Evening star., 1916-05-28

French lines. five inside the German.
Garros himself, when made prisoner,
seeking enemy machines inside the
German lines, had "homologued'' but
two.
was alone with the Aces brother.
Tell me story. l said.
Pierre Navarro looked out Of the tail
of his eye.
Once I started out with my guide
rope-don't you know we have a guide
rope-bg, long. strong rope. dangling
100 feet beneath with an anchor like a
big fish hook
What for"" I asked.
why. to fish for Boches. You rush
in and dash above them. 80 that the
guide rope grazes and the great big
nsh hook catches firm and jerks them"
Yes. yes. beautiful" / told him.
"How's your poor arm?''
Nasty. he answered, but doing
quite well. I got those lead balls
through fur coat. and IT poisoned the
wound They came unexpected. from
an elephant one OF those big new dou-
ble-motor German biplanes. They were
new then. Now we know them But I
didn't. l was used to single-motor
German biplanes, which always shoot
from behind a stern shot, while run
ming. They must swing round to at
tack The elephant shot from its
front was not expecting ii. and they
got me by surprise"
Are the elephants dangerous,
Not now-we know them. You can't
maneuver on an elephant. II can't go
fast or high. The Germans will not
keep them. Height and speed are every
thing. The combats of 1915 were fought
at between 1,so0 and 1000 yards aiti-
tude and lower, and 1t was so again
when the aerial battle of verdun be-
gan. But now. my brother says. they
fight three four times a day at be-
tween $500 and 1000 Yards altitude
At that height my brother has been
passed only once. 1t was by an Aus
trian machine"
Your brother flew low when ha
dumped the German captain" said
Whats that?" Pierre Navarro pricked
up his ears
I told the story as I had heard it how
the Ace had been surrounded, how the
German captain had him strapped to
his seat and jumped in behind him. say
ing: Now we'll explore the French
trenches and rear"
TT was not my brother" exclaimed
Pierre Navarro, "and my brother must
not have credit for a thing he did not
do. He would be Mortified to take an
others glory. Give credit where due"
So / make the correction. 1t was
Commandant de V who spilled the
German captain. and it won him the
cross of war and citation.
My brother never landed inside Ger
man lines. never was captured, never
dumped a German captain, unused the
wounded boy, but once MY brother
stood the drinks to German aviators-
and got arrested for it,"
And he told me.
You know, my brother, early in the
morning, before daybreak. has the
habit of lying down in his machine to
take a nap and be all ready to fly rs
soon as an enemy is seen in the air.
said, Therell be no Boches.' BE, sud
denly a mechanician came running.
crying. out of breath, A Boche" My
brother started off like lightning.
dashed into the sky and Joined the ad-
versary, a two-seat Aviatik, just above
the River Marine. My brother ran In
close and aimed twelve balls at the
pilots skull"
Did he hit it?"
NO; the apparatus side-stepped and
nine balls went into the motor. 1t was
my brothers fourth combat. Down the
Aviatik went and landed safely in the
French lines Down my brother came
beside them. No. my brother did not
capture the crew-French gendarmes
had already done it. The gendarmerte
station was next door to cafe. My
brother was awfully thirsty, and the
two Boches also. He deemed it the gal
liant thing to stand the drinks. 1t cost
him thirty days arrest (confined to
room). The general did not approve
it, STERLING HElLIS.