Evening Star Newspaper, March 17, 1929, Page 95

Two Maidens in Distress A Three-Part Story of the Conquerors Club By W. Boy On 8 lazy evening in early Spring the fo members of the Conguerors Club are gat ered in_the home of Bob Miller, doing noth- ing. Porky Jones craves excitement and ur he ce Morgan. | steal u | jump | use his gun.’ p on him, two on each side, and him before he has a chance to T HE SUNDAY STAR, WAS e BOYS and GIRLS PAGE H WE LAUNCHED OUR BOAT THROUGH THE SURF AND SCRAMBLED IN. NGTON, D. C, #ass he wishes he had lived in the da¥s | The. other boys dd flentl T i . { vs nodded silently. B e O rcaibie. "the bovs | Bob took the middle of the road, with .in distress. This being impossible. the b decide to go for a ride in the new car of | Bill at his side, while Porky and Red Bob's father. but. having little gas. the don’t expect to get far. A few miles out on the highway they came to a car in the h wit for ‘help A woman signaling stop_to Tescue the ‘‘maiden in they find that the woman is a | they are held up by three bandi the little moneythey d R t car's INSTALLMENT II. ‘The three other boys hesitated for a moment after Bob's words, but as he started at a trot down the rcad -they turned and followed him. “I didn't like the look of those gun: breathed Porky. “but if Bob wants to put up a fight I'm with him!" w They passed through the wood and | approached a gasoline station a few rods farther along. Its lights showed that it was open, and Bob, running up to the door, accosted the attendant. “Did two cars just pass here?” he eried. “A shabby one and a new one?” | When the attendant replied in the affirmative, Bob cried, “The new car was ours. We were just held up and| it was stolen. Have you a telephone | 80 we can call the police?” | The attendant pointed to an instru- | ment on the wall, and a moment later | Bob had reported the theft to the| Ferriston police department. | “You'd better send some one out, be- | cause they'll probably pull the same | stunt on other motorists,” he finished. | Then, hanging up the receiver, he hur- | driver had hurried out in response to | ried from the little building. “Now let's get after them.” he cried | to the other boys. “They went straight | out the road, with our car trailing the | other. If our car runs out of gas the| other might go on without noticing.” The road made a gradual rise up a hill just past the station, and the four | boys were puffing as they reached the top on a dead run. Then Bob, who was in the lead, uttered an exultant cry and pointed to & spot less than a quar- if e ‘,////f’ i I [l AR THE FOUR BOYS LEAPED FORWARD. ter of a mile ahead. In the moonlight the boys could see a car stopped at the side of the road, and Bob at least was sure that it was his father's machine. “They tan out of gas just as I thought they would,” he cried, increasing his speed along the road. Bill, who was running beside him. clutched his arm. “Just what are you going to do if the bandits are still there?” Bill gasped, saving his breath for running. Bob did not answer. In fact, he did not know what he proposed to do. Dimly he realized that the Conguerors were no match for the armed bandits, but he could not see his father'’s car taken without making some sort of effort in its defense, Behind Bob and Bill, Red and Porky pounded along, the fat boy puff- | ing like a freight locomotive on a grade. Gradually he dropped farther | back, g0 that when Bob slowed down and stopped a hundred feet from the car, it was several seconds before Porky caught up. “Listen!” commanded Bob. “Our car is there, but the other one is gone. Perhaps there's just one of the bandits in our car, trying to start it. We'll { advanced along the ditch. Stealthily they crept toward the car, standing silent in the moonlight, with its head- lights casting a bright path down the j road. Not a sound broke the stillness as they reached the rear fenders of the | automobile. “Now.,” cried Bob. The four boys | leaped forward, their hearts pounding, | resolved to make a vgliant fight even | if it were a vain one. But there was no one in the car! “W-h-hew!" breathed Bob, with a long sigh of relief. “They've aban- doned | “Da ty. * said Porky, with mock feroc- nd I was all &t to take the iggest one's gun away from him.” “Yes, you'd have got part of it, any- he bullet,” derided Red. “Well, I call this lucky.” said Bill. If there had bren a little more gas in the tank your Dad would have been out one new car. Bob.” “Believe me, I'm glad I don't have to take news like that to Dad.” said Bob fervently. “Well, one of us will have to go back to the gas station and get some g&s S0 we can get home.” “Oh, we will>” said Porky. “And what will we use for money?"” “The bandits got every nickel we owned.” mourned Red. At that moment there was the roar of an approaching car, and a moment later a light roadster drew up behind them. From it jumped a man whom they recognized as a member of the Ferriston police force. He and the Bob's telephone call. ‘The boys explained their predicament to the officer, and he obligingly took Bob back to the filling station and bought him enough gasoline to take the car back to Ferriston. Then, after ob- taining a description of the bandit trio, the policemen continued on their way, while Bob and the other boys climbed into the car and headed it back toward Ferriston. “Well, we came out in search of ex- citement, and we certainly found it,” remarked Red. “Poof!” sald Porky. “That wasn't anything. I just wish the bandits had been in the car when we caught up with it.” “Yes, you do,” scoffed Red. so tough that you would have the car single-handed, I guess.” “Oh, 1 might have used both hands. since there were three bandits,” said Porky airily. ‘They lapsed into silence for a mo- ment, and then as they approached the wood where they had been held up a short time before Bill said, “Wouldn't it | be a funny one if we got held up by the | same gang on the way back?” | “You've got a queer sense of humor,” grunted Bob. No sooner were the words | out of his mouth than he uttered an ex- | clamation. Ahead was the wood at the | bottom of the hill, and with startled | eyes the boys saw a car in the ditch at | the very place they had been held up | before. And in the road they could | make out the figure of a woman, waving | frantically for them to stop! (To Be Concluded Next Sunday.) “You're covered HOW TO MAKE BOUNCER. An old inner tube, a 10-foot length | of plank and two pieces of two-by-four timber will make this bouncer. It has surprising speed and range and you can, if it is properly balanced, move through a distance of 8 or 10 feet| repeatedly. The longer the plank, the | higher you will bounce. Find a tree with a stub of a limb 3 or 4 inches thick which sticks | O trrer fide froe From weak ploces Lag serems” i Trhe Bowrcer out for 2 or 3 feet. The inner tube used must be sound. If the rub- ber is old it is apt to pull in two. Thi limb can be anywhere from 8 to 1 feet above the ground, as the tube has great elasticity. Sharpen the stakes and drive them into the ground solidly until the tops are about 2 feet from the ground. be best, your weight should be a little mc;l;c than is required to stretch the tube. With a kick by each foot you will rise high into the air only to come down gently again. This can be re- peated as often as you wish. When you are at the peak of the bounce the rubber tube will keep you from sliding down the plank, and you will keep it from sliding off the end. This bouncer will give you a lot of sport and will last a long time. The Kitchenette BY ALB\'T HELEN. I'm printing my address again this week, g0 that all of you excellent young cooks can send me your favorite recipes. It is “Aunt Helen, Room 940, 440 S. Dearborn 8t., Chicago, TIL." Don’t these gem cakes sound de- | liclous? T hope that you have good luck | with them. Daisy Brewer furnished the | recipe. COCOA GEM CAKES. One cup sugar, three level table- spoons cocoa. one-third cup butter, one- third cup lard, one and three-quarter cups flour, two teaspoons baking powder, three-quarter cup milk, two eggs, one easpoon vanilla. Mix sugar and cocoa, then add short- ening and cream the mixture thoroughly. | Add milk, flour and beaten eggs. After | mixing thoroughly add vanilla and put in greased gem pans. Bake in a mod- | | | | Here is the story of five children and three adults caught between a volcano and the deep sea on a treas- ure island in the Pacific. Mr. experience as a boy, is unusual in background, rich in color, swift in action. BY J. K. WILSON, SR. New Zealand lies an unin- habited island that is a kind of pocket Hades—an awe- inspiring aétive volcano that lent eruption, bringing death and dis- | aster to the daring people who have tried to work the rich sulphur deposits. You will find it on the maps—a small | miles from Tauranga Harbor and about | the same distance almost due east of Opotiki, on the mainland. For many years White Island belonged deposits. A 50-ton cutter conve; the | ore to Tai , where it was used in | the manufacture of sulphuric acid in a plant he had established there. about 22 years of -%e at the time, was usually in charge of operations at the island, and my father, with the assist- ance of two men, made periodical trips Tauranga with a cargo of ore. ‘These voyages were both arduous and dangerous, for the New Zealand coast has always been treacherous, and many | ‘When a mortheast gale arises, the seas along the east coast are simply terrific, having the whole force of the Pacific | behind them. | for my mother, for several times we | thought the little ship had been lost with all hands, and or one occasion a steamer was actually getting ready to go Packet, as the cutter was called, came | rolling home, her decks awash and her canvas torn to shreds, but with all on board safe and sound. / on the island, you may be able to gather some slight idea when I say that White Island, seen for the first time, immedi- ately strikes the beholder as being with- saken, and, at the same time, most awe- 1nspiring spot, on the face of the earth. | ke | MAGINE yourselfy for a moment _de- | from the nearest land—utterly cut off | from the outside world. There is no| possible means of escape in the event| of unforeseen disaster, or succor in| Even if the place were a paradise, I venture to think it would get on one's nerves a little at times, but White Is- land was most emphatically not a para- end of the spectrum, so to speak. Very much of the ultra-violet end—in fact, the ultra-purple would, & think, most nearly describe it. with coal-tar to protect them from the corrosive effects of the acld fumes formed the living quarters, backed by a wall of solid rock about 400 feet about two miles long by about one and a half across. This, in its turn, was surrounded by a wall of sheer rock, rising even higher only two “gateways” or means of in- gress—a landing place at Wilson's Bay, and another small bay or break in the | wall on the southeastern side. esting spot—about two-thirds of its area, I should think—Iis, or was, “ex- tinct,” or what is usually regarded as being extinct in voleanic districts. Only cano here and there, with the ground 50 hot in places that it burns the soles of one's boots, breaks its monotonous deadness. The interesting or “active” cano—lies at the far or northern end of the plateau. If you can imagine about 40,000 boilers all blowing off steam at the Wilson's narrative, based upon his FF_the coast of Northeastern has several times broken out into vio- dot marked “White Island,” some 50 to my father, who worked the sulphur My elder brother Hawker, who was there in the cutter, returning terrible shipwrecks have occurred there. | ‘Those must have been anxious years in search of her when the old Tamiki As regards the manner of life of those out exception the most desolate, for- posfted on a small island 50 miles sudden illness or distress. dise. It belonged, indeed, to the other Two small wooden shacks covered high, facing a flat, arid, rocky desert than the first, and to which there were All the southern portion of this inter- a stray hot spring or a miniature vol- portion—the power house of the vol- same time through an exhaust roughly London, and emitting a ecolumn of steam and fumes that can be seen 50 miles out at sea—well, that is the crater of White, Island. There are several others, but this is the chief one. Before one gets there, however, one encounters a lake about a quarter of a mile in diameter, which, as lakes go, must, I think, be unique, for it is com- posed of hydrochloric acid! Chemists tell us that it has been formed by the nflow of water from the sea, contain- ing chlorides, coming into contact with the sulphates from down below. | the breath of life. the size of the dome of St. Paul's, in| would choose as a residential site. Nevertheless, it possesses one virtue: as a health resort for rheumatic subjects it is extremely beneficial. ‘The atmosphere of the hot springs has a marked effect in relleving this complaint; the sulphurous fumes, no doubt, have tonic effect. My little sister was a sufferer from chronic rheumatism, and my parents decided that it would be a good thing for some of us children—there were 12 of us in the family—to go out to the island and spend the Summer months with Hawker. I suppose the idea was that it would be company for him and a holiday for us; there was also the hope that it might benefit poor little Ida, who was only 4 years old at the time. In this, I may say that they were not disap- pointed, for the sojourn did the poor child a lot of good I have pondered since on the prob- lem as to how any sane parents—and mine were eminently so—could have se- riously contemplated such a step as sending & party of youngsters to stay on an island volcano, unless it was that they underrated the dangers and thought it would be well to be rid of a few of us for a month or two. In any case, they packed us off. Amid much general excitement all ar- rangements were at last made and everything was in readiness for a three months’ trip. The party was made up as follows: Julia, aged 19; George, aged 15; Jim (myself), aged 12; Lyell, aged 8, and Ida, aged 4, together with Ida's two pet cats, Blacksmith and Kitty Doctor, ages unknown. Another little brother was supj to have come with us, but he, like wise youth, changed his mind just as we were all getting into the dinghy, and with the simple but pertinent statement that he was “going back to mother,” disappeared. It is a signifi- cant fact that in the battle of life this lad later came out better than any of us, and is now a star performer in the legal world. SR WE embarked on & beautiful Novem- ber evening. The old packet was soon forging ahead, and with a light but favorable breeze we rounded Tau- ranga Heads and by daylight were well on our way toward the island. The voyage was uneventful, and was thor- oughly enjoyed by us boys, to whom anything in the sailoring line was as | | Poor Julia, however, was a victim to seasickness and, as the only ladies’ cabin on board was the cutter's hold, her sufferings must have been intense. To my boyhood mind, sailormen were the only true type of manhood, and the dirtier and grubbler they appeared the better. The two in this instance were “Old Alec” and “Gasay Jack,” and we used to hang with reverence and awe uvon the words of wisdom that fell from their tobacco-stained lips. Although I knew these men for years I never knew their real names. It was the same with the two that Hawker had with him on the island