"Yes, another has sprung to the gun! But he's gone! Wharton has shot him too! He's fallen on the floor of the car, and he lies quite still."
"Your friend is indeed a sharpshooter. How many men are left in the plane?"
"Only one! No, good God, there's none! Wharton has shot the third man also, and now the machine goes whirling and falling through space!"
"I said that friend of yours must be a sharpshooter," said Lannes, in a tone of awe, "but he must be more! He must be the king of all riflemen. It's evident that the Omnibus knows how to defend herself. I'll swing in a little, and you can take a shot or two."
John fired once, without hitting anything but the air, which made no complaint, but the battle was over. Horrified by the fate that had overtaken their comrades and seeing help for their enemy at hand the Taubes withdrew.
The Arrow and the Omnibus flew on toward the French lines, whence other machines were coming to meet them.
CHAPTER XI
THE CONTINUING BATTLE
The Arrow bore in toward the Omnibus. Wharton had put his rifle aside and was staring downward as if he would see the wreck that he had made. Lannes called to him loudly: