t boy. It's
a shame he ever got out of the aviation corps."

"He was good all right, wasn't he?" demanded Leon.

"Good?" exclaimed the man. "I should say he was good. Why I'll bet
that if he had stuck to the flying corps he'd have bagged a dozen Boche
machines by this time."

"He's reckless though," said Leon.

"Not reckless, but daring," insisted the soldier. "He doesn't know
fear."

"Here he comes now," observed Earl.

CHAPTER XIX

OVER THE TRENCHES

A few moments later Jacques was in the driver's seat and Leon and Earl
had taken their places on board. Every boy was dressed in a heavy coat
and an aviator's hood, with protection for the ears and face; warm
gloves were on their hands, for it promised to be biting cold in the
high air that day.

The top rim of the sun was just appearing over the edge of the trees as
Jacques pressed the button which set the self-starter whirring. The
engine roared and the pilot listened intently for any sound of defect
to come to his well-trained ear. An aviator must know by the sound
just what is wrong with his motor; there is no chance to search for the
cause of the trouble when you are a mile or two above ground.

Apparently Jacques was satisfied for he throttled the motor down until
it merely purred. "All ready?" he demanded.

"Got your dispatches, have you?" asked Leon.

"Yes," said Jacques, feeling of his breast pocket.

"I guess we're off then," cried Leon eagerly. "Let 'er go."

The monoplane began to move forward slowly. The little knot of men
gathered around called good-bys as the great mechanical bird ran out
across the field. Faster and faster it went; finally Jacques pulled a
lever and gracefully and easily it rose from the ground. Up, up, up it
soared, swiftly and steadily.

"Say," almost shouted Earl, "this is wonderful. I've never been in an
aeroplane before, you know."

"Well you keep your eye out for other machines and for people shooting
at us from below," advised Leon. "That's your job and mine."

"It's such a wonderful sensation flying like this," cried Earl. "Just
look down below us there. The roads look like white ribbons and the
trees like bouquets. Don't the houses seem small?"

Earl was enchanted. Leon and Jacques too, although they were
experienced hands at this game, once more felt the thrill of soaring
swiftly through space. Jacques particularly was pleased to be in the
driver's seat of an aeroplane again; his f