<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX<br/> <span class="cheaderfont">A STRANGE COUNTRY</span></h2>
<p>The shout of the lookout on Columbus’ ship
when he first sighted the New World created no
greater excitement than did Ned’s words among
the boys on the <em>Ocean Flyer</em>. Each and every
one of them rushed to the port windows with
binoculars through which to scan the view more
closely.</p>
<p>The scene was, however, most disappointing.
As far as the eye could reach below stretched an
expanse of sparsely-wooded uninviting plain,
with white patches of snow still showing upon
it. Far off to the southwest the peaks of a
mighty range of rugged mountains loomed
hazily. Not a bird flew in the sky; not a human
habitation was to be seen. Away to the northwest
a narrow ribbon of something gray was
twisting slowly across the country. Little points
of light flickered above it where the sunbeams
struck.</p>
<p>“What is that?” asked Alan, pointing out
the snake-like thing. “Is it a river?”</p>
<p><span class="pagenum">[150]</span></p>
<p>“No, I don’t think so,” answered Buck.
“Ned, let’s get nearer to that thing and see just
what it is.”</p>
<p>Accordingly the course of the <em>Flyer</em> was
altered and, flying at an elevation of about 1,100
feet above the ground, she rapidly drew near the
mysterious object.</p>
<p>Closer approach gave the boys a genuine surprise.
The “snake” proved to be five battalions
of soldiery on the march—infantry,
cavalry and artillery. There seemed to be thousands
and thousands of them—more men than
any of the boys had ever seen gathered together
before. The uniforms were of a dark blue.
Some of the regiments wore little round caps of
the same color, set rakishly on one side of their
heads; others wore huge flat fur or wool hats.
Most of the soldiers seemed to be unusually
large and rough looking. The majority of them
were bearded.</p>
<p>“Russians!” exclaimed Bob. “See those
flags! Russians on the way to reinforce either
the army invading Austria or their comrades
fighting the Germans in East Prussia is what
they are!”</p>
<p>The appearance of the big airship caused the
greatest confusion in the ranks. The cavalry<span class="pagenum">[151]</span>
galloped wildly this way and that; infantrymen
broke their regular marching formation to scatter
and fire their guns futilely at it; the cannon
were hurriedly unlimbered and efforts made to
elevate their muzzles which would bring the
<em>Flyer</em> within range.</p>
<p>The young aeronauts could not help laughing
at the disorder their approach caused, and agreed
with Ned that it was better not to get too close
to the Russians. So the airship was raised to
a greater altitude and took a southwesterly
course.</p>
<p>“Why this particular direction?” queried
Alan. “We have no idea where we are except
that it is Russian territory, which may mean
Siberia or Lapland.”</p>
<p>“Well,” said Ned, “we want to get back to
the seat of war, and it’s a pretty safe bet that
those Russians are bound for there by the shortest
possible route. They are headed in a southwesterly
direction, so it stands to reason that if
we follow the same course, we’ll arrive somewhere
near their destination.”</p>
<p>This was a logical deduction, so the <em>Flyer</em> was
held to that position, and all sight of the army
was soon lost in their rear.</p>
<p>For perhaps three hours the character of the<span class="pagenum">[152]</span>
underlying landscape remained the same as when
it first was sighted. After that it gradually
began to vary, assuming a more rolling aspect,
with considerable stretches of forestland. Indications
of snow became less frequent; cultivated
fields began to appear here and there, then little
villages and finally a large city. Several towns
of considerable size were passed over, but the
airship was flying at too great an altitude for
the boys to see much of them or to locate more
exactly where they were.</p>
<p>By this time the sun was sinking, and there
was danger of the <em>Flyer’s</em> passing completely
over and beyond the “theater of war” in the
darkness. Alan and Bob counseled a descent to
earth for the night. This seemed to be a pretty
safe procedure, as the vessel could be got under
way again within a few minutes should any
unexpected need arise, and it would, further,
give the weary young aeronauts a chance to
stretch their limbs and inhale some fresh air.</p>
<p>After a short discussion it was decided to do
this. Sweeping in a diminishing spiral downward,
the boys sighted a little village nestled
snugly in a valley. The smoke from fires where
goodwives were cooking the evening meal, arose
in delicate streams in the calm air. Here and<span class="pagenum">[153]</span>
there a light already twinkled in a cottage window.
Peasants were just driving the lowing
cattle home for milking.</p>
<p>“Let’s land over there!” exclaimed Buck.
