rowls. Tex wasn't being at all funny. Indeed, if this ridiculous
story were true, then it was the last straw on the camel's back. Had
they not already suffered enough?

The squadron had been in France for two weeks, an interminable time to
the restless group of young airmen who, booted and belted and ready for
the fray, now found themselves suddenly faced with the prospect of still
more training and when as yet they had not the haziest notion of the
type of ship that was to be given them for mounts. One rumor had it that
they were to get American ships powered by a much-talked-of mystery
motor. Very well, but where were those ships? Another rumor, equally
persistent, was to the effect that they were to draw French Spads. Very
well again, but where were the Spads? Still other rumors included
Camels, Sopwiths, Nieuports and Pups. One rumor, uglier and more
maddening than all the others, was to the effect that the entire
squadron was to be used in observation work. Fancy that! A pursuit pilot
being given a slow-moving observation crate with a one-winged,
half-baked observer giving orders from the rear cockpit! It was enough
to make a man wish he had joined the Marines. What was the good of all
their combat training if they were to poke around over the front in
busses that were meat for any enemy plane that chanced to sight them? It
was enough to make a sane squadron go crazy, and the --th Pursuit
Squadron was known throughout the service as the wildest bunch of thrill
chasers ever collected and turned over to a distressed and despairing
squadron commander.

Some swivel-chair expert must have been dozing when the order went
through sending them to France. In wash-out records they were the grand
champions. They had left behind them a long train of cracked props,
broken wings, stripped landing gears--and a few wrecks so complete that
the drivers thereof had been sent home in six foot boxes draped with
flags. But whatever may be said against them, one thing was certain in
their minds and in the minds of all who knew them: They could fly! To
them, any old crate that could be influenced to leave the ground was a
ship, and they were willing to take it up at any time, at any place, and
regardless of air conditions. Perhaps their record had been less black
had they been given better ships.

A student, seeking a perfect cross-section of American youth, would have
found this squadron an interesting specimen. War drums, beating
thr