New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-09

He felt frantic helpcssness as 20 what 90 DO. 81 first
he thought OF summoning his officers abou. him 3u de-
cdcd 10 watt 70 take time 20 fight the question out by
himself. He stepped out into the cool ar Of Che We
randa The great moon swung high in the heavens but
he had no mind for its beauty tonight He stared ~ o.
conscious only Of the ugly reality that had come 90 him.
As his gaze rested on the disk of brianca suddenly
across 1t swept an unexpected appautOn which 40
once took concrete and definite form in his startled
vision its details sharply shouted against the great
plate of light It an aeropanc. Every stay and
strut and rod Of its structure clear cut-the COM
mandan even fanccd that he could make out the pilots
profile against the moon.
With the sight Of it came the immediate realization
Of the significance of that iateul flaw the face " the
moon which went through his mind Ike a poignant
electric shock. The mystery Of the map was answered
The details Of the Reservation. masked from eyes on
the level Of the earth would be completely patent %
eyes looking down upon them from alott lighted and
revealed by the moons radiance.
The dazed bewilderment that had followed his first
study Of the map gave way now % frantic activity
He called an orderly, and sent summons for all his ON
GERS and at the same time orders atoo that would
soon put the whole garrison the alert, and awaken
that peacefully browsing night with pusng sense OF
alarm.
Yet what was there TO do2 He had hardly finished
giving his orders before that question shaped itself IN
his thoughts With every officer every man, every de-
vice on the Reservation in readiness and on 1e alert
then what was there TO be done Hall o. te great
secret was already out and what could be done ta save
what was left? He left that question unanswered and
stood staring at the aeroplane.
1t lowered TO and fro in the light Of the moon. lie
stood watching it grmly through his powerful. night
glasses Subconsciously he aware of the loW hum
Of activity that was yelling up through the night ~
response TO his communicative shutting Of foc and
from varying distances the militant notes Of the .t-
calling 40 arms sounding through the still nig.
He was aware that his staff was gathering abou. him.
But to all these results he was obivious. His whole
attention was fixed on that great vulture in the noon
light II was vertably a vuturc, lowering above ile
body of his lifcwor As he watched IL he saw there
coldy prcmeditated method in its flight; IL not
some chance passcrby of the skies II wheeled and
swooped back and forth across the Reserauon. 40
times lowering in narrow circles as If making a close
scrutiny Of the place beneath Sometimes il seemed
almost as if about 70 land, scarcely seeming 90 have
enough Roadway 20 maintain its lift; then IL would
pick up and away again.
The Commandant noted with muttcred impeca,9ns
the places where these sudious hoverngs took place.
invariably they were over some empacemcnt OF tle
gardcnmaSked guns magazines, arsenas or other
great details in the plans He knew that these things
flooded as they were by the light Of the moon massive
in character. could easily be observed and plotted DO
his sketches by the man looking down upon them from
above, almost as easily under broad daylight and
certainly 10 as good military purpose since ocaty ana
not detail was the point 20 be gained.
As he stood there watching raging heplcssly within
himself. the great vision Of supreme military efficiency
that only an hour before had been so clear m ms mind
eve rapidv dissolved into a chaos of doubt and uui,s
With its essential buwark OF secrecy violated Che
Reservation. with all It's many million dollars worth
of the highest cngnery OF war, was falling and cau-
bling in effect into a vast military nonenuty before s
evcs-al its massive strength Of steel and dceprooi
concrete foundations becoming vast field of scrap
iron and crippled structures, worthless for the purpose.
either Of war or Of peace beneath the cold scrutiny
that man in his fragile support Of rods and wires and
doth planes.