at that time—"Big Charlie” and “Griff.” Upon our arrival at the island we made fast to a buoy in Wilson's Bay, and Hawker and his crew came off in the whaleboat and took us all ashore, landing us safely through the surf without a ‘wetting. For the remainder of the day all hands were fully occu- pied in landing stores and water, which latter had to be floated ashore in casks, there being no fresh water on the island. During the next few days the cutter had to be loaded with sulphur, and this was a very heavy job. George and I fell in with the others and helped as best we could, proud to imagine that | we were doing men’s work. The only thing that worrled me was that the sulphur fumes affected my eyes, mak- ing them so sore I could scarcely see. After the cutter had salled away again, we settled down to the routine of every-day life in our new surround- | ings. In the mornings Julia used to give j us lessons for a few hours. Then | George would go up to the quarry with the men while I helped Hawker to build a new hut—which, I may add, was | never completed. Ida and Lyell used to play around the scashore, making wondrous discoveries of shells and fishes. Fishing was our chief sport and pas- time—and such fishing! These waters, by the way, have since become world- famous as being one of the finest if not the finest fishing grounds in the world. Occasionally we used to visit Gannet Point for eggs. Millions of sea-birds nest on the island, and Gannet Point was one of their favorite colonies. Gan- net eggs are a bit fishy, but they went well with the salt pork and junk which was the only meat we had. Canned foods—with the exception of condensed milk—were not known in those days, or at least they were un- known to us. They should be the width of the plank apart., Bore holes through each stake, then fasten one end of the plank be- | tween them by turning lag screws in to make the bearings. The screws should turn with the plank and the holes erate oven. For Safety's Sake. Two loud knocks heralded the arrival make the bearings. These should be well ofled. Now place the plank through th tube and sit upon the outer end of th of the rent collector. A little girl an- In any case, the subterranean vol- | canic fires keep it at a pretty warm temperature, and its function seéms to be to dissolve all stones, and anything else 1t can get hoid of. In doing so it evolves that interesting stuff known as {chlorine gas, which those who took part in the late war can tell you morc About every fortnight the cutter used to arrive, bringing letters, papers, fruit | {and delicacles from home. Then fol- | lowed a busy time until she was loaded up and away again. So the days and weeks went by, and | only once did we get a diversion in the swered the door, and said, blushingly, | “Please, sir, mother’s out.” “Is ghe?” queried the collpctor, peer- plank. If the pull is too stiff, slide the tube nearer to you. You can get any ediustmant vou wish in this way., To ing down the passage. ‘®Then tell mother the next time she ¥oes out to take her shadow with her.” about than I. This, briefly, is White Island in its normal state. Later on I will try to *describe what it is like when it starts | and foam aloft and sweping the island to get noisy! It will be seen from the from shore to shore. The thunder of foregoing that it is hardly a place one the ocean at night, mingled with the shape of a northeasterly gale which raged for three days. Mighty waves lashed the shore in tossing spray MARCH 17, sullen and ceaseless roar of the vol- cano, and broken only by the harsh cries of the sea-birds, all combined to impress one with a feeling of one’s utter help« lessness in the hands of Nature, and we were very glad when the skies cleared and peace and calm were restored once more. Christmas came and went, and it was not until January that we began to no- tice an undue activity about the volcano. Earthquakes became frequent; at times the walls of our huts rocked so violent- ly that the plates and dishes fell from the shelves and big stones came tum- bling down from the cliffs. To rople who are accustomed to live in volcanic regions there is no truer saying than that familiarity breeds con- tempt. of New Zealand are always struck by this fact, and one sees the same thing in Italy and elsewhere. 8o it was with us. We paid little attention to these happenings until at last the crater com- menced to vomit red-hot stones and ashes and the lake to dry up. Then my brother did begin to get alarmed! * x Xk M ATTERS continued to grow worse, and soon the fumes became so dense and choking that we were forced | to leave our quarters and take refuge in the boathouse, which was in a more protected position. Even then the ground became so hot that miniature volcanoes would spring up like mush- rooms in a night, giving out little spouts of steam and vapor. About this time the cutter was due to arrive, and day by day we scanned the horizon anxiously for signs of her approach, but all in vain. It was essential that we should get away as soon as possible, in case the whole island blew up, and at night. we used to burn casks of tar, of which there were numbers on the island, in | the hope