Viewing page 343 of 745

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

318

if he had cared for a French mademoiselle. We were jealous but maintained a tolerant attitude that seemed to say, "Well, if they only knew what we know about his flying...!"

Monday and Tuesday saw the fitting out of several new machines. They fly peculiarly during the period that we are getting accustomed to their vagaries. Their capacity for losing height is a breath-taker. A nose-dive with motor on gives a terrific speed approaching [[strikethrough]] 150 [[/strikethrough]] ^[[130]] and more miles an hour ^[[if it stays together. Top usually is 120.]] The seat leaves the pilot and the belt straps seem to be exerting an effort to keep the driver in the cockpit. I haven't got the "feel" of the stick yet. Indeed I almost "have my wind up" on account of the statement, just come to light, that these ships are leftovers and reassembled from crashes. Surely one of them has been over the lines in May 1917 and has been in two escadrilles. What made us think we were getting brand new and up to-the-