he had learned the pattern of sound when airplanes were fighting in the sky.
He looked up quickly and saw three airplanes. He could tell by the markings that two were German and one was British. The aerial fight was high in the sky, directly overhead. The planes dipped and dived so close to one another, Luc was certain they would crash. The two German planes circled and darted after the British plane, which made daring loops as it tried to escape. The machine guns kept shooting. The pecks and rattles went on and on while the planes buzzed through the sky.
Luc was excited by this fight in the sky. He hoped the pilot in the British plane would get away safely. He did not want the Germans to win, but with two airplanes attacking one, this was not an even fight. Although the aerial fight was terrible to watch, Luc was thrilled to see the skill of all three pilots.
Suddenly Luc was afraid. He wanted to shout out. But before he could make a sound,the British airplane flipped upside down. And that is when something large and dark fell out of the plane.
Luc ran as fast as his legs would run. When he came near the falling object, he thought his eyes were fooling him. The object looked like a large black bird gliding to earth. Only a bird could glide so slowly. But that was a crazy thought and made no sense at all. Why would a large bird fall from a plane and drift down through the sky?
The two German airplanes dipped their wings and flew off. The buzzing of their engines faded as they vanished from sight. The British plane, still upside down, dived at a sure and even angle between earth and sky. It headed away from the edge of the village and towards some trees. But Luc did not run to the trees. Instead, he ran as fast as he could to the place where he thought the black object would land.
As he came near, Luc understood his mistake. This was not a large bird at all, nothing like a bird. It was a man, a pilot, falling straight down to earth out of the sky. His thick, black coat had puffed out around him. From the ground, the ballooning coat had looked like asmall, dark parachute. It must have slowed the pilot’s fall a little, and that is why he seemed to be gliding.
The pilot was wearing a tight-fitting flyer’s helmet. His arms were stretched out wide. He was coming in feet first, faster and faster, nearly at the ground. Now, Luc could see where the pilot would land. He would land on a pond, and the pond was covered with ice.
Chapter Two
Northern France
Luc watched in horror as the pilot slammed into the frozen pond. But the pilot did not sink through to the water below, even though the ice cracked under him. Nothing moved. Everything was still. The body lay on top of the ice. Not a drop of blood could be seen.
From the edge of the pond, Luc could now see the face of a young man. The face looked peaceful, as if the pilot were asleep. Luc knew the man had not survived. And because the body was far out on the ice, Luc also knew he could do nothing to help.
Luc was overcome by what had just happened, and he began to sob. His narrow chest heaved and he bent forward. He straightened, then bent forward again. He could not control himself, and he could not stop crying. A pilot had fallen from the sky, and no one but Luc had seen him crash down to the ice.
Luc cried even harder when he realized that he was the only witness to this person’s death. He could not reach the dead pilot, because to walk on the ice would be too dangerous. So he sat on the ground and pressed his forehead to his knees, and he wondered what to do. When he heard soldiers running towards the pond, he stood up again.
After that, everything happened quickly. The soldier in charge sent two others to get iron hooks, a team of horses, and a cart. Minutes later, they returned, and they began to cast the big hooks over the pond. Finally, they snagged the pilot’s body and began to drag it towards them. As they dragged, the body bumped across the unstable ice.
He looked up quickly and saw three airplanes. He could tell by the markings that two were German and one was British. The aerial fight was high in the sky, directly overhead. The planes dipped and dived so close to one another, Luc was certain they would crash. The two German planes circled and darted after the British plane, which made daring loops as it tried to escape. The machine guns kept shooting. The pecks and rattles went on and on while the planes buzzed through the sky.
Luc was excited by this fight in the sky. He hoped the pilot in the British plane would get away safely. He did not want the Germans to win, but with two airplanes attacking one, this was not an even fight. Although the aerial fight was terrible to watch, Luc was thrilled to see the skill of all three pilots.
Suddenly Luc was afraid. He wanted to shout out. But before he could make a sound,the British airplane flipped upside down. And that is when something large and dark fell out of the plane.
Luc ran as fast as his legs would run. When he came near the falling object, he thought his eyes were fooling him. The object looked like a large black bird gliding to earth. Only a bird could glide so slowly. But that was a crazy thought and made no sense at all. Why would a large bird fall from a plane and drift down through the sky?
The two German airplanes dipped their wings and flew off. The buzzing of their engines faded as they vanished from sight. The British plane, still upside down, dived at a sure and even angle between earth and sky. It headed away from the edge of the village and towards some trees. But Luc did not run to the trees. Instead, he ran as fast as he could to the place where he thought the black object would land.
As he came near, Luc understood his mistake. This was not a large bird at all, nothing like a bird. It was a man, a pilot, falling straight down to earth out of the sky. His thick, black coat had puffed out around him. From the ground, the ballooning coat had looked like asmall, dark parachute. It must have slowed the pilot’s fall a little, and that is why he seemed to be gliding.
The pilot was wearing a tight-fitting flyer’s helmet. His arms were stretched out wide. He was coming in feet first, faster and faster, nearly at the ground. Now, Luc could see where the pilot would land. He would land on a pond, and the pond was covered with ice.
Chapter Two
Northern France
Luc watched in horror as the pilot slammed into the frozen pond. But the pilot did not sink through to the water below, even though the ice cracked under him. Nothing moved. Everything was still. The body lay on top of the ice. Not a drop of blood could be seen.
From the edge of the pond, Luc could now see the face of a young man. The face looked peaceful, as if the pilot were asleep. Luc knew the man had not survived. And because the body was far out on the ice, Luc also knew he could do nothing to help.
Luc was overcome by what had just happened, and he began to sob. His narrow chest heaved and he bent forward. He straightened, then bent forward again. He could not control himself, and he could not stop crying. A pilot had fallen from the sky, and no one but Luc had seen him crash down to the ice.
Luc cried even harder when he realized that he was the only witness to this person’s death. He could not reach the dead pilot, because to walk on the ice would be too dangerous. So he sat on the ground and pressed his forehead to his knees, and he wondered what to do. When he heard soldiers running towards the pond, he stood up again.
After that, everything happened quickly. The soldier in charge sent two others to get iron hooks, a team of horses, and a cart. Minutes later, they returned, and they began to cast the big hooks over the pond. Finally, they snagged the pilot’s body and began to drag it towards them. As they dragged, the body bumped across the unstable ice.
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