The Brighton Boys with the Flying Corps

ll be won i

he stood beside the breakfast table and looked down at t

d in the war long before the United States joined hands with the Allies in the struggle to save small na

n the fighting line on the Western Front, was a student at the Academy. Interest in him ran high and with it ran as deep an interest in the ebbing and flowing fortunes o

rs. Bob's father was a United States Senator, who, after the sinking of the Liusitania, was all for war with Germany. America, in his eyes, was mad to let time run on until she should be dragged into the world-conflict without spending every effort in a national getting-re

ir experiences in the trenches, at close grip with the Boches. Still more thrilling accounts had come from some of their former classmates who were in the Americ

from fourteen years of age upward planned in his heart of hearts to one day get i

ece of ham disappeared before Jimmy's appetite was appeased, for he was a growing boy, who played hard when he was not hard at some task. Jimmy was not large for his age, and his rather slight figure disguised a wiriness that an antagonist of his size would have found extraordinary. His hair

aper in deep concentration. Again the big black letters stared out at Jimmy. "The war will be won in the air." Jimmy knew well enough what that mean

d, "how will the wa

again reigned, and Mrs. Hill glanced at her boy a

es the paper

after all. One thing this war has shown very clearly. No one arm is all-powerful or all necessary in itself alone. Every branch of the service of war must co-operate with another, if not with all the others. It is a reg

was what the football coach had forever pumped into his

bie place a few miles out west of the town is to be turned into an airdrome--a place where the flying men are to be taught to fly. I expect befor

ation that the boy had scoured the papers and books in the public library ever since for something fresh to read on the subject of aviation. As a

Will, an old Brighton boy of years past, had gone to France with the American flying squadron attached to the French Army in the field. True, Will was only a novice and the latest ne

its boundaries was the finest hill for coasting that could be found for miles. In winter-time, when the hillsides were deep with snow, Frisbie's slope saw some of the merriest coasting parties that ever felt the exhilaration of the sudden dash downward as the bright runners skimmed the hard, frosty surface. The long, level expanse o

rom the dormitory life, they had grouped themselves together, in no spirit of exclusiveness, but merely as good fellows who, although they appreciate

rchie Fox--another of t

cial friend of Jimmy's--

Arch!" shouted Jimmy

directe

at news to the astonis

righton! Can you beat it? My vote says the 'buddies' should get toge

Academy, and then Henry Benson, known to all and sundry as "Fat" Benson from h

Haines, had heard of the project, and none of the regular boarders at the school had heard the slightest suggestion of it. Bob Haines lived with his uncle in the largest residence in the town. What Bob's uncl

ention. Bob was tall and well built; taller than any of the rest of his fellows except two or three. He had a way of standing with his head thrown back and his shoulders squared as he talked

all income was exhausted. Joe was never loud or boisterous, and while he took his part in games and sports, he was ever the first one to start for his home. Being alone with his mother to such an extent, for they lived by themselves in a little cottage near the Academy grounds, J

l was to come from. A habit of rarely showing himself at a loss

--flying. Most of us are almost old enough. One article I read said that lots of boys of seventeen got into the flying corps in England. One writer said that he thought the fe

al. "I see you flying,

ave to grow

of us that don't weigh a ton that are going to be the be

ng," volunteered Archie Fox.

, but I am going to know more before t

ny of us to get a bit wiser as to what an aeroplane reall

. "The weeklies and monthlies gene

and while he did not exactly pretend to be a universal provider, he could produce most commodities if asked to do so. The store had

nce," said Harry Corwin. "There is no telling but what he can put us on to some

I wanted for my birthday," put in Fat Benson. "I will write

d fair to develop still further along lines of considerable girth,

dly as Bob looked at his watch a

s!" he cried. "We'll have

s work of the mastery of the air. Live, sterling young fellows were in the Brighton Academy. Some of them had declared allegiance to the army, some to t

had to wear off first. After class hours they met again and went off by themselves to a quiet spot on the cool, shady campus. Seated in a

with a sigh of pure sati

rning that team-work c

is good we will g

ould find that had to do with the subject of flying. They took one other boy into their counsels. Louis Deschamps was asked to

