The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-11
Camp Comedies
IBy Alma Woodward.
THE AVID AVIATOR.


Scene: Camp Lewis. Time: After
noon.
(Three figures in the trig uni" of
the r. +. c. are standing outside
hangar. watching the first batch Of
afternoon flights. Suddenly a tall.
slender youth comes from behind the
hangar, He is pale--and carries a
book)
A Gas machine takes the air)--There
goes Fowler. That's his first flight
since they let him out OF the clink.
approaching timidly)I couldn't
help overhearing. What's the clink?
A good naturedly)-the clink's the
-guardhouse--ball and chains
anything you choose that contains the
idea of restricted liberty. captivity
and all of that don't you know.
b (voice tremblingA-And what was
this chap Fowler put in the er-er-
clink for?
G (chiming in)-Oh, for n stunt he
pulled at coast resort. Saw how
close he could fly to the bathing
beach without scalping the mermaids
and wrecked q perfectly good plane
in the operation.
(gasping)-Wasn't he r-reckless?
A (sarcastica1ly)-Oh, frightfully so.
He must have been at least twenty
feet in the air when he came a CROP
per. Maybe some day you'll be doing
fresh tricks like that. Buddy.
| y lin mortal terror)--Me? Oh no
never! (Hurriedly)-Do you know
when we're going to sail for England?
1t takes them awfully long to make up
their minds. doesn't it?
A (raising his brows)--By they" I
suppose you mean the Britiuh govern
mcnt. They'd be disturbed by your
comment, am sure
G. Gas Buddy wanders away)-That
was a swift one! The kid nearly went
to pieces.
A tmeditatively),--Yo know. I can't
make that youngster out. Ever since
he's down from Canada he's been on
the verge Of hysteria. Looks as though
he's seeing things in the day time
| and does see 'em at night. Temple
| tells me he shivers until he rocks the
| boat hours at time at night-hc's a
| tent mate. And yet he seems possessed
! to get to England on the first trans
port.
G (pointing)-See, he's stopped Mil
Ter and is talking to him. wonder
what's he's saying?
CThc two walk toward the other
men. Just as they get within ear shot
they hear Buddy ask: Have you
heard when we sail for England"
M (grecting them)--Hello. boys!
Going up this afternoon?
A (glumily)-I was going up with
Captain Wayne. He was going to show
me how to get a machine out of a
spinning dive. But 1t looks as though
this dampness Is going to bring on fog
so 1 suppose I'm out of 1t, worse luck
b Gnterrupting breathlessly) ~-Yo
can't fly in fog, can you?
(squclching him instanter) Say
how long do you have to go to schoo
to learn your n, b abs--never In fog
(Buddy attempts a graceful exiD.
NJ (impatiently)-That fellow gets
my goat! Every time he meets me h,
asks me when we're going to sail FOL
England! And yet II an instructor
suggests his taking the wheel the,
have to send for aromatic spirits Of
ammonia and smelling salts.
A--He's certainly an enigma. Look
he's dropped his book. What kind o
literature does the nut read. anyway
picks II upE-"An Americans impress
sions of England" (Turns pages)-
Here's a heavily underlined passage
Listen! "The thing which impressed
me most was the fact that England |:
cnveloped in dense fog three quarter.
of the time"
Chorus (enlightened England
Fog! Flying. All! Now 1t come:
OUT