The daily Alaskan., 1915-06-21
Two Americans
 Abroad
By F. A. MlTCHEL

years old, went to Cuba and fought the dons and returned with his command at the end of the fracas. When the great European military conhagration broke out, desirous of seeing something more of fighting, he went to Canada, enlist ed in the first eXpedltionary force that went to England and thence to France. Wilkinson was q machinist and very Ingenious. When the British com manders learned of this they wanted him to go into the mechanical corps of the army, but he said he had had enough of that at home. He preferred to re- main in the ranks, where he would get something different. SoShe became trench fighter like the rest of them.
 But it is not every man who can get Just what he wants, no matter how he arranges for It. Wilkinson had no soon- CT got into fight than he was captur- ed and taken to the rear. This was in Flanders during the late autumn Of 1914.
 One day an officer came Into the pris- on where Wilkinson was confined and asked In English if there were any me chanlcs there who would volunteer to work at bridge building. Wilkinson, whose active nature rendered confne- meut unbparabe to him, called out that he was an engineer by profession. The officer uccoStud him, asking if he would agree to give his services to the Ger man government in good faith. It turned out that the officer, Captain Kaufman. was German-American, who had gone over to fight for the fa- thprland
 Wilkinson and Captain Kaufman be- ing both Americans became quite chummy. Wilkinson impressed the captain SO rayuraDly with his knowE edge of engineering that the latter pro- posed to take him tO the chief engineer with view to his entering the en- giuccr corps of the German army in a prominent position. Wilkinson assent ed. or. rather, prctcnded to assent, for he was simply looking out for an op- portunity To get back to the army of which he was a legitimate part
 Captain Kaufman took the prisoner into au automobile for ride to point where large railroad bridge was be- Ing rebuilt There he expected to find one of the chief engineer officers of the A.. ha n1 fn ft,r-T1 the American for service. During the ride the two men chatted about Amer lea and what they would do there on their return at the end of the war. Nat urally Kaufman was warm in his ad- vocacy of the German cause. while WilkinSon's sympathics were with the allies. But they talked little on this subject, for Wilkinson. who had plan to get away from his captor, led the conversation in q line that would facili- tHte his doing so.
 "I tell you what we'll do, Kaufman" |" he said. When this slaughter busl ness is over and We both get back to the land of the free I've got the biggest scheme on hand for making money you ever saw. It's a device that may be applied to all pumping mechanisms. Its use will be enormous I'll take you in with me and we'll make our everlasting fortunes. You attend to the sales while I attend to the manu. faCture-See"
 "Where will we get the capital?" asked the captain.
 Capital! Why. there's capital enough In the United States to promote any scheme If it can be proved all right. can get millions for anything propose My device Is so simple that a child can understand it. Let me have a pencil and q piece of paper and I'll make you a drawing of It."
 Kaufman had the wheel, so he couldn't get into his pocket without stopping, but they were approaching a village, and he said he would stop for something to smoke. Pulling up at a small store, Wilkinson went in and returned with some cigars, a pencil and q sheet of paper. He also had something else that his companion did not see. Lighting ID, the two. pro ceedcd. Wilkinson making Il sketch of his device. Kaufman, who had no knowledge of mechanics, did not un. dcrStand it, So Wilkinson proceeded to make practical demonstration. Roll ing the sheet of paper into a tube a trihe smaller at one end than at the other, he Crumpled small portion into a little ball, which he dropped into the tube; then, while the captains gaze was on the road ahead, he dropped into 1t some red pepper
 You cant watch the road and my demonstration at the same time. Stop the machine for moment"
 Kaufman brought the auto to stop and turned his face to bis companion.
 This tube represents the pump, and the crumpled bit of paper inside is my patent ball valve. The greater the pressure on the ball the tighter 1t Is in the tube. When I blow on it like this -Sce?"
 Kaufman did not see. because Will kinSOn had blown red pepper into his