Erskine Academy - Pinnacle Yearbook (South China, ME)

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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.

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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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T1-IE PINNACLE E is for Erlena, The pride of our school, She studies so hard, And never breaks a rule.' F is for Frank, With curly black hair, Who likes to sit with Miriam O11 the dormitory stair. G is for our gym, Of which we're very proud, And when it's completed 'Twill surely draw a crowd. H is for Halstead, A freshman of renown, Who seems very partial To Marion Brown, I is for Inez, With bright eyes of blue, To her teachers and schoolmates Shels always so true. I is for John, A lad full of vim, When he plays baseball His team's sure to win. K is for Kenneth, A popular young flirt, Who walks home with the girls But that does no hurt. L is for Louis, Who we'll miss most of all NVhen dear Erskine opens Again in the fall. M is for Merrill, A musician of skill, He's always so willing To play the piano for Bill. N is for noble Erskine, Our school on the hill, With teachers so anxious Our young minds to Fill. O is for Odlin, Mildred is her name, She's fond of freshman Latin, And of Algebra the same. P is for Pearle, Who graduates this June, She studies Geometry Very hard every noon. 1 Q is for quiet, Which reigns in our school, Especially when Mr. Sanborn Lays down a strict rule. R is for Robert, A studious young lad, Whos not so very good And not so very bad. S is for Stanley, Mosher is his name, He's not so very swift. But he gets there just the same. T is for Thelma, Whom we all adore, With her sunny disposition She wins friends by the score. U is for unity, The tie that binds 'Phe teachers and pupils At Erskine High. V is for Verne, VVho's so tall and so straight, We only wonder now Where he'll find his mate. VV is for William Shaw, The poet of E. A., We wish him great success And a name he'll make some day. X reminds us Of good times in the past, VVhen we all exchanged presents On Xmas day last. Y is for the years That we've so happily spent At dear old Erskine, And which We'll never repent. Z is for zero, A rank that we abhor, Our ambition runs higher And we get what we aim for. MAIJELINE BARTON, '25, EUREKA Several days ago our professor in Physics was telling how the center of the earth was very hot, and even in a well that the bottom was warmer than the surface. This recalled to my mem- ory a speaker I heard in Maisonls Hall,