OUTWITTING
THE
^/LIEUTENANT
<+ PAT O'BRIEN
<D, n/8, ty fWAiyA osa/s/t
COMMUNITY IN ELAND
STIRRED DP DY AUTHOR
nntUN. Aug Tlio Irish Times
records disturbances in Westmeath
provoked solely by a novel written by j
Itrinsley Macnaniara. a native of Dev
lin The book is full of local color,
a.id the inhabitants visited their in
dignation on the father of the author,
who is a local schoolmaster, and at - *
tempted to evict him from his school.
They were not successful, but they j
prevented their children from attend- j
ing the school, which is now practi-j
callv closed The population is. how
ever. not united in approval of these
methods of literary censorship, and |
the event has led to the breaking tip
of the local Sinn Fein and volunteer
organizations, the leaders of which
discouraged the protests.
—-♦
Have you looked over our stock of
Cohgolcttm rugs? The Northwestern
Hardware store.
That same day a Herman ni *vr was
brought Into tin* hospital and put in
the hunk next to mine, of course I
casually looked at him. hut did not
pay particular attention to him at that
time. Hi* lay there for three or four
hours before I did take a real good
look at him. I was positive that he
could not speak English, and naturally
I did not say anything to him. Once
when I looked over in his direction his
eyes were on me, and to my surprise
he said, very sarcastically, “What the
h—1 are you looking at” and then
smiled. At this time I was just be
ginning to say a few words, as my
wound had prevented me from talking,
hut I said enough to let him know
what I was doing there and how I
happened to be there. He evidently
had heard mv story from some of the
others, though, because he said it was
Jon had 1 had not broken my neck;
that he did not have much sympathy
with the flying corps anyway. He
asked me what part of America I came
from, and I told him “< ’alifornin.”
After a few more questions he
learned that I hailed from San Fran
cisco, and then added to my distress
by saying, “How would you like to
have a good. Juicy steak right out of
the Hofbrau?” Naturally I told him
it would “hit the spnt.” hut I hardly
thought my mouth was in shape just
then to eat it. I Immediately asked,
of course, what he knew about the
Hofbrau. and he replied, “I was con
nected with the place a good many
years, and I ought to know all about
it.”
After that this Herman officer and
1 became rather chummy; that is. as
fur as I could he chummy with an
enemy, and we whiled away a good
many long hours talking about the
days we had spent in San Francisco,
and frequently in the conversation one
of us would mention some prominent
('alifornian, or some little Incident oc
curring there, with which we were
txjth familiar.
He told me when war was declared
he was, of course. Intensely patriotic
and thought the only thing for him to
do was to go hack and aid in the de
fense of his country. He found that
he could not go directly from San
Francisco, because the water was too
well guarded by the English, so la*
hoarded a boat f«»r South America.
There he obtained a forged passport
and in the guise of a Montevideo!! took
passage for New York and from there
to England.
He passed through England without
any difficulty on his forged passport,
hut concluded not to risk going to Hol
land for fear of exciting too mm h sus
picion. so went down through the
Strait of Hihraltar to Italy, which was
neutral at that time, up to Austria,
and thence to Hermany. He said when
they put in at Hihraltar, after leaving
England, there were two suspects
taken off the ship, men that lie was
sure were neutral subjects, but much
to his relief Ills own passport and ere
dentlals were examined and passed
O. K.
The Hun spoke of his voyage from
America to England as being excep
tionally pleasant, and said he had a
fine time, because he associated with
the English passengers on hoard, bis
fluent English readily admitting him
to several spirited arguments on the
subject of the war, which In* keenly
enjoyed. One little incident he related
revealed the remarkable tact which
our enemy displayed in bis n*-s«M ia
tlons at sen, whic h no doubt resulted
advantageously for him. As he ex
pressed It, he “made a hit" one evening
when the crowd has assemble d for a
little- music by suggesting that tlmy
sing "Hod Save the- King.’ Tlu*reafte*r
bis popularity was assured ami the* eh
sire d e*flVrt accomplished, for v< rv
soon a French olliee-r came* up to him
and said, "It’s too bad that England
and ourselves have n’t men in our army
like* you." It was too bad. In* agre e»cl,
in telling me* about it, hc« ause* lie* was
confident In* could have* done a whole
lot nmre* for He-rmany If be* bail be*e*n
in tin English army. In spite* of his
appanmt loyalty, however, the* man
didn’t se e*m ve ry enthusiastic* over the
war and frankly admitted one day that
the* old political battles waged in (’all
fornla were* much more to his liking
than tin* battle's lie* bad gone* through
over here*. On second thought he
laughed as though it wen* a good joke,
but In* evidently intended me* to infe*r
that In* hud take*n a kee n interest in
polities in San Francisco.
