f bursting shrapnel rose before the
dragon-fly. He turned and nose-dived with Tam behind him, but now his
nose was for home, and Tam, after a five-mile pursuit, came round and
made for home also. Near his own lines he came up with the circling
"Frenchman" and received his thanks--four fingers extended in the
air--before the signaler, taking a route within the lines, streaked for
home.

"Phew!" said Tam, shaking his head.

"Who were you chasing?" asked Blackie. "He can go!"

"Yon's MacMuller," said Tam, jerking his thumb at the eastern sky. "He's
a verra likeable feller--but a wee bit too canny an' a big bit too fast.
Captain Blackie, sir-r, can ye no get me a machine that can flee? Ma wee
machine is no' unlike a hairse, but A'm wishfu' o' providin' the
coorpse."

"You've got the fastest machine in France, Tam," said the captain.

Tam nodded.

"It's verra likely--she wis no' runnin' so sweet," he confessed. "But,
mon! That Muller! He's a braw Hoon an' A'm encouraged by the fine things
that the baron said aboot ma poetry. Ech! A've got a graund vairse in ma
heid for Mr. Muller's buryin'! Hae ye a seegair aboot ye, Captain
Blackie? A' gave ma case to the Duke of Argyle an' he has no' retairned
it."

CHAPTER III

THE COMING OF MUELLER

There arrived one day at the aerodrome a large packing-case addressed
"Sergeant Tam." There was no surname, though there was no excuse for the
timidity which stopped short at "Tam." The consignor might, at least,
have ventured to add a tentative and inquiring "Mac?"

Tam took the case into his little "bunk" and opened it. The stripping of
the rough outer packing revealed a suave, unpolished cedar cabinet with
two doors and a key that dangled from one of the knobs. Tam opened the
case after some consideration and disclosed shelf upon shelf tightly
packed with bundles of rich, brown, fragrant cigars.

There was a card inscribed:

"Your friend in the Merman pusher."

"Who," demanded Tam, "is ma low acqueentance, who dispoorts himsel' in
an oot-o'-date machine?"

Young Carter, who had come in to inspect the unpacking, offered a
suggestion.

"Probably the French machine that is always coming over here to see
you," he said, "Mr. Thiggamy-tight, the American."

"Ah, to be sure!" said Tam relieved. "A' thocht maybe the Kaiser had
sent me droogged seegairs--A'm an awfu' thorn in the puir laddie's side.
Ye may laugh, Mister Carter, but A' reca' a case wheer a bonnie