And even the casual reader of the exploits of the aviators must have
been impressed with the fact that often the merest incident--or
accident is responsible for life or death.

Death often passes within hair's breadth of the intrepid fliers, and
some of them do not know it until after they have made a landing and
have seen the bullet holes in their machine--holes that indicate how
close the missiles have passed to them.

So, in a way, both Tom and Jack believed in luck, and they both
believed that this same luck might point out to them a way of
rescuing Harry Leroy.

Meanwhile they were kept busy. After the big battle in the air
matters were quiet for a time on their sector of the front. The
arrival of new fliers from America made it necessary to instruct
them, and to this Tom, Jack and other veterans were detailed.

Then began a series of what Jack called "stunts." In order to
inspire the new pupils with confidence, the older flying men--not
always older in years--would go aloft in their single planes and do
all sorts of trick flying. Some of the pupils--the more daring, of
course--wished to imitate these, but of course they were not
allowed.

The pupils were first allowed merely to go with an experienced man.
This, of course, they had done at the flying schools in the United
States, and had flown alone. But they had to start all over again
when on French soil, for here they were exposed, any time, to an