fore falling. Then again, Jack, this valley extends
pretty much all the way to the Verdun front, and the current of air
would carry a balloon along directly toward our home patch."

"Oh, Bessie sent it, believe me!" asserted Jack again, more confidently
than ever. "And she'll tell us so too, when she gets the chance."

Thus whispering the air service boys arrived at that side of the house
where the lighted window on the second floor seemed to indicate that the
object of their present concern could be found.

Tom examined the building as well as the limited amount of light
allowed. He could easily see that any agile young fellow, himself or
Jack for instance, might scale the wall, making use of some projections,
and a cement flower trellis as well, in carrying out the project.

"We might throw pebbles up, and bring her to the window," he suggested,
though pretty confident at the time Jack would find fault with such an
arrangement.

"That wouldn't help her get down here to us, Tom," protested the other.
"And that's what we're planning, you remember; for you said she could
accompany us if she felt equal to it. I must go up myself and help
Bessie get down. There's nothing else to do, Tom."

It looked very much as though Jack was right. Tom admitted this to
himself; at the same time he wished there were some other way by means
of which the same end could be gained, or that he could undertake the
thing, instead of his comrade.

But to this Jack would never agree. Bessie was his own particular
friend; and they had been most "chummy" while aboard the Atlantic liner
crossing the submarine infested ocean. Then again that warning had been
addressed to him, and not to both, showing that the writer had only been
concerned about the danger he, Jack, was running, should his plane be
tampered with by some emissary of Carl Potzfeldt.

"All right then; you go, Jack! But be careful about your footing. If you
fell it'd be a bad thing in many ways, for even if you escaped a broken
neck or a fractured leg you'd arouse the house, and all sorts of trouble
would drop down on us in a hurry."

"Don't worry about me, Tom. I'll show you I'm as nimble as any monkey.
Besides, that isn't much of a climb. Why, I could nearly do it with one
arm tied fast."

"Go to it!" Tom told him, settling back to watch the performance and
give whispered advice if it seemed necessary.

Jack waited no longer. He was wild to find himself once more face to
f