"That's what I say. So you thought I'd have a swelled head, did
you, because they gave us the croix de guerre?"

"I confess I had a faint suspicion that way," admitted Jack. "Both
of us being advanced to sergeants was a big step, too."

"It was," agreed Tom. "I almost wish they hadn't done it, for there
are lots of others in the escadrille that deserve it fully as much,
and some more, than we do."

"That's right. But you can't make these delightful Frenchmen see
anything the way you want 'em to. Once they get a notion in their
heads that you've done something for la belle Frame, they're your
friends for life, kissing you on both cheeks and pinning medals on
you wherever they'll stick."

"Well, they mean all right, Jack," said Tom. "And there aren't any
braver or more lovable people on the face of the earth than these
same French. They've done more and suffered more for their country
than we dream of. And it's only natural that they should say 'much
obliged,' in their own particular way, to any one they think is
helping to free them from the Germans."

"I suppose you're right. But advancing us to sergeants would have
been enough, without pinning the decorations on us and mentioning us
in the order of the day, as well as giving us as fine a citation as
ever was signed by a commanding general. However, it's all in the
day's work, though when we flew over the German super cannons, and
did our bit in helping demolish them so they couldn't shell Paris
any more, we didn't think--or, at least, I didn't--that we'd be