ace plainly showed his keen
enjoyment.

Higher and higher they mounted; below them the earth seemed miles away
and the buildings and fields appeared to be of toy size. It was cold,
however, bitterly cold, and all three of the boys were profoundly
thankful for their warm wraps.

"You know it feels as if we were standing still," exclaimed Earl.

"I know it," agreed his brother. "The higher you go the more it seems
that way too."

"Yes, sir," cried Earl, "if I didn't know better I should say that we
were absolutely stationary and that it was the earth below that moved."

"Isn't the machine steady?"

"Feels as steady as a rock. You know I haven't felt the least bit
nervous since we started."

"Why should you?" demanded Leon. "We're a good deal safer here than we
are in the trenches."

"I suppose that's true," mused Earl. "You wouldn't think so, though,
would you?"

"I don't know. The way the machines are perfected nowadays there is
practically no danger from accident and with a good aviator you are as
safe as any one can be in war. Of course plenty of machines are
destroyed and the pilots and observers killed, but I believe the
proportion is smaller than in any other branch of the service."

"Say," called Jacques from the pilot's seat.

"What is it?" demanded Leon.

"I've got a question to ask you. There are two ways of reaching
Flambeau and I want your advice as to which to take. One way we can go
around back of the firing line and be practically safe all the way."

"Go that way then," exclaimed Leon quickly.

"But," objected Jacques, "that course is much longer."

"Major Villier and General Petain both said that the dispatches should
be delivered as soon as possible, didn't they?"

"'At the earliest possible moment,' was the way they expressed it,"
said Jacques.

"Then," said Leon, "we ought to take the shortest route."

"It crosses the battle line twice," said Jacques. "You know the
trenches make a big loop below here and we will have to cut straight
across that loop."

"Never mind," exclaimed Leon. "If they said to deliver the dispatches
at the earliest possible moment it's for us to take the shortest
possible course in order to do that."

"I think so too," agreed Earl. "We'll have to run our chances, that's
all."

"There are the trenches below us now," cried Leon suddenly. "See them
up ahead there?"

"Sure enough," exclaimed Earl. "Don't they look funny from here? They
look