aring into the air.

"Up, Hal!" cried Stubbs. "Here they come!"

Hal paid no heed to this frantic exclamation. Instead, for a moment, he
reduced the speed of the craft as something seemed not to be working
exactly right. Calmly he bent over the engine and tinkered with it a
moment later. Then he sat straight and exclaimed:

"All right now!"

Stubbs gave a great sigh of relief.

Hal increased the speed of the machine until it fairly flew over the
ground. And then his hand touched the elevating lever.

Immediately the plane soared in the air like a big bird.

And from the ground came exclamations of surprise; for it was not until
that moment that the Germans who had been advancing toward the friends
had discovered their presence; although they had been espied by Chester
and Stubbs some moments before.

A volley of rifle bullets was fired at the rapidly rising machine.

One flew by Stubbs' ear and he dropped to the bottom of the car with a
howl of fright.

A moment later, however, the machine was beyond reach of the rifles of
the German troops, and Hal laid the craft out on a straightaway course,
heading directly west.

"Nothing can stop us now but enemy aeroplanes," he said quietly.

He increased his speed. The big army plane flew toward the distant French
lines with a speed greater than that of the fastest express train.

CHAPTER XXIX

THE END OF MATIN

"You have done well, sirs. President Poincare shall hear of this."

The speaker was General Petain. Before him stood Hal, Chester and Anthony
Stubbs. Hal, acting as spokesman, had just concluded an account of their
adventures within the enemy lines, a venture from which they had returned
successfully and safely only an hour before.

For, after the aeroplane had descended above the French lines and headed
for the French positions, the journey had been without important event.
True, there had been a brush with one enemy aircraft; but this had been
worsted. A second, which had given chase, was distanced with ease and the
three friends had returned to the French lines unscathed.

"So!" said General Petain, "you blew up the enemy's ammunition depot, eh?
The explosion was felt even here. We knew the foe had suffered some hard
blow, but I had no idea that it had been delivered by your hand."

Both lads flushed at the praise of General Petain. Stubbs was pleased.

"Now tell me what else you did, if anything," said the general. "Did you
get the info