The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-07-24

| Instructions which he swiftly trans
lated into wireless to be picked up by
| the operator at the headquarters Pa
| trials people had established well back
| Of the main line trenches. Within five
| minutes the effect Of her orders was
| apparent. The first line trenches were
| being rapidly vacated, their occupants
| Fastening back to the greater security
| of the main line. While One Of PARIS
masked batteries, going on informa-
| ton communicated by Patria, got the
| range of the japanese guns beyond the
/ bill and began to pound them merci-
leSsly.
The evacuation of the first-line
trenches was accomplished barely in
time, even as Patria had fOreSeen
when issuing the order. They could
have been held only at a cost tool high
for their value. AS they were eHlptied,
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 a living wave.
Not. however. entirely without Oppo-
sitiOn. One man had. for reasOns OF
his own. elected not to retreat. Alone
he greeted the onslaught with ma
chlne-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
q shot well aimed: Patria never knew
how the fellow met his end. He was.
one minute. working his weapon busily
and meth0dically the next, he was 81
fenced: and his fate was masked by
the hOrdes that took possession Of the
trenches.
Az this happened. Patria's observer
touched her arm to draw her attention
to their personal peril. So absorbed
had she been IN the action beneath
her that she-and for that matter. her
observer as well-had altogether neg
lected to look after the safety Of the
biplane.
It was now menaced by no less than
three Japanese air scouts+ightiy
armored biplanee carrying two pas
sengers and equipped With machine
guns.
Soaring out over the battlefield at Q
great height, these assassins Of the air
had chosen shrewdly the right moment
70 strike at Patria's plane. The latter
happened to occupy the lower levels
of the air alone, at that time: no other
machines Of Patria's flying corps were
ct hand; the two which had pursued
the frst hostile airplane beyond the
border were lost to view In the heat
haze that yelled the south, their fate
a mystery; all others were still In the
hangers or delayed by minor circum-
stances at the aviation field.
Upon the lonely craft plotted by Pa.
tria. then, the three japanese dropped
down from their high level with the
ferocity Of hawks, opening fire with
their machine guns as loon as they got
within range, and attacking the de-
voted biplane from three sides.
Taken utterly by surprise-with no
more than the touch Of her observers
warning hand upon her arm by way
Of preface to q hailstOrm Of bullets
Patria did the only possible thing per.
mitted By the conditions, that IL
sought safety in fortnight flight. And
since she was hemmed In on the north,
east and west. she was obliged to drive
into the south.
For 4 few moments she expected
each breath to be her last. Bullets
whistled and sang between the planes
or tore their limsy surfaces Or glanced
from ~twansings struts and cables like
Sloet through the ribs Of . coveriess
umbrella. It seemed nothing short Of
miraculous that non found ,lOdgment
n either Patria Or tie observer.
Then, however. the slightly superior
speed Of the American engines began
70 make itself felt. Patria drew slight
b ahead and at the same time Tilted
the nose Of her machine and began to
climb. immediately the firing Of the
machine guns ceased. and the three
japanese closed In behind and stretch.
ed but In determined pursuit.
/, The four swept away into the south
ern skies like leaves whirling before
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