Catoctin clarion., 1917-10-04
{ a "a ~ Ea Pa ~ IA Ga Ea Ea "a M ma
1.-THE "BOMB" PLOT
IN BY JOHN C. WELDON. A
WY m Ea H m ma N ke ma ua m IN VV


bet can do my bit running down spies
and traitors. ~
The announcement began dolorous-
ly. 1t terminated in positive burst
of enthusiasm from Dacre. His fiancee
regarded him proudly, but with Won
der-eyes tinged with token of fear.
Don't run into danger, Elston!" she
urged. "Father says you are doing
your full duty in encouraging others
to serve your country in II noble, self
sacrificing way"
''perhaps,' acceded Dacre "but I
want real action. | think Shall go on
IL hunt for SPIES
AS Dacre had often expressed it, he
was patriot from way back" He
| had met with an accident the first day
Of recruiting for the war, breaking a
limb. AT the end of three months he
had llmped down to the recruiting Of
flee to be informed by the examining
surgeon that 1t void take u year, may
be two, to straighten out the injured
member.
He was engaged to Lille Burton. and
that CHEEKY, loyal little specimen of
femininity was we'll worthy of his re-
gard. She deplored his new resolution,
but did not express her full opinion,
and sighed aS her lover left her that
evening, for Dacre was thorough in his
activities and would ferret out spies
and traitors, if anybody could.
a a L., II.
what she believed to be Il waste of his
Time, but her lover was keadStrong.
l. She missed him and she worried about
him for about a week. Then she re-
reived Il letter from him dated at Els
lrnc, n manufacturing town thirty
miles away.
Il am on the verge of a great dis
covcry," wrote Ducre. Day and night
| aln watching two suspicious stran-
GERS who have been in Els,ienc for a
week. They are up To some big plot.
| know this much: it involves bombs,
and an airship.'
Really, Dacre had some basis for his
sensational suspicious. He had Struck
his clue after several days hanging
around ElSdcnr. AT It's principal hotel
uur evening he was seated reading
newspaper, when II man lolling in the
next chair starred up and shook hands
With IL newcomer, greeting him ciGus-
lively.
"Glad you've come. Hard work kill
ing time in this dead town. spoke the
first man.
"Got delayed" explained the new
conner. NO easy task finding an avn
utor with machine to accommodate
all the truck we will have to carry, be
side ourselves"
bombs all ready and Shipped!'
"Anl the airShip will be on hand as
soon as our baggage is at the rrndeZ-
vouS. We will start tomorrow evening,
ii the sky is clear. The trail runs over
twenty towns, yoA know, and we drop
the humbs directly over the center OF
each"
"Bombs.' repeated Dacre In n
brcNthlesS gasp, as the two men moved
away. why. they are going to make
Il regular raid on every town in tht
county,
Dacre was terrifcally stirred up.
What should he do? Here was posi-
tive evidence of deadly work. Dacre
did not close his eyes In sleep; he
! scarcely ate for twenty-fOur hours.
The next afternoon he traced the two
men to garage. They went inside.
made some arrangement with the pro
prietor and went away. Dacre sought
an immediate interview with the ga
rage owner. He learned that the two
men had ordered an automobile ana
driver to take them over to Leev'i.e,
lWunty miles away, ut six o'clock.
pacre influenced the garage man to let
him act as chauffeur. Two hours later
he was at the wheel. Just at dusk he
Two men left the machine at LeeVIlse.
hey struck off down Il lonely c"uE rN
road, On foot Dacre followed then! at
II safe distance.
1t WAS an hour later when they
climbed a fence and at an opening,
amid IL dense grove of SaplinSS, cane
lpon an airShip. Beside it, in boIes,
were black round objects, supplied
with fuses and having also appended
"A square package done up in thin lis
sue paper.
A third man welcomed them and all
hands proceeded to pile in the bo! b.
like objects. The trio We're evidently
about to start their flight. Dacre ii'd
TWO reviewers. There was no time TO
lose if he hoped to prevent a desperate
bomb raid. A weapon in either hand,
he rushed forward, stumbled over
looping vine, one revolver was dlS-
CHARGED and his head struck t.>e-
stump. stunning lRm.
When Dacre returned to conSci"HS-
ness it was to find himself tied t. Il
tree He heard whirring SQUAD
aloft and looked up. The airShip was
rupdly moving in the direction of L'e'
Vile.
Suddenly spark of light shovel
the running fire Of quick fuse Lac
bomb was driving downWards. The"
was Il brilliant explosion in mdair, Il
graceful spark of colored 1ireballS an"
II thousand white paper objects show
cred earthwards.
Dacre tugged at his hands desper-
ately. AT last he managed to free him
self. He started on dead run !
Leevile to telephone warning to
other towns. AS he reached Leeville
he found its principal street vast ut
ter Of printed sheets, he caught Its
nlain headline: TRY Perfection Soap"
Groups of men We're scanning the
sheets, laughing and gazing aloft.
"Cipver advertising! chuckled one.