Air Service Boys in the Big Battle; Or, Silencing the Big Guns

he and Tom were sitting in their quarters after breakfast, the last day but one they

ve been with him, in a way, ever since we've been fighting, for it's all in the same cau

hat's on for to-

idea. But here come

and saw an orderly coming toward the

ided Jack. "Maybe the

rr

e him up," said Tom.

him they'd have done i

y snarled ou

I can't explain why, but I have a feeling t

ook hi

ain-or his grave. But I want to say, right now, that if ever I have a c

d Jack. "But here

d said, in effect, that though Tom and Jack were no longer under his orders, having been duly tr

ews!" exclaimed

m shook

d as he and his chum prepared to report at headquart

ander, and it was as friends that he greeted Tom and Jack and no

had caught something of the French enthusiasm of manner

have taken heavy toll of us these last few days," he went on sorrowfully, and Torn and Jack knew this to be so,

es of two brave men to do patrol duty, I appeal to you. There is a machine gun nest, somewhere in the Boche lines, that has been doing terrible execution. If you coul

ng we could do something to make up for the loss of Harry Leroy, and this

nder shoo

day we received back some of the effects of one of our men who was

all right!" declared Tom. "And now

Jack were about to undertake. As the officer had said, they were practically exempt now tha

and Jack, each one to have his own, for the work they w

from a high flight, another weapon was quickly attached. Nothing receives more care and attention at an aerodrome than the motor of the plane and the mechanism of the machine gun. The

m and Jack as they prepared to ascend. "Send back word of the location as

cried the

ing out a hostile battery of heavier guns, for the

they flew, and began to scan with eager eyes the ground below them. They could not fly at a very great height, as the

ement, when they were greeted with bursts of fire. But by skillfully dodging they escaped being hit themselves, though the

nhabit it. But the truth was soon apparent. The machine gun nest was in the cellar, and from there, well hidden, had been doing terrible execution o

ery headquarters. Owing to the noise caused by the motor of the airship, no message can be sent to the airman in return, and he has to depend on signs

that by reference to these maps the aircraft observer can send back word as

spot in his machine. He was fired at from guns on the ground below, but, to his delight, no hostile pl

wever, it was the fortune of war. As long as the Hun planes were fighting Jack they would not molest him, and he

Tom saw a shell land to the left and far beyond the Hun battery

ed too high it shoots over instead of directly at the target aimed at. It is then necessary to lower the elevation. Tom has seen that the guns of the

that will rectify errors in shooting short of or beyond a mark. It is not so easy to make the same corrections in what, for the sake of simplicity, may be called right

red yards around a Hun battery as a center might be designated A. The next circle, two hundred ya

nd numbered from 1 to 12. The last sector is due north, while 6 would be due sout

indicate that by sending the message "D-7," which would mean that, speaking according to the points of the compass, the mi

he saw one fall plump where it was needed. There was a great puff of smoke, and when it had bl

shing to earth. But the other, an expert fighter, was pressing him hard until Ton opened up on him with

ugh he knew his chum could not hear h

hough, as it was learned when Jack dismounted, he had received a slight bullet wound in one side from a missile sent by one of the at

un nest that had been such a menace, nor were the thanks to Jack any less warm, for without his help Tom could ne

ith us," said the commander, with sh

e quarters that night, and Tom and Jack we

ay!" said Jack quietly, as he rose

y slice of bacon!"

from the Huns-provided he's alive-that we'll take a toll of five Germans for him-or as many, up to that number, as we

e was! Death to the

nd sprang

y Leroy is dead he leaves a sister. You all saw her here! Well, I

o you!" cr

vo comrades farewell and started for Paris, whence they were t