The Brighton Boys with the Flying Corps

that that part of France had known for several days. The line of light motor trucks which served as the

so much like home. Those fields and the hills beyond migh

ho had seen the front line often before. "You will see a part

slowed down for a level crossing, where the road led across a spur of railway, and then halted, the gate-keeper having blocked the highway to allow the passing of a still distant and very slowly moving train. The gate-keeper was

in the sudden quiet, P

g nearer. List

s of the high-explosive shells could be distinctly heard. War was ahead, at last, and not so v

them hold their breath for a moment. To think that such desolate piles of brick and mortar were once rows of human habitat

e ahead, and finally the Brighton boys saw a black smudge in the air far in front. It

s to it. A hundred yards further it dashed through a gap in a tall hedge, an

age shapes. Ahead, too, was the boom of the guns. No mistaking that. Their aeroplanes were to be the eyes of those very guns. They knew that well. The front li

ines. Soon, now, very soon, some of us will be flyi

ey had waited long and worked hard to perfect themselves for the tasks that lay ahead of them, up there with the guns and beyond. There was

d a serviceable look about them. The level field that stretched away in front of the hangars was dotted here and there with

of maps. All the next morning they pored over these, consulting the wonderfully complete set of p

d Joe Little and Jimmy Hill tried to outma

ighted suddenly and found himself "right on the tail" of Joe's machine, i.e., behind Joe and above him, in the best possible position for aeroplane attack. Joe had looped after a sho

from their machines and came in his direction, laughingly discussing th

t regularly?"

" was Jimm

peared to damag

Not that I

casual question from

not so much of a novice

re "part of the show,"

asked to descri

he was assigned to duty with an experienced aviator named Parker. Both Parker and Jimmy were to be mounted on fast, agile machines

throw them 'way over in a big arc that lands you a long distance from wh

e we are to tack

we can bag one of their scout planes. Their hunters will be guarding. It is better to go out in twos, if not in lots, along this part of the line. As a matter of fact, it is more than likely that some German on a new Fokker or a Walvert is sitting up aloft there like a sweet little cherub and laying for us. They have a nasty habit of swooping down li

hem try that hawk game

tros. We knew afterward that it was Immelmann, for he worked the same tactics several times, always in the same way. I was out guardin

der the circumstances, and was going to fire a round into them and then dive for home and mother, when the bullets began to sing about me from a fifth plane. I couldn't see it, so I flip-

ithout bothering any more about me. I got home without any further incident, and found the observation fellow h

ea of Parker's lightning action. "This fellow must be as quick as a cat," he thought. "I wonder if I would have had sense enoug

hen learned that Parker had omitted an interesting feature of the tale. Before Immelmann swooped on him,

ivalry had sprung up with the development of the air service. Every successful flier had to be a thorough sport

without frequent spectacular combats and hair-breadth escapes that made good telling, was just as much of a hero and took his life in his hands

ing to Jimmy: "Watch Parker, and fly about eight hundred feet behind him and the same distance above him when he straightens out. Parker will attack when he sees a Boche. Your job will still be to sit tight and watch until you can see how

plane about over there on their side. Don't forget one thing. If you find that you are surrounded run for it. That machine you are to fly will give the

s too full of his job. He said "Yes, sir," quite serio

his head-gear a bit tighter, pulled on his gloves, and tried the position of his machine-gun. There it sat, just above the hood, a bi

roar away in deafening exuberance of power as it warmed to its work. Something was not quite right. The rhythm was not just perfect. Jimmy stopped the engine, ordered

said: "I have given detailed instructions to Parker. You are to watch him and stay with

s,

oing this sort of thing every day before long,

. Thank y

nt than ever--a quick signal of the hand, and the cords attached to the bloc

cessary push. After a run of a few feet Jimmy raised her suddenly, swiftly, and she darted up almost perpendicularly. He realized

will do all that is asked of her, whatever she runs into. S

odd but unmistakable sense of companionship in having Parker up there ahead, though at fifteen thousand feet up or more, and at eight hundred to a

rily, and she lifted herself so lightly and easily when he asked her to climb, that he was soon wrapped in the joy of master

answered readily to his call upon it for a burst of five minutes, and before he had time to realize it he was in good position and far below were the long, winding scars on the surface of the earth that

d swiftly. Jimmy raised his machine at the same time, but, thinking to save the left turn and unconsciously slowing in a little on the plane in front, was reminded that he would be wise to change course a bit. The ominous whirr of pieces of projec

right angles to the course he had originally selected.

ead next the swift wasp in front dived suddenly, as

. The enemy plane could hardly see Parker, save by some miracle, before he had come sufficiently near to pour a murderous fire into it. With a rush, his instructions came back to him. He must hover above

machine for all she could produce in the way of power, and depressed his elevator planes. The moment the nose of his plane turned upward, the three enemy planes beg

eep his own skin intact. Intuitively glancing upward, what was his horror to see, still high up but dropping like a meteor, a fourth enemy plane--a big Gotha! It came over him like a flash! The Boches were at

aught the eye of the flight commander. He thus escaped the swoop of the diving Gotha, and as the other three Germans turned to the right to demolish him, he swung half round, righted himself, and climbed for dear life. I

unters might be after him still, back there behind him, or it might be fighting Parker, wherever Parker might be. By a quick glance back he could see the three pursuers. Their planes, too, were climbing well. He straigh

ps not quickly enough. If he did a big, fast loop, he might come right-side-up on the tail of one or even two of his would-be destroyers, and if he could only get that wicked littl

sailants. The center one of the three enemy planes was nearest to him. Straight at it Jimmy dashed, and when close, started firing. It was the first time in his life that Jimmy had tried to take a human life, but he did not give that fa

nd for one instant, before the downward plunge came, Jimmy caught sight of a limp, lifeless form half-hangin

in the nick of time, and letting the left-hand plane go for the moment, looped in turn. As he turned, he saw what he thought must be the fourth enemy machine--the big fellow that had swooped down on him at the beginning of the fight--speeding straight at him. He qui