In Tom's case he did not have access to this weapon, which was fixed
on the rim of the cockpit where Jack could, and where he had been
controlling, it. With Jack out of the fight, through one or more
German bullets, it was up to Tom to return the fire of the Huns from
his swivel mounted Lewis gun. He was going to have difficulty in
doing this and also guiding the craft, but he had had harder
problems than this to meet since becoming an aviator in the great
war, and now he quickly conquered his worrying over Jack, and began
to look to himself.
He gave one more fleeting glance at the crumpled-up figure of his
chum, seeking for a sign of life, but he saw none. Then he swung
about, turning in toward the nearest Hun airman, and not away from
him, and opened up with the machine gun, using both hands on that
for a moment, while he steered with his knees.
It was not easy work, and Tom hardly expected to make a direct hit,
but he must have come uncomfortably close to the Boche, for the
latter swerved off, and for an instant his plane seemed beyond
control. Whether this was due to a wound received by the aviator,
or to a trick on his part was not disclosed to Tom. But the machine
darted downward and seemed to be content to veer off for a while.
The third plane Tom soon saw was not going to trouble him, as it had
not speed equal to his own, so that he really had left only one
antagonist with whom to deal.
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