Erskine Academy - Pinnacle Yearbook (South China, ME)

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10 THE PINNACLE back across the river to make ready and await the signal that this point is clear to land upon. I will remain here with Captain Gareth to deliver signal. The men around the campfire dis- banded immediately, all but the spy and Captain Gareth, who remained seated, and pushed the boat into the water. Gathering up their arms they jumped into the boat and pushed ofif. Young Holcomb's mind was working rapidly. He must act immed.ately before the spy and the captain took possession of the remaining arms. As soon as he made sure the boat was out of hearing, he jumped from his con- cealment and ran between the men and the weapons before they realized what had happened. Keeping them well covered with his rifie he picked up what of the weapo.ns.he could take with him and threw .the rest into the water and then ordered them to march before him. Young Holcomb soon no- ticed them throwing meaning looks at one another which meant that they were either going to attack him or to try an escape. This was easily nipped in the bud by orders that the first who made a break would be shot down. They marched on grudgingly through the dark until they brought up sud- denly before the front door of the big brick house, where the spy and the captain were ordered to a halt and the spy, who was in the lead, was told to kick.on the door. Several times he kicked until finally he was answered by a servant. Holcomb ordered that General --Q come to the door at once with armed guards. After the case was explained the prisoners were put in a room under guards and at the time when the signals were to be sent up from the east side of the Delaware a trial for the prisoners was held. They were convicted, cne for a spy and the other for treason, and at the time when the attack was to be made on the headquarters of the Patriots, they were shot on the south side of the same building. :af Pk :sf fx- ak as Pk as And now when the winter evenings are long and cold and the wind is blow- ing the snow in all directions little Paul and Mary play around the same great fireplace that General -- was sitting beside when the kicks sounded on the front door nearly 150 years ago. And now when little Paul and Mary do something that displeases mama, the wind begins to rattle the door and mama warns them that the ghost of the spy isl coming after them if they are not good. So it is very seldom that there -are quarrels in the house where the spy was condemned to die because it has become a custom that every time the big front doors rattle the spy is there waiting for a chance to enter. LEWIS TURNER, '23. THE SKY PIRATES After the armistice was signed Eng- land and France saw the need of an aerial mail route, so both nations agreed on the location of the landing fields and construction of giant planes capable of carrying many passengers

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THE PINN AULE 9 The plans worked well-but the speech was not received well. lack, fearing a riot, was leaving hastily by means of a side entrance when whom should he meet but Miss Atkins and the real politician. Explanations fol- lowed. jack went back to the stage and admitted the joke to the audience. But All's well that ends well, for the political fellow won his office and -lack won the girl. ANNA Pmxrxs, '23. FACT AND FANCY , One afternoon in Tate November .as Johri Holcomb picked his way among the bushes which grew onthe banksof the Delaware, he was startled to hear indistinctly a splash on, the ,water above the sound of the cannonading from farther up the rivertpward Tren- ton. It being his duty to patrol that portion of the bank and report any at- tempts to land to the commander of the Patriots, who lived in a large brick house about two miles from the out- skirts of Trenton, he crept cautiously forward and parted the thick alders and willows. Before him lay the broad expanse of the Delaware and two hundred feet out a large row boat containing light red- coats was headed toward the shore to some point below him. He peered at the scene for a few seconds and with- drew silently into the bushes. Pulling his muffler tightly about his neck to keep the stinging wind out and throw- ing the sling of his flintlock rifle, his only weapon, about his shoulders, he proceeded to follow the direction of the boat because this surely meant trouble for the Patucts. As he came upon a small cove deeply secluded and sheltered by huge trees he crawled frcm tree to tree until herhad .a clear view of the sheet of water before him. Presently the boat reappeared around the bend and headed into the cove. It was landed about forty feet from young Holcomb, who Was shaking in his boots lest the Red Coats pass his way and discover him. He primed his rifle anew and waited, but instead of com- ing toward him they pulled their bcat out on the little spit of sand and pro- ceeded to light a fire. Une of the Reds came so close to him he would have touched him with his gun barrel and had it not been for the darkness he would have been discovered several times. Suddenly a twig snapped off to the right and behind him, and then another man appeared in the light of the little fire, and to young Holcomb's surprise, he was dressed in the blue of the Patriot forces. He was greeted in low tones by the Red Coats and after stacking his arms with the others be- side the boat, he joined the group around the fire. All seemed deeply, in- terested in what the newcomer, whom young Holcomb recognized as one of the officers of his own company, was saying and as he saw his chance he crept up much nearer to the boat and hid himself between a tree and a large rock. Prom here he could understand, indistinctly, the conversation carried on. The man dressed in blue, whom Hol- comb could see plainly enough now was a spy, was speaking and these won ds came to him: Coast is clear, you must lze across the river and ready to attack by midnight. Send these men

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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.