of attracting the attention of some passing ship, but without result. Very often we fancied we saw lights moving out at sea, andpromptly re- doubled our efforts, but nothing came of it, so ‘e finally fires on the mainland or the effect of our own overwrought nerves. At last matters became so bad that Hawker, after consultation with “Big Charlie,” decided to make an attempt to reach the mainland in the whale- boat. ‘There is a small island called Whale Island' on which we knew there was fresh water, about half-way to the mainland, and we thought that with good weather, by starting very early in the morning, we should be able to make this shelter by nightfall. There we the coast when 1 tunity occurred. Provisions and kegs of water were made ready and stowed away in the boat. We had no sail, so we manu factured one out of sacking. The boat itself was not In shape and leaked badly, but we calked her seams as best we could and waited with no little trepidation for suitable weather conditions for the attempt. Luckily, we had not long to wait, and one morning at break of day we set off. With our cargo of people, Ida’s cats and the stores,” we were pretty heavily la- den; there was very little free-board be- tween us and the surface of the Pacific. Hawker, of course, was in command at the steer-o ‘Big Charlle” pulled stroke, “Griff” was our second oar and George No. 3; my job was bailing ship and I balled that day from day- light until after 10 o'clock at night. Hour after hour we toiled on, until ‘White Island became but a blotch of smoke in the distance. As the day advanced, however, the weather conditions began to alter. The wind veered a point or two to the north, increasing in strength; and the sea be- gan to rise alarmingly. At last Hawker abandoned all hopes of making the passage in safety and gave the order 1o “ 'bout ship.” Down came the sail and mast, the boat swung round into the wind and we headed once more for our sulphurous home—and what? a e oppor- T will not dwell on that struggle, for | such it was. Momentarily the seas grew worse, but reach the shelter of that island we must before they rose suffi- clently to swamp us, and reach it we did. How we managed it I do not know; all I remember is that some time during the night, after a rare buffeting, the boat ran into calm water in the lec of the island. 3o JVEN then our troubles were not over, < for the wind was blowing es and ashes out over the bay in volumes so dense that 'we were unable to land. That night, therefore, we had to lie off the island. With daylight, fortunately, the wind changed and we were able to get ashore. We were very glad of a breakfast of salt pork and tea and to rest our weary limbs in the shade of the boathouse. ‘The reason -why the cutter was de- layed I do not know, but she did not turn up, and we had to remain in the boathouse for a little over a fortnight, while daily the grumblings of the vol- cano became more violent. Hawker refused to make another attempt at the boat voyage; it was too risky. At last one misty Sunday morning we 1929 Visitors to the Rotorua district | were awakened by the sound of a fog- horn, and rushing out were dimly able to discern the outline of one of the U. 8. 8. Co.'s vessels lying in the bay. Throwing on what clothes we could, we quickly launched the boat through the surf—there was a fairly high sea | running that morning—and scrambled in, getting drenched to the skin in so doing. George, I remember, lost one of his boots in the process. I leave it to you to imagine what we all looked like when we were hauled up on to the deck of the steamer. I remember the passengers crowding round and gazing at us as if we were creatures from another world. When I told a lady that I liked being on the island she nearly fainted! I am afraid I was not strictly truthful in this instance, but for some reason or other we had agreed to say nothing about the eruption. Probably I was,too young to realize our danger. The only one who showed any signs of nerves was Hawker. He, poor chap, was ter responsibility and 'his anxiety for us youngsters weighed upon his mind. That he was not afraid on his own lfimunl the following incident will show: When we came alongside the steamer the captain handed Hawker a telegram. It was from my father (who, of course, \was quite unaware that the volcano was in eruption), instructing him to the two men, however, were to remain on the island until father was able to |fetch them himself. Hawker and his | men accordingly returned to the island, ]Ar;d were taken off about a fortnight | later. | wreck when he left, and for years after- ward was under & doctor's care. Although he lived to be 60, I think he never really recovered from his ex- periences ofi White Island. I myself have been many years away from New | Zealand and have lost touch with what | has oecurred there since, but I have | heard that several attempts have been ended in failure, owing to voleanic | activity. | In any case, I believe that the island is now left to the tender care of the mutton-birds and gannets—unless the descendants of “Blacksmith” and “Kitty Doctor” still roam its rugged heights in search of prey. For, alas! in | the hurry-scurry of the final exodus, the two cats were overlooked and left | behind! throws further light' on Mr. Wilson's | narrative. | Mr. Bourne writes: “Prior to 1885 White Island was rown property. It then passed to rivate ownership, and its rich sulphur deposits were worked on a small scale, | the project being abandoned in a great |hurry within a year owing to the | alarm created by an eruption. “After that the pml%mnes of the island remainad unexploited for a period of 30 years, when, about 12 months before the outbreak of the Great War, a Canadian company with a capital of £20,000 acquired possession, erected works and dwellings and commenced excavating operations upon a large scale, one of the first tasks being the drainage of the sulphur lake to reach the presumed rich deposits below. “At its best life on this weird island cannot have been very alluring, but the employes, averaging 12 all told, no doubt attracted by the high rate of pay, ap- peared quite contented with the prevail- ing conditions. As can be imagined, their existence depended upon regular supplies from the mainland, an arrange- ment existing between the company and a launch-owner of Opotiki, the nearest I township opposite, to visit the island weekly, weather permitting. “Operations were hardly in smooth | running order when the first signs of | the {ll-luck that was to wreck this sec- iond venture manifested themselves, and an employe lost his life in a retort i explosion, “Before 12 months had passed—the same period as before—White Island got rid of the intruders by means of a te) rific eruption, the whole of the @ i ployes, together with the company's i expensive plant, being wiped out of ex- ‘1 !st:im‘e. presumably without a moment's notice. the sulphur workers. (Were these, per- | haps, the descendants of “Blagksmith" and cxisted precariously during the in- terval. bly upset: I think his sense of send us all home; Hawker himself and | But poor Hawker was a nervous | came to the con-|made by different parties to work the | clusion -that the lights must be either |sulphur deposits there, but all have | L CRAFTS ) About fifty years ago some villagers in the little town of Gokstadt in Southern small mound of earth and discovered | the remains of a long wooden boat | buried deep in the ground, and they dug further until they had brought to | view the entire vessel, a beautiful one, in a wonderful state of preservation, and about 80 feet in length. It was taken up, carefully cleaned and repaired generations may see this anclent vessel a thousand years old. The Norsemen were a hardy people who inhabited the coasts of Norway, Iceland and the adjacent islands for many centuries and long before any one knew that the American continent existed. They were fishermen, great warriors and great sailors. They sailed their northern seas in all weathers and made voyages of discovery long before Columbus, Drake, Vasco de Gama, Cook or Magellan were born. In fact, they discovered North America perhaps 500 years before Columbus landed on the islands of the West Indies. And what Norway, near the sea, were digging in a | g; and placed in a museum so that future | of the Norsemen, which is probably over OKES makes their discoveries so remarkable is the fact that their boats were just such ones as you see pictured here to- They were boats propelled by oars and sails, and their sailors had no charts and knew nothing of compasses. These strong and adventurous Norse- { men had a curious custom. Whenever their chief died his body was placed in & royal boat. It was then either set on fire or sent out into the ocean, or it was buried under a mound of earth. The boat discovered at Gokstadt was probably such a burial boat and was F;;éed with its master about the year (Continued_from Second Page.) skies—that rainbow. The tiny villages, dispersed here and there, at the most advantageous spots, seemed to twinkle in_the cross-light of the sun and its reflected rays which formed the rain- bow. As we flew on, the rainbow seemed fixed and it was marvelous to watch the miles and miles of changing land- .| scape that passed under those inverted rays of light. At Zurich, the plane was met by a guide who showed us the town. Our visit to the Zeppelin works and the Dornier plant, on the Lake Con- stance, had, of course, been prearranged and sponsored by the Deutsche Luft Hansa and the North German Lloyd. Our admission into the big iron gates was, therefore, expeditious and we were informed later that we were the first Washington Woman Flies Over Europe. from the air. Its population of 1,000,- 000 is spread out on many elevations. Mont Serrat, & sort of shrine, whose historic though natural ruggedness is visited by thousands of pilgrims year- ly. Mont Tibidabo, an amusement cen- ter and health resort on the summit of which stands a high tower, 1,500 feet above sea level. Its heights give the most advantageous view of the city. Imagine, then, the view I had from my seat in the skies. It seemed like a lit- tle stepladder, that tower! There is no mistaking the two bull-fight arenas. I stayed a week in Barcelona, the longest visit I had had since Berlin. It was my original intention