"Silence, you men!" called an authoritative voice. An officer had come up from the shelter of the wood. "The noise you are making can be heard a mile off. You’ll bring the whole Hun army down on us." As a matter of fact, the men had begun by speaking in stage whispers, their tones becoming louder and louder in their excitement as the altercation proceeded. Burton rose stiffly and painfully to his feet. "Beg pardon, sir," sheepishly muttered the man who had knocked him down. "It’s raining so hard----" "That’s all right," Burton interposed. "Where am I?" "It’s you, Burton!" said the officer. "Come among the trees. You men, lug the aeroplane in; the rain’s so thick that perhaps the Huns haven’t seen where it fell." "But we’re in no danger in our own lines?" said Burton in surprise. "We aren’t in our own lines," rejoined the officer, dragging Burton into the wood. "We’re marooned." "Gad, Hedley, are you the missing platoon?" "Yes; I’ll tell you." "Let me have a look at the machine first. By George! I thought I was done for." "It was a narrow squeak. But you’ve always had wonderful luck. Here’s the machine. What’s the damage?" Burton examined the aeroplane and gave a rueful shrug. "Two holes in the engine cowl, a dozen in the planes, bracing wires shot away; they don’t cripple her, but the worst thing is that one of the landing wheels is buckled. She’s useless till that is put right." "Well, perhaps we can get that done for you. You seem as badly crocked as the machine, and no wonder." "But tell me, Hedley, where are we? And how did you get here?" "Tell you by and by," said Hedley, who spoke in whispers and showed other signs of nervous apprehension. "Come on." "But I can’t leave the machine." "You must. We can’t take it with us. It won’t be found while the rain lasts." "I can’t fly back unless I get this wheel straightened." "All right. Stanbridge," he said, calling up a short, sturdily-built corporal, "get that buckled wheel off. Quick work!" "Very good, sir." "You’ll find some tools on board," said Burton. "And don’t make a row," Hedley added. It was the work of only a few minutes to detach the wheel. There was no conversation; everybody showed nervous impatience; two or three men kept watch at the edge of the wood. "Now then," said Hedley. He led the way, groping through the wood. Burton followed on his heels: he felt himself a compendium of aches. Rain was still falling. Through it could be seen the blurred lights of a distant building. A short walk brought the party to what appeared to be a thick hedge of bramble bounding a field. There was a whispered challenge. "Potsdam," whispered Hedley in return, giving the password.