Chapter XXX: Off for Egypt

"The reverend sir tells me that this country of Palestine is only 140 miles long and about 80 miles wide," said Henri, who had entered the information in his ragged notebook, to which he had clung like grim death from the day he had entered the war zone.

"My Aunt Melissa would tell you," stated Canby, "that nearly all the events in the accounts of Israel that are recorded in the Old Testament happened within this space. From the days of Abraham to our own times there's been a mighty lot of history made here."

"Pity we could not have gone about a little bit more," remarked Billy, "but warriors and war-planes must get to the front."

"If it pleases your honor," slyly intimated Macauley, "Canby and I could walk the rest of the way."

"I've got a picture of you doing it," retorted the Bangor boy; "the war would be over by the time you got anywhere. You were built for riding, my bold captain."

"Listen to the wasp," laughed Canby.

The stillness of evening pervaded the garden, and the four fell into the brooding silence of the hour. The liquid notes of a nightingale contributed to the dreamy effect of the oriental surroundings. With the morning the vision of the Holy Land would fade.

Up betimes, again alert and eager to proceed, the air travelers had once more the kindly greeting of the venerable host, and once more partook of his generous hospitality. At his order the war-planes were wheeled into the open, and followed by a blessing the pilots, fully advised of the route, sent the machines buzzing away to the south, along the Mediterranean coast line.

Their fixed destination was El Arish, on the border of Palestine and Egypt, the key to the fighting zone in the land of Suez and the Nile, where General Maxwell, in command of the British forces, was matching wits with the Ottoman commanders, urged to best effort by the presence of Enver Pasha, the young "war lord" of Turkey.

While fully ten miles away from the border, Macauley declared that he could scent gunpowder, and as the distance rapidly lessened, numerous enough were the signs of military occupation to convince Billy that the soldier's nose had not gone back on him.

A half hour later the war-planes were down, and Macauley and Canby had found their own again; if not, indeed, the "old Seventh," just the same kind of fighting blood under the Union Jack.

While Billy and Henri got busy in overhauling the war-planes and reducing in the machines some of the effects of rough usage and continuous journeying, the two soldiers were equally active in getting into the campaign. Well set up again in khaki uniforms and with pith helmets on their heads, "Daring Dan" and Canby looked like ten-time winners. The boys also had ceased to be "Turks," by the courtesy of the quartermaster.

"Guess we'll have to shake you for a while, and sorry for it, my young friends. We have your gauge for a dandy pair, and the breed to which anyone may safely tie; so I am just wanting to say that I hope we will meet many times and often in the future, the nearer the better."

"What's the occasion?" questioned Billy.

"Marching orders for the morning," continued Macauley; "not a flying assignment this time, or you boys would be on the front seats. Just plain footing it for the present."

The speaker gave each of the boys a hearty grip and a look of strong liking, Canby following suit with equal fervor.

When the soldiers turned away to join the regiment to which they had been assigned, the lads climbed to an elevation on the sea front and looked out upon the rolling blue of the Mediterranean.

"Many the hard parting we've had, Buddy," murmured Billy; "how I would love to go back over the trail and greet the good friends and true comrades again, one by one. Mayhap some of the warm hands are cold by now, some of the great hearts stilled. My prayer is that this be not so. And I've been asking myself if there is any pledge behind us that we have broken?"

"I don't believe there's a single shortage there," exclaimed Henri--"why, yes, there is, too, come to think twice--Stanny's belt."

"Not so much of a fracture there, after all," said the Bangor boy--"only delayed delivery. We couldn't help that."

"Let's call the past a fairly clean slate, then," conceded Henri. "Faces to the front, old pard; we're not through yet!"

The boy was right; there were still strenuous days in the mist-veiled future, and in territory all unknown to them.

A message to Port Said was in the making, and no wires to convey it; what next to the electric flash for lightning speed? The aeroplane!

The call was sudden, but no less prompt the response.

Billy Barry and Henri Trouville saluted a pair of shoulder straps, received the word to go--and, forthwith, went!

Their flight carries them into the continuing record of adventure: "Our Young Aeroplane Scouts in Turkey; or, Bringing the Light to Yusef."

THE END.

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