Of course the two air service boys had no hope of inflicting much
damage on batteries or works outside the prison. By the dropping of
some bombs they carried they hoped to distract attention from
themselves long enough to drop the packages to Leroy. The bombs
were a sort of feint.
And now they were on their way, winging a path over their own lines,
and soon they would be above those of the Hun.
Some of the former comrades of Tom and Jack, having been apprised of
what the lads were to attempt, had, without waiting for official
orders, decided to do what they could to help. This took the form
of a daring challenge to the German airmen to come out and give
battle.
After their thorough drubbing of the day before, however, the Boche
aviators did not seem much inclined to venture forth for another
cloud fight. But the French and some English fliers who were acting
with them, laid a sort of trap, which, in a way, aided the two
Americans.
A half dozen swift Spads took the air soon after Tom and Jack
ascended, but instead of flying over the German lines they went in
the opposite direction, making their way to the west. They got out
of sight, and then mounted to a great height.
Shortly after this some heavy, double-seated planes set out for the
German territory as though to make observations or take photographs.
It was the belief of the French airmen that the Huns would swarm out
to attack these planes, or else to give battle to the machine in
which Tom and Jack rode.
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