Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-03-02
AnAdventurous
American
By ALAN HlNsDALE

|
side In the pNn-Europcan war, left
luxurious home to take part In 1t seems
mystery And when we consider
that he entered the aviation service to
face the dangers Of the land far up IN
the air, position trying enough by
Itself without adding TO the fact that
one Is liable TO he dropped, not from
break of Ulachncry, but Il shot fred
for the purpose, his action Is hard to
understand
DeanO entered the French aviation
corps composed Of Americans, He
made flights from that part of Belgium
which IL nearest Heebrugge, the base Of
the German dying machines, One day
when he was sailing over the North
sea near the coast he saw little
cigar shaped boat beneath him on the
surface Of the water, which he took
for n submarine, 1t occurred to him
that II he could swoop down low
enough to get n good aim he might
toss bomb ON to II and sink 1t, lie
didn't have much fear of II, for Its
guns were not made for sending shot
into the upper mir
Circling, he drew spiral down 10
within couple Of hundred feet He
feared to lose the game by Its being
submerged, But the captain had no
such intention, Dclano dropped n
bomb, which stirred the water hun.
drcd feet from the submarine Not
receiving shot In return, he descend
ed to within hundred feet of his
enemy and dropped another bomb,
This struck the water about fifty feet
on the other side of the submarine
He was getting II third bomb ready
when man with n rifle appeared ON
the submarine and fired shot which
exploded Ncds gasoline tank,
Ned was dropped into the water n
dozen feet from the submarine, There
was nothing for him TO do but to
strike out for the cigar shaped boat
and give himself up. This he did and
was received ON board with praise for
his daring
However, there was no place to con
fine him, and there seemed to be no
necessity to do so. He was made to
do the work of one Of the crew, the
vessel being short handed, and this
gave him the liberty of man with
| duties to perform. His love for nov
city was satisfied, for the boat fire.
quently dived, and when she did Ned
dlyed with her Used as he was to
sailing up in the air, he could not re.
press sense Of smothcring at going
down under the water the first time.
One day when the submarine was ON
in sight flying the British flag. Ned
saw ut once that he was liable TO wit
ness the destruction Of vessel The
# submarine kept to the eastward Of its
/, intended victim and when the evening
twilight came had the snip against it,
! while the submarine was in darkness.
Then she pushed forward till within
striking distance and called on the
BritiShers crew to get into their boats.
The order was obcyed, and Il num-
Der of shots were put into the hull be-
low the water line. Ned saw her 60
down stem first, almost as swimmer
! taking dive. only the diver reap
10 pears, which the vessel did not.
While this was occurring darkness
r was falling The last Ned saw Of the
ships crew they were in their boats,
the rowers resting on their oars watch
= ing their ship make her last plunge,
What they did afterward could not be
\ seen for the darkness. Ned wondered
!. what they would do. Would they pull
for the English or the Belgian coast ?
. The distance to land eastward was so
= much less than westW ard that he be-
lieved they would take that direction.
Likely they had taken a compass into
their boats, which would give them
r their course.
Naturally the idea of escape from
the submarine connected itself in his
mind with the boats, though the hope
of reaching them seemed madness. He
was obliged to take his turn with the
watch on deck. A couple of hours aft
er the sinking of the ship he heard the
sound of oars. Inferring that they
were from the boats of the sunken
ship, he listened eagerly. The sound
l. there were a number of boats pulling
t together-came from the west toward
the submarine. The crew of the latter
heard them, but, inferring that they
. were the sailors they had dispossessed,
: paid no attention to them.
Ned paid good deal Of attention to
-, them Getting as far from the rest of
y the watch as possible, he awaited the
l approach of the Corners He made up
S his mind that they would pass near the
n submarine, but whether south or north
of it he could not tell. Presently he
thought he heard them coming on the
south
Dare he try to join them? There
y was no light on the submarines deck
- and he could easily slide into the water
n and swim for them. If he missed
d them he would be lost. If he made
>, them he would secure his freedom.
1, ..,i1 20 al n.,1