“That must have done some damage, I reckon!” gasped Amos as he struggled once more to his feet, ready to push steadily on again.
They had heard a series of shouts, some of them indicating pain, and others an acute degree of terror. Evidently the Turkish gunners were being demoralized by this firing. The bursting shells were working sad havoc in their midst.
But Turks have ever been known to show bravery under fire, and Jack was not so very much surprised when there came a bellow from the rear that made the earth quiver. The big gun hidden in the brush and rocky spurs had been fired, perhaps almost at random, to prove to the enemy that although betrayed by that searchlight from above the gunners were ready to die at their posts.
The two boys and Arturus were all hurrying
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 along by that time, eager to put as much space between themselves and the danger zone as possible. More terrible shells were bound to fall in that limited area, and since the Turks would be utterly unable to move their big gun it stood a good show of being finally smashed.
So accurately did the gunners on the warship manage to drop their missiles that there seemed no further danger of one falling close enough to the boys to injure them. On this account then they no longer threw themselves down when that flash over the water announced the speeding of another projectile.
Amos, being now filled with a natural curiosity to observe the effect of the bursting shells, actually turned his head to look back when the next shot came. He would never forget the dreadful sight when the great shell exploded. The whole vicinity seemed to be illuminated by the glare, and Amos believed he could see unfortunate men being hurled right and left, as well as logs and stones.
“Oh! that was the time they hit it!” he exclaimed,
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 when the fearful thunder of the explosion had died away.
“Do you mean they smashed the big gun?” asked Jack, who apparently had not been looking at the time.
“Yes, I’m sure of it,” the other went on to assert; “for I saw the shell burst, it seemed to me, right against the cannon. You’ll hear no more from that piece, I give you my affidavy, Jack. It was beautifully done, and I take off my hat to the bullies out there in the gloom who could find their mark so quickly.”
“But the searchlight keeps on playing down on the spot,” suggested Jack.
“They’re trying to make sure of the result,” Amos declared. “You’ll soon see I was right about it, when they send a signal out to the battleship that there’s no need to waste any more ammunition.”
Somehow they were so fascinated by the idea that all of them stood there, and continued to watch. The air pilot even swooped down lower as though bent upon making absolutely sure before
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 sending word to the war vessel waiting to hear from him before continuing the bombardment.
“There, what did I tell you?” exclaimed Amos, with a ring of triumph in his voice.
The aviator above had suddenly switched off his light, and dense darkness fell upon the scene. No further crash from off over the water came to the ears of the listening boys. The only sounds they heard consisted of cries from wounded men, and a faint faraway whir that must be the aeroplane winging its way back to its former post.
“It’s all over!” said Jack, almost solemnly; “another gun knocked out of business, and from what they say, the Turks can’t afford to lose many more these days, when it’s so hard to get them through from Austria and Germany.”
“We must go on,” said Arturus just then, “for we may be overtaken by some of the Turks fleeing from the place.”
“But did you notice, Jack, that the aeroplane seemed to fly away up the coast and not out to sea?” ventured Amos.
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“Well, now, I hadn’t thought anything about that until you spoke; but now you have mentioned it, Amos, I believe that’s a fact.”
“Of course we couldn’t see anything,” continued the other, “but I took great pains to follow the sound, and it kept right along ahead of us.”
“From that you figure something out, of course?” asked the other. “I can give a pretty good guess what it is.”
“That aviator must have been the same man who hung over the trenches today, and dropped so many bombs,” Amos ventured. “We know he came from the upper camp; and I feel dead sure he was my brother Frank. If that’s so, then here he’s gone and distinguished himself again.”
“It certainly looks as if Frank might be in the front rank of the Allied pilots if it turns out as we believe,” Jack permitted himself to say; “but now we’d better quiet down again, A............