The Boy Allies in the Balkan Campaign - Or, the Struggle to Save a Nation

Clair W. (Clair Wallace) Hayes

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• Publié par: adrie
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 25
• Langue: English

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Project Gutenberg's The Boy Allies in the Balkan
Campaign, by Clair W. Hayes
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Title: The Boy Allies in the Balkan Campaign The
Struggle to Save a Nation
Author: Clair W. Hayes
Release Date: July 2, 2004 [EBook #12805]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG
EBOOK BALKAN CAMPAIGN ***
Produced by Suzanne Shell, Mary Meehan and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team.THE BOY ALLIES IN
THE BALKAN
CAMPAIGN
OR
The Struggle to Save a Nation
By CLAIR W. HAYES
AUTHOR OF "The Boy Allies in Great Peril," "The
Boy Allies at Liége,"
"The Boy Allies on the Firing Line," "The Boy Allies
with the Cossacks,"
"The Boy Allies in the Trenches."
1916CHAPTER I.
IN THE AIR.
"And how do you feel now, Mr. Stubbs?"
Hal Paine took his eyes from the distance ahead
long enough to gaze toward that part of the military
aeroplane in which three other figures were seated.
It might rather be said, however, that two of the
others were seated, for the third figure was
huddled up in a little ball, now and then emitting
feeble sounds.
In response to Hal's question, this huddled figure
straightened itself up long enough to make reply.
"I feel sick," came the answer in a low voice. "How
long before we can get back to earth, so that I may
die peacefully?"
"Oh, I guess you won't die, Mr. Stubbs," said Hal,
chuckling a bit to himself.
He turned his eyes ahead again and gave his
entire attention to guiding the swiftly flying craft.
The first streak of dawn had appeared in the east
but a few moments before and gradually now it
was growing light. High in the air, it was very chilly
and those in the aeroplane had drawn their coats
closely about them."Where do you suppose we are now, Hal?"
This speaker was another of the passengers in the
car, Chester Crawford, chum and bosom
companion of Hal.
"Somewhere over Central Austria," replied Hal, not
taking his eyes from ahead.
"I would rather that it were over Serbia,
Montenegro or Greece," said the fourth occupant
of the airship, Colonel Harry Anderson of His
British Majesty's service. "I'm beginning to get a
little cramped up here. I'd like to stretch my legs a
bit."
"You won't ever stretch them again, you may be
sure of that," said a hollow voice, none other than
that of Anthony Stubbs, American war
correspondent, who now aroused himself enough
to predict dire results.
"What?" said Colonel Anderson. "And why won't I
ever stretch my legs again?"
"The undertaker'll do it for you," groaned Stubbs.
"This contraption is bound to come down pretty
quick and when it does it'll be all off."
"Can't see why that should worry you any,"
remarked the colonel cheerfully. "It won't be your
funeral."
"No, but I'll have one at about the same time,"Stubbs moaned. "I go down when you do."
He raised his voice a trifle. "Let's go down, Hal," he
continued. "I'm awfully sick."
"Go down nothing," ejaculated Chester. "Think we
want to give the
Austrians another chance at us, huh?"
"Better be shot by an Austrian than to die in this
infernal machine," declared Stubbs in a feeble
voice.
"This," said Chester calmly, "is an airship and not
an infernal machine."
"Well, it's my idea of an infernal machine, all the
same," Stubbs groaned. "We'll all come down in
pieces, as sure as you're a foot high."
"Oh, I guess not," said Chester. "We—whoa,
there."
He broke off suddenly and seized the side of the
machine, as did Colonel
Anderson, just as the craft tilted dangerously to
one side.
"Help!" came a cry from Stubbs, as he went rolling
toward the side of the craft.
There appeared to be no danger that the little man
would be thrown out, for the sides of the basket-
like craft protected him, but he was plainly
frightened and Chester gave him a hand, now thatthe machine had righted itself again.
"It's all right, Stubbs," the lad said; "no danger at
all. Sit up, now."
The little man shook off the hand.
"I don't want to sit up," he whimpered. "I want to
jump overboard and end all this suspense. I might
as well die now as ten minutes from now. Oh my, I
wish—"
"Well, Mr. Stubbs," came Hal's voice, "unless I
miss my guess, you are likely to get your wish.
Here comes one of the enemy to watch you die."
"What's that?" exclaimed Chester and Colonel
Anderson in a single voice.
"Off to the right," replied Hal, quietly.
Glancing in that direction, Chester and Colonel
Anderson saw a large air craft headed in their
direction.
"After us, do you think?" asked Chester.
"Can't tell," replied Hal, briefly.
"Hardly probable," said Colonel Anderson.
"Chances are the fellow believes we are one of his
own kind and wants a word with us."
"Maybe you're right," said Hal. "I'll hold to my
present course anyhow and take a chance."The aeroplane continued on as before.
Now Stubbs came to life once more.
"Well, why don't you get a little speed out of this
thing?" he demanded.
"What are you going to do? Stand right here and
let that fellow get us?
What's the matter with you, anyhow? Trying to get
me killed?"
"Why, Mr. Stubbs," exclaimed Chester, in mock
seriousness, "I thought that you were simply dying
to be killed. Here's an Austrian coming in direct
answer to your prayers. What's the difference
whether he gets you now or ten minutes from
now? It'll be all the same in a hundred years."
"Think you're smart, don't you," snapped Stubbs.
"Why should I want to be killed? I ask you now,
why should I want to be killed?"
"Well, really, I don't know," replied Chester, "unless
it is because you are so awfully sick."
"Sick!" shouted Stubbs. "Sick! Who said anything
about being sick?"
"Why, I understood you to say—"
"Well, you understood wrong. Sick? No, I'm not
sick, but we'll all be worse than sick if Hal can't
coax a little speed out of this machine. Say!" this to
Hal, "what are you waiting for, anyhow?""Now you just hold your horses, Stubbs," replied
Hal. "I'm running this party at this moment and I'm
going to run it my own way. Colonel Anderson, if
you hear any more out of our war-corresponding
friend, kindly sit on him, will you?"
"With pleasure," replied the colonel briefly.
"Oh, you will, will you?" cried Stubbs. "Well, you
won't. I—I'll—"
He subsided after muttering to himself for some
moments.
The others now gave their undivided attention to
the other craft, which by this time had drawn close
to them.
"Man wig-wagging forward, Hal," said Chester.
"I see him," replied Hal, "but I can't make out his
signals. Can you,
Anderson?"
"No, I can't. He evidently has something to say,
though."
"Well," said Hal, "we'll have to hold a sudden
council of war. What are we going to do about it?
Shall we stop and talk, trying to fool him, or shall
we run for it?"
"Well, if we were going to run, it would have been
better before he got so close," said Chester.
"Guess we may as well see what he has to say.These Austrian uniforms won't come in bad. You
do the talking, Hal."
Hal nodded.
"All right," he said.
He reduced the speed of the machine and the
Austrian came closer.
"Ahoy, there!" he said in German. "Who are you?"
"Lieutenant Drizladaz, attached to the Austrian
army at Trieste," Hal shouted back.
"What are you doing here?"
"Mission," Hal yelled.
"Where to?"
Hal thought quickly.
"Greece," he said finally.
"What for?"
"That," said Hal, "is none of your business. I have
my orders and I haven't time to fool around here
with you. I'm due back to-morrow night."
There was a moment's silence from the other
machine and then a voice called:
"Has your mission anything to do with Greece's
intervention in the war?"