But the powerful hunter on which he was mounted thrilled with such a feeling of self-satisfaction, her engines hummed so merrily, and she lifted herself so lightly and easily when he asked her to climb, that he was soon wrapped in the joy of mastering so perfect a piece of mechanism.  Moreover, Jimmy had grown to love flying for flying’s sake.  It was meat and drink to him.

When Parker had gained the altitude that suited him he straightened out and headed for the enemy’s country at a high rate of speed.  Jimmy thought himself too far behind at first, but the splendid machine answered readily to his call upon it for a burst of five minutes, and before he had time to realize it he was in good position and far below were the long, winding scars on the surface of the earth that told where the opposing armies were entrenched.  Fighting the temptation to watch what was passing underneath, he alternately kept his eyes on Parker and scoured the sky ahead for signs of enemy aircraft.

Suddenly, between Parker and his own machine, and not so far below him as he would have liked, white puff-balls began to appear.  The German anti-aircraft guns were at it.  Parker began a wide sweep to the left, then turned slowly right, then climbed swiftly.  Jimmy raised his machine at the same time, but, thinking to save the left turn and unconsciously slowing in a little on the plane in front, was reminded that he would be wise to change course a bit.  The ominous whirr of pieces of projectile told him that the German “Archie” had fired a shot with good direction.  He knew that shell might be closely followed by another at a better elevation, so turned right, climbing, until he had regained his eight hundred feet or more above Parker.

As he did so Parker circled left once more, then flew at right angles to the course he had originally selected.  No more shells came near; and again Parker changed course.

As Jimmy was trying to surmise where Parker would head next the swift wasp in front dived suddenly, as if struck by one of the anti-aircraft projectiles.

Quickly Jimmy dived also, and as he turned the nose of the machine downward his heart gave a big bound, for right in front of Parker, some distance below, was the wide wing-spread of a big German machine.  The enemy plane could hardly see Parker, save by some miracle, before he had come sufficiently near to pour a murderous fire into it.  With a rush, his instructions came back to him.  He must hover above and watch, whatever the result of the combat below him.  He straightened out, and circling narrowly, scanned the air in every direction.  As he swung round he received another shock, a real one this time.

Straight before him, plainly coming as fast as they could fly, were three planes of a type unfamiliar to him.  They were at about his own altitude.  He called on his machine for all she could produce in the way of power, and depressed his elevator planes.  The moment the nose of his plane turned upward, the three enemy planes began to climb also.  Jimmy dared not try a steeper angle of ascent.  Any machine which he had ever seen, save his new mount, would have refused to climb as she was doing.