red he had arrived the fraction of a minute too late.

Then up rose Tom's plane, up and up, the powerful engine doing its best,
though the machine was carrying double weight. But the Nieuports are
mechanical wonders, and once the craft was free of the earth it began
climbing. Fortunately there were no swift German machines near enough to
give effective chase, though some of the heavier bi-motored craft opened
fire, as did the cavalry from below, as well as some of the
anti-aircraft guns.

But Tom, keeping on full speed, soon climbed up out of danger, and then
swung around for a flight toward his own lines. He could see, ahead of
him, the fleet of French planes, going back after the raid on the big
guns. Tom's plane was the rearmost one.

Then he knew that he was safe! But he feared for Jack!

One after another, such as were left of the raiding party landed. Their
comrades crowded around them, congratulating them with bubbling words of
joy. Yet there was sorrow for those that did not return.

"Is he dead?" asked Tom, as orderlies quickly unstrapped Jack, and
prepared to carry him to the hospital. "Is he dead?"

"Alive, but badly wounded," said a surgeon, who made a hasty
examination.

And then all seemed to become dark to Tom Raymond.

"Well, Jack, old man, how do you feel?"

"Oh, pretty good! How's yourself?"

"Better, now that they've let me in to see you."

"You got the big guns, I understand."

"You mean _you_ did, too. It was as much your doings as mine. Yes, we
sprayed 'em good and proper. They won't fire on Paris again right away,
but I suppose they'll not give up the trick, once they have learned it.
But we have their number all right. Now you want to hurry up and get
well."

Jack was in the hospital recovering from several bullet wounds. They had
not been as dangerous as at first feared, but they were bad enough. Tom
had come to see him and give some of the details of the great raid,
which Jack had been unable to hear because of weakness. Now he was
convalescing.

"What's the idea of hurry?" asked Jack. "Are we going after more big
cannon?"

"No, this is a different stunt now. We're going over the Rhine."

"Over the Rhine?" and Jack sat up in bed.

"Monsieur--I must beg--please do not excite him!" exclaimed a pretty
nurse, hurrying up. "The doctor said he must keep quiet."

"But I want to hear about this," insisted Jack. "Over the Rhine! Say,
that'll be great! Carrying the war into the ene