The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-08-03

aeroplane dropped as a hawk drops
upon the fish far beneath him.
So swift was the descent that the
sea splashed him before he touched
the diving plane that sent the craft
skimming along the surface OF the
sea- He was too near now to see
anything at all except the searchlight
playing upon the waves. But he had
aimed truly
Crash! AS he pressed the button
thunderous broadside of metal sent
his airship careening like boat in a
current Swiftly he rose to a height
Of 500 feet. Far below the waves
he saw the shadow, still against the
yellow sand.
And now, all round him, the aero
planes were diving, and, as each
touched the surface, she aimed her
guns, which from a height, would
have been useless, ON account Of the
detection Of the water. 1t needed q
sure aim and eye, to know when to
swoop, to calculate how far ahead the
submarine would be before the metal
reached her, after the dive
The airships rose into the sky and
slowly winged their way homeward.
And suddenly, with a roar, the
Eagle broke into debris before the
eyes of the air-sailors One Of the
submarines, unscathed, had crossed
beneath the boom and delivered her
torpedo against the side Of the flag.
ship Of the defending navy.
John Winthrop signaled to the
squadron to retire. There was room
for only one aeroplane to maneuver.
He must catch the invader as she was
returning toward the blockadlng fleet.
He lowered, motionless as a hawk,
and keen-eyed as a hawk. sweeping
the sea with his selenium light. Moth
ing escaped his scrutiny. He saw q
monster predatory fish gliding upon
the bottom, but he saw nothing of the
submarine.
Had she escaped in the confusion?
No. Suddenly Winthrop understood.
This monster fish was the submarine
She had deceived him by moving for.
ward at an incredibly slow rate Of
speed, instead Of at rs miles an hour,
her maximum from that height,
while every object was disclosed with
startling clearness, it was difficult to
form an accurate estimate Of size.
Winthrop took the steering gear
and plunged. Instantly the shadow
went out. He fired his guns and rose
There, far under him, skimming
frantically beneath the ocean, was the
submarine. Again he plunged Again
he missed her.
And now the submarine was half
way to the blockading squadron, and
already the hostile searchlights were
| playing about him. A couple of shells
whizzed past him, and once more he
plunged and fired.
He rose. The submarine had
stopped. No! She was rising to the
surface. A shell had struck her aslant,
injuring the diving gear, but, fortu-
nately for those on board, sending her
upward. She lay upon the waves
and drifted there.
John Winthrop plunged again, amid
hurting shower Of shell, His crap
pling irons swung free. They caught
the iron fish's sides, and the aero
plane, pinned down by that dead
weight, fluttered frantically above her
! like wounded bird.
The play Of shells stopped Each
man upon the ramparts, each man
upon the hostile decks, held his breath
and watched that battle, outlined as
distinctly by the selenium lights as
the pictures upon a cinematograph
scene.
II the power of the aeroplane was
stronger than that of the submarine,
Winthrop would tow her into port.
If the submarine could make Roadway
above the waves, she would take the
lighter craft captive.
The head Of the lieutenant In charge
of the submarine appeared at the
opening. Winthrop looking over from
his seat, saw and recognized him.
They had made each others acOuaint-
ance when both were ambassadors
aids In foreign capital.
Neither vessel could fire. for the air
ships guns could not be directed YER
tically downward, while the subma-
rine carried nothing except torpedoes
and those were exhausted.
Surrender" called Winthrop from
his place.
The young lieutenant laughed and
went below. And suddenly the sub
marine began to sink. dragging down
the aeroplane with her.
Winthrop strove madly to cut loose
the graphing chains, but it was i'm
possible to reach them, for they we're
firmly fastened, and to do SO would
have necessitated unshipping the gun
to starboard And, while he tried, the
waves splashed over him. His last
thought as he sank was of the girl he |
loved.