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Updated: June 29, 2025
Though the Archies were now quite out of range, night was so near at hand that this seemed good policy. Blaine now added: "I'm goin' to give that Fokker another round. Be back with you in a minute." Then on he went after the German. What ensued was rather puzzling to both Bangs and Erwin. Blaine was now evidently faster than the German, whose machine had apparently sustained some internal injury.
"They won't catch me unless I'm crippled by those pesky Archies." Even while he thought, a stray fragment of shell penetrated the fuselage of the triplane and, striking one of the propeller shafts, so bent it that the lightning-like blades began to revolve more slowly, despite all his efforts to increase his motor power. For the first time Erwin became seriously alarmed.
Exchanging a "So long" with less fortunate members of the mess, you realise a vast difference in respective destinies. To-morrow the others will be dodging crumps, archies, or official chits "for your information, please"; to-morrow, with luck, you will be dodging taxis in London.
Yet his trend was unavoidably towards the east, further within the enemy lines. "For the present I've got to go this way," he thought. "I hope Lex and Milt got away west before those 'cussed Archies broke loose. We'll have to stay quiet until this ruction below settles down."
High above him, and evidently a fighting machine that had been hidden in the upper banks of the cloud, was a stiffly built Fokker. "Noo, lassie!" said Tam and nose-dived. Something flashed past his tail, and Tam's machine rocked like a ship at sea. He flattened out and climbed. The British Archies had ceased fire and the fight was between machine and machine, for the squadron was now in position.
On the bluff behind a squad of men in gray were training one of the Archies that had been dragged up from somewhere underneath. "I've got to give her all the head she'll take," he thought. "That gun will get me if they understand their business." Over beyond the stream a low embankment rose well up at perhaps three to f our hundred yards from its first bank.
But before he had time to consider this, he saw two airplanes rising from the main street of the little town, while the detonations of the Archies grew into a continuous roar. "Guess they think they've cornered me," he thought, "but I'll give them a race at least. If I have to, I'll fight." While reflecting, his machine was still rising rapidly, with the two Boche planes in pursuit.
The "Archies," or anti-aircraft guns of the Germans, were trying to reach the French planes, and, in addition to the bullets, "woolly bears" and "flaming onions" were sent up toward them. These are two types of bursting shells, the first so named because when it explodes it does so with a cloud of black smoke and a flaming center.
Back he streaked to the British lines, his wireless working frantically. "Enemy raiding squadron in cloud take the edge a quarter up." He received the acknowledgment and brought his machine around to face the lordly bulk of the cumulus. Then the British Archies began their good work. Shrapnel and high explosives burst in a storm about the cloud.
One of these was filled with soldiers, at least a brigade, for the train was a long one. The one ahead seemed to be loaded with munitions and with artillery on the rear cars. Swooping down closer, Blaine laid his plan. When within three hundred feet he saw some Archies posted at a crossroads who at once began firing. In his present mood he would have cared little for any obstacle as yet untried.
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