t's all
about before I cast my vote. Little time we've got these busy days to go
chasing around the country hunting for lost children, sorry as I feel
for the little thing."

"Just wait, and don't take snap judgment, that's all, Tom. Guess I know
about how it'll strike you. Give me five minutes more to clean up here,
and I'll tell you everything."

So Tom continued to amuse himself by talking with the wonderfully bright
little French child, who proved more and more interesting on further
acquaintance. Undoubtedly one of her parents had been English, a fact
which would account for her speaking the language so correctly. From her
name of Anstey he concluded this must have been her father, while the
mother was very likely French, hence Jeanne and that other name, Helene.

"Now I'm ready to explain things, Tom," announced Jack, who wore the
marks to tell that he, too, along with Tom, had reached the rank of
sergeant in the Flying Corps.

"Glad to hear you say so, because you've managed to get me as curious
as any old woman," grumbled Tom. "First of all, tell me how you fared
back there over the battlelines. You didn't seem at all surprised to
find me here; yet I reckon you knew I took a tumble?"

"Oh, I met Lefty Marr on the way here, and he told me you'd come back in
good shape. But poor Hennessy was badly mauled, they say. How about him?
As good an observer as there is in the whole sector!"

"Pretty badly knocked out, and his flying days are about finished, I'm
afraid," Tom admitted. "He'll be months in the sick ward; and by the
time he gets to going we Yankees will have sewed up the game. Go to it
now, Jack."

"Oh, I managed to get in a circus after I saw you go down, Tom," the
other replied. "I was feeling pretty punk and ugly because I didn't know
whether I'd ever see you again, for it looked as if you'd either been
killed or fallen into the hands of the Boches--and that was almost as
bad a job.

"Well, we had a glorious little run for our money, and I sent down one
Hun, and crippled another chap's machine so that he had to turn tail and
scoot for home. Then came three other big Gothas that set me to spinning
on my head. But after they'd chased me for miles, a leak in my tank let
out every drop of petrol; and so the only thing to do was to drop down
and make a landing.

"Luck favored us and we dropped on to a field. The Huns hung around a
bit as if they wanted to make sure of us; but Morgan and I managed to