"How should I know, Orry? Wait awhile and see." Ten days later arrived two war medals, and two appointments; one for Blaine as sergeant in the aviation corps, the other for Orry as first corporal in the same. CHAPTER V THE PRACTICE DRILL About the time that Corporal Orris Erwin was able to take his place again as a fighting aviator, Sergeant Blaine, returning from a long scouting raid over in the enemy's territory, met the boy in the broad drive of the aerodrome looking about him rather strangely. He threw an arm over Orry's shoulder, and drew him along to the door of the Aero Club. "Been in here?" he asked. "It is great! They asking 'bout you the day we left. Heard about Cheval?" Orris, not feeling like talking, shook his head, vouchsafing: "Nothing only that he went along with your squadron at the last minute." "Poor chap! He won't raid with us again. He went down near Essen. There was where we were to unload most of our bombs. But Archie got him. Down he went -" Blaine's eyes grew moist at the memory. Erwin understood. "Nothing more?" he ventured. "Nary thing, except that we gave the Krupp works hell for about fifteen or twenty minutes. You should have seen the explosions." "That part was good. Say, Blaine," Orris, was looking, thoughtful, "has it ever struck you how terribly uncertain a thing life is --" "Oh, rats!" Blaine shook his smaller companion as they neared the club door. "Stow that sort of talk and thought! Don't do you a bit of good or those that hear you. See?" "Still, since my last flight with you, these thing will run across my mind. What is up now ? You in on anything yet?" "I've heard -- but don't whisper a word -- that we're on for a job of sausage driving next. Nothing sure, though." Sausages is the slang term for gas observation balloons which go up at certain points and observe the enemy's positions or maneuvers before and during battle on the earth below. Sausages do not fight back much but are protected by support battle planes and in other ways. Reaching the clubroom door, they entered, Blaine pushing his comrade forward and saying with mock politeness: "Let me present my comrade Erwin, or Orry, I like to call him. While doing the Boches the other day at Appincourte Bluff, the Boches came mighty nigh doing him. But here he is, what's left of him. Jolly him a bit. He feels bad!" The last tweak in allusion to Orry's remark on the uncertainty of life. 'There were a dozen or more of the air lads in the room and cigarette smoke tinged the air. Towards Erwin, now recovered after nearly a three week's "lay-off" on account of his burns and other wounds, there was a general rush of friendly hands and voices. "Oh, you bully l'ill boy! If I hadn't been kept so busy would have gone round to jolly you up a bit. But I kept hearin' from you all the same."