The Colorado statesman., 1915-10-02

sleeve. The arm of the coat was
rent. The wings of my monoplane
were riddled with bullets. My escape
had been miraculous one
The impetus of his attack had car
ried him past me, l mounted at once
He mounted also. l had slightly the
advantage of speed. l flew immedi
ately above him and dropped a bomb
He eluded it almost by a miracle
An instant later we were flying side
by side, firing my automatic, and he
endeavoring to escape me.
1t was his purpose to pour another
| broadside from the Maxim, mounted
| to point forward on the chassis. |
saw that, and | realized that his
| greater speed would enable him to
have me at a disadvantage. | rose
| We both rose, and now it was clear
that my only chance of overcoming
him was to get above him. The mon.
oplane would climb faster. Would it
climb higher? That had never been
| tested.
l rose until the earth curved under
meath like the round of ball AS
assembled the Taube seemed to drop
away from me. Soon it was like a
little speck far below. / began to
circle, waiting the chance to drop a
| bomb. | meant to make sure of my
aim this time. My purpose was for
| gotten. My antagonist had ceased to
| have personality for me; he was SIM
ply an enemy aviator whom it was
my duty to kill. 1 watched him
through my binoculars as he grew
larger. He was almost Immediately
beneath me, Il would let the bomb
fall when there was no longer danger
of missing him. .-.,
Suddenly, to my dismay the deadly
rattle OIL the machine gun began
again. / had not suspected that it
was capable of being fired vertically
upward. The bullets hissed around
me like angry bees. One lashed my
/ face. One tore my tunic. A moment,
and l was swooping downward.
had him at the disadvantage, but not
on the direct line the bomb must
traverse. l dived like hawk. l shot
past him with terrific velocity, and
at the same time opened fire with roy
automatic again. | swooped back on
my ellipse, loading as l flew. But
squirt of fire from the Taube showed
me that had pierced his tank.
The. fire leaped upward in dozen
tongues. In a moment the biplane
was fiercely burning. Against the
glare of the flames the head and
crouching body of the German were
silhouetted like fiend's. / saw him
touch his rudder, and the biplane
swooped toward earth. AS it fell it
blazed up more fiercely. The entire
hinder part was now a glowing Gin
der. Each moment l expected 70
see the Taube buckle and go swoop-
ing earthward, to fall, an incinerated
mass, beneath.
He had a wonderful head, that Ger
man. In spite of the hell of flames
that surrounded him and ragged above
him, he dived like bird, alighting
with only the forepart of the machine,
as gently as a bird alights, and
sprang gracefully to the ground.
There he awaited me with his fists
clenched
| You see, he was armed only with a
Maxim. for he had never anticipated
this calamity and he could not re-
move his gun from the burning wreck.
age at his side.
But he held up his hands reluctant.
ly when 1 covered him with my pis-
tol.
Monsieur, there is no man in any
army to whom l would sooner sur
render than YOU he said.
| l.; i.t, ,,,t
trenches. We had alighted in a bar
ren region between the lines, but
nearer our own forces.
Courage, comrade," l said to him
Il have sought to make you prison
er for the sake of one who awaits
you"
"Eh?" he inquired. looking at me
with sharp scrutiny.
For the sake of your love, mon
sieur,'' l said. -
Would you believe it? The girl
| had watched the entire combat from
the half-ruined farmhouse in which
she lived. And at this precise mo-
ment / saw her coming toward us
across the flats. 1t was impossible to
mistake the gait of youth, the light
ness and Joy that seemed to animate
| her.
| She saw us and broke into a run.
In a few moments she was at our
side.
Embrace each other, then, my chill
dren," J said softly. Monsieur le
lieutenant, l trust you implicitly. l
am well aware that you will not
abuse my confidence.
The girl clung to him, but to my
dismay there was no love on her face
only fury.
Now will you pay me for that pair
| of chickens you stole!" she screamed
j 4. IL. .l-:..- IL.