"Nary thing, except that we gave the Krupp works hell for about fifteen
or twenty minutes. You should have seen the explosions."

"That part was good. Say, Blaine," Orris, was looking, thoughtful,
"has it ever struck you how terribly uncertain a thing life is --"

"Oh, rats!" Blaine shook his smaller companion as they neared the club
door. "Stow that sort of talk and thought! Don't do you a bit of good
or those that hear you. See?"

"Still, since my last flight with you, these thing will run across my
mind. What is up now ? You in on anything yet?"

"I've heard -- but don't whisper a word -- that we're on for a job of
sausage driving next. Nothing sure, though."

Sausages is the slang term for gas observation balloons which go up at
certain points and observe the enemy's positions or maneuvers before
and during battle on the earth below. Sausages do not fight back much
but are protected by support battle planes and in other ways.

Reaching the clubroom door, they entered, Blaine pushing his comrade
forward and saying with mock politeness:

"Let me present my comrade Erwin, or Orry, I like to call him. While
doing the Boches the other day at Appincourte Bluff, the Boches came
mighty nigh doing him. But here he is, what's left of him. Jolly him
a bit. He feels bad!" The last tweak in allusion to Orry's remark on
the uncertainty of life.