interest in the idea as had Dicky himself, and

of flying, as studied from prosaic print. It was a wonder, in fact, that the little group from the boys of the Brighton Academy did not tire of the researches in books and periodicals. They learned much. Many of the articles were mere repetitions of something they had r

were in a class by themselves when it came to the details of aeroplane engines. Joe Little led them all. One night he gave the boys an explanation of the rela

l that, anyway?" aske

me," admitt

nyway?" queried Bob Haines, whose technical knowledge was

know much about the actual planes themselves, but he knows a lot about the Gnome engine. He says he has invented an aeroplane engine that will lick them all when he gets it right. He is no

ng deliberation. Ground was broken for the buildings. Timber and lumber were delayed by Far Western strikes, but finally put in an appearance. A spur of

the State National Guard was put on the gateways. So far only construction men and contractors had been in evidence. Such few actual army officers as were seen had to do with the preparation of the ground rather

hing get this far if, when the machines and the flying me

y quicker than any other fellows that want to

b Haines. "If we could only think of some kind of job we could get inside there--

not see how it was to be done, and they disp

of aeroplane wings, and he stayed home to get the ideas through his head, so that he might pass them on to the other boys. Mr. and Mrs. Corwin and Harry's sister, his senior by a few years, were seated in the living room, each intent on their reading,

's folks when he came to supervise the new flying school at Brighton. Mr. Corwin greeted the major cordially, and after int

n, "is one of the Flying Squa

e you a school of flying here, then

aid Harry with so

and as thoroughly as they could. See this "--and she reached for the book Harry had been reading--"This is what they have been doing instead of something much less useful. There is not one of them who is not hoping one day to be a flyer at the fr

ith her own brother Will fighting in France, and another girl's brother Will a doctor in the American Hospital at Neuilly, near Paris, Grace was heart and soul with the Allies. Harry might have done much in other lines without attracting h

ration in his eyes. Harry could not have had a better champion. First the major too

, sir," ans

ters of scout work in the air. The game is one that cannot be begun too young, one almost might say. At least, the younger a boy begins to take an interest in it and really study it, the better grasp he is likely to have of it. I am thoroughly in agreement with your sister that no one should discourage yo

e stammered a sort of husky "Thank you," and was relieved to find that Major Phelps mention of Will had drawn the attention from everything e

s doing his air work steadily and most satisfactorily. His quiet praise of Will brought a flush of pride to Grace's cheek, and th

ir demands that he should come and see them often. As the major stepped

, may I ask y

the major genial

ing, and we could all--the eight of us, in our crowd--arrange to stay here after the term closes. We want to be allowed inside

it when he comes. I think he will be here to-morrow or next day. Things are getting in shape, and we will be at work in earnest soon. The colonel is a very nice man, and when he hears that you boys are so eager to get into the game maybe he will not object to yo

size as most of the

s he walked down the path, leaving behind him a boy who was nea

an unusual interest in them, and had advised them wisely as to uniforms. Major Phelps seemed interested in them, t

oment they laid eyes on him. His voice was gruff and he had a habit of wrinkling his brows that had at times struck terror i

, and the colonel was favorably impressed from the start with what he called "a mighty fine spirit." He thumped

Some people who are a lot older and who should have a lot more realization of what we need and must h

iginal project had been his from the very start. "Boy aviation corps? Why not. Good for them. Can find them plenty to do. When they get to the right size we ca

em, a little group of very eager and anxious faces--bright, intelligent, fine faces they were, too--he said without delay: "I have a use for you boys

"all their war paint," as Mr. Mann called it, they reported at the airdrome main gate just as the first big wooden crate came past on

who was frankly pleased with their soldierly appearance and the quiet c

ssed flags on the right sleeve would have suited Dicky Mann better. Fat Benson's voice was raised for brass buttons. Jimmy Hill's pretensions ran to a gilt aeroplane propellor for the front of each soft k

urs of work. I am afraid there is no congressional grant from which to reward you for your services by a money payment, but if you do your wor

fe and hope that the tears welled to the colonel's eyes as he watched them tramp out of his room. He had seen much war, had the colonel. "It's a shame that such lads will have to pay the great price, many of 'em," he sighed, "before the Hun is brought to his knees.

lt it a fine thing to be boys, though their feeling was just unconscious, natural, ef