The General arrived at eight, with two soldiers—an old sergeant, who had fought hand-to-hand with Indians and Filipinos, in a dozen battles; and a husky young private, who had a record as a prize-fighter. From the Hotel de Suisse, they received a message that Captain Welch and Jolls had started out in a motor car, at about six. “Let her go,” said the General, at that. [Illustration: “WILL YOU TAKE A COUPLE OF SOLDIERS AND COME?” _Page 148_ ] Lieutenant Jack Adeler got ready to take the pilot’s seat in the _Hustle_, but General Thorne said, “I think my young friend Darby, here, would like to run your aeroplane. Wouldn’t you, Torrington? Ah, I thought so. Go ahead, then.” To the Lieutenant he explained, “Mr. Adeler, it’s like this. If you smashed us up—of course we _will_ get smashed up, flying in this harum-scarum way, at night, it would be rank insubordination. Lieutenants really ought not to kill Generals. Or, if you want me to be serious with you, I think that young Darby here, by his work to-day, has put himself right on a level with young Griffin, and you, and I am quite serious in saying that I couldn’t give him higher praise.” Poodle blushed, as he took the levers. The _Hustle_ bumped down the roadway, lighted by the search-light, and joltingly launched out into the darkness. He was rather trembly, but he was glad, too. What could be a greater lark than to rescue Hike, good old Hike! He sang to himself as he left the Potomac and, with the search-light on, swung over to the road which he had followed earlier in the day. When he had reached a spot about half a mile from the hill where Hike was imprisoned, Poodle suddenly switched off all lights, shot the _Hustle_ up to three thousand feet, snapped off the motor, and made a long glide toward the top of the hill. For the first time, he wished that cool Hike were at the levers, instead of him. It was a terrific strain. Silent as a night-flying owl, yet with a swift drop, the _Hustle_ shot down toward the top of the hill. The many planes creaked quietly. Then they circled, and landed in the fields just beyond the marshes at the bottom of the hill, all so quietly that none of the guards could have heard them. They climbed out, and filed through the marshes. The General, who had so cheerfully acted as merely a passenger while on the _Hustle_, took charge, and with quick, sharp, whispered orders led them through the mud and brush to the foot of the hill. “Adeler, you and the soldiers stay here. Darby and I will climb up and try to get on the roof of the cabin. Thatched—we can hear through it. When I light a match up there, you charge up and get into the fight. We’ll capture Captain Welch, if I find that he’s guilty of plotting with Jolls. We’ll have to let the others go—we have no civil warrant for them. But we can damage them a little, and set the police on them directly. Come on, Darby—you’ll have to lead up, you know the lay of the land.”