e flights
should be able to locate that gun."

"Maybe; but locate it or not, its purpose is to drive war workers out of
Paris, cripple the hub of supplies and make it more difficult for us to
coordinate the service of supplies through here when they make their
drive at Paris. It'll come within a month. Then we'll need every pilot
and every ship that can get its wheels off the ground. I'm tellin'
you--a month!"

"Think so?"

"I know so! America is going to have her big chance--and may the Lord
help us if she doesn't deliver! I don't know how many combat troops she
has landed, but I do know that her eyes, the air service, is in need of
ships. The French and English are willing to give them all the old, worn
out flying coffins that they can pick up out of junk heaps--old
two-seater Spads, old A.R.'s, 1-1/2 strutter Sopwiths, and crates like
that. If they can get new Spads, like those we saw 'em flying this
morning, or Nieuport 28's, or the Salmsons which their commander has
been trying to get, then all will be jake. Otherwise--" he shrugged his
shoulders expressively.

"Otherwise," McGee took advantage of the pause, "Otherwise they'll
deliver just the same, even if they have to fly Avros, Caudrons or table
tops. Buzz, these Americans over here have fight in their eyes. They've
got spirit."

"Yes, but spirit can't do much without equipment."

"Huh! Ever read any history?"

"What's on your mind now, little teacher? I read enough to pass my exams
in school."

"Then you've forgotten some things about American history, especially
about spirit and equipment. Where was the equipment at Valley Forge?
What about the troops under Washington that took the breastworks at
Yorktown without a single round of powder--just bayonets? What about the
war of 1812, when we had no army and the English thought we had no navy?
You don't remember those--"

"That's just what I do remember," Buzz interrupted, "and that's what I'm
howling about. We never have been prepared with anything except spirit.
Right now we have a lot of good pilots over here and the air service is
having to beg planes from the French and English. And here we are, sent
down to this front to act as instructors to a shipless squadron, at the
very time when the Germans are making ready for another big drive. It's
all wrong. Every minute is precious."

McGee had been looking out of the window of the swaying, lurching cab
that was now threading its way through hurrying