ould
soon conclude that their usefulness was past in this neighborhood, and
run for home like a herd of wild horses in full flight.

Both boys earnestly hoped the fight would carry on until they had been
given a chance to get in a few shots, even if prevented from bagging any
game.

"Those Huns must be taught that it isn't going to be a safe thing for
them to come knocking at our door under the belief that no one is at
home, and pickings will be easy," muttered Jack.

Away they sped, mounting from the ground as soon as free. Yet Tom knew
better than to take too many chances. Night flying was always bound to
carry more risk than when the daylight held good; so it would be the
utmost folly to increase the peril in any unnecessary way.

It was a time when a pilot had full need of every faculty. To the right
of them came flashes of flame accompanied by the spiteful crackle of
gunfire. Rival marksmen were trying to riddle one another, sometimes
flying perilously close in their eagerness.

Great shapes were coursing this way and that like giant bats. Now came a
dazzling flash from far down below. The Huns had not as yet entirely
exhausted their supply of bombs, and were endeavoring to make every shot
count before turning homeward.

Tom fancied he could locate the Hun machine from which that bomb had
been shot downward like a projectile from a catapult, passing through a
tube with a forward slant in the bottom of the big bombing plane.

"Over to your right, Tom!" shrieked Jack just then, showing that he,
too, had guessed the same thing, for already was the pilot in the act of
swinging around in that direction.

The Boche must have sensed their coming, for he started to flee; but
they were on his trail almost immediately, going like the wind. Tom
opened on him, as he had charge of the bow gun. He worked the mechanism
with all his old-time skill, not showing signs of any undue haste or
excitement. When in the course of the chase he found that he was getting
a bit too close, for the bullets were cutting the air all around them,
he changed his direction.

Nor was Jack at all slow to seize upon the splendid opening which this
fresh maneuver afforded him. He took up the refrain just where Tom left
off; and, if anything, showed more vim in his bombardment, for he did
not have the manipulation of the plane to interfere with his work with
the gun.

The Hun dived and squirmed, in the hopes of throwing off such a
persistent