the less painful form of death.

The body fell some distance off, but the plane itself came down within
a few rods of the boys. It was blazing so fiercely that they could not
approach very close to it, but they could easily detect the marking
which indicated that it was a French plane.

The Army Boys looked at each other regretfully.

"Score one for the Huns," remarked Frank. "You'd have lost your
nickel, Bart."

"It's too bad," said Billy, as he straightened up and shook, his fist
at the victorious plane.

But to the boys' amazement, the conqueror, instead of flying off toward
his own lines, was coming down toward them in long sweeping spirals.

"Why, it looks as if he were going to land here!" exclaimed Billy in
wonder.

"If he does, we'll have the satisfaction of taking him prisoner
anyway," observed Bart.

"It must be that his own plane is injured and he has to descend,"
suggested Frank.

But there was no sign of injury to the descending plane and it seemed
to be in perfect control. Swiftly and steadily it came down, and a cry
of astonishment broke from the boys as they saw that it bore American
markings.

"How's that?" exclaimed Frank. "There's been a fearful mistake
somewhere. This fellow has downed a French plane thinking that it was
German."

"He'll be court-martialed for that or I miss my guess," said Bart with
a frown.

"It's bad enough to have the Huns after us without trying to kill our
own people," growled Billy.

There was a level place nearby that made an ideal place for a landing,
and the American machine came down there with scarcely a jar.

The boys rushed toward it with reproaches on their lips, but their
wrath was lost in astonishment when they recognized, in the aviator who
stepped forth, Dick Lever, one of the most daring of the American
"aces" and a warm personal friend of theirs.

The reproaches died when they saw him, for only a little while before
he had saved them from a German prison by swooping down with his
machine and carrying them off from their captors. It was with mixed
feelings that they greeted him, as he came gaily forward, a smile upon
his handsome bronzed face. But Dick seemed to feel a certain stiffness
in their welcome that was unusual.

"Hello, fellows," he greeted. "What's the grouch?"

"No grouch at all, Dick," answered Frank. "We owe you too much for
that. We're only sorry that you happened to make a mistake and down a
French plane thinking i