Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1912-01-05

The lieutenant opened q cupboard
door and displayed divers suit, only
that it was made of oiled silk, and
both its compressed air knapsack and
its helmet We're of an alloy of alumni
ium and some light metal. I'VE can
go all over the inside netting and stick
up bulletholes or leaks" he explained.
There's netting inside and out The
whole outer case is rope ladder, SO to
speak,"
Aft of the habitable part of the
airship was the magazine of explo-
sives. coming near the middle of its
length. They were all bombs of va
rious types, mostly in glass. None of
the German airships carried any guns
at all, except one small pompom, to
use the old English nickname dating
from the Boer war, which was for
ward in the gallery upon the shield at
the heart of the eagle. From the mag
azine amidShips Il covered canvas gal
lery, with aluminium treads on its
floor and hand rope, ran back under
meath the gas chamber to the engine
room at the tail. But along this Bert
did not go, and from first to last he
never saw the engines. But he went
up a ladder against gale of ventila-
tion-a ladder that was incased in a
kind of gas tight fire eScape-and ran
right athwart the great forward air
chamber to the little lookout gallery
with telephone that gallery that
bore the light pompom of German
steel and its locker of shells This
gallery was all of aluminium magne-
SUM alloy. the tight front of the air
ship swelled cliff'like above and below.
and the black eagle sprawleI over
whelminGly gigantic, its extremities
all hidden by the bulge of the gas
bag.
And far down under the soaring
eagles was England 1000 feet below
perhaps and looking very small and
defenseless indeed in the morning sun
light.
The realization that there was Eng
land gave Bert sudden and unexpected
Gualms of patriotic compunction. He
was struck by n quite novel idea. Aft
er all. he might have torn up those
plans and thrown them away. These
people could not have done so very
much to him. And even If they did,
ought not an Englishman to die for his
country? 1t was an idea that had hith-
erto been rather smothered up by the
cares of Il competitive civilization He
became violently depressed. He ought,
he perceived. to have seen it in that
light before. Wasn't he a traitor?
He was passing between Manchester
and Liverpool. Kurt told him.
Kurt and he fell talking of aerial
tactics and presently went down to
the undergallery In order that Bert
might see the Drachenfiieger that the
airships of the right wing had picked
up over night and were towing be-
hind them, each airship towing three
or four. They looked like big box
kites of an exaggerated form, soaring
at the ends of invisible cords. They
had long, square heads and tlattened
tails. with lateral propellers.
"Your machine is different from that,
Mr. Butteridge?"
"Quite different" said Bert "More
like an insect and less like bird And
it bu2zes and don't drive about SO.
What can those things do?'
Kurt was not very clear upon that
himself and was still explaining when
Bert was called to the conference we
have recorded with the prince.
And after that was over the last
traces of Butteridge fell from Bert
like garment. and he became Small
ways to all on board The soldiers
ceased to salute him. and the officers
ceased to seem aware of his existence,
except Lieutenant Kurt. He was turn
ed out of his nice cabin and packed
in with his belongings to share that
of Lieutenant Kurt. whose luck it was
to be junior. and the bird headed Of
ficer. still swearing slightly and car
rying strops and aluminium boot trees
and weightless hair brushes and hand
mirrors and pomade in his hands. re-
sumed possession. Bert was put i'm
with Kurt because there was nowhere
else for him to lay his bandaged head
in that close packed vessel. He was
to mess, he was told. with the men.
Whats your real name. then?" said
Kurt. who was only imperfectly in
formed of the new state of affairs.
'Smallways."
II thought you were bit of q fraud
even when | thought you were But
teridge You're jolly lucky the prince
took it calmly. He's Il pretty tidy
blazer when he's reused. He wouldn't
stick IL moment at pitching chap of
your sort overheard If he thought
fit. No! They've showed you on to
me. but It's my cabin. YOU know"
Il won't forget said Bert.
To be eontinued.l