believe from what they themselves saw, as well as
through a secret report received from a French spy, that their aim had
been remarkably fine; and that many times the amount of damage the
Germans had done at Bar-le-Duc had been carried out on the reprisal
sally.

After that it seemed as though the slate had been wiped clean. Their
honor had been fully purged of the stain that had rested on it ever
since that dreadful night when they were caught off their guard.

It turned out that the enemy had meant to start an action on the
following day, and it had been hoped that the squadron of airmen might
so cripple the French service that the advantage would be all on the
side of the assailants.

Something happened, however, to balk the plans of the Crown Prince.
Perhaps he had a reprimand from his august father and emperor for so
recklessly sacrificing such vast numbers of his men in a fruitless
assault against the stonewall defensive of the French army. It may also
have been something else that called the attack off, but at any rate it
failed of accomplishment.

The stagnation along the front continued; but all this while General
Petain was making quiet though effective preparations, in order some day
to strike a staggering blow, such as the French had before given, which
would take the enemy by surprise, and push him still further back.

Jack was fretting because thus far he had seen so little of real action.
Since his Nieuport had been sent away, and another had as yet failed to
arrive for his use, he often bewailed his ill-luck. He even assured his
chum the "green mould would be growing all over his person if something
didn't soon come to pass to break the terrible monotony."

But every lane, however long, must have its turning; and Jack's hour
struck at last.

CHAPTER XIII

MORE WORK IN PROSPECT

"Tom, sit down here on this bench, won't you? I want to have a little
talk with you about some things that have bothered me a whole lot
lately," said Jack, some days after the exciting experiences narrated in
the two preceding chapters.

"I can give a pretty good guess what they are, Jack, since I see you
staring hard at the slip of paper found attached to the toy balloon
which drifted over our lines from somewhere back of the German front."

"Yes; I own up I do sit and look at that paper, Tom. If it could only
talk I'd know who penned that warning, and my curiosity'd be satisfied
for one thing. But try as h