"They've all of them seen service," he muttered to himself, "either in
prison or in the German army."
Some of them carried kits of tools, and they walked with the air of
fatigue that results from a day of hard physical work. They seemed to
have no suspicion as yet that they were under observation, for as they
walked they chatted among themselves, the sound of their German
gutturals reaching the watchers, but unfortunately not distinctly enough
to be audible. Dean was busy counting them.
"There are fourteen," he announced, "two more than we were expecting to
find here."
"At what do you suppose they are working?" asked Jane curiously.
"Here comes Carter," replied Fleck. "Perhaps he can tell us. His face
shows that he has learned something."
Carter, crawling rapidly but silently through the underbrush, approached
breathlessly, his sweaty, begrimed countenance ablaze with excitement.
"What's up?" asked Fleck, as soon as he was within hearing.
"My God, Chief," he gasped, "they've got three big aeroplanes out there
on a plateau overlooking the river--three of them all keyed up and ready
to start."
"Friends of the Air," muttered Fleck; "so that's what it means."
"They've evidently smuggled all the material up and built the three
planes right here," Carter went on.
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