| Transcript |
- running in the seme channel
Then the street lights slowly faded out, and ell the while our car was increasing its speed, tearing along at a break neck pace.
To cap the climax, and to make us certain that an air raid was in progress, a fire engine tore around a corner ahead of us, belching fire from its smoke stack, and emitting blood curdling shriek? from its siren.
How the two girls had each been through five Zepp raids in England, so it wasn’t exactly a new experience to them. They were scared alright, but showed, it in different ways, Elsie clung to Charlie like a frightened kid, but /de made of sterner stuff, tobk a firmer grip on my hand, and did her best to reassure Elsie. That siren out the fear of God in our driver and he broke all existing records between that point and the Place Pigalle, Recollection of hip stopped meter had vanished, forgotten was our promised generous tip, all he wanted was to nut a safe distance between himself and the Montmarte district, for be it know that that district was the closest to the line, and was where Eritz had dropped bombs in previous raids.
I had often wondered why so many casualties were caused in an air raid, especially when ample warning was given. I ceased to wonder that night, for instead of taking cover, thousands of people,in various states of'dress and undress, were congregated in the Place Pigalle, watching the aeroplanes patrolling the sky. Well we were determined to see everything that was going on, so took our stand on the pavement outside the hotel. The aeroplanes all carried searchlights, and continually swept the sky, seeking hostile air ccaft. In In addition they had red and green lights at the tip of their wings, with the red on the right. It was a very pretty sight they presented as some thirty of them slowly petrolled the sky.
About one o'clock the fire engine came around again, this time with a bbgler blowing a call, which we later learned wasthe signal that the raiders had departed. Our necks being tired anyway, we went up to thegirls’ room and sat out on the bebony, enjoying the night air. Might say that their room boasted of only two chairs so you can draw your own conclusions. The stars being out in great profusion, naturally quite a few of them fell, and. I felt duty bound to teach the girls what they should do when they spotted one hurtling- earthward, Ade was a very apt pupil,.and I'm firmly convinced that she rung in a couple of aeroplanes on me, I should worry though, Ho two ways about it, it's a grand game watching ar< - ir raid from the fifth story of the Marquiss,
It wastwo o'clock before we reluctantly came to the conclrsion that Pritz hed been driven off, and another half hour elapsed before we departed.
Am afraid the old man at the hotel used bad language when be
|
|---|
