peditious manner
known to bombing pilots, and leave the rest to history to record.

The raiders were now of course well back of the German front, though
still flying over French soil. Presently they would come upon that part
of the country where the enemy had chosen to place his supreme
headquarters while trying with might and main to hold the aggressive
Americans in check.

Only the leader would know when this was reached, though, through
signals, his orders could be passed back along the line.

It was now no longer dark down below, thanks to the heavenly bodies that
had appeared once more from behind the cloud curtain, as though in
league with the raiders.

The squadron descended to lower levels, in order to be better prepared
for dropping their bombs when the time arrived.

Jack, having nothing to do with the piloting of the machine, kept a
vigilant watch ahead. He wondered how the leader would know when they
had arrived close to the castle, since the inmates would of course see
to it that every light was extinguished that could be of use to an enemy
airman.

Then came the signal telling that they had arrived, and downward further
swooped the bombing machines, the raiders intent on sighting their
intended quarry so as to blot it out of existence.

CHAPTER XVI

BLOTTING OUT HUN HEADQUARTERS

BELOW them, as they thus swooped downward, the air service boys could
see the earth lying in semi-darkness. It was even possible to make out
the darker shadows which indicated patches of trees, and a white road
stood out like a straight line drawn across a shaded map.

Looking closer, Jack quickly discovered the castle.

It stood among some trees, and was unquestionably well fitted to serve
the German High Commander as headquarters until such time as the
Americans drawing near forced him to move back to Sedan, and then cross
over into Belgium near its junction with Luxembourg.

The bombers now altered their formation. Instead of moving forward in a
compact mass they formed two parallel lines but a short distance apart,
five machines to each column.

Jack looked across to the companion plane and distinguished both pilot
and observer crouching at their posts, eager to get into action. It
seemed as though he could easily toss a coin over and make it land in
the other machine, so close did they range along, with buzzing motors
cut down to slower speed so as not to interfere too much with the
dropping of the bo