responded Jack as the Eagle seemed to fairly leap
forward in answer to his touch. "Hang on tight!"

Jack's caution was needed, for the speed materially increased. Ned
continued to keep watch with the aid of the binoculars, while Harry
scanned the surrounding country in an effort to make out any features
that would guide them.

Presently the others were delighted to hear a cry from Ned.

"We're leaving them behind at last, boys!" he managed to shout as he
sheltered his head from the stinging blast of air singing through the
rigging of the Eagle. "They're getting smaller in the glasses!"

"Slow down, Jack," advised Harry. "Let's watch them a bit and see what
they're going to do. Maybe it's only a trick."

"No, it isn't a trick," said Ned as the Eagle's speed decreased. "That
plane is going to land, I believe. I think I can see a light on the
ground a little to the northward of their position."

"Suppose we swing round in a big circle and see if we can discover what
they are going to do," suggested Jack, reaching for the rudder levers.
"If they're going to land and get assistance we ought to know it before
it's too late. If they're giving up it'll be all right."

"Stand by to come about, then," agreed Ned. "It won't do any harm, and
if we cut in the muffler we should be able to ride above them without
being discovered. The upper sky is very dark yet."

Accordingly Jack shifted the rudders and brought the Eagle sharply
about, heading directly eastward again. As the plane proceeded to
retrace the course so recently followed the lad brought the machine to
a higher level and cut in the muffler, entirely deadening the clamor of
the motors. He had been running with the exhaust partly open in order
to obtain every bit of the engine's efficiency in the flight.

When the boys had reached an altitude that seemed sufficient Jack again
described a circle in the air that brought them almost directly over
the position to which the pursuing plane had descended.

"Ha!" cried Ned, turning the glasses downward. "I can see a train
standing at a station. The grounds are lighted by shaded electric
lights, I believe, and there seem to be soldiers moving about beside
the train. I saw a shower of sparks just then that looked as if they
came from a switch engine. I'll bet that's a railroad terminal and the
train is one moving troops westward from Peremysl to Verdun!"

"Hope you are right and that the train has got Jimmi