The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1918-01-23
Episode Illustrative of One Of
Many Diverse Phases
OF the War.
CLOSE VIGILANCE NECESSARY
Three Whistles; Presto, Battery Cam.
oufIaged!-in This Instance Ven-
turesome German Machine
Plunged 10 Earth.

on his solitary mound In the middle OF
the field In the'hot sunshine. His bust
ness was to watch for hostile airplanes
and warn the battery of their APP
proach. II does not sound very ardu-
GUS business, but 1t is one that requires
considerable training If mistakes are
to be avoided. Airplanes fly too high
nowadays for their distinguishing
marks to be dlscerned. even through
the best glasses. The sentry must be
able to detect the enemy as soon as he
comes In sight, at whatever angle he
may happen to be flying; and with so
many different types of machine in the
air this requires experience and a
quick eye.
The experience he had gained by be-
ing attached for some days to an anti
aircraft battery whose business il was
TO spot all hostile planes mt once I;
G1ickness Of vision was inbred in him.
for he had an Englishman's love of
sport. The attitude of watchfulness
seemed natural to him as he sat with
his glass slung round his neck, his eyes
searching the skies all about him.
A couple Of hundred yards away, the
battery was at the height of its morn
ing toilet. The big guns were uncov-
cred and the limber-gunners and their
assistants were performing the morn
ing ablutions of their charges, washing
out the bores and scrubbing them with
the long-handled piasaba brushes that
take four men to push through. The
artiflcer was testing air pressures; the
section officers and their layers were
busy with the sights. Behind the guns,
again, groups of men were laying shells
In rows, taking them from the heaps in
which they had been dumped by TIE
ammunition column during the night.
The whole orchard was scene OF ac-
tivity, and concealment was out of the
question while 1t lasted.
Sudden Transformation.
Suddenly the airplane sentry stood
up, gazed ut a distant speck in the sky
through his glasses for few seconds,
then blew three blasts upon his whis-
tie. Before the echoes had died away
a furious scene-shifting began in the
battery. The cleaning squads put
down their utensils and drew up the
gun-covers, the artificer put his SPAN
ners In his pocket and sprang under
the nearest tree, where he was Joined
by the section officers and their assist
ants. The shell numbers hastily COW
cred their work with leaves and brush
wood, and hid themselves under cover
Of the shed that acted as an ammuni- |
ton store. In ten seconds, where all |
the activity had been the sharpest eye |
would have seen nothing but compact |
orchard, with here and there group Of
men sheltering under trees, invisible
from the air.
The German airplane made a wide
sweep over the lines ut great height, |
the nucleus of a scattered pattern Of
shrapnel that burst all around 1t,
leaving puffs of smoke that hung like
cottonwood against the clear blue of
the sky. Then, apparently not liking
the look of a couple of British fighters
that rose to pursue 1t, 1t made off,
without having been anywhere near
the battery. The airplane sentry blew
his whistle once more and the covers
were stripped Off the guns and the in
terrupted work went on again.
A Second Invitation.
But the sentry redOubled his vigil
lance. The battery had made itself
exceedingly unpopular with the Ger
man; 1t had recently put several of
his guns out of action, besides account
ng for big minenwerfer that had an
nOyed the infantry In the front line,
and 1t was evident that he meant to
discover its position somehow. There
we're several German balloons up as 1t
vas, though fortunate rise in the
ground just hid the battery from their
view. Nor was 1t likely that on day
when visibility was so good the enemy
would stop mt one casual airplane. II
vas far more likely that he would send
hem over at intervals throughout the
lay. +
And so It happened. Before an
Jour was past second speck appeared
n the sky and again the scene shifting
Ook place on the blast of the whistle.
This time the hostile plane was shap-
ng course that would bring It very
Yearly over the battery, and the sentry
II with some concern. On it
anna the shrapnel bursting furiOusly /,
ound 1t, diving and wheeling to dis
oncert the gunners' aim. 1t swept
ver the battery, went straight on for
ew minutes, then turned and came ,
ack again. Had 1t seen anything sus- .
icious? The sentry scanned the or !
hard sharply. Everything was In per-
Get order, not even bully-beef tin I
ny about to betray sign of human I
there were no tracks visl- q
lie across the grass; every trife was '
arefully covered up. 1t Is on details
Ike this that the safety Of a battery {
epends. Upon the slightest hint that I
nything Is hidden In particular spot 8
he airplane calls up Its guns and G
anges on the place. And ever after n
ard one has the uncomfortable feel h