When my "chummy enemy'* first
started bis eonve*rsation with me, the
Herman doctor in c harge reprinumchd
him for talking to me, but lie paid no
attention to the* doctor, showing that
some* real Americanism had soaked
Into his system while be* find been In
the I S. A. I asked him one day what
be thought tin* Herman people would
de» after the war; If he* thought they
would make He-rimmy a republic, are!
much to my surprise be* said ve ry bit
terly, "If I had my way about it, 1
would make* her a re public* today am!
hang the* d d kaiser in tin* bar
gain.” And yet In* was nuniilmvil an
excellent soldier. I rnucluded, how
ever. that be* must have* been a Her
man socialist, though he* never told tin*
so. c mi om* eie-casiem I asked him for
his nann*, but In* said that I would
probably never se*e* him again and it
didn't matter what bis mime* was. I
did not know whether he* meant that
tin* Hermans would starve* me* emt, or
just what was «»n bis mind, for at that
time* I am sure* In* did not figure* em
dying. Tin* first two or three days
i was in tin* luispit.nl I thought surely
he* would bo up and gone* long before*
I was, but blood poisoning se 1 in
about that time*, ami Just n fe w hours
before I left for Hourtrni be* die*d.
One of those* days, while* my weiuml
, was still very troublesome, I w as
given an apple*; whether It was Just to
torment me. knowing that I could not
eat It. or whether fnr some* e»fhe*r rea
son, I do not know. Rut anyway a
Herman flying officer the n* had several
in his peickets and gave me a nice one*,
t if course there was no c hanee e»f my
eating it, se> when tfie* officer had gone
mid I discovered this San Francisco
fellow looking at It rather longingly.
I picked It up. Intending to te»ss it
‘aver tc» him. Rut he* shook his head
unci said, "If this was San Francisco
I would take* it. but I cannot take* ii
from you here." I was ne*ve*r able to
underst#ml just why be* refused tin*
apple. for he* was usually sociable ami
a good fellow to talk tie. but appar
ently be* could not fcirge*t that I was
fils ene*mv. Ilowcve*r, that eliel not stop
>ne eif tin* orde*rlb*s from e*ating the
apple.
One practice about the* hospital Im
pressed me* particularly. That was.
if a Herman soldier did not stand
i much chance* eif recovering suflicient iy
L<* take* bis place* again in the war, tin*
loeteirs cl id not e*xe*rt themselves to see
that he* got we*11. Rut if a man had
i fairly good chanc e* <»f receive ring and
hey thought In* might be* of >nim* fur
ther use*, everything that medical skill
could powdbly do was done for him.
I don't know whether this was done
tinder orders or whether the doctors
just followed their own inclinations
in such eases.
My teeth had been badly Jarred up
from the shot, and I hoped that I might
have ft chance to have them fixed
w hen I reached Court nil, the prison
where I was to be taken. So I uskeu
tin- motor if it would he possible for
! me to have this work done there, but
he very curtly told me that, although
there were several dentists at Cour
trai, they were busy enough fixing the
teeth of their own men without both
ering about mine. He also added that
I would not have to worry about my
teeth; that I wouldn't he getting so
much food that they would he put out
of eoitimisdnn by working overtime. I
1 wanted to tell him that from the way
tilings looked he would not la* wear
ing his out very soon either.
My condition improved during the
next two flays, ami on the fourth flay
of my captivity I was well enough to
write a brief message to my squad
ron, reporting that I was a prisoner of
war and “feeling fine.” although, as a
matter of fact, I was never so de
pressed in my life. I realized, how
ever. that if the message reached my
comrades It would he relayed to my
mother in Momence. III., and I did not
want to worry her more than was ab
solutely necessary. It was enough for
her to know that I was a prisoner. She
did not have to know* that I was
wounded.
I had hopes that my message would
he carried fiver the lines ami dropped
by one f»f the Herman flying officers.
That Is a courtesy which Is usually
I practiced fin both shies. I recalled
; how patiently we had waited in our
airdrome for news of our men who bad
failed to return, ami I could picture
my squadron speculating on my fate.
That is one i»f the saddest things
connected with service In the It. F. C.
You don't fare much what happens to
you, hut tin* constant casualties among
yotir friends are very depressing.
