Thats quite true, Claude, Roseye declared. At Hendon and elsewhere there are, I know, a number of men intensely jealous of your success, and of the one or two ideas which you have patented, and which are now adopted in the construction of our military aeroplanes.
Its really astonishing how many enemies one makes quite unintentionally! declared Teddy, leaning against the bench. Claude has more than I have, I believe and I never disguise from myself that Ive got a really fine crop.
Only the other day, when Lionel dined with us, he was speaking to dad about spies, Roseye said. He told us that he felt sure that we had men in our air-service who sent every new development and idea to Germany. Do you think thats really a fact?
A fact! I echoed. Why, dearest, of course it is! Weve seen the result of it many times. As soon as we had that integral propeller the Germans knew, and copied us; the secret of Jack Pardons new dope was known in a few days, and the enemy are using it on every one of their machines to-day. Nothing is secret from those brutes.
But who does all this? asked Roseye.
Why, what I call the Invisible Hand, was my reply. The Invisible Hand was established in our midst in about 1906, when the Kaiser sat down and craftily prepared for war. He saw himself faced by the problem of the great British power and patriotism, and knew that the Briton would fight every inch for his liberty. Therefore the All-Highest Hun the man who will be held up to universal damnation for all time proceeded to adopt towards us the principle of dry-rot in wood. He started a system of sending slowly, but very surely, his insect-sycophants to burrow into the beam of good British oak which had hitherto supported our nation. That beam, to-day, is riddled by these Teutonic worms insects which, like the book-worm, are never seen, yet, directed by the Invisible Hand, are only known by their works.
Then you think there really are spies at Hendon?
Of that Im quite certain, was my reply. We all know that there are spies at every aerodrome while in the higher ranks those who control our air-services, though patriotic enough, seem to suffer by reason of the still higher control which divides responsibility.
Have any spies been lurking about here to-night? asked Roseye very anxiously.
That is my firm conviction, was Teddys reply to her. I believe that there have been two strangers here. One was, perhaps, gazing through his glasses at the pole and, seeing in the darkness the sparking over the insulators set in the steel guys, ejaculated the natural expression of surprise that I overheard. But they got away noiselessly, and all my search failed to discover them.
Well we must be very wary, my dear Teddy, I repeated. They must not get at this secret of ours, otherwise from the gondola of a Zeppelin they will be able to use the invisible force against any of our aeroplanes in a stronger and greater degree than we could ever hope to do it. Then we ourselves would be destroyed by the secret power we have invented.
They shall never know the secret from me, was my friends fierce reply. Only we three know it while Theed has, of course, learnt something. That could, not be helped.
We must not forget the words I read out to you the other day from the Berliner Tageblatt, I replied. That paper said: The fires and devastation caused by our Zeppelin squadron in England represented a victory greater and more important than could be achieved in a single battle. That, I added, is the triumphant boast of Major Moraht, Germanys most prominent military critic.
Yes, and it went further, exclaimed Teddy, turning to Roseye. The paper declared that if the Germans were as brutal as they were accused of being, their naval airship squadron could long ago, in memory of the Baralong, have set London afire at all four of her corners.
Thats just what we intend to prevent, I declared very emphatically. That is what, notwithstanding the efforts of prowling strangers who are seeking to know in what direction our experiments are being conducted, we intend to achieve. To-night, Roseye, we have made one great and astounding discovery a discovery which has placed within our hands a power which Germany, with all her science and investigation, little dreams. We now know the true secret which will eventually prove the undoing of the Kaiser and his barbarous hordes.
Yes, dear, was my well-beloveds reply. At all hazards, no spy of Germany must be allowed to wrest this secret from us.
But they are clever devilishly cunning and entirely unscrupulous. The Invisible Hand, well provided with money, lurks everywhere, ready to grasp what it can in the interest of our octopus enemies, I declared warningly. Therefore let us be ever on the alert ever watchful and mindful, in order to avert the relentless talons with which this unknown and Invisible Hand is furnished.
Chapter Five
The Raid on London
It was the night of the fourteenth of October, in the year 1915.
