All at once Buck signaled to Blaine in code:
"Leave this Boche to me. There's a train off eastward. See if you
can't do something. Get up higher: you'll see better."
Mutely Blaine obeyed and, as he rose up another thousand feet, he saw
more than one row of cars, upon a single track hurrying towards the
front, whence already the distant bellow of earthly struggles was going
on. Evidently the big Allied offensive was on. If he, Blaine, could
hinder the troop trains from reaching the front trenches, it might be a
big help to the infantry, that was now attempting its part of the big
stunt.
Straightway the biplane, with the body of Stanley still nestling in the
bottom of the observer's, manhole, was shooting downward in a gradual
slant towards the two trains. One of these was filled with soldiers,
at least a brigade, for the train was a long one. The one ahead seemed
to be loaded with munitions and with artillery on the rear cars.
Swooping down closer, Blaine laid his plan. When within three hundred
feet he saw some Archies posted at a crossroads who at once began
firing. In his present mood he would have cared little for any
obstacle as yet untried.
Above the noise of his propellers he detected something behind, and,
turning, what was his amazement to see Stanley's ashen gray face
peering up over the observer's seat. Blaine was startled, as if he
looked at a ghost.
Pages:
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173