. Airfare of to-day and of the future. s arms,with a despairing Kamerad. It is his onlychance to escape a drop of some thousand feet anddeath. The air fight is the sole relic of old-time romanticwarfare. It is a matter of wits and courage, strengthand endurance to the end. Those modern knightsride their petrol steeds, with their gun-lances atilttheir shoulders, in the lists of the clouds and bound-less eternity, with the smiling Queen of Victoryawaiting their victorious return below. Her nameis no commonplace feminine equivalent, but theproud cognomen Duty. Of these graceful duels one cannot f
. Airfare of to-day and of the future. s arms,with a despairing Kamerad. It is his onlychance to escape a drop of some thousand feet anddeath. The air fight is the sole relic of old-time romanticwarfare. It is a matter of wits and courage, strengthand endurance to the end. Those modern knightsride their petrol steeds, with their gun-lances atilttheir shoulders, in the lists of the clouds and bound-less eternity, with the smiling Queen of Victoryawaiting their victorious return below. Her nameis no commonplace feminine equivalent, but theproud cognomen Duty. Of these graceful duels one cannot forbear tomention the affair of Rouzier Dorcieres, a personalityfamous in two continents ; a composite of Cyranode Bergerac and dArtagnan. Dorcieres was premierduellist of the great Republic across the than a score of victorious duels could he the greatest was in the clouds, the last—foughtnot for self-glory, but for the honour of his belovedFrance. The story was quoted in a recent numberof the Weekly Dispatch,. <PSO o Hffl 2 w Q o ^^« ^ AERIAL COMBAT 97 Wherever Dorcieres travelled, his reputationpreceded him. At Zurich, in 1910, he was publiclyinsulted by an officer of the Prussian Guards. Thelatter approached him after dinner, as Dorciereswas sipping his coffee in the lounge. So you are Rouzier Dorcieres ? he said sneer-ingly. I recognize you. And they say you havenever been touched in a duel. Well, I am sorry Ihave never had the good fortune to meet you inone. But you will have the chance to meet me,replied Dorcieres heatedly. The Prussians expression grew dark. Mon-sieur, he said, I shall meet you here before tenoclock with my seconds and the swords. We willsettle this affair before I depart. Will you awaitme ? The duellist waited, but no Prussian had departed hurriedly. And from that eveninghe registered a mental vow to obtain satisfactionfrom his cowardly assailant, somewhere, sometime,somehow. With this object he enlisted in the F
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