Our Pilots in the Air

ad seen Lafe could not now tell. So thick was the fog, the gun flashings did not reach up to whe

Undoubtedly some kind of battle must be going on. Was it one result of the night raid? Was Fritz, now that his observation points were at least tempo

ht, foggy, good for most anything up here, except to see or be seen and that's what

ver, there were still two unused sheafs of ammunition for the Lewis gun and a few g

. That is the reason, probably, that this battery broke in where I was o

aine headed more westward, keeping at an

my machine; he lost his life. And there were others, too. That Montana chap Bangs. Last I saw of him he was right under

hrough the fog a short series of vari-colored lig

Big drive on hand. Yond

somehow gone down in No-Man's-Land. It might come from a shell hole. Anyway, it was being sent up by som

n put to flight by the daring raiders. Blaine himself had sent one down in flames. Others had followed the retreating raiders. Now that a night drive

to himself. "I'll try to find out

to be a foggy void. This meant to Lafe that, for the present at least, there was nothing doing at this particular spot. Of course those signal lights might draw dangerous attention, but Blaine had resolved

cended until, when he flatted out, he could see thr

e signal," he resolved

ut - her

ashlight fastened in a special groove at a downward angle of the fuselage or body of th

? I'm coming. Let m

he was about to quit and rise higher again, he detected a faint red and blue gleam that apparently

easing up in speed as best he could. The wheels jolted over rough but level ground, until the nose of the plane shoved itself against an ab

rtillery, while to the west the roar of infantry battle

himself, reaching for

must be No-

. Intuitively he felt that he must have landed right. Feeling round him, he detected ce

holes," he thought. "Why - what if

of disrupted earth, his flashlight sending glea

r motor, but you won't

k all righty," said B

the voice sounded, and bellow

know your s

dvancing form, delighted amazement in face, but he only said: "Shut off your ligh

al. I thought if the Boches were about to get y

arious chuckle

st tumbled down here,

much. My machine i

wn? Why didn't you g

or Hans. Directly after that they started the hottest barrage fire you've seen in a month of Sundays. Keepin' it up yet, only they've

erground at Appincourte Bluff; and now comes this raid of ours and

infantry? Oh,

f him passed. I scrunched down inside this crater the best I knew how and directly I

uck. I saw 'em

grinning

ned our folks in time, and I guess I did by the sounds

how are we going to get away

d ye

struck. I have no tools with me, an

official tone. "We've got no time to lo

Finzer?" Buck was keen

been quit

briefly all th

, it's war. Sure he was dead? By thunder! I'll ge

ght except for a big rent in two of the wings. With the appliances at land this did not take long, for both worked frantically, knowing that hostile planes from the ne

e. To Blaine's surprise Buck began ni

gently called, but

ute - in

own the embankment, dragging a shabby gray army overcoat. Lafe looked disgusted.

I reckon. What do we want of that? Get into

is own machine the coat he had dela

icers threw away his coat. They were on a double quic

he was a close squeeze. I slipped down, bagged the coat, and here she is. You needn't l

en follow me! We're going to stick round the Boche fl

machine skidded sideways, struck a slope and after a mute struggle with adverse conditions came to a standstill. Cursing to himself, Buck jumped out, forced his plan

s his Nieuport began to rise. "If I'd got off at first, I wouldn't '

ht Blaine again. Flying thus easily, climbing still higher, he was all at once startled by a burst of machi

nt. The quickest way to avert the danger was first to try the "side loop" which is a kind of "loop-the-loop" sideways, a risky trick, yet a good thing if right

yards ahead looked strangely like Blaine's machine. What to do next - before firing? Use his private signal, of cour

jaculating to himself ex

, the nose of his machine settling rapidly on the tail of the

ustn't lose track of him again. We'll be there with

ese small scouting planes maintaining would have caused a mutual air suction that might cause a collision. This is

s betokened that it was nearing three a.m. Blaine got out his megaphone, for talking at

back there!" he shout

mainly. What yo

nd Johnny Bull's join. Appincourte Bluff seems either to have b

fe!" Bangs laughed eas

or most

se me. We'll give that infantry a time trying to find out

e away!

heir altitude and nearing at a rate of a mile and a half a minute the advancing lines of the enemy

chance must be taken of meeting one of these. Meanwhile the first thin

e that was passing overhead, falling now behind the front trench line of the Allies. This in order to stop, or at l

Moreover both Blaine and Bangs had repeating rifles, and revolvers. Great dexterity was shown by each as their machines, slackening their speed to that m

other, at nearest safe distance apart, rained down showers of death. Was this another repetition that earlier trench assault that resulted in the destruction of the sausages? It looked so. might also be other swift movi

though close, so swift were the machines that they vanished almost

ourage. Both planes were now whirring on

ng forward their men, back came the two planes upon t

scenes repeated, wit

sound as of an advance from the