exactly. The flying lead was now whistling all about the two air service
boys but they did not know how close they sailed to death.

Then Tom swung smartly to the right. He dared not keep on longer in his
course lest he collide with the German craft. Just about the same
instant he realized that the Fokker was diving. There was something
queer about that manoeuvre. Tom had never known a French or an American
nor yet a British airman to adopt such a clumsy way of plunging so as to
avoid punishment.

Circling around he started back on a little lower level, looking for the
enemy. In making his latest volplane Tom had listened intently, hoping
to ascertain whether the motor of the enemy craft still throbbed
somewhere close by; but he heard not a sound to tell the story.

Just then, suspicious of the truth, he glanced down, and was just in
time to see a little flash of flame arise from the distant surface of
the earth. Then the awful truth broke upon both boys. They realized that
the German pilot had lost control of his machine, which had turned over
and over in its drop, finally crashing to the ground, and being
instantly enveloped in flames!

CHAPTER XVI

LANDING CLOSE TO METZ

Tom had his hands full in trying to get back to his course again.
Naturally, in the excitement attending the duel in midair he could not
pay attention to where he was going. It was easy enough to shape his
line of flight by the aid of the stars and his compass, but he had also
to catch certain landmarks below, that would serve to guide him.

Fortune favored him in that he quickly sighted the lights of a town; and
this gave him the bearings he sought. His mind freed from further
anxiety concerning this matter, he pushed on once more.

When presently he became aware of the presence of more lights Jack gave
Tom the signal agreed on between them to mark such a circumstance. Then
the pilot again commenced to drop to lower levels by a series of easy
volplanes.

Like a huge bird the airplane swept along, now close to earth. Had one
of the peasants who lived in that region chanced to be aroused by the
rattle of the propeller and thrust his head out of his cottage door, he
must have gazed in awe to see the vast shadowy form come between him and
the starry heavens, with the light of the moon silvering its extended
wings.

One trip failed to show them just what they wanted, and so Tom, knowing
that the field must be somewhere in that immed