The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-07-25

cling about each other, heard, above
the sound made by my leaking motor,
one OF the airmen bid the other leave
him to me. The other obeyed. OF my
five antagonists only one remained.
It was the machine of the redoubt.
able Lieutenant Hansen. / knew that
by the red flag with the skull which it
was his privilege to carry. He came
SO near to me that / could see him
salute me. Then, with an ironical cry,
he let loose volley from his maxim.
answered with my rifle. did not
injure him. He rose, following me,
We lodged and veered and played
straight swoop, coming SO near me in
his calculated drop that felt sure he
would crash into me and send the ma
chimes crashing to earth. And then
he aimed point blank at me with his
revolver
The ball went through my leg. ]
swayed in the seat; but the next mo
ment he was far in the distance, re
turning to continue his battle.
Hansen, the most chivalrous of enc
mics, had chosen to encounter me
upon equal terms. He had no aid with
him; hence he had nothing but a
revolver with which to fight. dropped
my rife and drew mine. AS he passed
me we blazed at each other. The bull
let's went wild. Again we drew apart
And now had almost crossed the
apex and was nearing Sarcy. l knew,
from the distant end in the long line
OF the intrenchments, and from the
shining river, that my course was al
most at an end. Hansen knew, too.
that his last chance had come. He
flew straight for me; evaded him by
a hairs breadth, and / realized to my
horror that he had determined to ram
me in air and bring both our machines
to earth rather than let me escape
him.
l flew madly toward my goal. Han.
sen, in his light Fokker, was clearly
my superior In maneuvering. He
could bide his time. He dropped like
an arrow. / twisted and turned in
vain. l saw the machine approaching
me, gave him my last shot and flung
the revolver into his face. Next in.
slant he was upon me.
The crash was fearful. The ma
chimes seemed locked together I'm air.
For an instant had view Of the
ironic face Of Hansen; the next min
ute we were falling to earth together.
Somehow we became disentangled.
Above the noise of the raging battle
below heard the hating thump OF my
motor. The sound was like music in
my ears. BY great good fortune was
falling right side up. How contrived
1t l do not know, but / righted the ma
chine, steadied her and volplaned
downward, to land behind our ad-
vanced lines and, by strange chance,
before the tent Of General Dufour him.
self.
Then. as they helped me out of the
wrecked machine, / became conscious
of another aeroplane upon the ground.
~ was Tic rOhhoT VI f1dnb0H,
smashed to pieces. Hansen himself
but I draw veil over that. He was a
brave antagonist and 1t was an honor
to have met him.
l saluted General Dufour and handed
him the roll Of plans. He took it and
looked at me in establishment.
"You flew across the salient OF the
enemy's lines?" he asked in incredu-
lily.
yes, my general" returned mod
estly. "And fought OF five aeroplanes,
of which | have brought one back as
a trophy"
You fool" he burst out angrily.
did you not know that these plans
were meant to be found when your
aeroplane fell in the enemy's lines?
And you, imbecile, why are you not
dead?"
Il can oblige you. my general" an.
swered weakly, looking downcast
And yet 1t was war, and what is one
mans life in war?
Then / must have toppled over, for
suddenly, out of fog, / saw the gen.
erals eyes fixed upon my face.
You have done bravely," he said,
with that tone that goes straight to a
Frenchman's heart He handed me the
roll. "It is useless" he said. but
after the war you can-frame 1t as a