human
You know it feels as if we were standing still,
gpt
I know it, agreed his brother.
human
The higher you go the more it seems that way too.
gpt
Yes, sir, cried Earl,
human
Isn't the machine steady?
gpt
Feels as steady as a rock. You know I haven't felt the least bit nervous since we started.
human
Why should you? demanded Leon.
gpt
We're a good deal safer here than we are in the trenches.
human
I suppose that's true, mused Earl.
gpt
You wouldn't think so, though, would you?
human
I don't know. The way the machines are perfected nowadays there is practically no danger from accident and with a good aviator you are as safe as any one can be in war. Of course plenty of machines are destroyed and the pilots and observers killed, but I believe the proportion is smaller than in any other branch of the service.
gpt
Say,
human
What is it?
gpt
I've got a question to ask you. There are two ways of reaching Flambeau and I want your advice as to which to take. One way we can go around back of the firing line and be practically safe all the way.
human
Go that way then,
gpt
But, objected Jacques,
human
Major Villier and General Petain both said that the dispatches should be delivered as soon as possible, didn't they?
gpt
Then, said Leon,
human
It crosses the battle line twice, said Jacques.
gpt
You know the trenches make a big loop below here and we will have to cut straight across that loop.
human
Never mind, exclaimed Leon.
gpt
If they said to deliver the dispatches at the earliest possible moment it's for us to take the shortest possible course in order to do that.
human
I think so too, agreed Earl.
gpt
We'll have to run our chances, that's all.
human
There are the trenches below us now, cried Leon suddenly.
gpt
See them up ahead there?
human
Sure enough, exclaimed Earl.
gpt
Don't they look funny from here? They look just like a series of deep scars running in all directions.
human
You can't see the first line trenches yet, said Leon.
gpt
You can easily tell them for they'll run exactly parallel to one another and the space in between them will be the only place where you see no trenches. Behind both the French and German first lines there are any number of other trenches running in all directions and all connected. But in between the two front ones there is nothing; 'no-man's land' they call it.
human
See them firing,
gpt
At us?
human
No. You can see those puffs of smoke down below there though; those are bursting shells.
gpt
There are the first line trenches too, said Earl abruptly.
human
You can tell them easily, can't you, just as you said.
gpt
How high are we, Jacques?
human
Two thousand meters,
gpt
Let's see, said Leon, trying to figure it out in his head,
human
Can they hit us at this distance?
gpt
They can, but I hope they don't,
human
Funny we haven't seen any other machines,
gpt
Well we're right over the front trenches now and I guess plenty of people see us and are looking at us right this minute.
human
They're firing at us,
gpt
Shall we drop a bomb on them? cried Earl eagerly.
human
We want them to know that we're alive, you know.
gpt
Don't do it, cautioned Jacques.
human
It would probably be wasted here.
gpt
There's another shot, cried Leon.
human
Behind us this time.
gpt
Let's hope their aim continues as poor as that, said Jacques.
human
We want to get those dispatches to Colonel Erhard at Flambeau before anything happens to us.
gpt
We'll be over hostile territory all the way, won't we?
human
We will, replied Jacques,
gpt
I don't know where we'd run to,
human
Nor I, admitted Jacques.
gpt
Let's hope that we can out-distance any machines that start to chase us.
human
Do you think this machine is faster than the German ones?
gpt
Faster than most of them, replied Jacques.
human
Probably not as speedy as those new _fokkers_ though; they go like the wind, but they are too light and I doubt if one of them could do us a great deal of harm.