Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-05-07
FLYING WITH SHAFFER
HUNTING oCHEs IN THE AIR
LETTERS FROM DAUpHIN BOY ro HIS ,oY,.rp

, chose this time because there seem
TO be no Bocfe OWNS to the"cool
OF the evening"" as was proven 10y
my roommate Put nan. who brought
two down in two successive days at
that hour; and since we were not
soing to fly until late, n famous
painter asked per mission to paint 4
picture of the Mocane OF the lieu
tenant, which was duly granted.
That boy sire could paint and l
stood enraptTred behind him,
watching the p.ctu:e appear with
swift, deft strokes of brush ana PEN
Gil. The day lofose 1 had watched
! hlT paint the picture OF n Nieuport
in the same sure, swift way. At
p. M. finally drli"sd, an2 we were
soon away, but no sooner had l be-
gan following nay lieutenant than 1
noticed some oil was leaking from a
tube nearby. 1t was leaking very
slowly, l knew on going, for 1 had
not been in the air for so long that 1
would have stayed al ut with more
trouble than that. We were soon at
the lines and climbing higher, some
thing l did not like, for above 1000
| meters my motor worked badly, so
came down lower, still staying
with my lieutenant, but away below
him. In this way we kept flying
! back and forth just over the lines,
sometimes being shot at, but the
twilight seemed to disturb their
| judgment, because all the shots fell
| far short.
Twice 1 saw white shrapnel break
ing over the lines, which is gener-
ally an indication of a Boche, but
strain my eyes as l would, l could
| not find the Hun. 1t was $3.50 p.
M. and getting rather dark, but ]
still kept flying up and down the
lines, although the lieutenant had
left for home some time before in
the hopes of seeing something.
Being all by my lonesome, 1 nat
| urally kept a sharp lookout all
around. Once a big plane hove in
sight behind and over me, but il
proved to be French plane. and
another time 1 saw Gar below, one OF
the famous French aces chasing
something down at terrific speed
but L could not see what he was
chasing.-I hope you have not be-
come all "het up" by this time, for
you will be disappointed if you ex-
pect the climax to be a mort
Boche. for finally had to give up on
| account of darkness and come back
| to roost. l made another awful
landing. but stayed right side uI
this time and did not break any
thing, my roommate, Putnam met
me with a beautiful "balling OUT
as l climbed out of my seat, first
for making bad landing, and fol
staying over the lines so far.
1t seems the lieutenant had come
down and to the inquiries as tc
where L was had replied that he
had left me a mile on the other side
of the lines, flying at the suicidal
altitude of 1900 meters. AS Put.
man put it. II was afraid 1 would
have to make another trip to Paris
(Winter, an American was killed
some time ago here, and he arrang.
ed his affairs in Paris, which called
forth the above remark.) I think
it was more relief than anything
else that made him call me down so.
| However, the lieutenant had not told
him the story quite right. for I was
flying at 5000 meters and was right
over the lines most of the time.
But had not luck, and my machine
gun was working so we'll too. 1 may
go out tomorrow again, if the motor
runs well, certainly hope so.
Today being Sunday, the usual
crowd was around to cape and ad
mire our pretty birds. Some Amer
lean soldiers came out also, and one
of them said he would give me &C
] francs if I would arrange to ge