“I’m fairly hungry for the sight of somebody
who won’t shoot before asking who you are, and,
aside from that, I’ll bet that these simple folk
would be willing to set us up a regular homelike
meal!”</p>
<p>“How do you know that they won’t shoot at
us, Buck?” asked Alan.</p>
<p>“I guess that we’re pretty safe on that score,”
Bob broke in. “These people are evidently
honest countrymen who’ll be far more afraid of
us than we need be of them.”</p>
<p>“Yes, and besides,” added Buck, “we can
find out from them just where we are and how
near we are to the battle front.”</p>
<p>“That’s a good point,” Ned said, “but
they’re probably Russians or Poles, and they
wouldn’t understand what we wanted to know.
None of us speak their outlandish language.”</p>
<p>“I know a little Russian—at least enough for
our needs,” volunteered Bob. “If you boys
think that it’s safe to make a landing, I’ll guarantee
to do all interpreting.”</p>
<p>“Fine!” chorused the others, and so the landing<span class="pagenum">[154]</span>
was made in the meadows within a stone’s
throw of the first cottages.</p>
<p>There was, of course, immediate excitement
throughout the town. The rusty bell in the
steeple of the weather-beaten old church pealed
an alarm, lights were immediately extinguished,
and everybody came rushing out from their
house-doors. At sight of the monster airship
settling down there in the pasture with the
blood-red rays of the sunset turning her metal
body into the seeming of molten steel, a genuine
panic ensued.</p>
<p>The women and children fled within, slamming
and barring their doors behind them. The male
villagers hastily caught up the first objects of
defense that came to hand—flails, pitchforks,
scythes, an old-fashioned muzzle-loading musket
or two. They huddled together like so many
frightened sheep in front of the town church,
uncertain whether to fly or fight.</p>
<p>“Look!” called Buck. “We’re frightening
these poor people to death. Show a white flag,
some of you, and show them that we mean to
be friendly.”</p>
<p>Alan complied by jumping down from the
lower runway, waving a flag of truce, and both
Buck and Bob followed him, holding their empty<span class="pagenum">[155]</span>
hands high in the air to show that they were
unarmed. The trio walked slowly straight
towards the group of peasants, while Ned
remained on one of the outer galleries of the
<em>Flyer</em>, rifle in hand, ready to defend them if
need be.</p>
<p>“Don’t be alarmed, good people!” shouted
Bob in Russian. “We don’t intend to harm
you. All that we want is a good square meal, a
chance to walk around a bit, and a little information
as to our whereabouts.”</p>
<p>Although their suspicions were not altogether
allayed, the peasants showed immediate relief,
and three, who seemed to be the ringleaders,
advanced hesitatingly to meet the approaching
boys.</p>
<p>“<i lang="de" xml:lang="de">Gott gruessen Ihr, Gefremde</i>,” (God bless
you, strangers) said one of them, extending his
right hand.</p>
<p>“Holy smoke! Did you hear that, boys? He’s
addressing us in <em>German</em>,” cried Bob and Buck
together. “This is better than we looked for,
but surely we can’t be back in Germany!”</p>
<p>Everybody shook hands solemnly all around,
and Bob explained to the villagers.</p>
<p>“We are American newspaper men, over here
to gather war news and find photographs for our<span class="pagenum">[156]</span>
papers,” said he. “We had an accident yesterday
and lost our way, and now are simply
looking for a chance to rest a little before going
on.”</p>
<p>“You are all welcome to do that here,” said
the spokesman for the villagers with true Teutonic
hospitality. “We shall be glad to have
you eat with us. In return you can tell us about
the great war.”</p>
<p>“We certainly will take you up on that,”
cried Buck, and led the way back to the airship
to tell Ned of their cordial reception. All of
the villagers—the women and round-eyed children
too—crowded gaping around the strange
aircraft with exclamations of wonder.</p>
<p>“I guess it will be safe for us to leave the
<em>Flyer</em> here unguarded,” said Ned. “These people
don’t act as if they would tamper with it,
and I want to get in on those ‘eats’ too. Anyway,
we won’t have to go very far away, and
can get back here in a jiffy if we have to.”</p>
<p>All of the boys agreed to this and so it was
settled. Before leaving the ship, to accompany
the villagers, they all secretly slipped revolvers
into their coat pockets. As Bob said:</p>
<p>“It’s always better to be on the safe side.”</p>
<hr class="chap" />
<p><span class="pagenum">[157]</span></p>
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