This, as it was intended, gave Blaine his first chance to rise
uninterruptedly and gain such height and distance as he desired.
Meantime the gray dawn was slowly growing, enabling him to see in the
south certain masses of men, disordered, yet moving with a common
impulse towards the east. Undoubtedly they were the retreating
Germans, at last giving way before the offensive that had been launched
upon them by the Allies early the evening before.
The series of explosions and flames that they had seen dimly, from the
forest surrounded oval, was the destruction made by the enemy along the
lines of their night's retreat. They were going back to what has
become known as the famed Hindenburg line or base, which for some time
marked the end of the now retirement of the Boche forces on the west
front.
Having attained sufficient height, Blaine turned more westward; on
account of Stanley, he was determined to make the shortest cut towards
the home aerodrome. But here, too, another flock of enemy fliers was
hanging over the advancing Allies so that Blaine, for sake of caution,
rose up, up, still higher in the effort to avoid these new antagonists.
Looking back, Blaine now saw Bangs engaged, in fierce conflict with two
of the rearward squad of Boche fliers. Again he admired the marvelous
speed and dexterity of his chum as the circlings of the three were
faintly apparent.
Pages:
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188