The biplane would not rise to any great degree. But it would travel at a gentle upward trend and as rapidly as ever.
Off he flew, more than anxious to get out of; range from the vengeful fire that pursued him.
Another groan from Stanley. Blaine, looking back, saw the lad crumpling up with a new red stain trickling down his scalp.
"How I would like to help him!" thought the pilot. "But the only chance for either of us is to keep on and get out of this hell."
For a wonder there did not appear any more Boche fliers, and as soon as he was outside the immediate range of the Archies, Blaine found that he was sailing northeastward over an opaquely indistinct expanse of country which he felt in his bones must be that of the foe.
CHAPTER XVII
BUCK AND THE BOCHE ALOFT
Meanwhile what had become of Buck Bangs, whom we left following the Boche flier that had first assaulted him, but who soon seemed to have enough of the game?
The truth was that Buck, who was plucky to the core, did not want to give up and return to the home base any more than did Blaine. Both were fighters and loath to abandon what looked like success as long as there seemed a chance to win out.
As he had told the Walsen girl once, when she remonstrated with him upon his temerity in the face of what more than once looked like certain death: