But I think we'll teach Fritz
a lesson, and I think we can break up the prison camp so some of the
poor fellows can get away. As I said, it's a desperate chance, but
one we've got to take."
"And I'm with you!" exclaimed Jack. "And now when does the big
battle take place?"
He was answered a moment later, for an orderly arrived with
instructions to the air service boys to report at their hangars at
once.
There they were told something of the impending attack--the first
public mention of it, though more than one had guessed something
unusual was in the air from the tenseness of the last few days.
The attack was to start at dawn the next morning, preceded by an
intense artillery fire. It was to be the fiercest rain of shells
since the Americans had come to the front lines. Then the infantry,
supported by tanks and aeroplanes, would follow, going over in waves
which it was hoped would overwhelm the Germans.
That night was a tense one. Suppose the enemy had guessed, or a spy
had given word of the impending battle? Then success would be
jeopardized. But the night passed with only the usual exchange of
shots and the sending up of star shells over No Man's Land.
And so, as the hour of dawn approached, the tense and nervous
feeling grew. Tom and Jack, with their comrades in their hangars,
were dressed in their fur garments and ready. Their machines had
received the last touches from the hands of the mechanics, and each
one was well equipped with bombs and machine gun ammunition.
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