CHAPTER VII
PARKER'S STORY
This time he had a very fair start, and he made the best of it. Lookingback, he saw that two of the German machines headed after him, butapparently gave up the chase before it was well begun. Once Jimmyhad a feeling that he ought not to run back to safety beforeendeavoring, to see what had happened to Parker, but the flightsub-commander had been most explicit in his instructions on thathead. "If you by any chance lose Parker," he had said, "come back."He had lost Parker, right enough. That was about the first thinghe had done, he thought to himself with some feeling of self-condemnation.
All the while he was roaring on, his machine seemingly feeling likea homing pigeon. He felt a fierce love for that noble hunter. Hefelt he could almost talk to it and tell it how proud he was of havingbeen able to put it through its paces. Never had there been such amachine before, he thought.
At last the home airdrome came into sight far below. Many a timethereafter was Jimmy to feel glad he was nearing home, but nevermore sincerely than on the afternoon of that first battle. He madea good landing. His mechanics were waiting for him, and wheeled themachine toward the hangar, while Jimmy walked off to headquartersto report. Arrived there, he found that both the flight commanderand sub-commander were out. No one seemed worrying much about him.He had been so intent on his job and it had meant so much to himthat it took a few minutes for him to get the right perspective, andsee that, after all, he was only one of the pieces in the big game,and a bit of waiting would not hurt him or make his report any theless of interest.
Would it be of interest? The thought came to him as he sat there,quietly. What would he report? The flight commander was a busyperson. He would not, in all probability, have the time to hear along report, should he have the inclination to do so. What couldJimmy report? First that he had lost Parker. Where in the name ofgoodness was Parker? Jimmy would have given much to know, butsomething kept him from asking. He had been sent out as a sort ofguard for Parker. He had lost him at the very beginning of the fight.He might report that he had shot down an enemy hunter machine andkilled its pilot, but surely that would sound very bare and veryboastful.
Just as Jimmy was really making himself thoroughly miserable thedoor of the rough headquarters shed opened, and who should walk inbut Parker himself! Jimmy felt he could have hugged him.
"I was sitting here wondering where you were," said Jimmy.
"Well, for the most part I have been chasing you," answered the olderpilot. "You certainly can fly that machine you were on to-day, youngfellow! If I were you I would ask the chief to let you stick tothat plane. You put up a swell little exhibition in her to-day."
"Chasing me?" Jimmy gasped. "Chasing me? I don't understand."
"It is simple enough. I suppose you saw me go for that big dray-horseof a scout machine, didn't you?"
Jimmy nodded.
"I got him, I think," Parker went on. "Anyway, he went down. Heseemed to land pretty well, for a smash, but that sort of plane willalmost land by itself, sometimes. When I was sure he was down, sureenough, I had come a bit too low, and for a while I was pretty busydodging the finest collection of Archies I have yet met with. I gottwo fair-sized pieces of shell right through both planes, but theydidn't seem to matter a bit. I got up to a good height before I quitclimbing. So far as I could see, you had by that time managed to getout of what must have been a bit of a trap, and were heading offsouth at a rate of knots, as my sailor brother would say. I hovered,watching the big hunter that dived on you. He didn't seem to knowquite what to do. He must have missed seeing me, for some reason.
"As I was waiting for him to make up his mind you did that rippingloop. I saw that. So did the Boche hunter who was onlooking. I knewyou would get that center plane, and thought you would score two ofthem, but you were right to take no chances of the number three chapgetting a drop on you. Where I played the goat was letting theswooper fellow get a start on me. I guess I was too interestedwatching your antics."
"Anyway, he got to your area before I did, though I wasn't far back.Your skid off to the side put them all off, and gave me a fine chanceat Mr. Swooper. He fussed a minute, undecided what to do. That isa bad fault at this game. I caught him just where I wanted him, andhe did his last swoop, I guess. I piled on home after you, but notso fast. Anyone would think you were going to a fire, by the way youcame back. What was your desperate hurry?"
Jimmy laughed. He was so glad Parker was home safe and sound thathe did not mind being chaffed. So Parker had accounted for two enemymachines? And he had been worrying about Parker! Well, he might aswell own up to himself, he thought, that he had been acting like avery green hand at the game. But never mind! They had done a goodday's work, both of them. No mistake about that. He felt good. Thereaction had set in in earnest. Jimmy was simply happy.
At that moment the flight commander came in. Parker and Jimmy rose,stepped forward and saluted.
"Back?" said the chief laconically.
"Yes, sir," answered Parker.
"Did you find any of their scouts?"
"Yes, sir. One."
"Get him?"
"Drove him down, sir. I could not tell much about his damage from hislanding, though I think he smashed a bit. I had a good chance at him."
"That all?"
"Yes, sir. Except that four of their hunters attacked Hill. Heside-looped and got free, then looped again and caught one well,finishing him. He threw one other right into my hands, too."
"Get him?"
"Yes, sir."
"Right." The flight commander turned to go out, then, as if suddenlyremembering that Jimmy was a new hand at the game, he said over hisshoulder: "Very well done. Get Parker to show you how to make outyour report. Very good, both of you."
"H'm," said Parker as the chief stepped out of the door. "He isgetting talkative."
But the flight commander was more voluble when he saw Jimmy's squadroncommander that night. "I think that youngster you brought up withyou---boy by the name of Hill---is made of good stuff," he said. "Hewent with Parker to-day, and between them they managed a very prettyshow. I shall read their official reports with interest. It isn'tvery often a young fellow gets such a baptism, and it's still morerare for one to pull it off the way Hill did. Why, those two gottwo, if not three Boches. Think of it! If Hill keeps on the wayhe has started out he will make a name for himself."
"I picked him as a possible good one," said the squadron commanderproudly. "I think he will keep it up."
Jimmy, though tired, did not go to sleep the minute he went to bed thatnight. He lay for ten or fifteen minutes going over what the day hadbrought him. Curiously enough, the last thing he said to himself,before he dropped off to sleep, was very much akin to what hissquadron leader had said.
"It's not a bad start," was his good-night thought, "but I must keepit up."
Brighton Boys with the Flying Corps Page 7
