Our Pilots in the Air

lwind that had nearly unseated him, go side-looping over and over as if in

g thunder burst that closed round him like a black pall, a pall now threaded and con

new where or what he was. The wind, now bitter cold, would have frozen his flesh but for his sheathing of wool and leather that protected his face,

sary, had all vanished. He was alone, like a buffeted, tos

running low, what was there for him to do b

flected. "We've alread

seated in a war-plane may be supposed to drift. Rather it was being tossed about, constant vigilance at the co

wn, down. Yet the planes were level and the whole natural

as made an air cave unde

o resistance of the storm. And, while he was glancing around for more light, out he sh

lves away so rapidly that the transition was almo

guns, sheltered here and there over the scraggy plain within the pill-boxes that have of late been substituted for the vanishing trench line

rwin, surprised but not unduly alarmed. "I

e same time rising in zigzags while t

ing mass, muddy gray, yet with glints here and there as of some substance brighter. Closer yet he flew, regardless of safety. His air tabulator was not working. That wa

ead was accompanied by a metallic puncture below. The bullet hit

he speed accelerator, while up went the nose of his machine. Still the Archies

his later flight. Ahead rose a swell of land that he knew terminated in a bluff abutting upon one of the smaller strea

ome lay only a f

e air, this bluff was considered as deserted, or held at most b

t made a great discover

he wings, the tail and along the under side of the fuselage.

nade. He was really an expert bomb-thrower. At great risk he dipped gradually until, when about at the point overhead he desired, he threw t

at the open space crumble inward, while the mass of moving

ed shot ripped through the tail of the Bleriot, ricocheted obliquely and hit that same tank again, but with more

still more upward, he seized a bunch of loose lint, used to sop up recurring leaks here and there, an

eam, now almost overflowing its banks. On the bluff behind a squad of men in gray

ll take," he thought. "That gun will ge

ising in a steep climb, zigzagging crazily for the machine was giving out, owing to lack of fuel. But he made a last effort t

loose the leather garment, while a searing,

Friends surely! Down he had better go. The pain was so acute that only one arm was now at his service, while the dizziness that accompanies the p

on close behind. He seemed to

. The shock seemed to drive from him all notion of an

ont, and not far from his own aerodrome. His shoulder was in bandages. His left arm was in splints, but not painf

hat Erwin was now awake and sensible, paus

leriot you or Blaine

mpanied this was not co

ld stick to anything. How do I hap

k his head and gave vent to a real laugh

e, youngster! Where's y

oche plane he - we took from them back of their lin

val wore upon his breast a silver medal resembling nothing so much as an ace. For a wonder Blaine himself wore a

, now animated with conversational fire and energy, t

ke himself today than he has been any time these ten days? Say little one," bending

we must bring back? I was in it when - w

that is, the repair shop." This from Monsieur Cheval, still w

ting trench, in spots. Just as if most of it was covered. I dropped some bombs I had left on the moving gray something I saw. After that I s

know that the enemy had dug a covered trench to the far side of the bluff on the river bank until you let us know by dropping bombs on them. This so angered them that t

e patting Orry's head again, very gen

ey must have been digging there for days, perhaps weeks? The whole interior had been hollowed out, and there was a picked battalion stationed there. La,

if honors were being heaped gratuitously on his undeserving head. Somethin

d - yes, for your own brothers-in-arms as well. Listen! You are already promoted, Monsieur Erwin.

While there we took that German machine. It was right handy, and no trouble. What else could I do but bring back your Bleriot, leaving Lafe here to do all the work of fet

d, nodded, and pl

ve some time getting back. And I guess

erdoing the thing, or so Erwin seemed to feel, fo

ked in several uniformed men who had just stepped out of

distinguished appearance and bore on arm and shoulder the insignia of a French

built form in United States khaki, but without decoration except for the st

, keeping his hand at the salute which he had int

himself, yet turning wearily from a f

e only a few days back. Pershing was on his way to some American billet not far from here. Petain, having already received reports of the recent exploits of the two airmen

mrade capture and bring home a German aviator and his machine, but you have sent two others in the earth and, after all this, while hard pressed by the enemy, you managed to descend

in the background, the general pinned on Erwin's breast a decoratio

or what you have done. Farewell!" The general with his escort left. General Pershing stopped only long enough to shake hands informally with those remain

me a little bit if the

not send you two somet

and live up to

r Cheval had also fo

looked at each ot

hing will ha

now, Orry? Wait

tments; one for Blaine as sergeant in the aviation co