“I’m liable to land on a church steeple if that motor cuts out on me as it did yesterday afternoon–for no reason at all. Remember, no contour chasing and no dog-fighting. We’re going to Paris.”
Larkin grinned. Rarely did they go into the air together but what they engaged in mimic warfare–dog-fighting–before their wheels again touched the ground. It was the airman’s game of tag, the winner 44being that one who could get on the other’s tail and stay there. It was a thunderous, strut singing game wherein the pursued threw his plane into fantastic gyrations in a frenzied, wild effort to shake off the pursuer and get on his tail. It was a game in which McGee excelled. Although Larkin recognized this fact, he was always the first to start the dog fight and had never found McGee unwilling to play. As for contour chasing–well, they had broken regulations times without number, and to date had paid no penalty.
McGee, knowing what thoughts lurked behind Larkin’s grin, wagged a prudent finger under his nose.
“Mind your step, Buzz,” he warned. “We are supposed to be sedate, dignified, instruction-keeping instructors. Fly northwest to Auxerre, then follow the railroad toward Sens and on to Melun. Then swing straight north and come into Le Bourget from the east.”
“All right. All set?”
“Yes. You lead off and I’ll follow. Wait! On second thought I think I’ll lead and pick my own altitude. And if you start any funny business, I’ll leave you flat!”
They climbed into the waiting planes, whose motors were still warming idly. Members of the ground crew took up their stations at the wing tips. McGee was on the point of nodding to the crew to remove 45the wheel chocks when he remembered that for the first time in his experience as a pilot he had climbed into the cockpit without first casting an appraising eye over braces, struts and turn buckles. He promptly cut the motor and climbed from the plane, saying, half aloud; “I must be getting balmy. It’s the weather, I guess.”
“How’s that, sir?” asked the air mechanic.
“I say, it’s balmy weather we’re having.”
“Oh! Yes, sir.”