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tation in my heart I set out to make
a prisoner of the redoubtable Boches.
u Three days passed before I saw him
again. Then one fine morning I per
ceived him, when I was aloft He
was coming straight as an arrow to
ward me, and there was no mistaking
that unswerving flight I dashed to
ward him.
During our months of enmity we
had established a sort of code. Thus,
when he sighted me, the German
would rise vertically, dip, and rise
again. For my part I would describe
the arc of a circle. It was much the
flourish that duelists make before
they thrust So, seeing the signal, I
turned and began to make my swift
glide from south through west to
north,- calculating that this would
bring me face to face with him.
How quickly I was undeceived. The
German bad risen above me and from
that height let fall a bomb. I heard
it hissing past my wings and saw the
little cloud of white smoke rise under
neath where it struck. Enraged by
this breach of convention I covered
him with my automatic and fired.
Naturally, I did not hit him. That
one hardly expects to do. However,
it struck me as strange, even then,
that he did not make his customary
reply. What seemed more singular
was that the German, instead of en
deavoring to rise above me, wheeled
as if to retreat, then, returning, came
at me as if he meant to collide with
me.
An instant later bang,iang, bang,
bang! He had opened on me with a
quick-firer. It was, in fact, a Maxim
which he had mounted on his ma
chine. My blood boiled at this unfair, dia
bolical contrivance. He had given me
no warning. Glancing down, I saw a
drop of blood splash from my sleeve.
The arm of the coat was rent The
wings of my monoplane were riddled
-with bullets." My escape had been a
miraculous one. .
" The Impetus of his attack had car
ried hlmpast me. I mounted at once.
He mounted also. Ihad slightly the
advantage" of speed. I flew .immedi
ately above him and dropped' a bomb.
He eluded it almost by a miracle. An'
instant later we were, flying side by
side, I firing my automatic 'and he
endeavoring to escape me, ", ', jj
It was his purpose to pour another!
broadside from the Maxim, mountedj
to point forward on the chassis. -Jq
saw that, and I realized that his,'
greater speed would enable him toi
have me at a disadvantage. I roseV
We both rose, and now it was clear
that my only chance 'of overcoming
him was to get above him. The mon-
oplane would climb faster. Would itf
climb higher? That had never been
tested. f
I rose until.the earth curved under-,
neath like the round of a ball. As I
ascended the Taube seemed to drop
away from me. Soon it was like a
little speck far below. I began to
circle, waiting the chance to drop a
bomb. I meant to make sure of my
aim this time. My purpose was for
gotten. My antagonist had ceased to
have personality for me; he was sim
ply an enemy aviator whom it was
my duty to kill. I watched him
through my binoculars as he grewi
larger. He was almost immediately
beneath me. I would let the bomb,
fall when there was no longer danger
of missing him.
Suddenly, to my dismay, the deadly
rattle of the 'machine gun'ibegan
again. I had not suspected that it
was capable of being fired vertically
upward." The bullets hissed around
me like angry bees. One lashed my.
face. One tore my tunic. A moment
and I was swooping downward. I
had him at the disadvantage, but not
on the direct line the bomb must
traverse. I dived like a iawk. I shot
past him with terrific velocity, and
at the same time opened fire with my
automatic again. I swooped back on
my ellipse, loading as I flew. "But. a
spurt of fire from the Taube showed
me thafl had pierced, his tank.
The 'fire leaped upward in a dozen.
HtM