to fly to Madrid and perhaps Seville to see the other Spanish exposition. Then progress, via air, to Paris. But the service of the Summer had been dis- continued and the service of the Winter “foreigners” to have the privilege of entrance. Several times we had heard rumors about the giant ship that Dornier is constructing and we were all agog, wondering if perchance we should be allowed to see it. Nothing was sald, however, on either side. Likewise, were we thrilied at the enormity of the Grat bypellt)n—-s big as our good steamship Columbus. Our air cruise now dwindled to Gen. season had not yet begun. I refused to use the trains. And my long visit in Barcelona ha siderably if I intended to Johnson in Paris. So, back to Marseille and on to Paris, via Lyon. The second trip across the Pyrenees, in the same plane, with the same pilot, was spent in slumber. My only disturbance was a fly in the cabin at over 2,000 meters up. It rained all Kincaid, Sam Barr, the North German Lloyd representative, and myself. Miss Johnson would be detained in Berlin to prepare for her Transatlantic flight in the Rohrbach Rostra. And I was anx- jous to look in on the exposition in Barcelona. Besides that, the air cruise was going by train from Zurich Cologne, via Stuttgart, and on to Paris. T couldn’t see why we should train ride when there were so many safe planes to ride in, so many places to see and so much time to be saved. A 45-minute ride from Zurich to Friedrichshafen on the train had been sufficient. Bidding our good-bys and promising to meet later in Paris, we went our w-ys.mm ‘zuflch again, I was informed that the on the flepld. that the regular t: T- ““oncbtfi: had nblrndy gone and that I must take & cab. As I stepped into the waiting plane, my disconcerted fellow passengers had, I imagined, a look of disappointment on their faces to see that I was all that had kept them waiting. We were now headed for one of the most talked of. as well as one of the most beautiful cities on the continent, Geneva. Flying over the little country of Switzerland is equivalent to a good lecture on thrift. The changing terrain below invariably gives to one a sense of neatness and system. Lausanne, indicated to us by the radio navigator’s chart, told us that in a short time our journey would be end- ed for the day. Soon we caught the first glimpse of enchanting Lake Geneva. L!ke‘ glass it wias.m\flfl'll tl;e 0) usly dying sun playing lovely ?):;?\onlss in colors on its depths of infinite delicacy. After this, what? A good dinner and a comfortable bed in one of the delight- ful hotels overlooking the lake. I had an excellent view of Jean Jacques Rous- seau’s Isle—that quiet oasis which har- bors his bronze statue. Sleep was not difficult. Geneva fulfilled every expectation. Could the rest of the trip be less inter- esting? Suddenly I was conscious of a distinet_thrill of anticipation. I was to cross the Alps and, before reaching Barcelona, the Pyrenees. It was in Oc- EORGE BOURNE, who visited the | 4 island on several occasions between | could rest, making another dash for 1910 and 1920, supplies information that | tober, at a time when the mountain passes are usually covered with snow and ice. [ our light little craft flew over the Alps with headwinds most of the time. At such a high altitude, one, at times, felt the need of reassurance. But the plane weathered the trip wonderfully. My next conscious thought was one of admiration for the flying fleld at Marseille. There are not many flying fields that afford the double advantage of land and seaplane service. ~But \Marseille has one of them. It was just as interesting to watch the sea- planes coming in from Alglers as to see the big Farmans fueling for their reg- ularly scheduled flights to Paris and London. We arrived about 1 o'clock. French movie of the Swiss Alps that night and an early start the next morn. ing for Barcelona. Stepping up into the plane, T saw that I was to be the only living passenger to Barcelona. I looked about me and discovered the explanation. Every one of the nine remaining seats in our Rohrbach Roland was occupled with cargo of one description or another. And on the seats were bulky packages of assorted merchandise. No matter how many other people would have liked seats on this plane, they could not have been sold tickets because of the strict regulation as to the specified weight allowed, and also because freight happens to pay more than passengers. I was told, while in Berlin, that there are now at least three air express routes carrying express exclusively in Europe. Berlin to Paris, Berlin to London and a newspaper plane that carries nothing but latest editions from Berlin to dis- tant cities. At the beginning of the trip, we skirt- ed the coast. so unriendly. 