The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1918-06-14

often nnuUNutut tNofe were no MltutHata hhh hNN~
Ing to confirm his success from an official point OF
view. In the afternoon he went up again. and
By no means discouraged with his mornings eA'
perience. he went 10 look for the enemy In the
nelehborhood Of the reservoir.
He wns not long in appearing. soulier soon saw
In his path nm albatross biplane with three mi.
trailleusea. Following his usual tactics souler
dropped from the altitude In which he was ny
Ing. always very high. and swiftly pursued the
enemy. The albatross sought to escape from at.
tack, but was overtnken by n light charge, ana
fell. spreading Itself out ON the earth and taking
Gre. The deed was done. but again the pilot look
ed about him for spectators who might supply the
confirmation necessary 90 his official recognition.
Unfortunately aEnin there was no one who had
seen his triumph.
soulier. however, hardly had time TO indulge
In hitter reflections before n new danger and a
new opportunity presented Itself.
some kiiometers further on he perceived a mag
nihcent observation balloon. lighted by the rays
OF the setting sun.
where the Dmchens ARE there are also the
bursts OF shrapnel. and toward the middle Of these
clouds OF black smoke Soulier guided his machine,
carrying Il through the marvellous evolutons or
which he Is master. Again fate was against him,
for ms he fred his twentieth cartridge his mi.
trnIlleuse stopped, and there wns nothing for the
pilot TO do but to return to his own camp.
Turning with the object OF making for home
quarters, Souller saw himself beset by new enc
mics.
Two thousand meters above his head four en-
envy alrplanes circled.
one Of them came on at full speed and At 200
meters opened Gre on him.
IL IL at such moments as these that the aero
batic flyer finds himself at the height OF his glory.
with every nerve thut, with every bit OF SKIN
in play. he turns, twists and circles bis
way out Of such difficulties, and when he
comes through them successfully tastes for a
moment n glory almost unknown 10 other men.
A slide down the wing. u loop. then all the ga
nut OF beautifully executed maneuvers-whose
most valuable quality Il their faculty Of keeping
the enemy guessing where the machine viii be In
the next secondhand Soulier had succeeded In
showing his heels to the enemy. Then. guiding
himself with one hand and repairing his mitrali-
leuse with the other. while nc the same time he
continued his series OF acrobatlcs. Soulller winged
his way to the French lines, succeeding In throw,
ing On the FIRST one and then another Of his adj
versnries.
To complete his mischance his motor weakened.
He had only one resource-to do the death drop,
He let himself fall In spirals, and the Bosches,
believing that he had been sent down, bent their
wings as N In n dance Of Joy.
Then suddenly the dead" French aviator right.
ed himself, began TO arm nnew his mltrnilleuse,
and with a last shot at his enemy. regained his
lines, able nt last TO say "alone."
The tolls and dangers Of this terrible day had
counted for nothing. however, ON the ohiclal rec
ord 81 the young aviator. but the following day
although his activities were by no means 20 con
tnuous, was TO bring him the substantial recognl
ton that every war aviator longs for.
BY the same bright star us that Of the day be
fore he started ON a morning flight. passing rapid
ly over the enciuy trenches. Presently percelylnl
a ID. y. W. scout machine. he attacked Il yigor
ously.
In these single combats In which onlv two INN