Sir Herbert and Lady Lethmere, with Roseye who looked charming in pink were dining en famille in Cadogan Gardens. The only two guests were Lionel Eastwell and myself.
Terrible is it not? Lady Lethmere remarked to me, as I sat on her right. We were at the Lyric Theatre when the Zeppelins came last night. We heard the guns firing. It was most alarming. They must have caused damage in London somewhere. Isnt it too awful?
And at other places, I fear, remarked Sir Herbert, a fine outspoken, grey-haired, rather portly man, who had crowned his career as a Sheffield steel manufacturer by receiving a knighthood. He spoke with the pleasant burr of the north country.
Well, the noise of the guns was terrific, his wife went on. Fortunately there was no panic whatever in the theatre. The people were splendid. The manager at once came on the stage and urged us all to keep our seats and most people did so. But it was most alarming wasnt it, Herbert?
Yes, dear, it really was, replied her husband, who, turning to me, asked: What were you doing at that time, Munro?
Well, Sir Herbert, to tell the truth I happened to be out at Hendon with my friend Ashton, preparing for a flight this morning. I got hold of a military biplane which had just been finished and had only had its last tests that afternoon, but as I had no bombs, and not even a rifle, I was unable to go up.
And if you had gone? Eastwell chimed in. I fear, Claude, that you would never have reached them in time. They flew far too high, and were, I understand, moving off before our men could get up. Our Flying Corps fellows were splendid, but the airships were at too great an altitude. They rose very high as they approached London according to all reports.
And the reports are pretty meagre, I remarked. I only know that I was anxious and eager to go up, but as I had not the necessary defensive missiles it was utterly useless to make the attempt.
Nevertheless, I believe our anti-aircraft guns drove them off very quickly, didnt they? Lionel asked.
Not before theyd done quite enough damage and killed innocent old persons and non-combatants. Then they went away, and bombed other defenceless towns as they passed the brutes! said Lady Lethmere.
And writers in to-days papers declare that all this is really of no military significance, remarked Sir Herbert, glancing fiercely across the table, a stout, red-faced man, full of fiery fight.
And writers in to-days papers declare that all this is really of no military significance, remarked Sir Herbert, glancing fiercely across the table, a stout, red-faced man, full of fiery fight.
Military significance is an extremely wide term, I ventured to remark. London heard the bombs last night. To-day we are no longer outside the war-zone. We used, in the good old Victorian days, to sing confidently of our tight little island. But it is no longer tight. It seems to me that it is very leaky and its leakage is towards those across the North Sea who have for so long declared themselves our friends. Friends! I remember, and not so very long ago, standing on the Embankment and watching the All-Highest Kaiser coming from the Mansion House with a huge London crowd cheering him as their friend.
Friend! snorted Sir Herbert. He has been far too clever for us. He has tricked us in every department of the State. Good King Edward knew; and Lord Roberts knew, but alas! our people were lulled to sleep by the Kaisers pretty speeches to his brave Brandenburgers and all the rest, and his pious protests that his only weapon was the olive branch of peace.
Yet Krupps and Ehrhardts worked on night and day, I said. Food, metals, money and war-materials were being collected each month and stored in order to prepare for the big blow for which the Emperor had been so long scheming and plotting.
Yes, truly the menace of the Zeppelin is most sinister, said Roseye across the table. How can we possibly fight it? We seem to be powerless! Our lawyers are busy making laws and fining people for not creeping about in the darkness at night, and asking us to save so as to pay ex-ministers their big pensions, but what can we do?
Rather ask whom can we trust? I suggested.
But, surely, Claude, there must arise very soon some real live man who will show us the way to win the war? asked Roseye.
I drew a long breath. She knew our secret the secret of that long dark shed out at Gunnersbury which was watched over at night by the sturdy old Theed, father of my mechanic, he being armed with a short length of solid rubber tyre from the wheel of an old disused brougham about the best weapon of personal defence that could ever be adopted. A blow from that bit of flexible rubber would lay out a man senseless, far better than any iron bar.
Well, said Sir Herbert, re-entering our discussion. The Zeppelin peril must be grappled with but who can enter the lists? You airmen dont seem to be able to combat it at all! Are aeroplanes too slow or what?
