he rear of the group of assailants. The center one of the
three enemy planes was nearest to him. Straight at it Jimmy dashed,
and when close, started firing. It was the first time in his life
that Jimmy had tried to take a human life, but he did not give that
fact a thought. A fierce desire to finish off the flier so close
in front overwhelmed him. He felt that he could not miss. A second
or two passed after the burst of fire before any change in the conduct
of the plane in front was noticeable.

Then the change came; all at once. The machine turned on its side,
the engine still running at full speed, and for one instant, before
the downward plunge came, Jimmy caught sight of a limp, lifeless
form half-hanging, sidewise, from the pilot's seat. Jimmy had fired
straight, and one of his antagonists was out of the fight.

He turned his attention to the flier on his left, fired a round at
him at rather long range, and then glanced to his right. It was
well he did so at that instant. The German on the right of the
trio had looped in turn, to get on to Jimmy's tail. Jimmy saw the
trick in the nick of time, and letting the left-hand plane go for
the moment, looped in turn. As he turned, he saw what he thought
must be the fourth enemy machine---the big fellow that had swooped
down on him at the beginning of the fight---speeding straight at
him. He quickly turned his loop into a side-loop, slid down swiftly,
caught himself, and assured that he had escaped both fliers for the
moment, took a rapid glance at his compass and saw that he was headed
straight for home. And home Jimmy went, as fast as his machine would go.

CHAPTER VII

PARKER'S STORY

This time he had a very fair start, and he made the best of it. Looking
back, he saw that two of the German machines headed after him, but
apparently gave up the chase before it was well begun. Once Jimmy
had a feeling that he ought not to run back to safety before
endeavoring, to see what had happened to Parker, but the flight
sub-commander had been most explicit in his instructions on that
head. "If you by any chance lose Parker," he had said, "come back."
He had lost Parker, right enough. That was about the first thing
he had done, he thought to himself with some feeling of self-condemnation.

All the while he was roaring on, his machine seemingly feeling like
a homing pigeon. He felt a fierce love for that noble hunter. He
felt he could almost talk to