The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-08-25

have been held only at Il cost too high
for their value. As they were emptled'
regiment after regiment OF japanese
infantry which had been waiting till
the batteries had prepared their way,
charged across the bridge with ire
sistible impetus and swept over the
trenches like living wave.
MOI. however. entirely without oppo- /
si+ion. One man had, for reasons of .
| his own. elected not 70 retreat. Alone .
he greeted the onslaught with ma .
chine-gun fire. spraying death over the |
bridge and its approaches. Dozens of
the charging troops fell before he ran
out of ammunition or was silenced by
y shot we'll aimed Patria never knew
how the fellow met his end. He was,
Ione minute. working his weapon busily
and methOdically; the next, he was ST.
fenced: and his fate was masked by
The horrIes that took possession of the
trenches.
As This happened. Patria'S observer
touched her arm TO draw her attention
10 their personal peril. So absorbed
had she been in t'n action beneath
her that she-and for that matter, her
observer as well-had altogether neg
Iected 10 look after the safety of the
: biplane.
II was now menaced by no less than
three japanese air scoutS-lightly
armored blplanes carrying two pas
: sengprs and equipped with machine
guns.
5 Soaring out over the battlefield at
2 great height. these asSaSsinS of the air
r had chosen shrewdly the right moment
IN strike at Patria'S plane. The latter
4 happened to occupy the lower levels
D of the air alone. at that time; no other
Y machines Of Patria's flying corps were
[ ot hand; the two which had pursued
q the first hostile airplane beyond the
border were lost TO view in the heat
g haze that yelled the south, their fate
2 a mystery; all others were still in the
n hangers or delayed by minor circum'
stances at the aviation field.
e Upon the lonely craft plotted by Pa
tria. then. the three Japanese dropped
j. down from their high level with the
d ferocity Of hawks. opening fire with
their machine guns as soon as they got
n within range. and attacking the de
a voted biplane from three sides.
h Taken utterly by surprise-with NJ
more than the touch of her observer
~ warning hand upon her arm by wa!
1t Of preface to hailstOrm of bullets
tha MI rNnSSihln thing nor
Ia mitted by the conditions. that Is
nj sought safety in fortnight flight. AM
Of since she was hemmed in on the NORTH
rs east and west, she was obliged TO driv
Of into the south.
ne For n few moments she eXpecte
nd each breath TO be her last. Bullet
ad whiStled and sang between the plane
Re. or tore their fiimsy surfaces or glance
H. from twanging struts and cables liE
at sleet through the ribs of cOveries
TO umbrella. 1t seemed nothing short
miraculous that none found lodgmer
. in either Patria or the observer.
at Then. however. the slightly superb
al speed of the American engines bega
id. TO make itself felt. Patria drew Sigh
,et ly ahead and at the same time title
70 the nose of her machine and began
he climb. Immediately the firing of Il
ng machine guns ceased. and the thr'
rs. Japanese closed in behind and stretc
Ice ed out in determined pursuit.
ng The four swept away into the sout
ern skies like leaves whirling befo
ary a squat.
its Climbing steadily. Patria gained Z
n 5.OOO-foot level at a distance OF sOr
the miles within the Mexican side of {
the border her three pursuers outpac
ing but undiscouraged lowering in the
md fling like wolves that wait for wind
ere stag TO fall.
led And now fortune chose TO favor I
TO American for a little. Out of the ha
ak in the south a fifth aircraft was
ted. preaching. For some time IN douDt
1ul- TO whether it was another enemy CT;
md or possibly an American survivor
lies that triangular duel which had rest
ed from the first air skirmish of
:. day, Patria was quickly able to rec
by nize certain peculiarities of constr
ain ton which Enthusiastically identified
ms newcomer as one Of her own corps
by There was, however, no way OF Z
Pa ing how it was manned, whether by
ack original crew or by the Japanese
five might have captured the plane. /
was all doubts as to this were soon set
rere rest by the action of one of Patr1
ants pursuers in abandoning his first
rity jective and sweeping off at tang
IRIS to engage the stranger-who cheer
ma " greeted this new antagonist wit
the whitening blast Of machine-gun hr'
the Circling warily, like prizehght
erci- sparring for an opening. spitfng
and hatred, the two were temporal
line forgotten by Patria, who had press
Y in personal matters demanding inst
seen attention.