The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-07-18

farther away, but I didn't know. wher1
the next shell would burst, and
thought was fairly safe there, so i
sduateed down and let them blaze
away.
Tho only damage I suffered was
from the mud which splattered up In
my face and over my clothes. That
was my introduction to shell hole,
and i resolved right there that the In
fantry could have all the shell-hole
fiRhtinR they wanted. but 1t did not
appeal 70 me, though they live In them
through many a long night and had
only sought shelter there for few
minutes.
After the Germans had completely
demolished my machine and ceased
firing L waited there short time.
fearing perhaps they might send over
n lucky shot, hoping to get me after
all. But evidently they concluded
enough shells had been wasted on one
man. / crawled out cautiously. shook
the mud of, and ] looked over in the
direction where my machine had once
been. There wasn't enough left for a
decent souvenir. but nevertheless I got
n few. "such rs they 49, and read
Hy abserving that nothing could be
lone with what was left, I made my
way back to infantry headquarters.
where / was able to telephone In a
report
A little later one of our automo-
lilies cane tut after me and took me
back TO our airdrome. Most of my
iq,mdron thought | Was lost beyond
,1ubt.s and never expected TO see me,
again; but my friend, Paul Raney. had
held out that | was all right. and as
N was afterwards told, said, Don't
rem for another plot; that Irishmnn
Viii tie back. If he has to walk" And
ne knew that the only thing that kept
me from walking wGs the fact that our
own automobile had been sent out to
bring me home.
4 hnd lots to think about that day,
and ! had learned many things; one
was. not to have too much confidence
In my own ability. One of the men in
the squadron told me that / had bet
ter not take those chances; that 1t
was going to he long war and 1
would have plenty OF opportunities to
be killed without deliberately wishing
them on" myself. Later was to learn
the truth of his statement.
That night my t-fiisht'-each squad
ron is divided into three flights, con-
sistiug OF six men each-got ready to
go out again.. AS started to put on
my tiinic noticed that was not
marked up for duty as usual.
/ askc 1 the commanding officer. a
major. what the reason for that was,
and he replied that he thought had
done enough for one day. However.
\ knew that If did not go. someone
else from another 'fiight' would have
to take my place. and i insisted upon
going up with my patrol as usual, and
the major reluctantly consented. Had
he known what was in store for me,
am sure he wouldn't have changed his
mind so readily.
As ii was we had only five machines
for this patrol, anyway, because as we
crossed the lines one of them had to
drop out on account of motor trouble.
Our patrol was up at o. m, and up
20 within ten minutes of that hour 1t
AA&0 uCCu NutAfGty uu0NclIIul.
At 7:50 p. m. however. while we
were dying at height of $4,000 feet.
we observed three other English ma
chimes which were about 5000 feet
below rs pick q fight with nine Hun
machines.
knew right then that we were in
for II. becarse could see over toward
the ocean n whole flock of Hun ma
chimes which evidently had escaped
the attention OF our screppy country
men below rs.
So we dove down on those nine
Huns.
At hrst the nght was fairly even.
There were eight Of rs to nine OF them.
But soop the other machines which
had seen In the distance. and which
arrived on the scene. and when they.
In turn. dove down on us. there was
jnst twenty OF them to our eight!
-Four of them singled me out. I was
diving. and they dived right down after
me. shooting as they came. Their
tracer bullets were coming closer to
me every moment These tracer bull
let's are balls OF fire which enable the
shooter to follow. the course his bull
let's are taking and to correct his aim
They do no more harm
II a plot IL be Is hit than an ordinary
bullet. bat If they hit the petrol tank.
good night When machine catches
Gre In flight thare Is no way of put
ting Il out Il takes less than a min
ute for tho fabric to burn or the wings
AID then the machine drops like an
arrow, leaving a trail OF smoke like
AS their tracer bullets came closer
aad closer to me I realized that my
chances of escape were NIL. Their very
next shot, I felt, must hit me.
Once, some days before. when was
ayirg over the line, had watched
ArhA ahnue ne German mschinc