Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1918-03-29

grily. that IA the answer your double
gave me when I asked him the same
question last night II means moth
ing am either a prisoner Of war
or 0 guest entitled TO consideration.
Why DO you treat me like q foolT
Because you are fool. You be-
lieVe IN the inyulnerability OF the bat
tlesbip Well, there Il one Of the best.
Look at her"
II see. Destroyed, but not by you;
by an enemy Of yours. one who feared
you"
Yes. as mediocrity fears intelligence.
as the child fears the dark, the savage
the gun Of the civilized soldier, human
ity as q whole the unseen, the unex-
pected, the invisible. The airship is
potential, but not final; she can be
seen"
And shot," said FELTON, doggedly.
"Did that battleship hit your air
ship? You know that she could not.
The airship's limitations are contained
In her visibility. She cannot be hit
by shot or shell, but she can be seen
and projected into space"
Granted. but suppose she dropped
bomb on to your back before you
saw herr
''sbe could not. except in the dark;
then she would have TO strike knife
edge, and II would be an accident, one
chance In millions. We are construct
ed like razorback hog to defect fall
Ing bombs"
But you cannot defect horizontal
torpedoes." said FELTON,. looking up at
the dome Of the Submarine. II looked
curiously like the dome shaped roof OF
the airship. Il know we'll" be went
on. talking as was his wont among his
fellow officers. that II could see
your periscope tube with a telescope
I could bit you with one of my tor
pedoes."
"Your torpedoes?
Il am torpedo officer OF that battle
ship. was on the turret top when
you blew 1t up last night and went up
with II. landed on the airship."
"You are a member Of that battle
ships crewT'
81 am" FELTON, dropped his eyes at
the menace In the captains voice. On
the way his glance took In the curving
walls Of the submarine. They had be
come semltransparent, and even as he
looked they vanished, leaving a clear
view Of the sky and horizon with its
string Of fighting ships, pursued and
pursuing. He was again In the air
ship, and the upright stanchions that
he had first observed as anomalies In
a submarine now served their legiti
mate purpose of supports to the roof.
The drink" he murmured. while his
brain swan and his soundings disap
peared in a mist. They've drugged
me-"
"You belong to that battleshipi'
roared the captain. but FELTON, had
sunk to the Hoor. incapable Of volun
tary action. The captain blew whis
tie, and his crew answered.
Back to the battleship" thunderet
the captain. Load him into the tube
Expend that torpedo and max,
room"
Men sprang to the tube and turnet
levers. The captain sprang to the peri
scope. Right" he said. ."Tll fnisi
her"
How an airship could fire a torpedo
was beyond Felton's benumbed facul
ties at the time He was struggling
weakly. trying to strike, but unable to
pounded on the face and body by tn
implacable victim OF his 6sts In thu
fsrmer fight. helplessly borne along to
ward the tube, now emptied Of water
Back to the battleshipr' they cho
rused. "In with Mmr'
PsweFless to resist, he was jammei
head first into the tube. He heard th
door sreak iRto place behind him; thel