Erskine Academy - Pinnacle Yearbook (South China, ME)

THE PINNACLE 11 and freight, including the mails. The line was a success and operated four machines daily between London and Paris, until one day one of the planes got out of its course wh-le over France and was lired upon by one of those little scouting planes used in the war. After the war some of the pilots of scouting planes skipped into the mouni tains and had a regular meeting plahge with everything planned for the petr- pose of arranging for times to. stop and rob the mail planes. There were six planes and twenty-five men. One of these men would go to Paris and find out when the planes leftfffor England and report to the men back, at the base. One evening, about two weeks after the attack, in a dense fog over in France three of these little scouting planes came in from all sides and fixed upon the big plane, so that it was forced to land. The pirates held up the crew and passengers and searched the mails, keeping one bag and ordered the crew to take their plane and get out. The pirates followed the plane, but kept going higher until they were out of sight, then, running very high, they headed for their base in the moun- tains of Switzerland. The next two weeks following an armed escort followed the mail planes on their journey, but nothing hap- pened. All this time a spy who was working in the post-office in Paris learned that a certain company in that city was going to send S300,000 to London to build another factory, and it was going by an aerial mail plane with two escorts and this was to go over on the midnight trip and fly high. r. The spy, upon learning this, resigned his position in the post-ofnce and head- ed for the mountains. The pirates with six planes and twelve men, each with a machine gun, arrived at an unsettled part of France to await the air lines. lt came, Hying high: then the scout planes, which could travel much faster, overtook the liner and its escorts and at once opened fire upon them. One of the pirates fell and also one of the escorts, the plane and other escort were forced to land. The pirates searched the plane, but when they got to the freight de- partment they encountered fifteen armed men who soon captured all but two of the robbers. These captives were forced to tell where their base was and to give up all their supplies. NYhen the government oflicers arrived at the spot they found a great many supplies and in a safe they found a box of valuable mail. It had all been opened, but upon inquiry nothing was missing. The pirates were given life sentences in prison. DlDN.XI.D F.xRNswoR'rH, '23. THE ERSKINE ALPHABET A is for Arlene, VVhose hair is so light, She's a charming young sophomore, To our delight. B is for Bill, A senior so gay, We'll miss him so much Wlzen he goes away. C is for Charlotte, 'l he Ancient History star, Miss Parsons agrees She s the smartest by far. D is for Donald, But why he does dwell On the name of Frost, VVe cannot tell.