The Detroit times., 1909-06-15
The Man
Who Stole
The Earth"
By ". Holt Whin
cHAPTEH LxvIll.-(cOn.inued.,


Feeling the JOY of coming conflict
In his veins. Strong rode his horse
blithely. and his face was pleasant and
brave 10 lock on. and the cheering
grew and grew in volume and contin.
ued long after the iron gates of the
balloon ground had been closed with
a crash behind him.
In the balloon ground itself every
thing was =bnsiness-iikc and in order
Langley had marshaled the workmen
in military fashion In a hollow square,
and into this Strong rode alone
He looked about him with smile.
and dotted his military helmet. and.
standing in his stirrups, bareheaded,
In the sunshine. he cried.
Gentlemen. thank you al for the
great service that you have rendered
To Bahama and myself"
1t was Langley who led the cheer
ing. and then Strong. dismount!ng
made for the Victor"
For he was still true 10 his first love
OF the airships.
The "Di' having returned, Arbuthnot
assumed control OF the state. while
| Langley and Bellingham were placed
In charge Of the remaining airship5.
which had been christened the BAL
kama" and the Princess"
Churston took the "Di." and. at
signal given by gun-fire. the four grea,
airships and their little comrade rose
simultaneously IN the air.
They went gently up 10 height OF
1000 feet. SO that they could be dis
cerned by all the city. and. AS he hung
above the balloon ground. Strongs
heart swelled within him TO hear the
cheers rising from the black crowds
upon the Morning Hills and from the
troops stationed in the plain.
With Langley he had worked out
series OF simple evolutions. much en-
the lines OF those followed In naval
tactics. and, with the Victor" lead
ing, the airships circled slowly round
the city
Then they dropped 10 lesser ele-
walton and made across the plain on
which the troops were stationed
They hung with scarcely a tremor
some 80 feet above the earth, IN a
we'll dressed line. and then at the fir
ing OF a battery stationed above the
crowds on the Morning Hills the
troops began 10 move. Led by Gen.
Martel and the staff which had fol
lowed Strong 10 the balloon ground.
they slowly moved across the plain
lust beneath the Victor 8 bows.
Gen. Martel rode. grim and silent,
az their head, merely lifting his sabre
TO the salute as he passed the airsRp.
But the men. having seen the power
of Strong and drunk with a sense OF
the enormous power that had sudden
lv come 10 them, were not To he bound
! by discipline. and as rank after rank
| OF infantry passed the saluting base
men tore -tffeir-ifeif;e-ta- from theft
heads and hoisted them upon their
rifles. and cheered and cheered again
II was indeed only by the almost
superhuman efforts OF their officers
that they were kept marching.
When the last man had passed
Strong put-the airships UP with a
lump and for half an hour or so
drove the people OF Bomberg into a
frenzy OF delight over the evolutions
which they performed.
Before making his ascent, Strong
had left with Hertz n further procla-
nation stating that he proposed that
very day 70 proceed TO Berlin.
He was not minded, however, 10
leave Bomberg entirely without de
lenses. or, for that matter. run the
slightest risk OF breeding again
shirt ~ rebellion. and 30 nc nan ne
tailed the Bahama, under the charge
of Bellingham. to- remain over the
city during his absence.
Il was too late In the day, however
10 make for Berlin then, and so he
remained In mid-air al through the
afternoon and all through the night.
ITO he Contlnued.)