The lad knew from that
that the airplane, so far above them, was dropping bombs to destroy
the gun and its squad. The only effect of the bombing, however, was to
knock down several men, Mattia among the number, by the shock of an
exploding bomb.

"'They're coming down!' yelled the lad as the airplane grew larger.

"'It's a hit!' cried the lieutenant in command.

"Mattia saw the airplane turning over and over, falling, soaring like
a leaf from a tree in the fall.

"'Di--did we hi--hit him?' questioned the lad.

"'Of course we hit him,' answered a soldier. 'Don't you see him
coming?'

"For the first time the little French lad realized what war was. He
knew there was one man, and perhaps two, in that falling machine, and
that he was watching them falling to what would probably be death.

"'It is for France,' he said to himself. 'If they are Boches they must
die.' However, Mattia did not get the picture of that scene out of his
mind for a long time. Later on he became used to it and did not even
marvel.

"One day the gun squad was sent to another point a long distance away
and the lad returned to the rest camp. He now felt himself to be a
well-seasoned soldier and talked of high-angle guns as volubly as
could an experienced gunner. Still, he had not yet reached the
realization of his ambitions. He tried often to steal away to the
trenches, but in each instance was stopped and turned back.

"While in billets he fell in with a machine-gun company and became
much interested in what they told him of the perilous work of that
branch of the service. He concluded that this work would suit him
better than the anti-aircraft service. While the latter squads
ordinarily were located behind the lines, the machine gunners were up
where there was trouble all the time. To join a machine-gun company
was not so easy.

"Mattia's chance came one night. A company of machine gunners was
ordered to a remote point on the line, a journey of some fifteen
miles, where they were to establish a new emplacement, temporarily, to
clean out a nest of Prussians. The lad listened to what the men had to
say about their proposed journey and the work they expected to have to
do with the keenest interest.

"'I too shall go,' he decided, but he told no one of his intention.
Instead, he waited until the men were well started, then followed
them. There was no difficulty about this, as they did not have to pass
any sentries on the way.

"Shells freq