in a little shooting-fest myself, and I'll
act the part of the shootee. Keep your eyes peeled, and if anyone
comes this way put me wise by whistling."

"Don't try anything rash, now," was Dave's remark at this statement.
"If they catch you doing tricks to their machine it'll go hard."

"I'm going to take a long chance," Jimmie answered, with the peculiar
setting of his jaws that his comrades had learned so well to understand
meant a resolve that nothing could swerve. "Keep your eyes open."

"But, I say," was Dave's further objection, "it won't do any good to
drain his gasoline. There's likely a supply right here and he can
reload in a few minutes. Use all your caution, Jimmie!"

"All right, I'll use all my caution and something else," was the answer
as the lad moved slowly toward the aeroplane, as if to casually examine
the rigging out of a boy's natural curiosity.

For some moments Dave stood fairly torn by his emotions. He was
fearful that Jimmie would be discovered meddling with the mechanism and
that the consequences of such discovery would be dire.

Glancing alertly from side to side, the lad stood at his post in a
fever of excitement. He strove to keep his hands from trembling. His
knees seemed scarcely able to support the weight of his body.

Presently the group of officers about the Kaiser seemed to have
questioned the aviator to their complete satisfaction, for several
turned and walked down the track toward the coach waiting for the use
of the Kaiser. Others walked briskly away across the parade ground,
while the aviator himself and the Kaiser walked together along the
track toward the aeroplane that had brought the man to earth.

Dave was about to signal Jimmie that danger was near, when he saw that
the lad was coming back. So interested were the aviator and his
auditor in the conversation that was going on that they apparently did
not notice the boy leaving the vicinity of the machine.

Jimmie joined Dave with an air of extreme boredness.

"What did you do, Jimmie?" asked Dave breathlessly.

"I fixed his clock, all right!" was the answer. Jimmie pointed to one
of the electric lights swinging from a pole not far away.

"See that electric light?" he asked. "Well, that's the greatest
invention of man. Without it the whole world would lose lots of time."

"What has that to do with the aeroplane?" asked Dave wonderingly.

"Nothing. I just wanted to get your mind off the subject. You're