"Not a bit more than I ought to be," returned Dick earnestly. "I have chances of seeing things that you fellows don't. I'm flying all over the occupied zone, and I tell you that the Spartacides are trying to stir up trouble everywhere. In almost every other town you can see the red flag flying. There's stormy weather coming, and we've got to be prepared for gales."
"That just fits in with what Colonel Pavet of the French Army was telling me to-day," said Frank. "He's just back from Berlin, and he's sure there's trouble afoot."
"Well," said Dick, "I hope that we're both false prophets, but I'm afraid we're not. I'll have to get on now, fellows."
"What did you come down for?" asked Tom. "Engine trouble?"
"No, it wasn't that," replied Dick. "The old girl is working fine. I just saw an American bunch marching along here and dropped down to say 'howdy.' I'm off now. See you soon in Coblenz."
With a wave of his hand, he walked over, climbed into his machine, and started skyward.
The boys watched him soaring until his machine was only a dot in the steel blue of the winter sky, and then, as their brief rest period had ended, started on the march to Coblenz.
"One great boy, that Dick," remarked Frank, when the aviator was finally lost to sight.
"You bet he is," agreed Billy emphatically. "He's one of the greatest aces that ever climbed into a plane."
"I suppose he must be feeling rather lonely now that he isn't bringing down his daily Hun," suggested Tom.