tri-colored fire had been in the midst of other flashes of
flame, and, doubtless, smoke, but that could not be seen on account of
the darkness.

"The other flashes were probably guns fired to camouflage the flash from
the giant cannon, or possibly cannons," observed Major de Trouville.
"But we shall see what to-morrow brings forth."

The hours of the night seemed long, but there was much to do to get
ready for the next day's operations. More aviators were sent for, and
the men of the air spent many hours tuning up their motors and seeing to
their guns, while the big machines, which it was hoped could take
pictures of the giant cannon's position, were gone over carefully.

In addition some powerful French guns were brought up--some of the
longest range guns available, and it was hoped that the big aeroplanes
might signal by wireless the exact location of the super-gun, so that a
devastating fire could be poured on it, as well as bombs be dropped
from some machines especially fitted for that work.

Camp Lincoln, where the picked squadron was situated, was in the
neighborhood of Soissons, France, in a sector held by the French troops.
The lines of German and French trenches, with No Man's Land in between,
was about ten miles to the east of this point. This section had changed
hands twice, once being occupied by the Germans, and then abandoned by
them when they made the great withdrawal.

Now, perhaps ten miles back of the German trenches, the great gun was
hidden, making its total distance from Paris about eighty miles, but its
distance from Camp Lincoln something less than twenty miles.

Modern guns easily shoot that distance, but the commander of the forces
in this section was going to shorten that. Soissons was the nearest
large city to the camp. As a matter of fact the air squadron was some
distance east of that place, and nearer the battleline. So that it was
comparatively easy, once the location of the big gun was known, to bring
up heavy artillery behind the French lines to batter away at its
emplacement.

After a night of arduous labor, during which there was anxiety lest the
Germans find out what was going on, morning broke, and to the relief of
all it was bright.

There was an early breakfast, and then the aviators' helpers wheeled the
machines from the hangars. Several big photographing craft were in
readiness, and ten bombing planes were in reserve.

Major de Trouville inspected his brave men. They w