llets, it was up to Tom to return the fire of the Huns from his swivel
mounted Lewis gun. He was going to have difficulty in doing this and
also guiding the craft, but he had had harder problems than this to meet
since becoming an aviator in the great war, and now he quickly conquered
his worrying over Jack, and began to look to himself.

He gave one more fleeting glance at the crumpled-up figure of his
chum, seeking for a sign of life, but he saw none. Then he swung about,
turning in toward the nearest Hun airman, and not away from him, and
opened up with the machine gun, using both hands on that for a moment,
while he steered with his knees.

It was not easy work, and Tom hardly expected to make a direct hit,
but he must have come uncomfortably close to the Boche, for the latter
swerved off, and for an instant his plane seemed beyond control. Whether
this was due to a wound received by the aviator, or to a trick on his
part was not disclosed to Tom. But the machine darted downward and
seemed to be content to veer off for a while.

The third plane Tom soon saw was not going to trouble him, as it had not
speed equal to his own, so that he really had left only one antagonist
with whom to deal. And this plane, containing two men, with whom he had
not yet come to close quarters, was racing toward him at great speed.

"I guess there's only one thing to do," mused Tom, "and that's to run
for it. I won't stand any show at all with two of them shooting at me,
while I have to manage the machine and the gun too. If I can beat 'em to
our lines I'd better do it and run the chance of some of our boys coming
out to take care of 'em. I'd better get Jack to a doctor as soon as I
can."

And abandoning the gun to give all his attention to the motor, Tom
opened it full and sped on his way. The other machine's occupants saw
his plan and tried to stop it with a burst of bullets, but the range was
a little too far for effective work.

"Now for a race!" thought Tom, and that is what it turned out to be.
Seeing that he was going to try to get away, the Hun plane, which was
almost as speedy as the one Tom and Jack had started out in, took after
them. The other German craft was left far in the rear, and the one Tom
had shot at appeared to be in such difficulties that it was practically
out of the fight.

Thus the odds, once so greatly against our heroes, were now greatly
reduced, though not yet equal, since Jack was completely out of the