The boys awaited patiently an invitation from the lieutenant to exhibit their skill by upper-air exercise in one of the Taubes—the Germans called their military monoplanes doves—but that officer did not seem then inclined to favor one of the aviation field helpers above another. A shock-headed boy, hailed as Max, who had been an ironworker in Bremen, showed a decided disposition to “pick upon” Henri and Billy in their daily occupation of valeting the aircraft.
He was nursing a jealous spirit, aroused by a chance word of praise bestowed upon our Aviator Boys by Lieutenant Hume, and tried to enlist the sympathy of the other employees of the hangars in common cause against the “fancy fellows,” as he persisted in calling the newcomers. But as a rule they were a good-natured lot, and not inclined to worry about anything except a food shortage at meal time.
[209]
Max, before our boys had arrived, had claimed rank as first among those serving the more noted aviators, who were constantly coming and going.
The climax of wrath with Max came when Ingold, the great aviator, starting for the war zone, dispensed with his clumsy services and accepted those of Billy and Henri in overhauling a double-decker, or biplane, that was to be used in active military movement.
“You’ll get a cracked head for this,” hissed Max, when the lieutenant and the big airman had passed out of hearing.
Billy, to whom the threat was addressed, did not understand the words, but he guessed from the attitude of the threatener that something ugly was intended.
So Billy, who never counted fear a burden worth the bother, simply grinned, turned, and went on with his work of tuning the biplane.
Henri, tinkering at the motor end of the machine, looked up just in time to see Max, wrench in hand, poised to strike at the back of Billy’s head.
“Look out, Billy!”
The warning cry from Henri saved Billy from a stunning blow on the head, but he caught the jolt from the wrench on his right shoulder, as he swiftly faced about.
With a good left uninjured, however, Billy gave Max a short-arm jab in the neck, at the chin, that[210] tumbled the would-be slugger upon the packed earth floor of the hangar.
“Good arm!” exclaimed Henri. “But how about the other?”
With the question, Henri gently worked his comrade’s right arm up and down to see if there was any hitch in the shoulder where the wrench had landed.
“Not a chance for a surgeon,” assured Billy. “Just a little numb—that’s all.”
Max slowly gathered himself up from the ground, with a hand on his jaw, and a vicious glitter in his eyes.
“It will be to the finish next time.”
His tone was full of menace.
“What’s he saying?” inquired Billy.
Henri translated.
“Tell him,” said Billy, “that the day and the hour is his very own to name, so long as he comes in the front way.”
Henri did not comply with this request, but hooked arms with Billy, and walked him away.
This was the glove in the ring that led to one of the liveliest lightweight come-togethers that the aviation camp boys had ever witnessed.
Neither Henri nor Billy had mentioned the wrench incident to the lieutenant. They were too self-reliant for that kind of business. There was[211] nothing, either, to induce Max to relate his sorry part in the hangar scrap.
It was not until several days later that Henri was approached by a lad with the name handle of Jacob. The latter was apparently not a willing messenger.
“Max wants a fight with your friend,” he explained, “and if it was me he couldn’t get it, for he’s a tricky one and as strong as a bull. But I just had to do this to get rid of him.”
“You tell that fellow that we don’t want anything to do with him,” was Henri’s message to the challenger.
The next morning, while many of the machines were aloft in practice and test flights, and the aviation helpers were grouped at the far end of the parade ground, Max deliberately called Billy an unbearable name, and followed the insult with a ringing slap on the cheek of the boy from Bangor.
The fat was in the fire!
Instantly the circle widened, and in the center two husky youngsters went ............