"Say," cried Earl enviously, "I wish we were."
"That's the best part of the service all right," said Leon. "Jacques and I were in it together once and I know what I'm talking about."
"Why did you ever leave it?" inquired Dubois.
"I don't know," said Leon. "We thought it would be more exciting with the infantry and so we got transferred."
"Flying's not as safe as it was at the beginning of the war," remarked Dubois.
"I know it isn't," said Leon. "There are ten times as many machines now as there were then and ten times as many flyers. Then again, scouting over trenches is much more dangerous than over the open country. Here you are fired at constantly by the anti-aircraft guns and you meet so many more machines; they're all concentrated in one spot."
"Just the same I'd like to try it," exclaimed Earl eagerly. "Do you suppose that if Jacques is given a machine he could take us along as observers?"
"No such luck I'm afraid," laughed Leon grimly. "We may never see him again."
"Let's hope it will not be as bad as that," said Dubois. "Jacques is certainly a fine boy."
"He's a good friend of mine all right," said Leon warmly.