El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-07-02


, after looking down tbs taDIe, said to
the messenger. ASK flight lieutenant
Williams to come TO my office at $50
tonight"
At the moment I was fussing
around motor with a couple Of me
chanics blissfully unaware Of these
momentous happenings that were
leading right up to me.
At $3.50 prompt I arrived at the
cabin Of the C. O. incidentally he is
a weather beaten, sturdy man Of some
so years With a face much wrinkled
and tanned by the wind.
Williams" he said. 7 don't want
you TO talk about what 1 am going to
tell YOU Our friends are suspected OF
keeping a nice little store Of shell
and other stuff in the station at
Blanckem- 1t is a good long distance
aWay-l10 miles, TO be eXact-and 1
particularly don't want to send
crowd until I am quite sure of my
ground. The whole place is very
heavily guarded, it appears, and 4
want some one to go over and makee-
look-see whether there is a store
there and what sort Of guns they've
got. You've not had much luck lately,
and I thought 1 would give you the
opportunity OF going. What do you
think2"
Willing And Ready.
Now viii leave it to the veriest
layman If the asst gnment was not OF
sort that would make any chap
stiffen up a bit and do considera bic
pOnuerlnE but I fancy I did not
change face before the old man" And
like any airman would do 1 replied
with military directness:
Thank you, sir When shall /
start2"
The C. o. thought for a moment.
then he said, Wind sou'west-llO
miles-h'm-one and a half hours
run Better start an hour before day
break tomorrow morning
Il asked If I was to report to him
before starting"
yes" he replied. ct shall be there
TO see YOU off Good night my lad.
Go and turn in now and get some
sleep and don't talk about it"
At the hangar I gave orders as to
my machine then went straight to my
cabin. wrote two letters. turned into
my bunk and slept soundly until the
sentry awakened me at $50 the fol-
lowing morning vas fearfully
sleepy but dressed quickly. donned
my flying kit and arrived at the c.
O. cabin ten minutes before was
due to start
Come in" answered a voice inside
to knock That you, Williams? Good
I've got some hot cocoa and a biscuit
or two for you here. It viii warm you
try TO destroy the place yourself ]
only want you to find out what guns
those blighters have got"
The start.
Five minutes later / was beginning
the execution Of the wishes Of the
tired, bespectacled officer back in the
London office, near Whitehall, now
fast asleep at home.
There was no glamour Of romance !
TO my start The cold. chill first light I
my machine were grouped stolid, 4
phlegmatic faces, heavy eyed with I
sleep. from which certainly no in I
spiration could be obtained
The motor roared. Ny machine /
rose rather stiffly as I let her rip 4
For a moment my thoughts bOrdered I
me the tin sheds where my mates I
u ere peacefully sleeping
At 5000 feet I found myself just be- Z
low the clouds with the air bit more I
bunny" than il should be for perfect I
flying conditions. Then behind me ] i
heard a dull reverberation in the I
clouds; ahead Of me I made out puffs I
Of white smoke
Fritz had spotted me but since ]
was making a fun 80 miles the hour 4
I could look on with the most cheer
ful eQuanimity. The observer who \
saw me streaking through that drab /
atmosphere, however, received my
choicest anathemas a half a minute
later.
For a shell. bursting close spat a
piece Of metal through the body OF
the machine, missing my legs by a.