Page:Air Service Boys Flying for France.djvu/166

Rh their waves of gray-coated fighting men recklessly against the seized trenches, now bristling with machine-guns turned the other way. They must have lost frightfully in the three separate attempts they made to reconquer the ground lost earlier in the day; but the French would not give up what they had taken.

All this while Tom realized that there was a certain amount of danger hovering over his head and that of his veteran comrade. Fokker machines and Aviatiks also, manned by daring Teuton pilots, arose to give battle to the venturesome French and Americans. Sometimes there would be a number of desperate engagements going on at the same time.

This was not all. The Germans of course understood how the facts concerning their movements was being taken note of, and the report sent back to French headquarters. They could even pick out the identical plane that was engaged in this service, and also the second machine doing relay work.

Again and again during the course of those hours teeming with thrilling happenings did they attempt to put these two important machines out of business by making an attack on them in force.

But the watchful pilots aboard the fighting planes of the French were not to be caught