long and flopped down near the same place, but
by that time I was a long ways from there and going strong.

"The night was as dark as the inside of a whale, but the glare of light
from the guns on our side gave me direction. The rest was comparatively
easy."

"Easy!" Cowan exclaimed. "How in the world did you get across the line?"

"Major, the confusion was so great, due to that barrage, that I could
have led an elephant up to the line with no one taking the time to
challenge me. You forget that my German is quite good. On a dark night,
well covered by a German officer's coat, which I borrowed from a chap
who won't ever need it again, it was not a difficult feat. Believe me,
my biggest worry was that I would get sent west by one of our own
shells. When I reached the front line I crawled in a funk hole and
waited for dawning and for our own troops to come along. And when they
started, man! how they came! The enemy is completely disorganized,
Major, and victory will be ours within a month or six weeks. Maybe
sooner. The Germans know it. Montfaucon will fall to-morrow. This is the
last of the big shows."

He paused, and his eyes, which McGee had always thought so cold,
twinkled with merriment.

"By the way," he said, "at Division Headquarters of the 79th, where I
made a report and was given transportation back here, the Intelligence
Officer told me a spy was nabbed last night--a chap by the name of von
Herzmann. Plane forced down, the officer told me. I wonder if it could
be possible that he ran out of gas?"

"Yes," Cowan replied, catching the spirit of the banter, "he ran out of
gas."

"Tut! tut!" Siddons mockingly reproved. "Wasn't that a careless thing
for a great ace to do?"

THE END

GLOSSARY

Ace One who has brought down five enemy air craft.

Ack Emma Air Mechanic. In military service
certain letters are given distinguishing
sounds, such as, A is Ack, D is Don, M,
to distinguish it from N, becomes Emma.

Aileron Moveable segments of planes, which,
though of small surface, control the
lateral balance.

Albatross German combat plane.

Archie Anti-aircraft artillery fire. Probably
so called because of arc of the
projectile's flight.

Backwash The wind wash caused by the propeller.