Presently they began to come back.

Some landed beautifully--one in particular--and the Major said to me: "Come on, I must go and congratulate that chap," and started running for the machine.

When we got closer, he stopped and said: "Damn it! it's Hoidge, I forgot he was out." I remember one poor chap in particular.

He circled the aerodrome twelve times, each time coming down for a landing and each time funking it at the last moment.

At last he did land, two or three bumps, and then--apparently slowly--the machine's nose went to the ground and gracefully it turned turtle.