, of the British Royal Flying Corps, who has been
assigned to us as flying instructor."

Lieutenant McGee felt that the room was surcharged with hostility, and
he found himself in the position of one who is ashamed of the acts of
another. Major Cowan, altogether too brusque, failed utterly to impress
McGee, whose service in the Royal Flying Corps had been with a class of
men who thought more of deeds than of rank and who could enjoy a
care-free camaraderie without becoming careless of discipline.
Discipline, after all, is never deeper than love and respect, and McGee
felt somehow that Cowan was not a man to command either. McGee felt his
face coloring, and tried to dispel it with a smile.

"I am glad to meet you, gentlemen," he said, "and I want to correct the
Major's statement. I am not here as a flying instructor, in the strict
sense of the word, but to give you, first hand, some of our experiences
in formation flying, combat, and patrol work. I dare say you are all
well trained. In fact, I have heard some rather flattering reports
concerning you."

Yancey cast a sidelong glance at his neighbor; Siddons nudged Hank
Porter. Porter pressed his foot against Fouche's boot. Not a bad fellow,
this. Something like, eh?

Major Cowan was not one who could permit others to roll the sweets of
flattery under their tongues. He must qualify it with a touch of
vinegar.

"Lieutenant McGee is modest concerning his duties," he said. "In fact,
you will find all English officers becomingly modest."

"But I am not English!" McGee corrected. "I am an American--born in
America, and that's why I have been so happy about this assignment."

Several members of the squadron began edging nearer. Perhaps things were
not going to be so dreadful after all.

"Indeed?" Major Cowan lifted his eyebrows in surprise. The points of his
nicely trimmed moustache twitched nervously as he began to wonder just
how he should treat an American who happened to be wearing the uniform
and insignia of a lieutenant in the R.F.C.

"My parents were English," McGee decided to explain, "but I was born in
the States. When the war broke out, my brother, who was older by a few
years, came over and joined the balloon corps. I was too young to
enlist, but my parents were both dead and I came along with my brother,
remaining in London until--" he hesitated and cleared his voice of a
sudden huskiness, "until word came that my brother had been killed. His
balloon was s