The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-12
AnAdventurous
American
By ALAN HlNSDALE

side In the pan-European war. left a
luxurious home to take part in it seems
mystery. And when we consider
that he entered the aviation service to
face the dangers of the land far up I'm
the air, a position trying enough by
itself without adding to the fact that
one Is liable to be dropped, not from a
break of machinery, but shot fired
for the purpose. his action is hard to
understand.
Delano entered the French aviation
corps composed of Americans He
made flights from that part of Belgium
which Is nearest Zeebrugge, the base of
the German flying machines. One day
when he was sailing over the North
sea near the coast he saw little
surface of the water which he took
for submarine 1t occurred TO him
that IL he could swoop down low
enough to get good aim he might
toss bomb on to it and sink it. He
| didn't have much fear of it. for its
guns were not made for sending shot
into the upper air
Circling, he drew spiral down to
within couple of hundred feet. Ee
| feared to lose the game by its being
submerged But the captain had no
such intention. Delano dropped a
, bomb. which stirred the water a hun
dred feet from the submarine Not
receiving a shot in return. he descend
! ed to within hundred feet of his
enemy and dropped another bomb.
This struck the water about fifty feet
on the other side of the submarine
He was getting third bomb ready
when man with a rifle appeared on
the submarine and fired shot which
exploded Ned's gasoline tank.
Ned was dropped into the water a
dozen feet from the submarine There
was nothing for him to do but to
strike out for the cigar shaped boat
and give himself up. This he did and
was received on board with praise for
his daring.
However. there was no place to con
fine him, and there seemed to be no
necessity to do so. He was made to
do the work of one of the crew, the
vessel being short handed. and this
gave him the liberty Of man with
duties to perform. His love for nov
city was satisfied. for the boat fire.
quently dived. and when she did Ned
dived with her. Used as he was to
sailing up In the air, he could not re-
press n sense of smothering at going
down under the water the first time.
| One day when the submarine was on
| the surface of the water a ship came
| In sight flying the British flag. Ned
saw at once that he was liable to wit
ness the destruction of vessel The
submarine kept to the eastward of its
intended victim and when the evening
twilight came had the ship against it
while the submarine was In darkness
Then she pushed forward till within
striking distance aud called on the
Britisher's crew to get into their boats
The order was obeycd, and mum
Der of shots were put into the hull be
low the water line. Ned saw her e
down stem first, almost as a swimmer
taking dive, only the diver reap
pears, which the vessel did not
| While this was occurring darkness,
was falling. The last Ned saw of tn,
ships crew they were In their boats
the rowers resting on their oars watch
Ing their ship make her last plunge
What they did afterward could not b,
seen for the darkness. Ned wondered
what they would do. Would they pull
for the English or the Belgian coast
The distance to land eastward was 81
much less than westward that he be
lieved they would take that direction
Likely they had taken a compass int,
their boats. which would give then
their course
| Naturally the idea of escape iron
the submarine connected itself in hi
mind with the boats. though the hop
of reaching them seemed madness. II
was obliged to take his turn with tn
watch on deck. A couple OF hours aft
er the sinking of the ship he heard tn
sound of oars. lnferring that the
were from the boats of the sunke
ship. he listened eagerly. The sound
there were a number of boats pullin
together-came from the west towar
the submarine. The crew OF the latte
heard them. but. inferring that the
were the sailors they had dispossesse,
paid no attention to them.
Ned paid n good deal of attention I
them. Getting as far from the rest {
the watch as possible. he awaited III
approach of the Corners He made u
his mind that they would pass near I'll
submarine. but whether south or mort
of 1t he could not tell. Presently /
thought he heard them coming on IL
south.
Dare he try TO join them? Thei
was no light on the submarines dec
and he could easily slide into the wat,
1 3 IL