is bus
from stem to stern. I looked at him hopefully, for the range was very
short, and I expected to see him drop towards the ground at several
miles a minute. He sailed on serenely. This is an annoying habit of
enemy machines when one is sure that, by the rules of the game, they
ought to be destroyed. The machine in question was probably hit,
however, for it did not return, and I saw it begin a glide as though the
pilot meant to land. We switched our attention to the remaining Hun, but
this one was not anxious to fight alone. He dived a few hundred feet,
with tail well up, looking for all the world like a trout when it drops
back into water. Afterwards he flattened out and went east.

During the fight we had become separated from the remainder of our
party. I searched all round the compass, but could find neither friend
nor foe. We returned to the aerodrome where hostile craft were first
sighted. There was no sign of C.'s machine or of the others who dived on
the first group of Huns. Several German machines were at rest in the
aerodrome.

Finding ourselves alone, we passed on towards the lines. I twisted my
neck in every direction, for over enemy country only a constant look out
above, below, and on all sides can save a machine from a surprise
attack. After a few minutes, we spotted six craft bearing towards us
from a great height. Through field-glasses I was able to see their black
crosses, and I fingered my machine-gun expectantly.

The strangers dived in two lots of three. I waited until the first three
were within 300 yards' range and opened fire. One of them swerved away,
but the other two passed right under us. Something sang to the right,
and I found that part of a landing-wire was dangling helplessly from its
socket. We thanked whatever gods there be that it was not a flying-wire,
and turned to meet the next three Huns. We swerved violently, and they
pulled out of their dive well away from us. With nose down and engine
full out, we raced towards the lines and safety. Three of the attackers
were unable to keep up with us and we left them behind.

The other three Germans, classed by my pilot as Halberstadts, had a
great deal more speed than ours. They did not attack at close quarters
immediately, but flew 200 to 300 yards behind, ready to pounce at their
own moment. Two of them got between my gun and our tail-plane, so that
they were safe from my fire. The third was slightly above our height,
and for his ben