Page 118 - A Hero of Liége

"We simply haven't time to attend to them," panted Pariset. "The fellows
will be riding back in a minute."

They reached the unwieldy vehicles. The impressions of the moment came

back to them afterwards--the huge wheels with their grooved rims, the deep
ruts they had carved in the road. There were plenty of tools lying about.
Kenneth cut the lashings of one of the tarpaulin covers, stripped off the

cover, and found, as he had expected, that beneath it lay a portion of a huge
weapon, half gun, half mortar, with a bore seventeen inches in diameter.

"It's not the breech block; try the next lorry," urged Pariset.

"I'll deal with this; you go on to the next," said Kenneth.

Each had carried from the aeroplane a cylindrical parcel wrapped in cotton
wool. From the end of this a short length of wire protruded. Climbing into
the lorries they pushed these parcels into the breech end of the bore of the

guns. Then each began to connect the wires with a small battery furnished
with a clock-work timing mechanism.

While still engaged in this operation, they heard the clatter of hoofs, and
looking up, saw a squadron of cavalry galloping down the road little more

than half a mile away.

"How long?" shouted Kenneth.

"Sixty seconds," Pariset replied. "Say when you are ready."

Pariset, the more experienced of the two, was ready first.

"Quick!" he cried, running towards the aeroplane.

"Right!" shouted Kenneth, scrambling down and sprinting after him.

By the time he had vaulted into his seat the engine had been started. Pariset
jumped in, threw the engine into gear, and the machine started forward. At