The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1917-02-10

posed 10 insure perfect Staullity In any
conditions of wind, weather or speed"
Exactly" broke In Manning eagerly.
you've touched the spot. MIR. Graham.
II your stability device is liable to get
out Of order at or above a height OF
1000 feet 1t could easily be fixed, l
suppose. to break down at much
lower altitude"
"why, certainly said the astonished
lieutenant.
"And what would be the result?"
"The plane would side slip and fall
like a stone"
The lieutenant did not move. He ad-
dressed himself seriously to the major.
"You know what this means. STRIP
he inquired.
'Quite." said the major calmly. THE
facts are very simple. Graham. No
one is allowed even to 60 near that
machine unless you or accompany
him. Therefore. II by some incon-
ceivable chance couple OF Asiatic
thieves sneak past our scntries, open
the door Of the shed, climb into the
machine, start the engine and make
test flight. II won't be our fault IL they
break their necks, will itT'
The young officer was puzzled. but
made no further protest
"Come with me. gentlemen" he
said. "You are talking in riddles, but
l guess Ill put rocks in the road for
those enterprising thieves you speak
Of"
He led the party to shed which
stood well away from the main group
Of hangers. 1t was separated by
couple Of hundred yards from high
wooden fence, and the guide explain
ed that not only must two visible sen.
tries be passed before any one could
even approach the she'd but q corporal
and three men were always on guard
inside, while yet another sentry pa
trolled the public road which lay on
the other Side Of the boundary fence.
While they walked, therefore. Man
ming reviewed the situation in detail.
The soldier listened with growing
amazement.
by Jove.' he said ut last. your sto-
~ fits In with something heard in the
mess the other evening. One of our
fellows. a Captain Randolph, is inter-
ested In big gun, and
"Just So" interrupted Manning. IT
have no doubt you heard the truth, but
we are forbidden even to talk OF these
things"
The other shot shrewd undertook at
him.
Guess I'd better say no more"
came the dry comment. But II any
Chink monkeys with this machine aft
er I'm through with II I'll do him more
damage than even Captain Randolph's
gun If fired at any reasonable range"
So complete were the precautions
adopted by the military authorities
that each sentry had to be assured per
sonally by Lieutenant Graham that
the gentlemen in his company were
authorized to pass, and the same proce-
dure was adopted before the corporal
In charge OF the shed would open the
door.
Manning and Bronson examined the
model aeroplane with curious eyes 1t
was a monoplane of exceptional size
and beautifully proportional. the white
curvlng wings bearing a close resem-
blance to the pinions Of hawk spread
In full fight. But the vital spirit of
In beneath the pilots seat and gov
erned by secondary battery. which.
though supplied from the engine, new
ertheless stored enough electricity to
operate a stabilizing device for half an
hour or longer after the motive force
was shut Off.
Lieutenant Graham was quick
worker. He simply opened small
shutter in the floor of the machine. re-
adjusted couple of screws and tested
sparkling plug.
That's all right" he said cheerfully.
closing the shutter again. i've re.
duced the altitude from 1000 to 500
feet. 1t isn't certain to act at 500, but
It's sure thing ut GOO. as discov-
cred nearly to my cost the other day.
Luckily, having the principle at my fin
gers ends, so to speak, was able to
keep things going until planed down
to denser atmosphere"
els the device really pfacticable?' FL
quired Bronson. who had zest for
aviation and was only restrained fron
taking up the art seriously because Of
the financial interests which came un.
der his control when Ills father died.
"Oh, yes" came the emphatic assur-
ance. AT fifty feet I'm the air this L,a-
chine will literally hover, and that is
great step IN advance of all previous
records. have thrown dummy bomb
into an ordinary bucket. and need
hardly explain what that implies"
Admiration for the graceful plLna
had to yield, however. to stern meas
ures for dealing with Ali Singh. AS 1t
was impossible that United States SOL
diers should literally stand by and al
low the machine to be stolen under
their very eyes. and as neither their
chief nor Manning wished to subject
the men to some unknown danger at
the hands OF All Singh and his confed-
crates, one sentry was dismissed, while
the corporal and his squad were In
structed to hide. The remaining SEN
tries. on each side of the fence, had to
take their chance. since It would be