om gave
his attention first. He emptied a stream of bullets full into this
flier's craft, noting, after the first few bad shots, which he could
tell by the tracers, that he had perfect range.

Guiding his craft with one hand and his feet, Tom worked the Lewis gun
with his other hand, and he had emptied a whole drum at the daring Hun
before he had the satisfaction of seeing the machine crumple up. Tom's
bullets had struck some part that had caused the wings to collapse, and
the airman went down to earth, his craft out of control.

But matters were not to go easy with the American. The other German was
now in a better position for getting Tom than the latter was for potting
him, and Tom felt a stream of bullets flying around him. One chipped his
gun, and another grazed his cheek, the close call making his heart stand
still for a moment. But he never faltered.

"I've got to get above him," Tom thought fiercely.

He made a risky spiral turn to one side, and began to mount, seeking to
get in position to fire to better advantage. It was touch and go for a
while, and he felt, rather than heard, his craft receive several
bullets.

"If only the gasolene tank isn't hit," thought Tom.

But good fortune in this respect was with him, and he got in a position
where he could point his machine (and the gun at the same time, for this
is how the guns are aimed in the single aircraft) at the Hun flier. And
then Tom sent forth a rain of bullets.

For a moment they seemed to have no effect, and yet Tom knew he had shot
straight. Then, even while he felt a sharp pain in one hand, showing
that he had been hit, he saw the other machine start down in a spinning
nose dive. That meant he was going downward head first, and at the same
time spinning around like a top.

This spinning nose dive may be intentional or accidental--that is, with
the machine in control, or out of control. The spinning nose dive was
discovered by accident, but is now part of the regular flying features,
and is often used by aviators to escape from an enemy.

It is almost impossible to hit a plane doing a spinning nose dive, and
if an aviator is over his own lines he may be able to come out of it
before he reaches the ground, and so be safe. Many German planes have
escaped in this way, and often a French airman has thought he has sent
his enemy down disabled, when, as a matter of fact, the other has merely
adopted this ruse to get away.

"Well, I don't know whet