1 felt safe in our steady all-metal, three-motored Roland. And I watched the crossing of the ranges just as if we had been Gulliver stepping across as many field furrows na_is _unusually _inte; “The only living object connected ! ! with the late works found on the sland | Drominent feature of thete o e was a cat, one of five known to be with | corded the heights of some of the steameclouds that followed to be not less than 8,000 feet. Many terrific ex- and “Kitty Doctor?”) By some miracu- | rth-tremors on the lous chance it had survived the disaster, ' m‘}:fi,‘df ',‘,‘512'.??.; been heard. “Whether this is the forerunner of ane was awaiting my arrival A The cat was captured andsomething more sinister is a matter for i brought back by a former employe of |the seientists, but on the mainland the the sulphur company, who—fortunately for himself—had left the company’s service a fortnight before the eruption. “Interest in the island has again been roused by a renewal of subterranean ac- belief is held that so long as the pent- up forces find relief through the open safety valves of the blowholes, no| danger from devastating volcanic influ- | ences need be apprehended. Otherwise tivity on even a grander scale, it Is syr- (people may wake up some fine morning the way into Paris. e outstanding memories I hold are riding in the cock- pit nearly all the way to seg as much as I could through the rain, a wonderful view of Mont Blanc looming before us in all of its 4,3800-metered splendor, conversing in h-French _with Englis] to | Laulhe, & one-time friend of Mrs. Gray- son’s. He was to fly the L'Oiseau Tango to America on September 13, 1927, but weather prevented: an excel- lent lunch at Lyon, Burgundy, the Seine, the Eiffel Tower, Le Bourget. Le Bourget is the oldest airfield in Europe. Since 1914 it has done military service and since 1917 commercial. ‘There are 17 military and 13 commer~ cial hangars. It traffics 60 planes a day. It seems busy enough, but unso- ciable. It lacks the atmosphere of ‘Templehof. At the Ambassador I found that every one else had arrived the day before. It was good to see familiar faces, and it seemed that not only the air cruiss was stopping there but half the boat. gendfinm addition, some friends from rlin. But I'm writing an aviation story and not a travelog. France, with over 12,000 miles of air routes, is considered second in length of airways to Germany. To Sam Barr and Gen. Kircald go the honors of seeing to & finish the | first air cruise in history, although my | flying_mileage exceeded "theirs, At Le Bourget we met again to fly in the same big Farman to Berlin, via Co- logne. Essen and Hanover. We were go- Ing back to Berlin for the aeronautical exposition. We flew over the battleflelds of France. With us went the son of Louis Bleriot, on his first visit into Germany. He was to exhibit the mono- plane of his famous father at the expo- sition. The Tla was an aeronautical revela- tion. I was beginning to feel it I had learned something about aviation, only to change my mind again when I saw model after model of the oldest and newest airships of all the countries of the world. I saw the Romar, which is at present the biggest seaplane in the | world. Later I rode in its sister ship and heard Dr. Rohrbach say of his own handiwork: “At present, this is the finest we can build. "It is not perfection, but it ap- proaches. It will serve as a stepping stone.” Then I talked with Juan de 1a Cierva, the inventor of the marvelous Autogiro, which, according to authori- ties, is a great step toward aviation | safety. TIts huge “windmill” takes the plane almost vertically into the air and descends in the same way. Then I heard, first hand, of some of the war- time and post-war-time experiences of such famous pilots as Goring and Udet, and I felt truly that my education was only Feginning. Posers. If you know your geography, these posers should be easy for you. Below are listed 10 cities, and the 10 rivers upon which they are located are listed |in the opposite column, but in the | wrong order. See if you can connect | the right rivers with the cities that are built upon them. 1. Quebec—La Plata. 2. Paris—Potomac. 3. St. Louis—Danube. 4. London—Seine. 5. Cairo—Delaware. g. Vienna—Mississippi. = 9. 0. | | Cincinnati—Thames. . Washington—St. Lawrence. . Buenos Aires—Ohio. 10. Philadelphia—Nile. Answers. Quebec on the St. Lawrence, Paris on the Seine, St. Louis on the Missis- sippl, London on the Thames, Cairo on the Nile, Vienna on the Danube, Cin- cinnati on the Ohio, Washington on Soon there was nothing | the Potomac. Buenos Aires on the La but Pyrences, uglier than the Alps and | Plata, and Philadelphia on the Dela- ware. The Riddle Box. 1. What two cords cannot be tied in knots? 2. Why is the hand on the Statue of Liberty 11 inches long? 3. What State is governed by women? 4. What relation is a locomotive to a loaf of bread? 5. What living creature consumes the least food? Answers. 1. Discords and cords of wood. 2. Because if it were 12 inches it would be a foot. 3. The state of matrimony. 4. Its child, because bread is a necessity; necessity is the mother of invention and a locomotive is an invention. 5. The Moth—it eats holes. —_— Lament. mised, than that of any of its preceding |t find that this island inferno has eruptions. finally blown its head off and dis- “Reliable {formation from residents | gpneared beneath the wilers of the of the mainland towns opposite shows gcean,” that plainly vissible flames have been & (Copyright, 1920 Oily to bed, And olly to rise, Is_the fate of a man, ‘When a motor ke buys.