The Boy Volunteers with the French Airmen

and began a search for the location and nature of the injuries. It was a gratification to be able to assist in this w

all right," said t

hard breathing," s

ty good weight on top of

t was all we could do to lift up th

t your companion didn't fare as well. Compound fracture of one leg

k to notice it. "If these young men hadn't taken you out when they did it would

mile, as he gazed at the

nts were on hand with the stretchers, while the excited men crowded around the boys to learn the details. It was not long before the story of t

escuing the lieutenant and his pilot. I understand you belong t

Alfred, slightly emba

he continued: "I take i

the Belgian army at Liege, and fought the enemy all the

young man sprang forward, held out his han

lfred, recovering; "we hope to go to P

," observed the Commandant, "but in the meantime,

eagerly. "We want to get into the fl

oin," said the officer, and all noted the expressions of disapp

force our way in, just as we

corps, and they accepted the offer of quarters for their accommodation in

as well as men, and that they can do some things better than most men; but in military matters the service seems to have been

ed to them. At this time there were fifty machines of various types on the ground, the particula

at they had been in the first battles of the war was sufficient to give them a coveted place in that company of enthusiastic men, for ther

nt to see the mac

Alfred. "What is that

Bristol," a

d Ralph, pointing to a machine, whi

anes. The Bristol has the ends of the wings rounded so that the forward corners are cut away to a greater

pointing to an aeroplane which had a huge rev

hat description," said Tom. "You will notice that the lower plane is much shorter than the

rtainly looks different from all the others," s

ith square ends to the planes, and a heart-shaped tail.

tails," said Ralph. "Does that m

is all that counts. They are made with distinctive forms s

elgium, and the only one I could recognize was the Taube, a

y halted in front of a gaily decorated hangar, and point

ars and Stripes above

sn't it a beauty?" said Tom wit

mean what make?

y trips in it," said Tom, "and now I am

shop, which had been set up for repairs, and then inspected the

you use the flying machin

many lights about it is pretty hard for a pilot to hunt out the landing place, so the authorities have ma

they can land without a

uarter of a mile away; that pylon carries a brilliant red light. The other two pylons to the north and to the south have blue lights. The aviator knows that the bright li

that would be ea

nnel gives us considerable trouble, and then we have to glide back and forth

r life than flying, and, indeed, things seemed to be coming their way. They had learned more about ma

u," said Alfred, as they wer

ad," sa

up in a machine with

at Alfred. "Do you rea

I do," repl

ant to do, too,"

observers during practice hours; but let me see,-we

do much practici

eight hours a da

ce flying when you are no

ld say so," w

you been flying

o years,"

ou fly every day, for

rse," s

that for?"

airplane is the eye of the army; the observer must know how to observe. He must be able not only to see, but to put his knowledge into such form that it can be handed in in

carry a pilot and an

w to control his machine when approaching an enemy, and how to attack or to

e was so much to do in t

ormation, to observe the signals of the commanding officer and to execute movements. For this purpose two squadrons oppose eac

ssed the airplanes; the men they had met; their work in rescuing the fallen avi

if he knew we were going to join

y when he hears what we were do

n our letters by th

he answer our tele

ack to the city and inq

for that; we must do that the firs