ther us any more. Don't let
the thought of them worry you."

"But I don't understand," Leon persisted. "What happened?"

"When we rushed out from the woods," said Earl, "we thought there were
only two of the Germans left. You accounted for one of them yourself
when you came around in back of the machine there. The other one
Jacques took care of. We thought we had killed three of them before we
charged, but one of those three was 'playing possum.' As soon as we
passed the spot where he was lying he jumped up and grabbed you around
the neck. It was a pretty clever trick on his part and he was a
powerful fellow too; I thought you were done for for a while there."

"So did I," agreed Leon; ruefully passing his hand over his sore and
bruised throat. "Tell me though; how did you pry him off?"

"Well we had a terrible time. Jacques finally cracked him over the
head with the butt of his revolver; that finished old Mr. Boche."

"Did it kill him?"

"No," exclaimed Earl, "it merely stunned him. That was enough for us
though and we got away as fast as we could."

"How did you manage it?"

"Why we just dumped you into the monoplane here and then got aboard
ourselves and off we went."

"Before the reenforcements arrived I suppose?"

"Just before. As we left the ground and began to rise a whole troop of
cavalry came racing into the clearing. They fired at us all right but
they didn't touch us and here we are."

"It seems queer to me," said Leon, "that the Germans didn't do
something to disable the engine or some part of the machine so we
couldn't use it again."

"That's what I told Jacques," exclaimed Earl, "but he said they
probably thought we wouldn't give them any more trouble and that they
had captured a perfectly good monoplane and could use it themselves."

"Not with this paint on it."

"No, but it wouldn't take much trouble to put the distinguishing mark
of the German machines on it."

"I guess we got after them just in time," said Leon gleefully.

"We surely did," agreed Earl. "We've been pretty lucky so far."

"How do you feel, Leon?" inquired Jacques from the driver's seat.

"Only fair," admitted Leon. "My head buzzes some."

"You've got a bullet wound in your left arm too," said Earl.

"I know it. It stings a little but it isn't bad."

"I guess not," said Earl. "As soon as we get back you can have it
attended to and it'll soon heal."

"Yes," agreed Leon. "I want it cleaned for I c