e's a Lulu upstairs."

He swung into the cockpit and the Sergeant stood at the prop.

"Switch off?"

"Switch off!"

The sergeant pulled over the propeller two times.

"Contact, sir."

"Contact."

The motor caught, and after it had idled a few minutes McGee began
revving it up.

Just then he noticed Siddons come from around the corner of the hangar,
carrying what appeared to be a canvas covered pillow. Seeing McGee's
plane on the line he stopped in surprise, then proceeded to his plane,
where he fitted the pillow into the seat, patting it in place as a woman
pats a divan pillow. Then he came across to the side of McGee's plane.

"Did you get orders, too?" he shouted.

McGee cut the gun. "No," he answered truthfully. Satisfied that this
would not end the questioning, he added, "The Ack Emma has made some
repairs. I'm going to give her a test."

"Oh, I see. Thought maybe I was going to have the pleasure of your
company--and your help. Nice morning for my little jaunt, isn't it?"

"Bully!" McGee looked at him closely to discover any hint of fear. It
simply wasn't there, and Red was forced to the mental admission that he
had never seen such a cool, confident manner displayed by any pilot
going over for the first time. "Good luck!" he called, and again began
revving his motor.

Siddons turned back to his own plane, and with the most casual
inspection, and with no comment to the mechanic, crawled into his
cushion padded seat.

McGee, satisfied with the sound of his own motor, nodded to the wing
boys to remove the chocks, and taxied to a quick take-off. At two or
three hundred feet he turned, came back across the 'drome and headed in
the general direction of Paris, climbing steadily and maintaining the
direction until to the watching ground crew he became lost to view.

Then McGee swung north and began working back eastward. He passed to the
west of La Ferte, and having gained an altitude of fifteen thousand
feet, headed directly for the front, intending to cross the line to the
north of Belleau and proceed toward Fere-en-Tardenois. Then, if fortune
favored him, he could decide upon a deeper thrust into enemy territory.

The cloud strata was exceptionally deep and yet ragged enough to provide
frequent glimpses at the world below. The one great danger lay in the
fact that he might any minute come unexpectedly upon a German pursuit
group. It was probable, however, that on such a morning they would be
operatin