Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-30

GU can be sure OF one thing from
now on" came from the eray-haired
tunity for use of your talents as air
pilot. Also. you will kindly refrain
from such spectacular feats as that
volpiane OF Yesterday. His majesty
haE too few machines to risk smashing
any
For moment Col Atherholt drum
med with his fingers on the table, and
his voice was more kindly when he
again spoke. Listen, boy lie said
your name went home in dispatches
this morning because of what you did
yesterday, and if you'll make an
pl2natlon OF certaN thlngS-that
Frankfort affair-Ill send q supple
mentary report, recommending COM
mission.
The muscles of Kent's jaws frightened
until they stood out in Jumps. His
face paled slightly, but his voice was
steady he replied:
You are very kind, Col. Atherholt"
he said. but I can make no explana-
ton further than to say results Of
what happened at Frankfort were de-
cidedly unjust. Still, there are some
things man cannot hide behind
Damn The old officers face was
red. his tone vehement. why do you
young fellows always manage to get
into these messes? / heard several ac-
counts of-of that Frankfort affair,
and it's my belief there's a side of i.
that's never been told. 1t was some
thing about girl. and you had trou-
BILE with her brother. wasn't it?"
Kent nodded. He knocked me down."
he said. land 1 carried the matter no
further"
Col. Atherholt glared at him. 81 was
with your father in Natal, boy" he
burst out, land I know the breed. II
you didn't fight him. it wasn't because
was in Frankfort. and the king needs
you now. You will report to Lieut..
Griswoid OF the Cd Division at once
Thus it was that Kent Joined the
ready had made certain his friend
would be assigned to drive his ma chine,
SO, as the English guns, believing
triumphant chorus, slammed shells into
the retiring ranks of Won Kucks
army. big gray monoplane with Kent
behind the steering post was one Of
those that ever hung over the battle
lines, reporting the movements of the
enemy, signaling the range, guarding
against ambuscades.
Back toward the frontier the Ger
mans retreated. but on the Aisne they
turned on their pursuers and there be-
gan the hattie which, in duration and
ferocity and numbers involved. was to
Strong was the line of defense pre-
pared by the German engineers. and
bloody was the check the allies suffer-
ed. Field batteries cunningly masked
and big howitZers in concealed en-
placements tore great gaps in the Brit
ish and French lines, nullified the eff
feet of the allied artillery fire, render
ed impossible any advance except at
tremendous cost.
r
The allies also proceeded to intrench
to hold the ground they had gained.
and there grew up along the Aisne and
the Disc two parallel lines of mighty
works as the troops dug themselves in.
BY day and by night the battle con-
tinued, with attacks and counter at
tacks, duels between cannon, large and
small, and sharp skirmishes in the air.
Rains and bad weather came: the
trenches were half filled with water.
The hardships were terrible, but both
sides stuck obstinately to their posi-
a field battle. The operations on both
sides were those of a siege.
In the artillery fighting the Germans
from the first held the advantage.
Their big guns concealed beyond the
ridges outranged the allied cannon.
Also, their gunners always fired with
exact knowledge of the range. Having
been on the ground first, they had the
choice of positions. and the skillful dis
position of their batteries commanded
admiration.
Their aeroplanes also were decidedly
active and effective, and efforts on the
part of the French and English avia-
tors to present the signaling of the
range to German gunners resulted in
many clashes with the taubes.
The division of the Royal Flying
Corps to which Kent was attached was
stationed near scissors. which had
been taken after a bloody battle. and
he recalled the town was the destina-
ton of Winifred Stanley. the girl he had
met in Belgium. He wondered if she
was in the city, but dismissed the
thought promptly. 1t was follish to
think any one would have remained in
so dangerous a vicinity.
The name had stirred memories. how
ever, and when Thane Griswold hur-
ried up with a yellow slip which bore
at the top the words, Field Head
quarters" he found his friends david
ling over the task of cleaning the
aeroplane's motor, his thoughts miles
away.
The yellow slip Thane carried was a
general order to the aviation corps. 1t
had been found impossible to advance
heavy artillery, and it had been de-
termined that at all costs the implace-
ments of these cannon must be, dis
covered. The task was up to the Royal
Flying Corps. and when the machines
took wing shortly afterward it was
with the aviators determined to obtain
the desired information, no matter how
great the risk.
Several of those who sailed away
did not return, and those who escaped
the aeroplane-destroyin guns and
sharpshooters of the Germans brought
back little news of value. Kent and
Thane braved death twice in perilously
low flights along the enemy's lines,
but their report was the same as the
others The German engineers hard
done their work well. No inkling re-
garding the implements of the how
itzers was obtained by the air scouts.
How great was the anxiety regard
ing the situation was evidenced by the
fact that an exalted staff officer stood
beside Col. Atherton to hear first hand
the reports of the aviators.
When Griswold, the last to return.
had briefly told of his lack of success.
the corps commander stood looking to-
ward the hills to the north, a little
line of worry between his brows.
There is little of the picturesque
about a modern battle front. Not