Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-05-10


hear, Yank."
Wealthy" | should say it was"
bommcd Il great voice. 81 don't work
because have to. Pm doing this be-
cause like it,"
Ehc speaker was a Boston boy who
had been flying with the British since
1916. A few minutes later ne cross
ed and touched the correspondent on
the shoulder.
"Comc over to our table and we
will fill you up on local color, and
champagne" he said
There was local color and cham
pagcn, too, for somebody had just
received Il promotion and was ccle-
brating very mildly with quart of
wine We chatted for few minutes
an dthe massachusetts man told
little Of how he had deserted exhibit
ton flying in America to join the Bril-
fish forces.
"This bombing business isn't war"
he volunteered. al am chauffeur;
my car is my plane, and my passen-
gers are bombs. take my passen-
gers over the line and discharge
them, safe and sound, and then come
home His eyes twinhlcd as he said
lit.
The siren began its uncanny vail
ing somewhere outside, and Il silence
fell over the hall. 1t was the "call TO
arms" One by one twenty -four men
separated themselves from their COM
rades and stole quietly from the room
They said nothing; nothing was said
to them; but scores Of friendly, anx-
| ious eyes looked "bonnc chance" We
followed shortly, for we had come to
see the getaway" and return.
1t was dark. a pale crescent moon
struggled bravcly, but inaTGectivcIy
10 clear away the gloom below.
Strange, shadowy figures were fit
ting noisclcssly about the grounds
and against. the sky line could be
seen the blots which represented the
great machines that stood waiting
FOR their pilots and Observers Off
toward the east the sky qlivcred and
glowcd iitful'Y Viz -" crimson fash
cs from n.s-t,ad guns. while the shrap-
mel hurried vicious flashes all along
the line. 1t was toward these omi-
nous beacon thu. he flight was go
ing.
There was no delay. Tine was val
liable, for there were signs that the
mists might come ut any time. With
in five minutes the throbbing of Il
powerful engine began, n machine
gun barked as the observer tested the
weapon, and then the plane glidcd
swiftly away across the field and
swept into the air, it's little signal
| lights cleaning like stars. Another
followed, and another, until the II
had all embarked on their pcrilous
voyage, whose ending no one could
prophcsy.
Gradually the blinking eyes of the
planes disappeared, and we stood and
counted the minutes as we strained
our eyes toward the battle line which
the flight would cross. Suddenly Il
stream of balls of lire began to mount
high into the air above the trenches.
The airmcn had reached the land of
hate, and their punishment had be-
gun in earnest.
The deluge continued and the shrap-
mel flashes came in ever-ncreasing
numbers. German scarchiehts went
pecring through the clouds, and we
learned later that one ray rested
squarcly on Il British plane. 1t was
Notwithstanding moment folthc nj
lot and observer. Their chances were
small, but the light moved on and
upward, and the plain was again en-
vclepodc in darkness.
All the planes but one were across
the line at last. The one machine
came wheeling back, flashing its per-
sonal signal as it felts its way tow
ard home. y signal from the ground
answered and the plane crcled slow
ly down and came hobblng across the
field. Engine trouble had forced n
return, but there had been no acct
dent.
1t nearcd the hour fO the other