The Penn's Grove record., 1915-10-01

sleeve. The arm of the coat was
rent. The wings of my monoplane
were riddled with bullets. My escape
had been a miraculous one.
The impetus of his attack had car
ried him past me. / 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. 1
saw that, and / realized that his
greater speed would enable him to
have me at a disadvantage. 1 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.
/ rose until the earth curved under
meath like the round of a ball. AS l
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. l 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. I watched him
through my binoculars rs he grew
larger. He was almost Immediately
beneath me. / 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 Kissed around
me like angry bees. One dashed 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 a hawk. l shot
past him with terrific velocity, and
at the same time opened fire with my
automatic again. / swooped back on
my ellipse, loading as l flew. But a
squirt Of fire from the Taube showed
me that 1 had pierced his tank.
The fire leaped upward in a dozen
tongues. In a moment b biplane
was iercely burning. Against the
glare of the flames the head and
crouching body of the German were
s~ilhouetted like a f1end's. l saw him
touch his rudder, and the biplane
sWooped toward earth. AS it fell II
blazed up more fiercely. The entire
hinder part was now a glowing Gin
der, Each moment l expected to
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 q bird, alightine
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 lists
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 | covered him with my pis-
toll.
Monsieur, there is no man in n
army to whom l would sooner u r
render than you," he said.
l marched him toward our distant
trenches. We had alighted in a bar
rem region between the lines, but
nearer our own forces.
Courage, comrade," I said to him
IT have sought to make you a prison
err for the sake of N who awaits
you"
'Eh?' he inquired, looking at me
with sharp scrutiny.
"For the sake of your love, mon
sieur,' I said.
Would you believe it? The girl
had watched the entire combat from
| the QdllTuluOu ldIuLOuS0 III WhiSh
she lived. And at this precise mo-
ment l 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,' l said softly. Monsieur Ie
lieutenant, / trust you implicitly. /
am well aware that you will not
abuse my confidence
The girl chung 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 Won StOlei" she screamed