Jacques.

"Why shouldn't he?" demanded Earl. "It's two to one."

"His only hope is to disable the first machine before the other comes
up," said Jacques. "Otherwise he'll have to run for it."

"How high do you suppose they are now?" asked Earl.

"Five thousand feet," said Leon. "Is that about right, Jacques?"

"I should think so; just about," replied the young Frenchman.

Almost every soldier in the great camp was standing, gazing skyward at
the combat going on among the clouds over their heads. These duels in
the air were not infrequent but they never lost their power to thrill.
To see two huge mechanical birds each maneuvering for a chance to
strike a death blow to its rival was a sight to stir the blood of any
man, no matter how often he had seen its duplicate before.

"What did I tell you?" demanded Jacques suddenly.

The _fokker_ turned at the approach of its second enemy and in full
retreat made for the German lines. The two French machines did not
attempt a pursuit, but after one or two triumphant circles were headed
for home. A few moments later they passed directly over the spot where
the three young soldiers were seated, on their way to their respective
hangars.

"Why didn't they chase that fellow?" exclaimed Leon. "They were two to
one and it seems to me they had a great chance to bring him down."

"You must remember this," Jacques reminded him. "He had a good start
on them and, if anything, had a faster machine than theirs. Then that
scout of ours may have very important news for headquarters as a result
of his observations. He probably wants to report as soon as he can."

"That's true," said Leon. "I had almost forgotten this attack
to-morrow I got so excited watching the aeroplanes."

"You started to tell what Captain Le Blanc said," Earl reminded his
brother. "Go ahead and finish what you heard."

"Well," said Leon, "he said that everything was ready. He even knew
the number of German batteries that will be opposed to us; he also knew
just what regiments hold the line opposite. He said that along the
whole length of our front line steps had been cut in the trenches so
that we can climb out easily. The barbed-wire entanglements have had
little lanes cut through them every few feet so we can get through
without any trouble."

"Whew," whistled Earl. "It looks as if we meant business all right."

"We surely do," agreed Leon. "We're to carry along bridging to form
pathways acr