Trivoli Community High School - Memoir Yearbook (Trivoli, IL)

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v ------- --are ------- They carefully picked their way to a place designated between the two tunnels. If the two bands of smugglers met here it would be hard to overcome them. At noon they were stationed behind rocks not far from the American tunnel, but two men were placed to watch the Mex- ican side. Suddenly six masked Mexicans, all of them heavily armed, rode out of the tunnel. A short 'thands up ! They came to a stop before they had advanced ten feet. Twelve armed men with ready rifles, under Lieutenant Barnes, stepped from their hiding places. Carefully cover- ing these men, they disarmed them and seized the pack horses. Keep- ing them under heavy guard, Ralph and the Lieutenant opened the packs and found ammunition. Their curiosity aroused, they searched farther into the goods. In a separate box unmarked, they found many precious gems. This was quite a funny thing to be smuggled by Mex- icans. Still another surprise greeted them, for when the masks were torn from their faces, they proved to be a group of desperate criminals under Richard Bartson, and wanted for more crimes than one. The reward was pictured in Ralph's eyes, since a huge price was of- fered for the arrest of this notorious gang. After tying these desper- adoes to their horses, the men planted over a hundred pounds of pow- der in the two tunnels and Diaz was given the honor of setting it off. A sudden rumble and the smugglers' connecting link caved in. Quickly rising, Ralph saw the approaching storm and also four Mexicans leaving the vicinity towards Mexico. Arriving home, Ralph thanked Diaz heartily and the criminals were taken to the national prison. Ralph received a great share of the honor and reward. To his utter amazemennt, came the telegram say- ing, Promotion of Ralph Morean to Lieutenant with an advance of wages and forty days' leave of absence. A kind hand rested on his shoulder, and as Captain Henderson congratulated Ralph, he said The kind of a fellow that makes America invincible. D. B., Class of '25. Examinopsis lWith Apologies to William Cullen Bryantl To him who in the love of wisdom holds Communion with her various text books, she speaketh Knowledge. For more studious hours She hath good grades, and a stand-in with The teacher-and she comes To his assistance, when forgetting, with such Realness, that the teacher knows not that she's Bluifing through the term. But, when thoughts Of the last bitter finals come like a cloud Across thy horizon, and vague imagination Page Fifty-three

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he told him about his work in guarding the border and chasing illegal goods. Then came a great surprise for Ralph, for at the mention of such goods, Diaz's eyes sparkled and he said he knew of such and would help. In talking, he told of how a man had offered his father, who was a builder, quite a sum of money to build a cabin out in the desert. Diaz said instead of a cabin, however, it was a shield to an opening into a tunnel. That next day Ralph, while on patrol work, sailed low in search of the false cabin. After great difficulty he saw it and found it not far from the border line. Flying even lower, Ralph looked closely with his field glasses and did not notice anything suspicious except the fact that horse tracks led to the door and stopped with none in return. Ris- ing rapidly he sailed away. When partially over the border he noticed another building with a group of horses standing around it. Swooping rapidly down he frightened the horses into confusion. Two men came out of the building and began shooting at him as if warning him away. Leaving them quickly, he went directly to the other cabin. Here he located nothing except that in a short time, two men came out of that building. Looking closely he recognized them as the same two that had fired at him. Suddenly the idea struck him that these men had crossed by an underground tunnel under the border. He now saw through the whole scheme. Going directly on the rest of his patrol, he finished his work for that day in a short time. While flying high, he saw far below the rough border country and many ranges. He arrived in the aerodrome only five minutes behind schedule, and rushed immediately to headquarters. Dashing in, he told the Captain his discovery and how he had planned to stop the smuggling. Then he rushed to the Mexican camp to get Diaz. He called at his home, found him and returned to camp with him. While at the camp, Ralph ques- tioned him very closely about the cabin and learned that the next day a great amount of arms and ammunition were to be carried across. He also told Ralph that there were two tunnels with a short space of open country betiween them. That next morning Ralph and the Captain agreed to the plans. While here he received permission to carry Diaz in the plane. Going on horses to the cabin, were fourteen men under Lieutenant Barnes, with a cowboy guide. All left at 9:30 in the morning. Under Lieutenant Barnes, the men went by horses to the border and west about twenty- five miles. Ralph with Diaz went to his usual patrol as a camouflage. Then through his field glass, he spotted four horses moving rapidly to- ward the border through a rocky trail. After that Ralph arose to a height of almost 12,000 feet He was now out of sight. He marvelled at the Mexican boys' bravery. He showed no signs of fear, but held an excited and interesting look on his face. Going back at a rapid pace, Ralph flew within a few miles of the cabin and met the men on horses. Page Fifty-two

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Of the hardest questions, and the pick the teacher Has on you, and the prospects of flunking Make thee to shudder and get cold feet- Take the advice of thy beloved teacher and spend The night before in calm and quiet, opening Not thy books to cram and study, but get A good night's rest and sleep. If thou dost this As she suggests-yet a few more days and thy Report card will testify that thou hast FLUNKED. But so study that when the summons comes to join That innumerable carvan, which moves To that mysterious place-the office-where each Shall go to register for another semester, Thou go not, as one who feels down in his boots That he has flunked, but sustained and soothed By the fact that thou didst cram, and still Have hopes of passing-and can go on with The class that thou didst begin with. Radio Jack Wheeee-P-P-P-scratch-scratch. There issued forth a most dis- pleasing sound from the loud speaker, as John McFarlan, otherwise known as Radio Jack, adjusted the dials of his small home-made radio set. Finally the sound of a man's voice was heard in the distance, an- nouncing the number on the program. More adjusting, followed' with more success. A varied program was the result interrupted by hideous scratches. As the program ended, Jack turned off the current and with a disgusted sigh lay down on his bed. Jack was the son of Mr. and Mrs. James McFarlan, who were poor people working by the day, and had hard times making ends meet. Jack, that summer, had earned enough money to send himself to the nearby high school. With the meager surplus, he had constructed the small receiving set which had just given such unsatisfactory returns. Finally he prepared for bed, going to sleep almost instantly. Close onto two o'clock, he awoke, and being restless, got up and took a turn about the room. Lying down was followed by thirty minutes of restless tossing, after which he tuned in on the air partly because he was lone- some and partly because he had a curious feeling which began to de- mand attention. The experience of last evening was repeated. After ten minutes' tuning, nothing was heard, and he was about to shut down when there came the voice of a man calling off the following numbers: 2-18-9-14-7 20-8-5 25-1-20-3-8 13-25-19-20-5-18-25 23-9-20-8 2-15-15- 20-25 20-15 14-5-23 25-15-18-11, D'you hear me Dud? I got 'cha, Jim, was the answer. Page Fifty-four