quency of
raids, and the destruction caused by bombs, began to make the existence
of both native and visiting Nancyites decidedly unpleasant. The Storks
Escadrille, which arrived in February, very promptly punished these
aerial brigands, by a police policy both rapid and severe. The enemy
airplanes which flew over Nancy were vigorously chased, and less than a
month later the framework of a good dozen of them, arranged in an
orderly manner around the statue of Stanislas Leczinski, reassured the
population and served as an interesting spectacle for the visitor who
could no longer have the pleasure of admiring, behind Lamour's gates,
the two monumental fountains consecrated to Neptune and Amphitrite, by
Guibal, and which were then covered by coarse sacks of earth.

Guynemer had contributed his share of these _spolia opima_. On March 16
he alone had forced down three Boches, and a fourth on the 17th. Three
victories in one day constituted a novel exploit. Navarre had achieved a
double victory on February 26, 1916, at Verdun, and Guynemer had the
same success on the Somme; in this campaign Nungesser had burned a
drachen and two airplanes in one morning; but three airplanes destroyed
in one day had never been seen before.

On that same evening Guynemer wrote to his family, and I transcribe the
letter just as it is, with neither heading nor final formula. The King
of Spain, in _Ruy Blas_, talks of the weather before he tells of the six
wolves he has killed; but the new Cid fought in all weathers and speaks
of nothing but his chase:

9 o'clock.--Rose from the ground on hearing shell explosions.
Forced down in flames a two-seated Albatros at 9.08.

9.20.--Attacked with Deuillin a group of three one-seated Albatros,
famous on the Lorraine front. At 9.26 I brought one down almost
intact: pilot wounded, Lieutenant von Hausen, nephew of the
general. And Deullin brought down another in flames at the same
time. About 9 o'clock Dorme and Auger had attacked and grilled a
two-seated plane. These four Boches were in a quadrilateral, the
sides of which measured five kilometers, four and a half
kilometers, three kilometers and three kilometers. Those who were
in the middle need not have bothered themselves, but they were
completely distracted.

14.30.--Forced down a two-seated Albatros in flames.

Three Boches within our lines for my day's work.... Ouf! G.G.

Guyn