At length the German, no longer clumsy, but most expert, seemed to be waving something that looked white. Then came a low megaphone call that made Bangs wonder if his ears were all right. It came in good United States English. "Hullo, you!" it began. "Let's rest a bit and have a pow-wow!" Buck could still hardly believe that he really heard, and he hesitated. Finally he returned: "Don't know you! You talk like us, but you act like a Hun. Can't trust you Huns further than you'd -" "Aw-come on down! I'm tired of fightin' a will-o'-the-wisp like you. Been in Akron lately?" "Don't know the burg. Montana's my stampin' ground -- when I'm home." "I used to live in Akron -- worked in the rubber factories. Come on down. I know a good place. We can yarn there -- mebbe have a zwie-bier." The two machines were now hardly fifty yards apart, with the German rather lower down than Buck. "Not much, old man! I don't know you, I say. Now -- you watch out! I'm --" But Buck never finished that sentence. The German, having consumed as much time as he thought proper with his hyperbolical peace propaganda, suddenly dove sideways, executing what is now known as the Emmelin turn, that would bring him, nose up, somewhat below and on the other side of Bangs. But Buck was not to be caught napping by any Hun making seemingly friendly proposals. Before the German had more than half executed the maneuver, Bangs was already shooting upwards in a zigzag course and by the time the other had gotten into position, Buck was swinging round far above, from whence, to outdo the other, he pointed his Nieuport downward pointblank at the fuselage of the German's Taube. Swiftly he came, apparently reckless of consequences. It so turned out that the Boche did exactly what Bangs thought he would do: tried to avoid the descending avalanche. His machine swung to the right, yet not enough to clear the other. Full tilt the Nieuport struck the nearly motionless Taube near the center of the fuselage. Nieuports are strong and sharp in their prow, and the metal edge clove through the side of the German machine not unlike one destroyer ramming another. At the same instant Bangs, pointing his Lewis gun obliquely downward, sent a spatter of bullets full into his opponent just before the collision occurred. Smash went in the side of the Taube. An instant before, the shower of bullets had penetrated not only the petrol tank but also the body of the too plausible German. Anticipating what might happen, Buck clapped down upon his rudder, reversing his engine, and drew back from the shattered enemy just in time to escape the burst of flame that almost at once enveloped both man and machine. "I settled him, " panted Buck, almost breathless despite himself. "He may have lived in the U. S., but he lacked much of American love for fair play. I wouldn't have run into him if he had acted at all white."