at a disadvantage. At the same time, he would risk it. Suddenly up went
his tail. But Tam had vanished in the mist, for as he saw the tail go
up, he had followed suit, and nothing in the world dives like a B. I. 6.

No sooner was he out of sight of his attacker than he brought the nose
of the machine up again and began a lightning climb to sunshine. He was
the first to reach "open country" and he looked round for Mueller.

That redoubtable fighter reappeared in front and below him and Tam
dived for him. Mueller's nose went down and back to his hiding-place he
dived. Tam corrected his level and swooped upward again. There was no
sign of Captain Mueller. Tam cruised up and down, searching the cloud for
his enemy.

He was doing three things at once: He was looking, he was fitting
another drum to his gun, and he was controlling the flight of his
machine, when "chk-chk-chk" said the wireless, and Tam listened,
screwing his face into a grimace signifying at once the difficulty of
hearing, and his apprehension that he might lose a word of what was to
follow.

"L Q--L Q," said the receiver.

"Noo," said Tam in perplexity, "is 'L Q' meanin' that A' ocht to rin for
ma life or is it 'continue the guid wairk'?"

Arguing that his work was invisible from the earth and that a more
urgent interpretation was to be put upon the message, he turned westward
and dived; not, however, before he had seen over his shoulder a dozen
enemy machines come flashing up from the clouds.

"Haird cheese!" said Tam; "a' the auld cats aboot an' the wee moosie's
awa'!"

He had intended going home, but a new and bright thought struck him. He
turned his machine and pushed straight through the cloud the way he had
come. He knew they had seen him disappearing and, airman like, they
would remain awhile to bask in the sunlight and "dry off."

* * * * *

As a general rule Tam hated clouds. You could not tell whether you were
flying right side up or upside down, and he had always a curious sense
of nervousness that he would collide with something. Yet, for once, he
drove through the swirling "smoke" with a sense of joyous anticipation,
and presently began to rise gently, keeping his eyes aloft to detect the
first thinning of the fog. Presently he saw the sunlight reflected on
the upper stratas and began to climb steeply. His machine ripped out
into the sun, a fierce, roaring little fury.

Not a hundred yards away was a