No, Sir Herbert, I replied. Thats not the point. There are many weaknesses in the aeroplane, which do not exist in the big airship the cruiser of the air. We are only the butterflies or perhaps hornets, as the Cabinet Minister once termed us but I fear we have not yet shown much sting.
We may, Claude! interrupted Roseye with a gay laugh.
Lets hope we can, I said. But all these new by-laws are, surely, useless. Lets hit the Hun in his home. Thats my point of view. We can do it if only we are allowed.
Im quite sure of that, Claude, Roseye declared. There are lots of flying-men who, if given bombs to-morrow, would go up and cross to the enemy aircraft centres in Belgium or Schleswig and drop them even at risk of being shot down.
Well, Sir Herbert, I ventured, laughing, the situation is not without its humour. I dont know whether it has ever occurred to you that, in order not to unduly alarm the public, we may yet have certain regulations posted upon our hoardings that may prohibit Zeppelin commanders from cruising over England without licences; that they must have red rear-lights; they must put silencers upon their engines, and must not throw orange peel, paper bags, bottle or other refuse within the meaning of the Act into the streets in such a manner as to cause any danger to foot-passengers or create litter such as would come beneath the powers relegated to inspectors of nuisances of Boroughs. Such regulations might, perhaps, make it a penal offence if Zeppelins did not keep to the left in traffic; if bombs were dropped in places other than those properly and purposely illuminated for the purpose, or if they did not travel at a rate faster than the British aircraft.
Really, Claude, thats an awfully humorous idea, remarked Sir Herbert as all at table laughed.
In addition, it might be suggested that the heads of all dogs, ducks, cats, parrots, and the horns of gramophones might be encased in cotton-wool to conceal their whereabouts, that no smoking be permitted, and no artificial light between one hour before sunset and one hour after sunrise.
Exactly, I laughed. And an inter-departmental committee of the red-tabbed might be charged with the due execution of the regulations all offenders to be shot at sunrise following the day whereon any breach of the Defence of the Zeppelin Act were committed.
Really youre too bad! declared Eastwell, laughing heartily as he held his glass poised in his hand.
Well, I protested. Here weve had Zeppelins killing people. Surely something must be done! Either regulate the Zeppelin traffic, or else fight them.
Im all for the latter, declared Roseye.
So am I, was my remark.
And I also, declared Eastwell. But how? thats the question!
Roseye exchanged glances with me, and I wondered whether he noticed them.
Somehow I had just a faint suspicion that he did, for I detected a curious expression upon his lips a look such as I had never seen there before.
He made no remark, but busied himself with the excellently-cooked snipe before him.
Fortunately Lionel Eastwell was not aware of our secret the secret of that brown deal box which we were so rapidly perfecting.
Only on the previous day Roseye had been up in the air with me across Hampstead, Highgate, and out as far as Hatfield and home to the aerodrome, making a further test of the potent but unseen power which we had been able to create, and which must, if further developed, be our strong arm by which to strike a very deadly blow against enemy airships.
Personally, declared Sir Herbert, in his bluff, matter-of-fact way, I think the whole idea of air-defence from below is utterly futile. A gun can never hit with accuracy a moving object so high in the air and in the dark. What target is there?
Exactly, exclaimed Eastwell. That has always been my argument. Ive been interested in aviation for years, and I know the enormous difficulties which face the efforts of those who man our anti-aircraft guns. Searchlights and guns I contend are inadequate.
Theyve hardly been tried, have they? queried Lady Lethmere. And, moreover, I seem to recollect reading that both have done some excellent work on the French front.
But London is not the French front, Eastwell protested. The conditions are so very different.
Then what do you suggest as a really reliable air-defence? Sir Herbert inquired.
Fight them with fast aeroplanes and bombs, Eastwell said.
But youve just told Munro that had he gone up last night from Hendon his flight would have been quite useless, as he would never have been able to mount sufficiently high in the time.
Quite so. But we ought to have efficient air-patrols at night, was his reply.
Combined with properly illuminated landing-places, Roseye added. Otherwise more than half the airmen and observers must kill themselves through landing in the dark without any knowledge of the direction of the wind.