Air Stories, April 1936 — page 36: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AIR STORIES tion of eye and muscle, had become so automatic that Warton had little con- sciousness of the events that were taking place around him. He was only tired, hopeless, and faintly anxious for the whole affair to be over and done with. Then he saw a triplane a few yards in front and above, that was dipping its nose until he could see along the engine- cowling into the muzzles of its guns. The thought flashed through his mind : ‘* He’s got me ! ”’ Across from the flank, down on top of the triplane, there rushed another machine. Warton had just realised from the streamers on its tail and a figure that stood up frantically waving in the back seat, that it was Savage, when, with a crash, the sight of which hurt him through every nerve in his body, the two machines met. Triplane and its attacker, mixed to form one indistinguishable mass of wreckage that fell, burning furiously. Heedless of every danger, Warton circled round and round the scene of the collision, watching the spark of fire grow fainter in the mists below, until it was finally extinguished. When he looked up again, he was alone in the sky. Beyond the western horizon the sun was disappearing behind a bank of scarlet-edged clouds; and as he flew towards it, Warton’s lips were repeating over and over again one phrase: ‘‘ You silly ass | You did it on purpose ! ”’ CHAPTER VI The Squadron Moves Up OR a month after this incident Warton led his flight on the usual patrols and escorts without sustaining any casualty, but also without any brilliant success. his men so well in formation flying and the elements of aerial fighting that Warton could find very little to teach them. He knew that under all ordinary circumstances they could be relied upon to look after themselves, and he carefully avoided any conflict which might put too great a strain upon their abilities. Savage had trained Mechanical as his flying had become, he still took a pleasure in it. The fulfil- ment of his ground duties was irksome in the extreme, yet he attended to them conscientiously, though with a certain lassitude that was at once remarked by the Major. ‘‘ That affair with Savage has knocked all the stuffing out of him,’’ he observed to the Recording Officer. ‘‘ Tl have to send him home in a week or two, o£ else he’ll crack up completely.”’ War- ton’s pilots trusted him and admired his leadership. ‘‘ Old Warts is as safe as houses,’’ they said. ‘‘ Can’t imagine him doing anything rash.”’ With Lastor, he discussed Savage’s death many times and at length. Lastor put the whole thing down to impulsive- ness and obstinacy. ‘You remember,’’ he said, ‘‘ that it was just as we came in sight of the aerodrome that Savage said he was going up? That was just a passing impulse ; but when he heard that his H.E. papers were through, he persisted out of sheer obstinacy. As to the fight itseli—well, all we can say is that Savage, for the first time in his life, made a bad mistake. He didn’t see those Huns above us. When he found out what an awful mess he’d led us into, he fought until all his ammunition was gone; realised that it was simply a question of time before both of us got shot down ; and then smashed into that Hun to give us a chance of clearing off. He knew that the sight would upset the Huns just as much as it did us, and he calculated on our getting away in consequence. Of course, it meant killing Ryeward as well as himself, but then Ryeward would have been killed in any case, for the Huns would certainly have shot us both down. I’m absolutely certain that Savage thought the whole thing out, and used his brain up to the last second.’’ ‘‘Jove! But he was a man!” exclaimed Warton softly. FTER three weeks, Lastor was awarded the M.C., while Warton received a bar to his, whereat he was not 322 LO@OO SJ (C(O)