You go out with your “flight” ami
get into a muss. You get scattered,
and w lien your formation Is broken tip
you finally w ing your way home alone.
Perhaps you are the first to land.
Soon another machine shows in tin*
sk;.. then another, and you patiently
wait for the r«-st to appear. Within an
hour, perhaps, all have shown up save
one. and \ou begin to speculate and
Wonder what has happened to him.
Has he lost his way? Has he lauded
at some other airdrome? Did the
Huns get him?
When darkness comes you realize
that, at any rati*, he won't he hack that
night, and you hope for a telephone
fall from him telling of his whore
ahotit s.
If tin* night passes without sign or
word from him. he Is. reported : s mh s
Ing and then you watch for his cas
ualty to appear in the war office lists.
One ilny, perhaps a month later, a
message Is dropped over the line by
tin* Herman flying corps with a list of
pilots captured or killed by the Huns,
and then, for the first time, you know
definitely why it was your comrade
failed to return the day he last went
over the line with his squadron.
I was still musing over this uielan
eholx phase of the scout's lift* when
an orderly told me there was a beauti
ful battle going on in the air. and he
volunteered to help no* outside the
hospital that 1 might witness it. ami
1 readily uecepted his assistance.
That afternoon 1 saw one of the
gjinn-t fights I ever expect to witness.
Then* were six of our machines
again t perhaps sixteen Huns. From
the t \ 11« of the Fritsli machines I knew
that they might possibly he from my
own aerodrome. Two of our machines
hud been apparently picked out hv
six of the Huns and were hearing the
brunt of the fight. The contest seemed
to me tii he so unequal that victory for
our l 'H xx as hardly to he thought of,
j. .i«i ; t at one time they so completely
out n . louvered the 11 mis that I
t\.oin i Hw’r s.u.i'crior skill might sqyo
tin- , f.»r r , 1(i. tin* f.'.ct tt.at
they v, t re mi hopeiev *■ !y Ml. Ii iimbe r« <1.
(Ine tiling I was sure of: tiny A*.tihi
Hex * r give in.
(if course, it would have I ecu a com
parative y simple matter for oi:r men.
when tiny saw how tilings were going
against them, to have turned their
tioM-s down, landed behind the (»er
mnti lines and given tin inselves up as
prison* i *. but that is not tin* way of
the H. I ’. C.
A buttle of this kind seldom last**
many minutes, altliough every second
seems like an hour t«» Uiom* who par
ticipate in it. and even onlookers suf
fer more thrills in the course of tin*
struggle than they would ordinarily
experience in a lifetime. It is appar
ent even to a novice that the loser’s
fate is death.
t if course, the Cermans around the
hospital were all watching and rooting
for their comrades, hut the English,
(o«», had one sympathizer in that group
who made no effort to stifle his admira
tion for the bravery his countrymeu
wen* displaying.
The end came suddenly. Four ma
chines crashed to earth almost simul
taneously. It was an even break -two
of theirs and two of ours. The others
apparently returned to their respective
lines.
Tin* wound in my mouth made it Im
possible for mo to speak, but by means
of a pencil and paper I requested tun*
of the Centum officers to find out for
me who the English officers were who
had been shot dovv n.
A little Inter he returned and handed
me a photograph taken from the body
of one of th** victims. It was a picture
of Paul Haney of Toronto, and myself,
taken together! Poor Haney! lie was
tin* best friend I had and one of the
best and gaiuest men who ever fought
In France.
It was he, I learned long after, who.
when I was reported missing, had
checked over all my belongings and
sent them hack to England with a
signed memorandum—w hi* h Is now in
my possession. Poor fellow, he little
realized then that hut a day or two
later In* would he engaged in Ids last
heroic battle with me a helpless on
looker !
Tin* same German officer who
brought in«* the photograph also drew
a map for me of the exact spot where
Haney was buried in Flanders. I
guarded it carefully a!! through m>
subsequent adventures and finally
turned it over t'» Ids father and mother
when I visited them in Toronto to per
forin the hardest and saddest duty I
have e\er been called upon to execute
— to confirm to them in person tin*
tidings of poor Haul's death.
The other Hritish pilot who fell was
also from my squadron and a man l
knew well Lieutenant Keith of Aus
tralia. I had given him a picture of
myself only a few hours before I start
ed on my own disastrous (light. 11••
was one of the star pilots of our squad
ron and had been in many a desperate
battle heft ire, hut this time tin* odds
were too grt*at for him. He put up a
wonderful fight and in* gave as much
as lie took.
