Morris High School - Yearbook (Bronx, NY)

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KISMET just get into the back yard, to show you how easy it is. Efficiency -that 's the idea ! I thought it over. The policeman would start to patrol the building after finishing his sandwich,-there were probably watchmen at the rear anyway, and the whole place was shut in by a spiked fence. VVc would never get anywhere near the building. I'll do it, I said. Traske immediately took command-he has a habit of doing that-and led me past the building into the adjoining lot. Got a match? he whispered. Silently, I handed him one. He lit it, and shading it with his hand, crawled mysteriously on the ground. He was so earnest about it that cold chills started running up and down my spine. Suddenly he straightened up, and by the last flicker of the match, I saw he held a fat, cylindrical object in one hand. What's that? I asked. A bomb. A what?,' Sh-sh-sh! he hissed. A bomb.- - An oil-can, he added by way of explanation. 'WVhat's it for? NVe have to carry something in, don't we? We wouldn't go in with empty hands would we? This was too much for me. It'll be bad enough if we're caught at all, much worse carrying a bomb, I objected. You leave that to me. XVe can't just climb in and climb out again. We 've got to carry something in, and leave it there, and be careful of it on the way. It wouldnit be a fair test, any other way. I groaned. All right. Traske then motioned me to follow him. With cat-like tread he advanced along the spiked fence'to thc back of the powerhouse. I brought up the rear, in fear and trembling. as the poet says. When we reached the back yard, Traske carefully set the bomb down and made deaf-and-dumb motions to me to the effect that he would go over first. I was to follow as soon as I had handed it to him. He then shinned up the fence and put one leg over. There was a terrible ripping sound. He carefully lifted his other leg 17 I' H A

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-W -- --.-,. liiamvt -.gI :,. I SUPPOSE almost all fellows have particular 525251: ' friends who come around and tell. their troubles '.-.-, and discuss Socialism and go out together, and all that sort of thing. I am no exception to the general rule. My particular friend is Traske,Qhe comes around once a week or so, GE' usually on Fridays, when there are no lectures '-j-5 :.:.:.' next day, to play a few games of chess and - 5::5:E D talk. You would laugh to hear us, I dare say, i I-' NVhen Traske .-- un n but nothing ever comes of what we say except in very roundabout ways, sometimes. came over the Friday evening just after war was declared on Germany, I could see he was boiling. I-Ie is a terrible Prussian-hater, although a great believer in the German efficiency idea. I beat him that night, he kept talking about our unpreparedness and paid no attention to the game at all. Later, we went out for our usual soda on the way to the station. There is a power-house right on our corner, and at that time guards were stationed there. These made Traske burst out afresh. He pointed derisively at a peg-post policeman at the door, talking to a Home Defense Leaguer and a bicycle patrolman. What earthly sense is there in that? he cried. t'Two policemen-not sentinels, but policemengeating sandwiches at the front door. NVhy can 't trained soldiers be ready for just such an emergency? Now, I think that if you attend decently to business, some- thing will always turn up when trouble comes, to help you out without any great fuss beforehand, and I said so. Bald Traske snorted. That's no way to go about it. Call out twelve thousand IIome Defence Leaguers to do soldiers, duty-at the last minute! Those amateurs don't amount to rats! I just snorted 'tIIuh! Why, what's to prevent me, or anybody else, from going around to the back and blowing the whole business? That got me. I'd like to see you try it, I said. Traske was quiet for a while-a short while. Then he burst out, I'll be hanged if I don't! I looked at him, but he was rapt in thought. Suddenly he grabbed my arm. Will you take me up? he demanded eagerly. We'll 16 ,

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KISMET over with his hands, and jumped to the ground. I noticed he was more luminous from the rear than the front. Pst! he hissed, and signalled to give over the bomb. Here was a problem. The can was too fat to go through the bars, and Traske horrifiedly refused to let me throw it over. Finally, he found a piece of string in his pocket. This he threw across the top of the fence, and by means of it hauled the bomb over. Picking it up very gingerly, he immediately started across the yard, motioning to me to follow. I climbed up the palings to the top, then stopped to see where he had gone. It was too dark. I must follow at my own risk. As I started to lift my foot over, I noticed a gleam of light. Growing brighter, it illumined a corner of the build- ing. I heard foot-steps. The light now showed me Traske, bomb in hand, looking for me. 'tTraske!7' I whispered, as loudly as I dared. A Defence Iieaguer rounded the corner. I tried to shout, but my voice lumped up in my throat. What the hell! The L,eaguer's right hand emitted a flash. There was a loud report! Traske's hat flew into the air, and he fell to the ground with a fearful yell. Something whispered to me You can do no good here almost as I dropped from the fence and set off. - I made record time home--luckily my father was in. I told him what had happened, between gasps, and after telephoning Mr. Traske, we set out for the police station. itvlkilfflifxf On Sunday, I went over to Traske's. He was still fright- fully pale. ttWere you hit?', I asked. Not by the pistol. Huh!l' I said. Then, K'Preparedness! What do you think about it now? Traske jumped from his chair. HI knew you'd come with that! he cried. t'It's my luck, that's all! It was just chance that that policeman happened to come around at that minute. Somebody 's always just hap- pewing to come around at those minutes. It's disgusting! But I merely smiled, and set up the ehessmen. PAUL LEWINSON 18 n