f a certain Father Korn
during a particularly drastic police raid, and the defaulting youth had
been straightway put under the penal military discipline administered to
such as he. Instead of making himself notorious by his execrable conduct
as those in his position generally did, he behaved like a little saint.
Having thus made a reputation to trade on, he was twice able to steal
the money from the regimental chest without a shadow of suspicion
falling on him, and, what was worse, two of his innocent comrades had
been accused of the crime, had been condemned and shot in his stead!
Owing to his good conduct Mimile had been transferred to a regiment
stationed in Algiers, and having a considerable amount of spare time on
his hands, he got into close touch with the aeroplane mechanics.

He was very much at home in this branch of work: could not Mimile
demolish a lock as easily as one rolls a cigarette? He was daring to a
degree, and, as soon as his time in the army was up, he began to earn
his living as an aviator, and rightly, for he had become an able airman.
Nevertheless, Mimile become Emilet, had aspired to greater things: a
humdrum honest livelihood was not to his taste!

He had come to the conclusion that provided he went warily nothing could
be easier than to carry on a lucrative smuggling trade by aeroplane: he
could fly from country to country under the pretext that he was out to
make records in flying. Custom-house officials and police inspectors in
the interior would never think of examining the tubes of a flying
machine, to see whether or no they were packed with lace; nor would it
occur to them to overhaul certain cells fore and aft to discover whether
things of value had been secreted in them, such as thousands of matches
or false coin.

So, from time to time, Mimile would announce that he was off on a trial
trip to Brussels from Paris, from London to Calais, and so on.

For mechanics Mimile had two brokendown sharpers, who served as
connecting links between the aviator and the band of smugglers and false
coiners who gathered at the lair of Mother Toulouche under the seal of
secrecy. This was why big Ernestine was so anxious when she heard of
Mimile's accident. Had the aeroplane been totally wrecked? Would the
very considerable prize of Malines lace they were expecting reach its
destination safe and sound?

For some time past ill-luck had pursued them, had seemed to pursue
implacably these unfortunates w