Meanwhile some dozens of breathless mechanics and officers arrived at the double, and made kind inquiries as to my health. I am absolutely certain they were infinitely more scared than I was, and they all seemed relieved when I told them I was all right. I then lit a cigarette (as being the correct thing to do), observing with satisfaction that my hand was quite steady, and walked up to the C.O. and apologised. “Oh, that’s all right, as long as you are all right: J--, just ring up the Wing, and tell them our machine has landed.” Everybody was bucked that I got out all right. One of our pilots said he didn’t know how I managed to land at all, and thinks I was jolly lucky. At any rate, it is experience and it didn’t hurt me in the least, so I have nothing to grumble about. By the way, I don’t expect to get my next leave much before Christmas at any rate, as there is none going here just now. * * * * * I had a good game of tennis yesterday, and took up my machine to test it again. This time the engine ran perfectly and I did some splendid stunts coming down. When I had landed, an officer who was visiting the aerodrome came up and thanked me for my “beautiful exhibition.” I felt inclined to pass the hat round. I have just come down now, and have been taking photos. Archie was scarce owing to clouds, but the clouds made it harder for me to photo. Made a topping landing. * * * * * Just come down from a shoot. G. was up with me, but I did the shoot. We got some pretty good Archie at us, and as the artillery did not shoot well, I dropped a couple of bombs on the target. I must get tea, and then to tennis. * * * * * I have not much news to-day, except that I have had a splendid game of tennis, and a rather pleasant bombing raid. We went a long way over, past a Hun aerodrome, and got hardly any Archie at all, owing to the clouds. I got a beautiful shot with one of my bombs, on a railway station--my objective. On the way back I did a spiral on the other side of the Hun lines, and one of our chaps, thinking I was a Hun going down, fired a drum of ammunition at me. I told him he must be a rotten shot, and had better have some practice on the range with me. Altogether it was quite a jolly flight. * * * * * [Sidenote: Stalling] I was testing my machine round the ’drome this morning when it occurred to me to indulge in a few stunts. I obtained the sanction of my passenger, and we proceeded to do vertical banks, stalls, and tail slides, much to the enjoyment of a group of officers who (I heard afterwards) were watching. I found it most enjoyable. Perhaps you don’t know what “stalling” is. You are flying level so: [Illustration] then you pull the nose of the machine up so: [Illustration] till at last it becomes perpendicular, so: [Illustration]