Would it be of interest?  The thought came to him as he sat there, quietly.  What would he report?  The flight commander was a busy person.  He would not, in all probability, have the time to hear a long report, should he have the inclination to do so.  What could Jimmy report?  First that he had lost Parker.  Where in the name of goodness was Parker?  Jimmy would have given much to know, but something kept him from asking.  He had been sent out as a sort of guard for Parker.  He had lost him at the very beginning of the fight.  He might report that he had shot down an enemy hunter machine and killed its pilot, but surely that would sound very bare and very boastful.

Just as Jimmy was really making himself thoroughly miserable the door of the rough headquarters shed opened, and who should walk in but Parker himself!  Jimmy felt he could have hugged him.

“I was sitting here wondering where you were,” said Jimmy.

“Well, for the most part I have been chasing you,” answered the older pilot.  “You certainly can fly that machine you were on to-day, young fellow!  If I were you I would ask the chief to let you stick to that plane.  You put up a swell little exhibition in her to-day.”

“Chasing me?” Jimmy gasped.  “Chasing me?  I don’t understand.”

“It is simple enough.  I suppose you saw me go for that big dray-horse of a scout machine, didn’t you?”

Jimmy nodded.

“I got him, I think,” Parker went on.  “Anyway, he went down.  He seemed to land pretty well, for a smash, but that sort of plane will almost land by itself, sometimes.  When I was sure he was down, sure enough, I had come a bit too low, and for a while I was pretty busy dodging the finest collection of Archies I have yet met with.  I got two fair-sized pieces of shell right through both planes, but they didn’t seem to matter a bit.  I got up to a good height before I quit climbing.  So far as I could see, you had by that time managed to get out of what must have been a bit of a trap, and were heading off south at a rate of knots, as my sailor brother would say.  I hovered, watching the big hunter that dived on you.  He didn’t seem to know quite what to do.  He must have missed seeing me, for some reason.

“As I was waiting for him to make up his mind you did that ripping loop.  I saw that.  So did the Boche hunter who was onlooking.  I knew you would get that center plane, and thought you would score two of them, but you were right to take no chances of the number three chap getting a drop on you.  Where I played the goat was letting the swooper fellow get a start on me.  I guess I was too interested watching your antics.”

“Anyway, he got to your area before I did, though I wasn’t far back.  Your skid off to the side put them all off, and gave me a fine chance at Mr. Swooper.  He fussed a minute, undecided what to do.  That is a bad fault at this game.  I caught him just where I wanted him, and he did his last swoop, I guess.  I piled on home after you, but not so fast.  Anyone would think you were going to a fire, by the way you came back.  What was your desperate hurry?”