Page:Air Service Boys Flying for France.djvu/145

140 The bend of the road being presently reached, Tom and Jack saw a building that had once been a handsome and well-kept villa, though now showing some of the scars of war. How it chanced to have been left standing at all, with all that terrible fighting going on in the vicinity these many months, was more or less of a mystery. But the Americans had taken up their quarters under the villa roof, and made themselves at home, after the free-and-easy fashion of their kind.

Just then a car came from the opposite direction, and two young chaps in the full garb of aviators jumped out, to vanish inside the house. Jack noted that they had on fur-lined shoes and combinations, also close fitting leather flying hoods with goggles. He knew from this that they had just come from work, and possibly may have even been aboard that airplane which he had seen drawing nearer until it dipped below the desolate brim of the treeless landscape.

"I'll have to drop you here, boys," said Neal, offering his hand once more to each in turn. "And say, it's done me more good than I can tell you, just to meet you fellows away over here. Seems as if I could smell Bridgeton air once more."

"Look us up whenever you're passing this