Poor Joe felt his heart in his throat.  A very deep feeling of shame came over him and his eyes filled with tears.  His face showed real distress.

The colonel turned to Joe from an inspection of the plane and as he did so saw the boy’s eyes.  Colonel Marker was a kindhearted man, for all his gruff exterior, and he had, too, a great interest in the Brighton boys and their progress.  He felt, the moment he realized how much to heart Joe had taken the accident, a sense of sincere sympathy for the lad.

Placing his hand on Joe’s shoulder, he said:  “My boy, what counts most is the way you have worked to get that old machine into flying shape, and the fact that you were ready and willing to have a shot at flying her, with all your inexperience.  Those things show keenness, enthusiasm, and pluck.  A flying man has to possess nerve.  He has to take chances sometimes.  You did the best you could do.  The fact that you were inexperienced was against you, but in failing to get through without accident you gained experience.  I do not care half so much about the machine as you might think.  I might have left it unrepaired if you boys had not taken on the job.  Don’t feel so badly, my boy.”

Joe had difficulty in finding his voice.  “But, sir,” he said in a low tone, “the boys had looked forward so much to getting a chance to learn to fly on the old bus.  Now that is all knocked into a cocked hat.  I feel that I have robbed them of something I can’t give them again.  They are too good to say so, but every one of them feels the disappointment as much as can be.”

“Well,” said the colonel, “there is no need for too much downheartedness on that score.  Maybe I can play fairy godmother along that line.  You Brighton boys have worked hard and studied hard.  I have watched you.  I am pleased with you.  You are all big enough now to begin the game, I think, or at least you will be soon.  What do you think, Major?”

“I think you are right, sir,” replied Major Phelps quietly.  “If any boys deserve to be taken into the service these surely do.  They may be a bit on the young side, but they will be quite old enough by the time they get to France.”

To France!  The Brighton boys could hardly believe their ears.  That casual sentence quickened every pulse.  To France!  The bare suggestion made them glow with anticipation.

“How do you feel about it?” asked the colonel, turning to the seven.

“Every one of us is ready to go into the service the very first day we can be taken in,” answered Bob Haines.  “We started with that idea in view.  We all hoped some day to join up, and we think we could be of more use in the Flying Corps than anywhere else.  I don’t mean by that that we want to pick our jobs, sir, but we would like to get into the air service for choice.”

“And a very good choice too,” commented Colonel Marker.  “Major Phelps, suppose you look into the individual work that each of these boys has been doing lately, and see if those under whom they have worked recommend them all.  Is this the lot of them?”