Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-10-24
mot mind taking a crack at it myself.
Clouds Were Bumpy

sky, it was Just the weather for this
/ type of work, too, for the clouds
: were very low and there were many
/ of them. Indeed, so thick were they
: that few bits of blue sky could be
, seen between them, and then we
reached the field and |, with two
5 lieutenants and an adJutant, was
ordered up No instructions were
given me. except the usual one, fol
low the leader" This sounded inter-
esting, and l slipped into my fur
lined flying suit with considerable
eXpectancy. Soon we were in the
air, and golly! maybe it wasn't
bumpy! But these things are all in
! the days work, for one becomes ac-
J customed to mechanically balanc-
ling himself like a swimmer keeping
himself afloat, and besides, there
was the lieutenant ahead and above
me whom l was to follow.
Duel i'm Clouds
So swung around to cut him off
las he swung in a big circle, and as
Il did so he entered big, black
cloud. Looking around to see that
mo other plane was near me, i
lplunged after him; but before so do
ling 1 had noticed the adjutants
plane was very close to me, and see
ling from the angles that we were
travelling that we were due to collide
lif we went into that cloud in those
positions, l turned off sharply and
went into the cloud at exactly the
same direction and angle that he
Ibid. You see by this incident 1 just
Icited that it is not only in fight
Ithat an aviator must use his head.
HE must be continually on his guard
to see that he does not collide with
one of his comrades while flying in
formation, and as for flying through
Iclouds in formation, you can excuse
me. l have done it, of course, but
i have no liking for it nevertheless,
for one is absolutely blind in a
cloud. And if you remember my
friend Byers, the American pilot, got
lost in just that way. l happened TO
lbe in that patrol, and we jumped in
IAN enormous cloud after a Boche.
when we came out, the patrol was
scattered to the four winds. and only
l was behind and with the leader,
not that any credit is due me for
that, because I had been close to the
leader when he went in and as he
came out almost Immediately. my
wings hardly brushed the cloud.
Lost-One Lieutenant
Well, when l came out on top of
that tilmy, lacy cloud it looked as if
the lieutenant had won the game.
flor he sure had fooled me. Nowhere
was he in sight-and l had been or
dered explicitly to follow him! See
ing l could not follow him until 1
found him, l banked one wing up at
a sharp angle and searched the sky
above me, and there flying in wide
Icircle searched the clouds and space
beneath me. Still no plane, and then
l saw the other lieutenant just going
under cloud. Surely he knew what
was up, where we were going and
what for, so l lost no time falling
in behind, for L knew nothing about
where L was to go or what was to
| he done. This lieutenant must have
been in. the same predicament 1 was
hunting the leader-for l swear l
chased him around that "piste'
twelve times. Several times he tried
! to shake me or else he wanted me to
lead; but there was nothing doing.
l was feeling great, now that l was
in the air again, and gave him twist
| for twist and turn for turn, sticking
| on his tail like a burr. Finally he
gave up the hunt and started down.
1t was nearly time, l thought, for one
could not see for clouds and mist
land it was also raining up there. On
landing we discovered that the leader
had come down and landed almost
| Immediately after / had followed
him into the clouds, so it's no Won
der l could not find him when l
shot through the top.
Matches Are Scarce
Among other things that are hard
to get sometimes around here are
matches, and the kind we do get
we'll, thy remind me of the man one
of my correspondents wrote me
about, to the effect that he had used
Iup a whole box one night without
| getting a light to his cigaret. By
that time he was hot enough to set
lit on fire himself, judging from the
Language she heard.
! Cheese Is Popular
! Among other habits acquired over
here l have acquired the habit of
eating cheese nearly every meal. l
| say nearly, because l sort Of lost in
terest in that article since yesterday,
when l noted several nagotc eating
themselves out of the hunk still on
the table-and l had just eaten a
piece of the same hunk. Never again
| for that kind. Like the bees l have
met, l think I've been stung by every
sort there is, although sometimes it's
so strong l. have to. pass it up, as
gas mask is not among my equip
ment.
1 am sorry to hear, though, that
you are being limited to sugar, and
II WOulu De just my luck TO get Il
permission home about the time
they forbid the making of candy. So
you see the attractions are growing
less and less to return to the
U. S. A. Really, from your letters,
eats tare as closely regulated there
as they are here.
True, it is in a good cause, but
as long as Mother can find enough
flour to make pies, and cornmeal to
make fried mush--there isn't a law
on maple syrup, too, is there with,
these there Will be nothing but II
! happy krunt froEI Walter. So you see
there is nothing the matter with my
lappetite.
BE Palm Tree
You remember that Frenchman
told you about who took his per-
mission in England and came back
with a phonograph? Well, he ac-
quired other things besides, for what
with all the up-to-date aviation
clothes he bought he looks like the
kind of aviator you read about and
see pictured-just sweet enough to
kiss, or kick. He also has an Amer
iran "Marrain," who writes to him
regularly, and obliginly sends several
snapshots in each letter. She can
afford to, since she is rather cute
looking. Anyway, although said
Erenchman can sneak English-nOt