Tam was doing stunts. He was side-slipping, nose-diving and looping--he was, in fine, setting up all those stresses which a machine under extraordinary circumstances might have to endure. "He always does that with a new machine, sir," said Captain Blackie's companion. "I've never understood why, because if he found a weak place, he'd be too dead for the information to be of any service to him." * * * * * Later, when Tam condescended to bring himself to earth, Blackie asked him. "Why do you do fool stunts, Tam? The place to test the machine is on the ground?" "Ye're wrong, sir-r," said Tam quietly; "the groond's a fine place to test a wee perambulator or a motor-car or a pair of buits--but it's no' the place to test an aeroplane. The aeroplane an' the submarine maun be tried oot in their native eelements." "But suppose you _did_ succeed in breaking something--and you went to glory?" "Aye," said Tam quietly, "an' suppose A'm goin' oop wi' matchless coorage to save ma frien's frae the ravishin' Hoon an' ma machine plays hookey? Would it no' be worse for a' concairned, than if A' smash oop by mesel'?" "Did you see Müller?" "In the clouds. A' left him hauldin' a committee-meetin', Captain MacMuller in the cheer. "'Resolvit,' says the cheerman, 'that this meetin', duly an' truly assembled, passes a hairty vote o' thanks to Tam o' the Scoots, the Mageecian o' the Air-r, for the grand fight he made against a superior enemy--Carried. "'Resolvit,' says the cheerman, 'that we'll no' ta' onny more risk, but confine oor attentions to strafin' spotters--" "Carried wi' acclaimation. The meetin' then adjoorned to enquire after machine noomber sax, eight, sax, two, strafed in the execution of ma duty." It seemed almost as though Tam's words were prophetic, for the next day Smyth and Curzon were attacked whilst "spotting" for the "heavies" and fell in flames in No-Man's Land. They got Smyth in during the night and rushed him back to a base hospital; but Curzon was dead before the machine reached the ground. The same morning Tam read in the German "Official": "In the course of the day Captain Müller shot down his thirtieth enemy aeroplane, which fell before the English lines." "It were no' the English lines, but the Argyll an' Sootherland Hielanders' lines," complained Tam. "Thairty machines yon Muller ha' strafit. Weel, weel!"