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FLYING MEN

— engine sounds nice and smooth!" said he, cocking an ear. Sure enough, came a faint purr that grew to a hum, to an ever-loudening drone, and out from the clouds an aeroplane appeared, which, wheeling in graceful spirals, sank lower and lower, touched earth, rose, touched again, and so, engine roaring, slid smoothly toward us over the grass. Then appeared men in blue overalls, who seized the gleaming monster in unawed, accustomed hands, steadied it, swung it round, and halted it within speaking distance.

Hereupon its leather-clad pilot climbed stiffly out, vituperated the weather and lit a cigarette.

"How is she?" enquired the Captain.

"A lamb! A witch! Absolutely top-hole when you get used to her." The top-hole lamb and witch was a smallish biplane with no great wing spread, but powerfully engined, whose points N. explained to me as — her speed, her climbing angle, her wonderful stability, etc., while the Captain and Lieutenant hastened off to find the

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