"No fake about that!" mused Tom, as he leaned over and looked down
from the height. "He's done for I"

And so, the Hun was, for he crashed to the ground behind the
American lines. The incident did not affect Tom Raymond greatly.
It was not his first killing. But when he, glanced back toward his
companion, he saw that the other was shrinking back as if in horror.

"He'll get over that soon enough. All he has to do is to think of
what the Huns have done--crucifying men and babies--to make his
heart hard," thought Tom.

Whether his companion did this or not, did not disclose itself, but
the fact remains that when Tom flew off to engage another Hun
machine the lad back of him rose to the occasion and shot so well
that Fritz veered off and flew back over his own lines, wounded and
with his craft barely able to fly.

Not all the American machines fared as well as this, however. Jack
was in poor luck. The first burst of bullets from the German he
engaged punctured his gasoline tank, and he was obliged to coast
back to his own aerodrome to get another machine, if possible. He
was also hit once in the leg, the wound being painful though not
dangerous. He received first aid treatment and wanted to get back
into the fight, but this was not allowed, and he had to watch the
battle from the ground.

The fight was fast and stubborn, and in the end the American forces
won, for at a signal from the remaining red plane, which seemed to
bear a charmed existence, as it did not appear to be hit, the others