The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1917-11-16
~ ~ ~ ~ - ~ ~ - - - III
ssTHE BOMB" PLOT
~ BY JOHN c. WELDON.


bet can do my bit running down spies
and traitors ~
The announcement began dolorous-
ly. 1t terminated In a positive burst
of enthusiasm from Dacre. His fiancee
regarded him proudly. but with won
der-eyes tinged with token OF fear.
Don't run into danger, Elston !" she
urged. Father says you are doing
your full duty in encouraging others
TO serve your country in noble, self
sacrificing way"
Perhaps" acceded Dacre, "but 1
want real action. | think l shall 20 on
a hunt for Spies"
AS Dacre had often expressed 1t. he
was patriot from way back He
had met with an accident the first day
OF recruiting for the war, breaking a
limb. AT the end Of three months he
had limped down to the recruiting of
flee to be informed by the examining
surgeon that 1t void take year, may
be two, to straighten out the injured
member.
He was engaged to Lille Burton, and
ihot NhSClyf 10y llLllC SPttilutlf Vi
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
and traitors, II anybody could.
Lille tried TO dissuade Dacre from
what ba ha1 tf, h1, TO ~ n
time, but her lover was headstrong.
| She missed him and she worried about
| him for about a week. Then she re-
ceived letter from him dated at Els
dene, d manufacturing town thirty
miles away.
Il am on the verge of 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
This clue after several days hanging
around Elsdene. At its principal hotel
one evening he was seated reading a
newspaper when a man lolling in the
next chair started up and shook hands
with newcomer, greeting him effus-
lively.
"Glad you've come. Hard work kill
ing time Ia this dead town." spoke the
first man.
Got delayed" explained the new
conner. mo easy task finding an avi-
ator with machine to accommodate
all the truck we will have to carry, be-
side ourselves"
Bombs all ready and shipped?"
''And the airship will be on hand as
soon as our baggage is at the rendez-
vous. We will start tomorrow evening,
II 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
breathless gasp, as the two men moved
away. why they are going to make
a regular raid on every town in the
county"
Dacre was terrifically stirred up.
What should he do? Here was posi-
tive evidence of deadly work. Dacre
did not close his eyes in sleep; he
scarcely ate for twenty-four hours.
The next afternoon he traced the two
men to a garage. They went inside,
made some arrangement with the pro-
prietor and went away. Dacre sought
an immediate interview with the ga
rage owner. He learned that the two
men had ordered an automobile and
driver to take them over to Leeville,
twenty miles away, at six o'clock.
Dacre influenced the garage man to let
him act as chauffeur Two hours later
he was at the wheel. Just at dusk the
two men left the machine at Leeville.
They struck off down a lonely country
road On foot Dacre followed them at
safe distance.
1t was an hour later when they
climbed a fence and at an opening,
amid dense grove of saplings, came
upon an airship. Beside it, in boxes,
were black round objects, supplied
with fuses and having also appended
a square package done up in thin It's
sue paper.
A third man welcomed them and all
hands proceeded to pile in the bomb
like objects. The trio were evidently
about to start their fight. Dacre had
two revolvers. There was no time to
lose If he hoped to prevent a desperate
bomb raid. A weapon in either hand.
he rushed forward, stumbled over a
looping vine, one revolver was dis
charged and his head struck q tree
stump, stunning him.
/ When Dacre returned to conscious
ness it was to find himself tied TO
tree. He heard whirring sound
aloft and looked up. The airship was
rapidly moving in the direction of Lee
Vile.
Suddenly spark of light showed
the running fire of a quick fuse. The
bomb was driving downwards. There
was a brilliant explosion in midair, a
graceful spark of colored fireballs and
a thousand white paper objects show
cred earthwards.
Dacre tugged at his hands desper-