clock that night.

Getting permission for a week's absence was not as easy as securing permission to go to Paris. But Tom and Jack waited until after a sharp engagement, during which they distinguished themselves by bravery in.

the air, a.s.sisting in bringing down some Hun planes, and then their pet.i.tion was favorably acted on.

Behold them next, as a Frenchman might say, on their way to their former squadron, where they were welcomed with open arms. They had to take the commanding officer into their confidence, but he offered no objection to their scheme. They must go alone, however, and without his official knowledge or sanction, since it was not strictly a military matter.

And so Tom and Jack were furnished with the best and speediest machine in their former camp, and one bright day, following a hard air battle in which the Huns were worsted, they set out to drop the letters and packages over the prison camp where Harry Leroy was held.

”Well, how do you feel about it?” asked Jack, as he and his chum stepped into their trim machine.

”Not at all afraid, if that's what you mean.”

”No. And you know I didn't. I mean do you think we'll pull it off?”

”I have a sneaking suspicion that we shall.”

”And so have I. It's a desperate chance, but it may succeed. Only if it does, and we get Harry's hopes raised for a rescue, how are we going to pull that off?”