icard.

Then they passed on, and others, landing, also went to make their
reports.

Some of them had reached their objectives, and had dropped the bombs on
the German positions in spite of the withering fire poured upward at
them. Others had failed. There is always a certain percentage of
failures in a night bombing raid. And some were unable to say with
certainty what damage they had caused.

The last slowly flying machine came to a landing finally, and there was
a rush on the part of the other aviators to see what had happened. When
Tom and Jack saw a limp form being lifted out, and heard murmurs of
admiration for the pilot who had brought his machine back with a
crippled engine, they realized what had happened.

The two brave men had fulfilled their mission; they had released their
bombs over an important German factory, and had the terrible
satisfaction of seeing it go up in flames. But on their return they had
been caught in a cross fire, and the observer, who was making his first
trip of this kind, had been instantly killed.

The engine had been damaged, and the pilot slightly wounded, but he had
stuck to his controls and had brought the machine back.

There was a little cheer for him, and a silent prayer for his brave
companion, and then the night men, having made their reports, and having
divested themselves of their fur garments, went to rest.

"Well, what's on the programme for to-day, Tom?" asked Jack, as they
turned back toward the hangars where they had their headquarters with
others of their companions in the Lafayette Escadrille and with some of
the French birdmen.

"I don't know what they have on for us. We'll have to wait until the
orders come in. I was wondering if we would have time to go and see if
there's any mail for us."

"I think so. Let's go ask the captain."

They had, of course, reported officially when they came on duty, and now
they went again to their commanding officer, to ask if they might go a
short distance to the rear, where an improvised post-office had been set
up for the flying men.

"Certainly, messieurs," replied the French captain, when Tom proffered
the request for himself and his chum. "Go, by all means." He spoke in
French, a good mastery of which had been acquired by our heroes since
their advent into the great war. "Your orders have not yet arrived, but
hold yourselves in readiness. Fritz is doubtless smarting under the dose
we gave him last night, and he may r