Tin* next two days passed without
incident and I was then taken to the
intelligence department of the German
flying corps, which was located about
an hour from tin* hospital. There I was
kept two days, during which time they
put a thousand und one questions to
me. While I was there I turned over
to them tin* message I had written in
tin* hospital ami usked them t<» have
one 'd' their flyers drop it on our side
of the line.
They asked me where I would like to
have it dropped, thinking perhaps I
would give my airdrome away, but
when I smiled and shook my head, they
did not Insist upon an answer.
(To be ('ontinued )
CORDOVA
MACHINE WORKS
E. R. GARNES, Prop.
Residence Shop
Phone 101-3. Phone 182
Machine Woi a ot all Kinds,
Blackamlthlng General liepair
ing, Horse Shoeing, Oxy-Acety
lene Welding and Cutting
AUTOMOBILES
REPAIRED
Office and Shop: City Dock
Cordova, Alaaka.
Out of Town Jobs Given Strict
Attention.
-|
/ PROFESSIONAL
DRS. DAGGETT & BLYTH
Northern Motel Building,
Cordova.
DENTISTRY
Houre • a. m. to 9 p. m.
Special Attention to
Prophylaxla and Pyorrhea.
PHONE 200
WM. A. HESSE
MlnlDK EnKlneer,
U. 8. Mineral Surveyor,
U. 8. Depity Surveyor.
BOX 1* CORDOVA, A L ASK A
DR. W. H. CHASE
PHYSICIAN and SURGEON
Office over Cordova Drug Store*
Calls May be Left at Cordova
Drug Store. Residence,
Alaskan Hotel
DR. W. W. COUNCIL
PHYSICIAN AND 8URGEON
Office and Keeldence; Cordova
General Uoepltal (Ostrander Halid
log-.
l’hones—Healdence 116; office IIS
DE. C. L. HALE
DENTIST
Office; Over Blum, O'Neill'* Store
SMITH & McCONAGHY
PLUMBERS AND STEAMFITTERB
Cor. Front and B Street*
Office Open Evenings
E. F. MEDLEY
Attorney and Counaellor at Law.
Room 1.
Adams Block CORDOVA, ALASKA
WILLIAM PALLISTEE, M.D,
Specialist In the treatment of
diseases and deformities of the
eye, ear, noae and threat; glasses
fitted.
JUNEAU GENERAL HOSPITAL
FRANK A. METCALF
Civil and Mining Engineer
U. S. Mineral Surveyor
Juneau Alaska
FRANK H. FOSTER
Attorney at Law
Room 1 Alaskan Hotel
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
♦
Windsor Hotel ♦
L. Wain, Prop. •
Where You Get ^
Comfort and Service *
And the Rates Are Right. ♦
♦
~ ♦
Coidova Alaska ♦
♦
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Sell At A Bargain !
Ford’s latest improved Ton
Truck, worm gear drive, extra
wide whoels on rear (8 inches
wide), solid Duval tires; built
for hauling fuel. Has platform
top, hickory stakes. Practi
cally new. Runs a few times
as a jitney from Seward to
Eear Lake. Have had load 15
to 20 people. Was bought last(
winter before the advance in'
automobiles. I can and will
sell at a bargain, as war re
quires me to go Outside. Can
be seen at Ford Garage, Sew
ard. $
INDEPENDENT FUEL CO
Seward
Copper River
and Northwestern Ry.
FOUR TRAINS WEEKLY BETWEEN
CHITINA AND KENNECOTT
Leave Cordova, Second Street Depot, on Mon
days, Thursdays and Saturdays
Leave Chitina for Cordova Sundays, Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Fridays
Leave Chitina for Kennecott Sundays, Tuesdays
and Friday*
Leave Kennecott for Chitina Mondays, Wednes
days, Thursdays and Saturdays
Tin1 above schedule subject to change without
notice.
Dining Car in Connection with all Regular
Passenger Trains between Cordova and Chitina.
Freight received and delivered at Cordova
Wlmi l from !* a. in. to 5 p m., except Sundays.
'I'iekets on sale at Second Street Depot office
ole hour before departure of trains.
CALEB CORSER W. E. BROWN
Superintendent Vgent Cordova Wharf j
R. K. BROWN, Jr., Ticket Agent
' |
Fine Job Printing At The Times Office
I
l ieutenant O’Brien In the Flrat Machine He Ueed in Active Service. With
Him la Lieutenant Atklneon.
H—1—1— 8 ms———— m ,n«. I