Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-11-02
m - - - - - p - - - - NM
,s.TEE '"BOMD" PLOT
BY JOHN c. WELDON.
= ~ HsHrptGH-a.a a..

~. II terminated in i'~ live burst
of ell lm>la~m from parrr. lis iaa""r
regarded him proudly. tW with won
der-cyeS t.u-oI with Il token OF ''Ir
Don't gm into danger, E,~,ou." she
urged. "Fa;hrr says y,u "re d..n-
your full duty in encouraging offers
to serve your country in a noble, self
sacrificing way"
''PerhapS." acccdcd Dacrc, but l
want real action. | think shall 20 On
a hunt for spies
AS Ddcre had often expressed ii, he
was patriot from way back" lie
had met with an accident the first day
of recruiting for the war. breaking
limb. AT The end of three months he
had limpcd down to the recruiting Of
flee to be informed 10y the examining
surgeon that it void take Il 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 well 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
AMI traitors. If anybody could.
Lille tried to dissuade Dacre from
what she believed to be Il waste of his
time, but her lover was headstronS.
She missed him and she worried about
him for about n week. Then she re-
ceived letter from him dated ut Els
dene. manufacturing town thirty
miles away.
IL am on the verge of n great dis
covery," wrote Dacre. DAY and night
i am watching two suspicious stran-
gers who have been in Elsdene for
week. They are up to some big plot.
l 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 ElSdenc. AT its principal hotel
one evening he was seated reading n
next chair started up and shook hands
with newcomer, greeting him eifus-
lively.
Glad you've come. Hard worl; kill
ing time in this dead town." spoke the
first man.
Got delayed" explained the new
conner. mo easy task finding an avn
( ator with n machine to accommodate
| all the truck we will have to carry, be-
| side ourselves"
bombs all ready and shippedT'
"And the airship will be on hand as
soon as our baggage is ut the rendeZ-
yous. We will start tomorrow evening,
if the sky Is clear. The trail runs over
twenty towns, you know, and we drop
the bombs directly over the center OF
EACH"
Bombs! :" repeated Dacre in q
breathless gasp. as the two men moved
away. "Whyl they are going to make
regular raid on every town in the
county"
Dacre was terrifcally stirred up
What should he do? Here was posi-
tive evidence of deadly work. Dacre
did not close his eyes III sleep; he
scarcely ate for twenty-four hours
The next afternoon he traced the two
men TO q garage. They went inside
made some arrangement with the pro
prietor and went away. Dacrc sought
IN immediate Interview with the "a
rage owner. He learned that tie TIVE
men had ordered an automobile ant
driver to take them over To LccTille
twenty miles away. at six O'Clock
pacre influenced She garage man to ic
him act - chauffeur. TWO hours late
he wsS at the wheel. Just at du>E ih
two men left the machine at LccNiii'
They struck of down a lonely counir.
road. ON foot Dacre followed them IA
a safe distance. 4
II was an hour later when the.
climbed Il fence and at an opening
amid Il dense grove of saplings. cam
upon an airship. Beside it, in boxes
were black round objects, surplic
with fuses and having also appcndc
a square package done up in thin lis
, sue paper.
, A third man welcomed them and a
; hands proceeded to pile in the boml
, like objects. The trio were evldcitl
about TO start their flight. Ducre hI
, two reviewers. There was no time
? lose if he hoped to prevent despcrat
, bomb raid. A weapon in either han'
, he rushed forward, stumbled over
!, looming vine, one revolver was Ill!
charged and his head struck trc'
, stump, stunning him.
!. When Dacre returned to conscious
, ness it was to find himself tied to
a tree. He heard whirrins SCUM
). aloft and looked up. The airshlp Wa
!, RAPIDLY moving in the direction of Lee
. vile.
i Suddenly spark Of light Shove
o the running fire of a quick fuse. TT
n bomb was driving dOwnwards. Thcl
:. WIS brilliant explosion in mid&iT,
\ graceful spark Of cOlored fireballs au
f n thousand white paper objects sho'
q cred earthwards.
N Dacre tugged ut his hands despe
L ately. At last he managed to free bin
p self. He started on dead run Il
N Leeville to telephone a warning
- other towns. As he reached Leevil
"a he found its principal street vast II
70 Ter of printed sheets. He caught |
,...,rfro. s.rTr,- Dorfactfop Snnp