it and tell it how proud he was of having
been able to put it through its paces. Never had there been such a
machine before, he thought.

At last the home airdrome came into sight far below. Many a time
thereafter was Jimmy to feel glad he was nearing home, but never
more sincerely than on the afternoon of that first battle. He made
a good landing. His mechanics were waiting for him, and wheeled the
machine toward the hangar, while Jimmy walked off to headquarters
to report. Arrived there, he found that both the flight commander
and sub-commander were out. No one seemed worrying much about him.
He had been so intent on his job and it had meant so much to him
that it took a few minutes for him to get the right perspective, and
see that, after all, he was only one of the pieces in the big game,
and a bit of waiting would not hurt him or make his report any the
less of interest.

Would it be of interest? The thought came to him as he sat there,
quietly. What would he report? The flight commander was a busy
person. He would not, in all probability, have the time to hear a
long report, should he have the inclination to do so. What could
Jimmy report? First that he had lost Parker. Where in the name of
goodness was Parker? Jimmy would have given much to know, but
something kept him from asking. He had been sent out as a sort of
guard for Parker. He had lost him at the very beginning of the fight.
He might report that he had shot down an enemy hunter machine and
killed its pilot, but surely that would sound very bare and very
boastful.

Just as Jimmy was really making himself thoroughly miserable the
door of the rough headquarters shed opened, and who should walk in
but Parker himself! Jimmy felt he could have hugged him.

"I was sitting here wondering where you were," said Jimmy.

"Well, for the most part I have been chasing you," answered the older
pilot. "You certainly can fly that machine you were on to-day, young
fellow! If I were you I would ask the chief to let you stick to
that plane. You put up a swell little exhibition in her to-day."

"Chasing me?" Jimmy gasped. "Chasing me? I don't understand."

"It is simple enough. I suppose you saw me go for that big dray-horse
of a scout machine, didn't you?"

Jimmy nodded.

"I got him, I think," Parker went on. "Anyway, he went down. He
seemed to land pretty well, for a smash, but that sort of plane will
almost land by itself, sometimes.