, to see Bessie and Nellie, and they went on a little
picnic together, which was as jolly as such an affair could be in the
midst of the terrible war. Nellie had received no word of her missing
brother, and Jack and Tom had no encouragement for her.

Then came more hard work at camp, and another battle of the air in
which the American forces more than equaled matters, for they fairly
demolished a German plane squadron, sending ten of the machines crashing
to earth and the others back over the Hun lines, more or less damaged.
That was a great day. And, as a sort of reward for their work, Tom and
Jack were given three days' leave. At first they thought to spend them
in Paris, but, learning that neither Bessie nor her mother nor Nellie
could leave their Red Cross work to join them, the two lads made other
arrangements.

"Let's go back and see the fellows in the Lafayette Escadrille,"
suggested Tom.

"All right," agreed Jack.

And thither they went.

That they were welcomed need not be said. It was comparatively quiet on
this sector just then, though there had, a few days before, been a great
battle with victory perching on the Allied banners. The air conflicts,
too, had been desperate, and many a brave man of the French, English
or American fliers had met his death. But toll had been taken of the
Boches--ample toll, too.

The first inquiry Tom and Jack had made on their arrival at their former
aerodrome had been for news of Harry Leroy, but none had been received.

It was when Tom and Jack were about to conclude their visit to their
former comrades of the air that an incident occurred which made a great
change in their lives. One sunny afternoon there suddenly appeared, a
mere speck in the blue, a single aeroplane.

"Some one of your men must have gone a long way over Heinie's lines,"
remarked Jack to one of the French officers.

"He is not one of our men. Either they were all back long ago or they
will not come back until after the war--if ever. That is a Hun machine."

"What is he doing--challenging to single combat?" asked Tom, as the lone
plane came on steadily.

"No," answered the officer, after a look through his glasses. "I think
he brings some messages. We sent some to the Germans yesterday, and I
think this is a return courtesy. We will wait and see."

Nearer and nearer came the German plane. Soon it was circling around the
French camp. Hundreds came out to watch, for now the object of the lone
avia