Arsenal Technical High School - Arsenal Cannon Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

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I5 If lBy Anna Geranfl 6'Cot permission to go home on a furlough next week, ,loefi said Earl Dickson, my tentmate as we were leaving the mess hall. C'Goodl'7 I agreed. 4'Ten days and then aback to the grind', as our old German professor would say. By the way, that match in archery is to come off this afternoon, so hurry, because I wouldn't miss it for a little bit, I can tell youfl He started off and-I followed, smiling, for Earl's skill as an archer, and his propensity to win every match he entered was a standing joke. HNesbitt looks rather cdown at the mouth' eh? indi- cating a hrst lieutenant who was standing by the target, watching the arrows as they dodged the mark. 4'Yes,,' I assented, Mwatching that target as if he had a grudge against it. Something rare for him, toof' It was Earlls turn at the bow and our attention was diverted from Nesbitt. Earl aimed carefully and pulled the string, slowly and steadily. At the same moment, Nesbitt reached across the target, to take and examine an arrow that had been shot a moment before. uEook outli' we shouted. I grasped Earlis arm, but both warn- ings came too latel The arrow, already loosed from the bow grazed Nesf3itt's arm. He turned angrily. HHere, youlw he shouted to Earl, uyou owe me an apologyf' HO, thats all right, Lieut,'7 said Earl somewhat annoyed, Honly you know it was absolutely unintentional, and a pure accidentf' Mit was nothing of the sortf' roared Nesbitt. 44 Do you think I'll allow an attempt on my life pass? We stared aghast. At any other time Nesbitt would have laughed it off, but today he uhad a grouch onf' Earlls astonishment was slowly turning to anger. Striding up to Nesbitt he said tensely, alt is you who owes me an apologyf' The Lieut. laughed scornfully. The laugh seemed to goad Earl to madness. He deliberately threw his quiver of arrows full in the Lieutenant's face, and with a jeering laugh he turned on his heel. Nesbitt stared a moment and then with a muttered oath he turned and walked in the opposite direction. Next day Earl was put in the guard house until the case could be looked into. He was furious, threatening to ubreak loose and swore to avenge himself on Nesbitt uwhen his time was up. It was useless to reason with him. He was all the more angry because the plan for his furlough had been fustrated. Nesbitt went around with a new and unapproachable dignity.

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There was a celebration in the quarters that night, for the arrival of the patrols removed a great deal of responsibility. Jimmie, the only child there, was petted royally. One of his favor- ites, a young lieutenant, said to him, Hlimmie, where are you all the time? You never come around and see me anymorefi MI play over to Billthf, uvlfho is uBill?77 ul-le means Hertwig's. What do you do over there, Jimmie?,, HPlay with paperth, with lineth on iem, like those in your dethkfv The officers exchanged glances. HWhat,s the kid talking about, Majorfw MI donlt know. What kind of papers do you mean, son?7' 46Wait a minute, Major Pop. llll thhow you.'7 He trotted out, and came back, with a piece of bluish paper. This was a map of the camp, the explanations printed on the margin,-in German. On the back was, MPatrols arrive fifth. Execute plans before dawn of same. Strike surely. W. Hfi It was plainly a carbon copy. They stared blankly at one another. The Major said slowly, 64Men the original of this has been sent to the enemyf' Jimmie was plied with numerous questions, which bewildered him, but it was plain to be seen that Hertwig did not know his map had been disturbed. For the remainder of the night, and the next day, the camp whirled with activity. Hertwig was detained out of sight and hear- ing of the preparations. Among his possessions were several maps from which it was clear that the camp would be struck from the air. '4We are powerless, the Major said, ufor with our three little Hanti-air, we cannot hope to either disable or bluff an enemy machine. Unless the government heeds my message, the only thing for us to do is to waitf' Out of the blackness of the night came the whirr of a motor. The Major, in his unlighted oflice, expelled a short, sharp sigh. 'cl-lere they aref' he said grimly. They sat in tense silence, waiting the report of the first missile. Instead, the motor passed over them, continuing northward. HGetting his bearingf' snapped the lieutenant. The sound was soon heard again from the east, then from the west. The plane was circling the camp. fContinued on Page 545

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A week passed. No news was heard from Earl's case and it ceas- ed to be the talk of the hour. Then one day the dull monotony of our camp life was broken. Excitement swelled to its highest pitch when the report went its rounds that two privates had been placed under custody for attempting to poison the mess. I hunted out Nesbitt and asked him how they had been detected. uAsk your friend Earln, he said laughing shortly, then turned away. I grew hot, for I felt that he was going too far in jesting about Earl, but I held myself in check. Wliat, then, was my consternation, when that evening I saw Nesbitt and Earl, walking along, in close consultation-the best of friends! and both had vowed eternal vengence and hatred! They were nearing my direction and as Nesbitt with a low uit was great , turned away, Earl came towards me, grinning cheerfully at my surprise. 46Wha-a-Why-I thought-,M I stammered. He sighted in relief as he sat down lazily and said, c4Well I guest I might as well begin at the beginning and go to the end and then stopf, With a few preliminaries he told me the story. uAbout a month ago, Nesbitt came upon Weltz and Trudor, the spies you know, and they were talking in German. From something he heard them say he received the impression that their sympathy was with Germany. Think of it! Here weive had a couple of hun spies in our midst for-Heaven only knows how long-and didnit even know it! Well, he tried to catch them at it again but didn't succeed. For some minor offense he put them in the guard house. He tried evesdropping but it wouldn't work. He was ready to give up when I came upon him one day and he confided his suspicions to me. Then it was that I had my master inspiration, Nesbitt and I had it all fixed up. Some way he and I were to have a light. I was to get put in the guard house,overhear their plotting, or, if possible, win their confidence and offer to help them. c'Of course we hadn't definitely decided on the little episode of the arrow, but the chance came and Nesbitt, unwilling to pass it by took it up, and I followed suit. Wh.en I arrived at the Guard House, however, it was not so easily done as said. Weltz and Trudor like the typical Teutons they are, stolidly refused not only to confide in me, but also, to have anything whatever to do with me. It was all in vain that I swore, and vowed to avenge myself on Nesbitt. As a last resort, I snoredg it worked, I heard Weltz say that aground glass was as good as anything and easier to get by with' This I told Nesbitt an as, in the mean time he had looked up something fContinued on Page 543