The Washington herald., 1916-06-19

for permission to make a trip in an aero
plane can be granted. The aviators.
hardened as they are. answer with firm.
official tone: "Jawohl!' And in a damp
ened voice they add:
Wen show those fellows something;
they'll be sorry they asked for IT"
The evening sun of the hot spring day
hides behind vapoury clouds. There is a
dull humidity and a mysterious expec-
fancy seems to be in the atmosphere.
When comes the first thunderbolt? From
the south comes the indignant growing
OF the guns. In the sappy grass lies a
group OF flyers eagerly scrutinizing the
sky. The whole battle squadron is yonder
before Verdun, air blockading."
Squadron Returns.
There's a hush among the men. some Of
them jump up, scanning the sky with
their glasses. They are coming" Who
s coming? We stare sharply to the west,
but can see nothing Two of them"
says one flyer. But where? "Thers
above the dark cloud strip is one. and
little lower to the left. above that flag
pole. the other
All! Really. Now have discovered
one, and a little later the second. tiny
dark dots in the gray clouds. Quickly
they are becoming bigger. and almost
simultaneously they are above US and are
recognized. Only the one, the "doppel-
decker belongs to the battle squadron.
With a magnificent swing they glide
vertically down to the plain. as IL each
would get first to a certain spot The
first lands smoothly, dances up and down
for few seconds. then stands still. The
second takes a sudden leap upward
makes circle and has landed before one
could notice It. The motors are steaming
blue smoke. mewing and heaving. Slowly
they ride across the field toward the
hangar
What's new from Verdun7'
Shed Leather CARDS.
Observers and pilots shed their leather
garbs in which one looks exactly like
the other. and suddenly they stand be-
fore us. two officers in feld-gray young
dapper. a bit stiff from the long flight
For three hours they were stifr and still
in their seats. nerves strained TO the
bursting point, always aware of all pos
sibilities. now an enemy gets you, from
below, from behind: he's there quick as
the devil. real close to you. He shoots,
you do not hear It, for your motor
browns all noise about you-but you know
IT. you turn. glide, downward, upward
manage finally to get the drop on him
we'll, saved once more-but It could have
been otherwise. maybe so the next time
who knows?'
So IT is quite natural that these two
flyers, once more with both feet on this
side, on the firm German soil, first reach
for a cigarette, don't feel like talking.
but take a few deep draughts. intensely
contentedly.
"Verdun? verdun is shut, too. Thun-
derstorm. Can see absolutely nothing"
The face Of the observer who makes
this terse report, is brown, bloodless and
spotted. turn to his companion a quite
different type. but there's the same
sharpness in his features. Both have an
gular heads, as though emaciated by the
air The second flyers face also shows
those spots.
Frozen in April.
Frozen" is the Indifferent reply to my
inquiry. I'm the first weeks Of April we
had twenty-six degrees at a height of
$500 metres. Can you wonder that one
sheds ones youthful beauty IN such cir
cumstances?" he added smilingly.
In the air. behind the hangar which
hides the town from view, there's a sud-
den whistling. whirring and howling A
siren seems to be moaning. WAS iat
los?"
The flyers look at me and smile. THE
big one always comes with music. He
has his own orchestra with him, and
without 1t he is lost But the main thing
rived.
Further reports: "On Dead Man Hill
tremendous artillery fire. flying ma
chine has been brought down. One of
ours? Apparently, yes. 1t was none of this
squadron, but from the front beyond the
Meuse. Scarcely any French machines
ascended today. At Verdun thunder
storm holds sway. 1t pours down upon
the whole front before the fortress Here,
n
stir amid the slim poplar trees.
Cannot Identify Filler.
Who may have been the unfortunate
flyer? Where does he belong? Per-
haps 1t was a Frenchman after all?
Well, we shall soon know. The tele-
phone will tell the news.
We are sitting in the dining room,
in which still broods the humidity of
the afternoon. Windows and doors
are open. Drops begin to fall outside.
A cool evening breeze comes from
without.
so you gentlemen would like to
fly with us?" The squadron leader
scrutinizes his two gests. ITO YER
dun?" He asks 1t almost innocently,
but with a sharp side glance.
OF course we want to fly to verdun!
If there's anything we do not want
to do, If they let US, we'd like to
known what it is! The squadron
leader resumes:
We'll, we, too, want to get to Yer
dun. But tomorrow morning, II there's
flying weather we better stay this
side of Verdun. You will get enough
to see. Can you get up at six o'clock
At half past the auto will await you
at the door. If 1t rains, there will
be nothing doing; you may calmly
turn to the other side and keep on
sleeping. Who wants to pilot the
second machine tomorrow morning ?
The first I take myself"
All Want to Go.
At the adjoining table. where the
younger and youngest aviators are sit
ting. there is commotion. Every
body asks for the chance. A tall
young officer gets 1t.
The telephone rings. The adjutant
returns. "It was a Frenchman, the
one beyond the Meuse this afternoon.
He was shot down and fell close be-
hind the enemy's front. All our ma
chimes returned safely"
One enemy less in the air. The
thought animates and refreshes. OF
the two crushed humans no one thinks
In war all thoughts travel only in on.
track against the enemy. So 1t is,
and so it must be.
The conversation turns to aviation