, he has come
to regard all copses and stretches of undergrowth with suspicion. Such
may or may not harbour the enemy, but there is no risk in making an
investigation. He swoops down, and when a short distance above the
apparently innocent copse, circles round it two or three times. Still
undecided, he finally hurls a bomb. Its detonation invariably proves
effective. The horses stampede and the secret is out. Even foot
soldiers must be severely trained and experienced to resist the natural
inclination to break cover when such a missile is hurled into their
midst.

Frequently a force, which has laboured under the impression that it is
safe from detection, has revealed its presence unwittingly and upon the
spur of the moment. If the men be steeled against the bomb attack, it
is almost impossible to resist the inclination to take a shot when the
airman, swooping down, ventures so temptingly near as to render him
an enticing target almost impossible to miss. As a rule, however, the
observer is on the alert for such a betrayal of a force's existence.
When the bomb fails to scatter the enemy, or the men are proof against
the temptation to fire a volley, a few rounds from the aeroplane's
machine gun often proves effective. If the copse indeed be empty no harm
is done, beyond the abortive expenditure of a few rounds of ammunition:
if it be occupied, the fruits of the manoeuvre are attractive. Cunning
is matched against cunning, and the struggle for supremacy in the art of
craftiness is keen.

The French Flying Corps have had recourse to an ingenious ruse for
accomplishing two ends--the one to draw concealed artillery fire, and
the other to pre-occupy the airmen. Two German aerial scouts observed a
French machine flying at a somewhat venturesome height over their masked
artillery. Divining the reason for the hostile intrepidity they
gave chase. Circling round the French machine they assailed it with
machine-gun fire. The enemy appeared to take no notice but continued his
gradual descent in a steady line.

Presently the German airmen, having drawn sufficiently near, observed
that the French aviator was inert. Had he been killed? Everything
pointed to such a conclusion, especially as they had raked the aeroplane
fore and aft with bullets. But still suspicious they continued their
circling movements, their attention so concentrated upon their quarry
that they had not observed another move. It was the crash of guns from
their ma