The Pensacola journal., 1920-04-19
Doctor Has No Faith In
Smile of Second Lieut..

far too frail seemed to be hold well.
my self-confidence returned and set
tied back TO enjoy the flight
We were coursing merrily along, /
was sitting very low, Ito avoid the
rush of wind. and holding TO the ma
chine gun rail with both hands (Be-
fore we went up / had been told that
if an accident occurred the crash would
not be so dangerous if / held to this
rail tightly. When / decided to ask
how high we We're and called to the
lieutenant through the speaking tube
There was no response and after call
ing several times l ventured to rise
up enough to peep over the front of
the seat when to my dismay. / saw
that he did not have his tube adjusted;
just then however he looked around
and placed the tube to his ear. He
said that we were up about a mile and
a half and that we would not go up
much higher as ii might be quite cold
and besides the engine was not work
ing very well. asked him if he would
please keep the tube TO his ear as I
could get at my watch easier than he
could and remind him so that we
would not be late for dinner. He said
he did not mind doing it for me, but
that AS lAd4 RSSl up WIN anQJnSr darn
fool the day before and he had almost
ruined his eardrum by holding the
mouthpiece against the wind. was
much assured by his confidence in me
and began to enjoy the wonderful
panorama of the landscape flowing so
far below and the fleeciness of the
clouds which we Were touching We
We're passing over a French city just
then and the lieutenant looked around
and with his pleasant smile motioned
me to look over the side the better
to see it.
Howard, never put your faith in the
smile of second lieutenant. Unless
you have experienced it, you cannot
conceive the helIish disposition lurking
behind the innocent and angelic smile
of a lieutenant of the aviation corps
Just as l raised up to look over the
side of that machine he tipped those
planes absolutely vertically! Howard
when you promenade those quiet
French cities and note the restfuI
beauty of the architecture you would
never believe, that, seen from above
! they are seething mass of punctur-
ing spires and jagged, hideous pill
/ lories. l could see the whole city.
Howard, and we were directly over
the toughest part, l saw all of that
city that / cared to see. but he must
of thought l cared to see 1t from the
other side for he had no sooner as
sumed the horizontal before he timed
entirely the other way. Right then
l began to suspect that young man.
recalled the many instances of Hun
espionage. His profile seemed to as
sumo squat, square, brutal outline
tried to recall IL his name had a Teu-
ton sound. / regretted having men
toned how our army would be Grip
pied by my loss. / resolved that if
we ever reached the ground alive /
would Immediately place him in GUS
tody. Howard, he must have sensed
my suspicious, for suddenly murder
seemed to fill his heart. He dashed
this way and that The very ma
chine appeared to be leagued in his
diabolical design. 1t dove, dipped.
bucked and bolted. 1t fIirted with its
tail and turned completely over, 1t
! leaped into the air and slid down back
wards. 1t jumped to both sides at
| once with spiral twists ever and anon,
/ his nendish purpose masked by an
, ,angelicaf smile. That second Heuten-
ant would look around TO see il my
pulseless body were crashing toward
! those waiting spires. / gave up.
wrapped both legs and arms around
the machine gun and closed my eyes
! Finally he seemed to decide that the
only way 10 accomplish his full intent
was to sacrifice his own life. He
turned the nose of that machine per
lpendicularly towards the earth and
dashed directly at those spires. Down.
down, down! The sky rushed and
roared by The bottom seemed to fall
from everything. had much the same
feeling once when 1 was on a small
Isteamer in storm on Lake Michi-
gan.
| But we didn't hit the spires. How
lard, he recokned without his host. In
failing strong wind had blown us to-
ward the aviation field and as soon
las he realized that his subtle at
tempts on my life could be observed
The righted the plane just in time to
layoid striking the tops of some trees
that lined the road to the camp, made
a perfectly smooth landing and brought
the plane to an even stop at the han
gar. To my intense surprise, the com
Imanding officers and his fellow flyers
lactuaIly oompfimented this lieutenant
on the splendid flight he had made.
At dinner / cautiously voiced my
lsuspicions and suggested that he be at
Ileast placed under surveillance, but as
he appeared a young man of good
habits, American born, and of unques
tionab1e patriotism, no charge against
|. him could be sustained except per-
ihaps before a c0urtmartiaI composed
!. faf inf officers