interfered with in his designs; but it would please him first of all to
riddle this ambitious young airman, and his Nieuport, and then to
accomplish his main purpose.

Now the two were so close that Tom could plainly see the black Maltese
crosses on the wings of the Teuton plane as it tilted in climbing.
Already had the other opened fire on him, for as his motor was silent
during his first long dive Tom could catch the tut-tut-tut of the
rapidly exploding mitrailleuse.

Somehow this did not unnerve him in the least, as he had feared it
might. Even when he realized that the missiles were cutting holes
through the wings a few feet away he did not grow uneasy. The spirit of
battle had gripped Tom. He was now attaining what had seemed to be the
height of his ambition. He was trying out his mettle against one of the
enemy pilots, a man with considerable more experience than himself, and
therefore well fitted to spur him on to do his level best.

He could see the pilot crouched in his place, and working his gun with
one hand while he managed some controls of his fleeting machine with the
other, for there was only one man aboard, though German machines usually
hold two. Long practice had made him an adept at this sort of thing, it
seemed.

But then Tom had been taught the same clever trick down at the French
school of aviation at Pau, and over on the lake at Casso. He was now
about to show whether he had learned his lesson to advantage. It was
French ways pitted against those of the German school.

Tom tried to aim directly at the foeman as he rushed toward him. Then he
pressed the release hard, and instantly the rapid-fire gun commenced its
staccato barking, as it spit out the bullets.

Crack! crack! crack! crack!

Thus the two rivals, rushing at each other like opposing birds of
enormous size, passed and dived, as though ducking to avoid the hot
fire. Tom looked back, hoping to discover the enemy winged and dropping
out of the fight. Nothing of the kind occurred; but on the contrary his
antagonist was sailing on, apparently untouched, at least in any vital
point.

That meant it must all be tried over again. The second round in the air
duel was about to open. It was impossible to predict what the outcome
might be, but at any rate Tom felt renewed courage and confidence.

If he had passed through one siege unscathed he believed he could show
considerable improvement the next time. Already had he learned how he
might