THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



33 



saw the others come 

 out of their machines 

 he tore off again and 

 flew away from them. 



By the time the first 

 of the Huns had been 

 able to get off the 

 ground. Ball was over 

 half a mile away and 

 had made good his es- 

 cape. The risk he 

 took in landing this 

 way was very great, 

 as his engine might 

 have stopped when he 

 landed, in which case 

 there would have been 

 no way of starting it 

 again and escaping. 



On another occa- 

 sion, about six months 

 later, he had an ex- 

 perience just as thrill- 

 ing as the one above. 

 He had chased an 

 enemy machine for 

 ten miles behind its 

 lines and, on turning 

 to come home, found 

 himself cut off by sev- 

 eral groups of the 

 enemy. Picking out a 

 group just in front of 

 him, and the smallest 

 group which was try- 

 ing to cut him off, he 

 decided to fly straight 

 at the machines and 

 through them. There 

 were four in the party, 

 and as he flew toward 

 them they all opened 

 fire at him, while he 

 did the same at them. 



The leader of the 

 enemy patrol did not 

 like it, however, and swerved to one side, 

 just as Ball was hoping he would. Two 

 of his followers did the same thing, per- 

 haps in the hope that they would be able 

 to catch Ball from the flank ; but it was all 

 according to Ball's plan and he carried 

 on straight at the last man, whom he 

 hoped would also turn. 



MAJOR WIIXIAM A. 



Photograph by Charles Martin 

 BISHOP ON A VISIT TO WASHINGTON 



While in the National Capital, a few days before his return to the 

 front, Great Britain's greatest airman called at the headquarters of 

 the National Geographic Society to give the accompanying account 

 of several of the exploits of his fellow aviator, the late Captain 

 Albert Ball, V. C. During his stay in this country Major Bishop 

 has rendered valuable assistance to American officers charged with 

 the development of our great air fleet. 



At a speed of 250 miles* an hour they 

 approached, both firing two machine-guns 

 at each other. It looked as if they were 

 going to go into each other. Both men 

 seemed determined that they would not 

 the slightest. Ball told me later 



swerve 



*They 

 hour. 



were each moving at 125 miles per 



