The Southern herald., 1915-09-17

body knows. AS his full name is
Archibald the archer. possibly it
comes from some association with
the idea Of archery. II there were
ten thousand antiaircraft guns in the
British army, every one would be
known as Archibald. When the Brit
ish, expeditionary force went to
France It had none. ALI the British
could do was to bang away at Taubes
with thousands Of rounds Of rife bull
let's, which might fall in their own
lines, and with the field guns.
1t was pie in those days for the
Taubes. 1t was easy to keep out Of
range of both rifles and guns and OBJ
serve well. II the Germans did not
know the progress Of the British re-
treat from on high, 1t was their own
fault Now the business of firing at
Taubes is left entirely to Archibald.
When you see how hard 1t is for Arch
ibald, after all his practice, to get a
Taube, you understand how foolish It
was for the field guns to try to get
one.
Archibald, who is quite the swellest
thing in the army, has his own pri-
vate car built especially for him.
While the cavalry horses back of the
lines grow sleek from inaction, the
aeroplanes have taken their places.
All the romance and risk of scouting
are theirs. They get most OF the fun
there is in this kind of warfare. II
British aviator gets a days leave,
he does not take train or steamer.
He rises from the aviation grounds
about half-past four and is at home in
England for dinner and returns after
lunch the next day, All the action the
cavalry see is when they go into the
trenches as infantry.
important Work ls Archlbald's.
Such of the calvarys former part
as the planes do not play. Archibald
plays. He keeps of the enemy's scouts
Do you seek teamwork. spirit OF
corps and smartness in this theater
of France, where all the old glamour
OF war is lacking? You will find It in
the attendants of Archibald. They
have pride, alertness, pepper and al
the other appetizers and condiments
They are as neat as q private yachts
crew and as lively as an lnAeld Of q
major league team. The Archibald
ians are naturally bound to think vel
Of themselves.
Watch them there, every mar
knowing his part, as they send theil
shells after the Taube! There ISM
enough waste motion among the lot
to tip over the range-fnder or the tele
scopes or the score board or any o.
the other paraphernalia assisting the
man who is looking through the sigh
in knowing where to aim next as I
screw answers softly to his touch.
1 Is the sport of war dead? Not fol
Archibald. Here you see your tar
get, which is so rare these days whel
British infantrymen have stormet
and taken trenches without ever see
ing a German-and the target is |
bird, bird-man. Puffs of smoke will
bursting hearts of death are clustered
around the Taube. They hang whert
they broke in the still air. One fol
lows another in quick succession, 70
more than one Archibald is firing, be
fore your entranced eyes.
An Artful Dodger.
You are staring like the crowd at
country fair at a parachute act. Fo
the next puff may get him. VIII
knows this better than the aviator
He is likely an old hand at the game
or, If he isn't, he has all the exper
ence OF other veterans to go by, Hi
sense is the same as that Of the e'
capped prisoner who runs from the fir
Of a guard in zigzag course, an
more than that II puff comes nea
on the right, he turns to the left;
one comes near on the left he turn
to the right; If one comes under h
rises. over he dips. This means thi
the next shell fred at the same poin
will be wide of the target.
Looking through the sight. 1t seem
: easy to hit a plane. But here's tn
difficulty: 1t takes two seconds, sa.
for the she'll to travel to the rang
of the plane. The gunner must wa
; for its burst before he can spot hi
shot. Ninety miles an hour Is mil
and half a minute. Divide that B
thirty, and you have about hundre