The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-08-06
His Thirteenth
Bndman Dropped
By ALAN HINSDAIE

| oAeSA tuc SuppieSSlou VI Cue revolt In
Ireland found it necessary to emf
CRATE. Johns grandfather came to
America, married an American wo-
man, and a daughter of his married
William Ellison, an Englishman.
| Johnny was sent over to England
to be educated and came back very
enthusiastic over the English people
The consequence was that when the
great worlds war broke out he went
over to fight under the imperial Brit
ish flag.
| The only pcrsCn toward whom John
felt a real enmity was Elmer Treat,
whose grandfather came from Ger
many. The two as youngsters had been
| chums; but, as luck would have it,
they split on girl. and, though nei-
ther felt sure he had gained the advan-
| tage over the other, the rivalry sepa-
rated them. Whether or not It broke
their friendship this story will tell.
Johnny thought he could serve the
| fatherland Of his anCestors-he consid-
| cred himself an American, and an
| American Only-in the dying corps. He
| therefore went to London and after a
| course of instruction that fitted him to
make bird of himself was sent to
| the front for active duty. At first he
was sent up into the air to locate the
enemys guns and signal their posi-
| ton, but after year at that kind of
| service he was made a member of the
fighting corps.
When Johnny left America for the
war he did so partly because he had
been refused by Alice Weatherby.
| This was the girl that he and Elmer
Treat had split upon. Whether Treat
had won where he had failed he did
not know, but he felt very bitter to-
ward his former friend. because he
presumed that Treat had taken unfair
! advantage of him. But was there ever
rivalry wherein one party did not
consider that the other had used un-
fair means? 1t is the girl who throws
the apple Of discord between them.
One day John Ellison went up to get
his thirteenth aeropane. He had
! brought down twelve and had been
duly decorated by the government.
John set out about 10 o'clock of a
! spring morning AS he rose about the
| treetops he heard the birds singing be-
low him and wondered if they were
not jealous of the invasion of their ele
ment. On reaching the height he dc
| sired he started toward the enemy S
lines. Far in the distance he saw eli
ther an aerOplane or bird, but his
practiced eye soon told him that it was
the former. Nor was it long before
the aeroplane appeared to be heading
for John.
When the two came to within mile
Of each other each seemed to realize
that he was singled out for fight
They circled about each other, either
for observation or for position, neither
appearing to care to come to quarters
close enough for a fight. John, who
was armed with long range gun, sem
shot by way of opening the scrim
mage, but it either fell short or went
wild. His enemy did not seem ready
for reply.
The cOmbatants were not near enough
to distinguish each others faces, or II
they were they were too much covered
for them to do so. Presently the
stranger suddenly veered from his
course and, putting on all speed, made
straight for his enemy's machine. JohI
swerved, and the other passed him OF
the flank, both firing at the same time
Neither man was hurt, but the bodies
of both aerOpanes received severa
bullets.
Now as they dashed past each othe
Johnny got a view Of his enemy, mucl
as he might see it by flash of light
ming There was something about !
that reminded him of his former frient
and subsequent enemy who he had be
lieved had acted unfairly with refer
ence to Alice Weatherby. Nonsense
There were a thousand to one chances
against his meeting Elmer Treat any
where on terra firma in Europe ant
million to one that he would no
meet him thousand feet up In thu
air Nevertheless that brief glimps,
he had got Of the man In the othe
machine was marvelously suggestive
of Elmer.
But Johnny was fighting for LII
and realized fully that all his facultie
should be exercised In taking the lif
Of the man who was bent on KILN,
him. Besides, the fact that his enem,
|, reminded him OF the man he believes
had injured him with the woman b
, loved did not tend to extinguish In hin
the madness of war. Taking advan
, tage of turn the other made, Il
which he exposed himself favOrabl
for shot, Johnny fired at him AM
saw him instantly collapse.
Thank heaven!" said John. "Fv
passed my thirteenth
The enemy's aeroplane began to sin
slowly in a spiral. John could not b
sure whether or not the man In he
had any control over her or not. Slow
ly she circled till she reached an ope
space in the rear of the British line
devoid of troops. John followed
struck the ground near him and, whe
he ceased 10 move. alighted and ra