lane flashed across his ring sights as the
Lewis gun poured forth its first burst. Square into the oncoming plane
the tracers poured. Larkin, seeing that he was on, held his nose up
until he knew he was about to stall.

The green plane dipped, dived under him, and Larkin noticed another
plane flash past him, bent on other game. Then splinters flew from one
of his struts and a bullet smacked against the instrument board.

He had lost flying speed on his zoom to get at the green plane. To
regain speed, and give life to his laboring motor, he dived sharply.

At the beginning of this dive a glance told him that the green plane had
suffered an injury vital enough to cause it to lose all interest in any
return to the attack.

During the first flashing seconds of the attack Larkin's mind had been
occupied only with the thought of hurling himself at the oncoming planes
in the forlorn hope of diverting their course of action for a few brief
but precious minutes. Suddenly, now, the fleeing green and gold plane
awakened memory. Green and gold! Could that be the plane of the renowned
von Herzmann, who from the beginning of his fame had advertised himself
as the man who always flew a brightly painted green and gold plane?

Another Fokker dived at Larkin, his Spandaus rattling. His aim was wild
and he overshot Larkin's steep dive. But in that dive, which brought him
all too close, Larkin caught sight of the insignia on the plane--a
German eagle perched on a lettered scroll. It was von Herzmann's Circus!

Larkin's heart leaped. He kicked his left rudder savagely and wheeled
left, thundering after the green and gold plane that was streaking
homeward. Get that plane, get that plane! ran through his mind. All else
faded. The presence of other planes, and his original plan, all were
lost sight of in the pulse-quickening realization that he had crippled
the plane of the famous ace in that first burst. Now to get him and
bring him down! Von Herzmann was not one to cut and run unless there was
an urgent reason for it. He was trying to tool a crippled plane back
across the lines. Larkin, determined to make the most of this golden
opportunity, forthwith lost sight of all else.

Ta-ka-ta-ka-ta-ka-ta-ka! Crash! Splinters flew from Larkin's cowling and
two gashes suddenly appeared in the fabric of his left wing. So! The
crippled eagle had loyal kingbirds for protectors, and they had plunged,
pecking, at the Camel pursuing their leader.

L