of those
Brighton boys, sir. What are you planning to do with them?"

"Make flyers of them some day."

"I have three of them in the hangars now. You have one at headquarters
named Corwin that knows a bit for a lad. Why not let me have him?"

"The four I have at the offices are really valuable, but I suppose if
they are to learn flying they had better be with you. Can you find
something to do for the lot?"

"I guess so. If they are all as good as the three I have already
I can do with them."

"Well, it's rather irregular, the whole business. But they began
with us when we came here, and they are just the sort of stuff, as
far as I can see, that we want in this game, so the sooner we push
'em along the better, I think."

Thus it was settled. The Brighton boys were one step further on their
way to membership of an air squadron at the front, far off as the
front seemed to them. With Fat Benson in the stores and the other
seven boys in the hangars, they felt themselves truly part and parcel
of the airdrome. This feeling of responsibility was aging them, too.
Already they looked years older, every one of them, than they had
looked on that day in the previous spring when they had decided to
study aeronautics in concert.

CHAPTER III

IN THE AIR

Bob Haines was the first of the Brighton boys to go up in an aeroplane.

It was due to no planning on his part. It was not to please him that
he was taken as a passenger. One of the pilots was trying a machine
new to him and came down complaining of its lack of stability on the
turns.

"Any little puff that catches her sudden makes her wiggle herself
in a way I have never seen another plane do. I suppose these chasers
have little habits of their own, but it would take my attention off
what I was doing, to have her monkeying around that way. What do you
think it is?"

The instructor addressed was unable to answer. "You have been up in
her. You know more than I do about her."

"Perhaps a passenger would help her," suggested another pilot.

"I don't see how." The flier shook his head. "Anyway, I would like
to see how she climbs with two up. From the little I tried her out,
I think she is the fastest climber I have been in anywhere. Come up
for a bit, John."

"Can't," said the pilot. "About ten minutes ago the major sent word
he wanted to see me at once. If I don't get a move on I will catch
it." He started off in a hurry.

"Come on, Fan