so. might also be other swift moving machines behind, each pouring
leaden showers on infantry now defenseless. Yet a moment before they
were placidly plodding on towards the death in front, for which they
had been driven forth by their officers that night.

Occasional shots were fired upward by soldiers here and there. But
though close, so swift were the machines that they vanished almost at
once from the time of their first appearance at any given point.

Only two? No more. Fritzy began to take courage. Both planes were
now whirring on somewhere else. But were they truly gone?

Even while officers were taking heart and again driving forward their
men, back came the two planes upon their former path, but now going
south instead of north.

Again were the former scenes repeated, with even worse results.

But now arose another sound, a sound as of an advance from the Allied
trenches. What could be?





CHAPTER IX

THE FINAL FIGHT

The two aviators, their planes much shot with holes but otherwise