on the south were to put up a big bluff between Rheims and Metz in
order to divert German attention from that big smashing attack on the
Lys. Gee! How I'm itching to be back before the game starts!"

Then it all came back to me; the incident of the impatient German
soldiers at the ferry on the Rhine; the tramp-tramp, rattle-clink of the
German troops and carts on the Coblenz road; the anger of the little
German woman at the farm--and one line of reasoning linked all the
incidents.

"They've started," I said. "The Germans are retreating! That Coblenz
road is a crowded procession of despair!"

He stopped and looked at me in surprise.

"How?" he queried. "Why we're 100 miles from Metz. Bless me, they must
have started just after I lit out. Gee! but we must hustle."

So we stepped out briskly and reached the white strip on the tree. It
was the piece of fabric from Nap's 'plane. That night we repaired the
machine, and after many hours coaxed the engine back to sanity. Before
the dawn the leafy screen was cleared, the 'plane wheeled into the open,
the engine coughed, spluttered and "got busy"; and up to greet the
morning sun we rose and turned southward with the sky clear of cloud,
fog or 'plane.

As we climbed, we could discern the Coblenz road and the River Moselle
below us, the former still a long length of moving figures. In half an
hour, up came the sounds of big guns. Far to the south the opposing
armies were evidently in touch. It was round Metz that the fighting was
taking place, and we could see the "grey coats" retreating along at
least five roads.

As we passed over Metz, I remembered my last crossing it in a fog and my
dash to the Argonne Forest seven months before. Things had changed
somewhat since.

We crossed the fighting lines and were lucky to descend without being
hit, as several shots were fired as we volplaned down.

I remember, in those excitement-laden days, how for a while I was
surprised that we were only welcomed back with a nod. There were
evidently more important happenings to consider than the return of two
lucky aviators, so we were soon again in operation with our squadron
reconnoitring on our right to watch for any German reinforcements coming
against our right flank.

It was evident that the Germans understood that our attack from the
south was only a feint, as our advance was poorly retarded; in fact the
German rearguard defence was so weak that our mounted forces began to
push ah