“Let us look at the battleships again. Many of them carry small elevated railways on which run tiny cars. These are called seaplane catapults. The word catapult means, ‘To throw heavy stones.’ So we conclude that these little railways throw seaplanes. Well, they _do_ throw seaplanes. Let’s inspect one and see how it is done. The little car, bearing a big seaplane, with its propeller spinning, shoots along the railway track at lightning speed. At the very end, it strikes a bumper. Off shoots the seaplane. The car darts back to the starting point. When a battleship clears for action, the catapult is taken down. “The monster warships have now begun to fight. Their big guns are banging and booming—hundreds of times louder than thunder. On the decks, behind the guns, in the engine rooms and wireless cabins—everywhere, men are striving, straining every nerve, risking their lives for the land they love. “It’s aviation we are talking about, so let’s look high overhead. Our marvelous seaplanes are spying on the hostile battleships, fighting the Zeppelins and enemy aeroplanes, and dropping bombs on the foe below—all at the same time. ‘Rat-a-tat-tat,’ shrieks a seaplane’s deadly machine gun. With a sickening plunge, an enemy aeroplane darts down—a streak of flaming wood and tangled metal. Down goes another—a mass of wreckage that strikes the deck of one of our warships. A daring aviator dashes up, up, away up in the air; and drops a bomb on a Zeppelin. Right in the middle strikes the missile of destruction. The enemy’s cigar-shaped airship makes a headlong dive for the ocean—split in half. It strikes the bosom of the sea; and disappears in one final, deafening explosion, which throws the salt spray high into the air. [Illustration: THE SEAPLANE SHOOTS OFF THE CATAPULT] “Let’s get a glimpse of another part of the battle scene. One of our seaplanes is flying along at a moderate rate of speed, when the tell-tale periscope is sighted. A U-Boat is near the surface of the water. Our aviator drops a remarkable, a terrific bomb. When this bomb sinks deep enough, the pressure of the water makes it explode. The force of the underwater explosion causes anything near it to be crushed like an egg shell. You can imagine what happens to the unfortunate submarine. [Illustration: SENDING UP A “HUMMING” SHOT A LITTLE TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT] “All of a sudden, three enemy aeroplanes dash into view, determined to attack our seaplane—to avenge the sunken U-Boat. But when one of the big guns on our warship sends up a ‘humming’ shot, a little too close to the foe for comfort, they withdraw at once. “We finally won this dreadful sea battle, and the seaplanes certainly deserve a great deal of credit. “If you boys have followed my story, you know the value of land and sea aviation service in time of war.” “Indeed, I have followed it,” said Tom warmly. “It’s the most interesting tale I ever heard or read,” exclaimed Jack.