The Boy Volunteers with the French Airmen

preparatory to the real start, which was to take place at two in the afternoon. The engine was turned over, and the machine held down while the usual hour's runni

at a slight elevation above the gun. Both gunner and pilot are housed in, and in most cases strapped to the body of the mac

from the former one, as it appeared to ride more easily and steadily. In fact, there is just the same difference in the motion of flying machines as ther

oes not sway from side to side when sailing through cross currents. Naturally, s

prepared himself with a camera. The lieutenant, learning of Alfred's penchant in this direction,

ilitary value, must be identified,-that is, they must be made at such altitudes, and with reference to certain marked characteristics o

verifying them day af

ken place in the same view between the taki

ould take place in a day or tw

e is taken of a certain section today, and the following day another picture is snapped, a comparison of the two will show whethe

of the enemy's country

something which will distinguish the exact place where you are located; also put down t

nse brilliancy. They were going directly east, and both boys turned toward the lieutenant, their eyes seeming to say: "S

es east of Verdun, could be noted the blurred outlines and surroundings of Metz, that greatest of all fortified German defences.

er city now loomed up so it could be plainly seen, and to their right was another t

reat circle on the control planes of the machine in the distance, which showed them it was a French reconnoitering airplane. In the east

he most startling thing which occurred was a tremendous explosion that seemed to be right in the machine itself, and

low had so luckily secured a fair range. The first shot was followed in another moment by another,

brushed past the boys. The lieutenant shook his head, as the boys glanced back. The machine was now circli

o the tail planes. The steering lever seemed to be jammed. Ralph had an idea that something was wrong, and crawled o

the lieutenant. Within four feet of the tail plane Ralph halted. Then, reaching down, he succeeded in grasping a dangling wire, and held up the end

r smile, and then by motions direct him to give the control plane a still further push in the right direction. It was impossible for Ralph to hear

ieutenant. "Can you faste

e been shot away. But I can take care of it if you will

reat patch of green, directly beyon

replied Ralph. "Shall I

m the smoke. Make a long sweep. We are now at an altitude of 1200 meters. W

ep, Ralph continually glancing forward to no

t ahead, and

an along the river bank. To their right, across the river, was a large town, Pont-a-Mousson, and the castle ahead of them was

ontrol was sharply turned, and the nose of the ship raised up, but for an instant o

e more venturesome than others, after seeing Ralph and Alfred, began to question them. To t

s as rapidly as possibl

lever, which seemed to jam whenever an attempt was made to turn it to the right. Ralph did not know this, while seated astride the body and manipulating the plane, and it

ey completed the repairs in an hour, and, hungry though they were, they again went

to the north. They were now going to that section of the fighting line in France where the most intense struggles up to that time had

unch on this memorable occasion. They were about twenty miles south of the city of Verdun. The extreme northern aviation base was not more than

eat camp, they could see the thousands of vehicles, and the hundreds of thousands of soldiers, on the highways, in the fields, an

ved them into echelon, formed them into squares, or caused them to trail in columns of two o