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

hey were detailed for that day. It was the day following the arrival of Nellie Leroy at that particular place in

report to headquarters at eigh

arters at eight o'clock for reconnaissance

om and Jack, looking at it, nodded

cut out for

could change places with you. I don

r a hearty if hasty breakfast, were ready for the day's work. They each realized that when the

es in small swift, fighting planes, to attack a Hun machine, if any showed, and to give notice of any attack, either from the air or on the ground. The latter

he climbed. He was to fly alone, and on his machine was a machine gun of the Vickers ty

red himself of the accuracy of the report of his mechanician that it ha

here Jack was making his preparations for taking up a pho

f Harry, and he's alive, tell him we'll brin

y. "I wouldn't want anything better than to get Harr

rked Jack. "We'll talk about it after we get back. Maybe there'

s only act as decently toward us as we d

do drop within the allied lines news of any British, French or A

asked Tom o

gas on," wa

, and the mechanician turned the propeller blades, there might have been a sudden starting of the engine t

til each cylinder was sucked full of th

ed, and Tom threw

er, the man gave it a pull, and quickly re

toward Jack, began to taxi across the field, to head up into the wind. All aeroplanes are started this way-directly into the wind, to rise against it and not with it. On and on he went and then he began to climb into the air. With him climb

which was fur lined. He had on two pairs of gloves and his eyes were protected with heavy goggles. For it is very cold in the upper regions, an

not shot down by a Hun. Jack was to occupy the front seat and act as pilot, while Harris, the photographer he

of ammunition for the Lewis gun, for use against the ruthless

a grin, as he climbed into his seat, patted the l

ienced fighting pilots, two of them "aces," that is men who, alone, had each brought down five or more Hun planes. The big planes, used for obtaining news, pictures, and maps of the enemy's

o the mechanician, who, after the order of "contact," spun the

one supported in front of Harris, and by consulting this Jack knew, from the instructions he had received before going up, just what part of the e

is is possible in an aeroplane when the engine is shut o

g all around. The "Archies," or anti-aircraft guns of the Germans, were trying to reach the French planes, and, in addition to the bullets, "woolly bears" and "flaming onions" were sent up toward them. These are two types of bursting she

s hit, and they continued on their way, keeping at a good height, as d

onse to a shove in his back from the powerful field glasses carried by Harris, Jack sent his machine down to about the nine-tho

orry him. He sent his machine slipping from side to side, holding it on a level keel now and then, to enable Harris to ge

er there were any supplies of ammunition, or anything else, that might profitably be bombed later. He also saw several columns of German infantry on the ma

wer he came under a fiercer fire of the batteries, until, it became so hot, from the shrapnel bursts, that he fain

r pilots were doing the same. Machine guns were now opening up on them, and once the burst of fire came so close that Jack

he danger was not over. They had yet to pass across the enemy's front line trenches, and when Harris signaled Jack to go down low in cr

ullets from machine guns. Twice flying bits of metal came uncomfortably close to Jack, but he was kept too busy

ready the automatic gun, but it was not needed, for, after approaching as though about to attack, the Huns suddenly veered off. Later the reason for this became known. A squadr

eached the aerodrome again, bring

ad divested himself of his togs and men had rushed to

s told him. "They're having

xiously in the direction

as so badly shot up and its pilot so wounded that it only just ma

hed up to his chum, when he saw the latter gett

think I accounted for one, unless he went

that if they g

laimed as he noticed a splintered strut

a furrow in the bit of supporting wood, not two inches away from Tom

upper air and one of the Fre

flight lieutenant sadly, when the repor

om and Jack, as they went out o

still hiding out-if he is not killed. But I understand you two young men had something to

!" exclaimed Tom. "Now, th

countrymen. Well, I would do the same. I will see if I can

ived notice that they could report to the first United States air squadron, which was then being formed on

that had befallen Harry Leroy, sent for Tom and

e you again?" he

you the first chance we get. Besides, we're going to depend on you to give us some informa

"But it's so long, now, I begin to believe he must be dead, and either the Huns don't know it o

e had been too busy the last two days, getting read

s no place for her here. I can give you her address. I pro

ss!" exclaimed Tom eagerly, and his