ur fellows 'zooming' up at a
rare bat all on his lonely. I didn't take much notice of that. I thought
it was one of our fellows on a stunt. But presently I could see Archie
getting in his grand work. It was a battery somewhere on the Lille road,
and it was a scorcher, for it got his level first pop. Instead of going
on, the 'bus started circling as though he was enjoying the 'shrap'
bath. As far as I could see there were four guns on him, but three of
them were wild and late. You could see their bursts over him and under
him, but the fourth was a terror. It just potted away, always at his
level. If he went up it lived with him; if he dropped it was alongside
of him. It was quaint to see the other guns correcting their range, but
always a bit after the fair. Of course, I knew it was Tam and I somehow
knew he was just circling round trying out the new gun. How he escaped,
the Lord knows!"

Faithful to his promise, Tam returned.

"If any of you gentlemen have a seegair--" he asked.

Half a dozen were offered to him and he took them all.

"A'll no' offend any o' ye," he explained, "by refusin' your
hospitality. They mayn't be good seegairs, as A've reason to know, but
A'll smoke them all in the spirit they are geeven."

He sat down on a big packing-case, tucked up his legs under him and
pulled silently at the glowing Perfecto. Then he began:

"At eleven o'clock in the forenoon," said Tam, settling himself to the
agreeable task, "in or about the vicinity of La Bas a solitary airman
micht ha' been sighted or viewed, wingin' his way leisurely across the
fleckless blue o' the skies. Had ye been near enough ye would have
obsairved a smile that played aroond his gay young face. In his blue
eyes was a look o' deep thought. Was he thinkin' of home, of his humble
cot in the shadow of Ben Lomond? He was not, for he never had a home in
the shadow of Ben Lomond. Was he thinkin' sadly of the meanness o' his
superior officer who had left one common seegair in his box and had
said, 'Tam, go into my quarters and help yourself to the smokes'?"

"Tam, I left twenty," said an indignant voice, "and when I came to look
for them they were all gone."

"A've no doot there's a bad character amongst ye," said Tam gravely; "A'
only found three, and two of 'em were bad, or it may have been four. No,
sir-rs, he was no' thinkin' of airthly things. Suddenly as he zoomed to
the heavens there was a loud crack; and lookin' over, the young hero
disc