The call of the air and action was again insistent. Our Aviator Boys grew restless with leisure, though it could be imagined that they had well earned a season of rest. Only the regret of Henri to leave his mother held them quiet even so long as a couple of weeks. As to Jimmy, he was hankering for submarine service, and only Reddy had the Paris fever. He wanted to live out his dream.
What a gala occasion it was, then, the day that Captain Johnson and Josiah Freeman pressed with their brogans the pavement of Rue de Rivoli, and brought the news that another brand new sea-plane[192] had slapped the face of the Seine two hours previous.
“The testing and exhibition work has grown a little too much for Uncle Josh and myself,” was the captain’s first after-dinner remark, when Madame Trouville had laughingly accorded him the privilege of smoking a cigarette. Henri and Billy did most of the laughing, however, when the captain really tackled the cigarette.
“As I was saying,” went on the captain, “it is not in the pins that we can train two of the planes at the same time—and we have three now in the hangars at Dover that must have our warrant. Now I know,” waxing confidential, “a pair of likely young men who could, with a reminder or two, fill the bill to perfection.”
“Are they at present in France?”
Henri passing the wink to Billy.
“Oh, go on there, now,” bluffed the captain.
“I know who you mean,” clamored Jimmy, who at times was seriously English.
“You’re a genius, my boy,” put in Josh.
“Well, and out with it, the very boys are here, and guying their old friend for attempting suicide with a cigarette.”
“Is it a go?”
“It is.”
One voice from both Henri and Billy.
[193]
“I suppose it will have to be,” sighed Madame Trouville.
“Don’t worry, mother,” Henri meekly submitting to the hair-stroking process, “we’ll never get hurt if we keep off the ground.”
“That’s the way for an aviator to talk.”
The captain’s approval was hearty.
“It’s in the morning, my boys, that the good airship leaves for Dover.”
“And I’ll get a lift, won’t I?”
“You’ll be set down in Dover, Jimmy, as sure as shooting. How about this youngster?” turning to Reddy.
“He has enlisted as guard for mother,” explained Henri. “You can’t tear him away from Paris.”
“Good-night all,” said the captain, making a move to go, after signal to Josh.
“But you’re going to stay here to-night,” urged Henri.
“No, thank you, my boy, Freeman and I have the ‘plane’ to look after, and we’re not used to gilded beds, anyhow.”
The truth of the matter was the captain and Josh had each a blackened briar pipe in his pocket that would have spoiled before morning.
Gilbert was among the crowd that had assembled at the river front the next ............