Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1918-07-04

our men was hardly to be thought Of
ana yet at one time they SO completely
outmaneuvered the Huns that
thought their superior skill might save
the day for them. despite the fact tina,
they were so hopelessly outnumbered
One thing was sure of: they would
never give In.
VI course, it would have been q COM
paratively simple matter for our men,
when they saw how things were going
against them, to have turned their
noses down, landed behind the Ger
man lines and given themselves I'D as
prisoners, but that is not the way of
| the r. F. G..
| A battle of this kind seldom lasts
| many minutes, although every second
seems like an hour to those who par
tlcipate in it, and even onlookers suf-
Ter more thrills in the course of the
struggle than they would ordinarily
experience in lifetime. 1t is appar-
ent even to novice that the losers
fate is death.
VI course, the Germans around the
hospital were all watching and roofing
for their comrades, but the English.
too, had one sympathizer in that eroup
who made no effort to stifie his admir,-
ton for the bravery his countrymen
were displaying.
The end came suddenly. Four ma
chimes crashed to earth almost stimuli
taneously. 1t was an even break-two
of theirs and two of ours. The others
apparently returned to their respective
lines.
Ihe wound in my mouth made 1t i'm
possible for me to speak, but by means
OF a pencil and paper 1 requested one
of the German officers to find out for
me who the English officers were who
had been shot down.
A little later he returned and handed
me a photograph taken from the body
OF one of the victims. 1t was a picture
of Paul Raney of Toronto, and myself.
taken togetherl Poor Raneyi He was
the best friend / had and one of the
best and gamest men who ever fought
In France.
1t was he, learned long after who.
when L was reported missing, had
checked over all my belongings and
sent them back to England with n
signed memorandum-which is now in
my possession. Poor fellow, he little
realized then that but a day or two
alter he would be engaged in his last
heroic battle with me a helpless on
ookeri
The same German officer who
'rought me the photograph also drew
map Tor me of the exact spot where
Raney was buried in Flanders.
guarded it carefully all through nv
ubsequent adventures and finally
urned 1t over to his father and mother
'hen visited them in Toronto to per
orm the hardest and saddest duty
ave ever been called upon to execute
to confirm to them in person the
ldings of poor Paul's death.
The other British pilot who fell was
$50 from my squadron and a man
new well-Lieutenant Keith of Ans
ralia. L had given him a picture of
lyself only few hours before start
on my own disastrous flight. He
as one of the star pilots of our squad
IN and had been in many a desperate
attic before, but this time the odds
ere too great for him. He put ND
onderful fight and he gave as much
) he took.
The next two days passed without
cident and 1 was then taken to the
telligence department of the German
ying corps, which was located about
hour from the hospital. There 1 was
,pt two days, during which time they
1t thousand and one questions to
e. While / was there 1 turned over
them the message 1 had written in
e hospital and asked them to have
e of their flyers drop it on our side
the line
Ihey asked me where 1 would like to
We 1t dropped, thinking perhaps
'uid give my airdreme away, but
len l smiled and Shook my head, they
not insist upon an answer.