He knew the deadly missiles must be cutting the air all around, but somehow this fact did not seem to disturb him at all; for he continued to work his rapid-fire gun with amazing zeal.
Then suddenly he saw that the German Fokker was starting to descend. A shell from his rapid-fire gun had either struck the pilot and wounded him severely, or else part of the working gear had been put out of order.
At any rate the fight was over, and had ended in their favor. No wonder Tom Raymond felt a strange feeling rush over him as thrusting his head far out he watched the stricken enemy craft circling below. Now it went swiftly volplaning, and again resisting the downward rush with outspread wings, just as Tom had seen an eagle coming from the clouds in chase of a fish-hawk that was trying to elude his attack, and save his finny prize.
It was the fever of a first victory that fired Tom’s blood. He hoped that it was a good sign of future work in the interest of France. Then putting the recent exciting incident out of mind he once more turned his attention to the signals that were again coming from the advanced observation plane far ahead. The bustling little Nieuport that came rushing to assist them arrived after all was over.
Taken altogether, that day gave Tom Raymond a better insight concerning the duties of an aviation pilot in war time than all the instruction he had received in a school.
Finally it was noted that another observer had taken the place of the plane from which their signals had been coming. That meant a relief operator had arrived to allow the tired pair a chance to secure much-needed rest.
Tom himself was not sorry to discover that they too were about to give way to another plane that was arising toward them. As it drew closer, and it became possible for the pilots to wave a few signals to each other, Tom saw the observer in the relieving plane make a familiar movement with his hand. Since that was an old signal practiced between Jack and himself he knew who the bundled-up figure in the observer’s seat was.
He made no attempt at conversation, because the roar of the motors and other sounds went to make up a Bedlam of noise and it was next to impossible to make himself heard.
So waving Jack farewell, Tom again turned his attention to the battlefield below him for a last view before they descended to the hangar field, their work successfully accomplished for that day.
The landing was made without a hitch. Tom immediately became aware of the fact that there was a most terrible din going on all around him. Up to that moment he had almost been unacquainted with the fact, because his own motor kept up such an incessant noise close to his ears.