In fact, the boys had to laugh at each other, so strange was the appearance of the three when they were finally dressed.

"Now," said the officer with a smile, when the exchange of clothing had been arranged, "we shall let you occupy this little room for a time."

He indicated a small room leading from the larger one. It was the room from which the soldier had provided the clothing the boys now wore.

In another moment the lads found themselves alone with the door leading into the outer room securely fastened.

"Just a little bit dark in here, isn't it?" inquired Harry as the door closed and the sound of the falling latch came to their ears.

"Yes, but I managed to smuggle my pocket contents into these clothes,"

said Ned. "I have the searchlight yet."

"Let's use it, then, and be quick about it," suggested Harry. "I don't somehow like the looks of this place. I'd like to be on the little old Eagle again and homeward bound."

"I guess that's the pretty general sentiment," said Ned as he brought forth the searchlight and proceeded to send its flame into the corners of the room. "We can't get anywhere by remaining here."

"h.e.l.lo!" exclaimed Harry, lighting upon some boxes in one corner.

"What's this stuff here? Looks like a gents' furnishing store."

"Why, it's German uniforms, and lots of 'em!" declared Jack.

"Sure enough, it is!" agreed Harry, pulling several garments from one of the boxes. "Now that looks more like business than these ragged old clothes. I wonder if we could get a fit in here."

"Go as far as you like!" urged Jack. "Throw a fit any old place and see if we care. The house is yours, so help yourself."

"Aw, you go on!" scorned Harry, administering a playful blow on Jack's ear. "If you weren't so small I'd give you a licking."

"Yes, you would!" derisively answered the other. "You have never seen the day you could do that. That," he added, "is a man's job!"

"Boys, boys!" cautioned Ned. "A joke is a joke, but don't carry it too far. We must save our strength for more vital things."

Harry and Jack had been busily engaged in pulling the uniforms out of the box, and now stood erect, each holding in his hands garments that seemed to be of suitable size for the boys to wear.

"What's the trouble now, Jack?" asked Ned.

"Why, I can't see whether these clothes are the right size or not."

"You don't need to see," retorted Ned. "Try them on and they'll be like the baby in the story."

"Oh, I know that!" cried Harry eagerly. "The nurse didn't need a thermometer, because if the water was too hot the baby turned red and if it was too cold he turned blue. Is that the answer?"

"Right you are!" declared Ned, laughing. "So we'll try the clothes on, and if they're right they'll fit, and if they're not right, why--"

"Why," interrupted Jack, "if they're not right we should worry."

"Yes, I guess that's about it," answered Ned as he picked up an outfit that he a.s.sumed to be the right size.

The boys found little difficulty in getting clothing of suitable sizes, and soon stood forth arrayed in German uniforms.

"Now, then, let's see what the chances of escape may be," said Ned.

A trial of the one small window showed that it was not locked. There appeared to be no one outside guarding the exit, and, since the noises in the outer room had ceased, the lads determined to leave by the window. In a short time they again stood outside the house.

To make their way back to the field where the Eagle had been left was a short task and quickly accomplished. There they found, to their astonishment, that the two aeroplanes remained in the same position and were apparently unguarded.

This time, however, the lads were more cautious in their approach, and reconnoitered the vicinity thoroughly before approaching the plane.

Ned set to work immediately and soon announced that he had again connected the severed wires. In another moment the Eagle rose above the field into the darkness of the night.

CHAPTER XVII

ACCUSED

A smile came to Jimmie's lips as he heard the crashing sound that indicated wrecking of the plane. He turned to observe the condition in which he would find the machinery, hoping that it had been damaged beyond repair, or at least so badly damaged that its repair would be a matter of considerable time and effort.

As he wheeled he observed that Dave already had turned to look in that direction, and that his face bore a look of astonishment and surprise.

Jimmie's own smile died away as the thought of possible injury to the plucky pilot of the craft came to his mind.

"Oh, Dave!" he cried anxiously, laying his hand upon his comrade's arm.

"Can you see the pilot? Has he been hurt badly?"

"I can't see from here, but there's a big crowd gathering about the wreckage, and they seem to be picking something up."

"Gee!" was Jimmie's regretful rejoinder. "I surely hope he got out of the mess without getting hurt. That's all. We haven't got any particular grudge against him, and I didn't wish to harm him."

"What on earth did you do, anyway, Jimmie?" inquired Dave.

"That was easy enough," replied the other. "I had observed some bolts through the hub of the propeller. I also had several bullets in my pocket, and a good-sized chunk of lead that had been used for filling some holes in a piece of iron back there in the camp at Peremysl. What could be easier than to take out the loose bolt I noticed and fill the hole plumb full of lead? That was all."

"But lead wouldn't wreck a machine so completely as that!"

"Don't you think it wouldn't!" boasted Jimmie, rather proud of the manner in which he had brought about the destruction of the magnificent machine. "Just you ask some one when you get home. Go to a machine shop and ask 'em what an unbalanced condition will do to a high-speed piece of machinery that isn't firmly fastened to a solid base."

"But I can't understand, you know," went on Dave, "just how it was done. I know that you unbalanced the apparatus, but how should that do such damage as this we see here?"

"Well, to be honest with you, I didn't expect that it would. My only thought was to slip out the big bolt, put in enough lead to fill the hole if I had time, and then let the vibration of the unbalanced machine render it impossible for the aviator to steer or handle the plane. I had not figured on anything giving way as it did."

"Then you don't want all the credit for wrecking the machine?" inquired Dave, with a twinkle in his eye. "Is that it?"

"For some time I don't want any of the credit," replied Jimmie, lowering his voice as an officer approached their position.

"Here comes a fellow," Dave stated, "that would probably be mighty glad to connect us with the incident. But I know nothing!"

"Nor I!" declared Jimmie. "I didn't even see the thing happen!"