hat his friend blushed under
his coat of tan. "Go on," Jack said, a moment later, "tell me about your
father. Is the French government going to give him a big order for his
stabilizer, now that we got that paper away from that sneak of a
Tuessig?"

"Well, I guess dad's trip here has something to do with his aeroplane
device, but he hints in his letter about something else. He said he
didn't want to write too much for fear a spy might get hold of the
information. But you know my father is an expert on ordnance matters and
big guns, as well as in other lines of fighting."

"That's so, Tom. He certainly is a wonder when it comes to inventing
things. But what do you suppose his new mission is?"

"I can't quite guess. But it is for the service of the Allies."

"And you say he's on his way to Paris now?"

"He ought to be there by this time," Tom answered. "I'm going to see if
I can't get permission to send a message through, and have an answer
from dad. Maybe he might get out here to see us."

"Or we could go in and meet him."

"Not for a week. You know we just came back from leave, and we won't be
over our tour of duty for seven days more. But I can't wait that long
without some word. I'm going to see what I can find out."

Tom and Jack, like all the other American fliers, were in high favor
with the French officers. In fact every aviator of the Allied nations,
no matter how humble his rank, is treated by his superiors almost as an
equal. There is not that line of demarcation noticed in other branches
of the service. To be an aviator places one, especially in England and
France, in a special class. All regard him as a hero who is taking
terrible risks for the safety of the other fighters.

So Tom readily received permission to send a message to the hotel in
Paris mentioned by his father as the place where Mr. Raymond would stay.
And then Tom had nothing to do but wait for an answer.

Nothing to do? No, there was plenty. Both Tom and Jack had to hold
themselves in readiness for instant service. They might be sent out on a
bombing expedition at night in the big heavy machines, slow of flight
but comparatively safe from attack by other aircraft.

They might have the coveted honor of being selected to go out in the
swift, single Nieuports to engage in combat with some Hun flier. To
become an "ace"--that is a birdman who, flying alone, has disposed of
five enemies--is the highest desire of an aviator.

Tom and Jack,