The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-01-05
THE Man
Who Stole
N The Earth"
BY W. Holt White.
CHAPTER llI.-(contlnued,)

CHAPTER lIi.-(contlnued,)
He .eckohed that. while, the bal
loon had gone direct with the wind
she had been making some 40 TO i1
miles an hour. but now that she had
the wind upon her quarter the speed
had been considerably reduced. and,
according TO the instruments in the
Victor. she was not making more
than 80
III Paris were their objective. 1t
would take them some 90 hours 10
make the tip. Ii was then Tuesday
which meant that IL Paris were tie
goal, the capital of France could not
be reached till about noon on Thurs
day, and then only IL the wind did nc,
yeer round to the west.
There was not the slightest fear That
they wouio lose the balloon. They
could track her as surely as dog
could follow a wounded bird.
If the situation were almost farcical.
| IL certainly was annoying. Strong was
without the means OF stopping the bal
loon, and was also without any means
OF ascertaining its destination.
Behind him lay the freshiy-surrer
ldered city. and his absence from
Bomberg might mean that he world
have 10 live over again all the stress
and agony OF the past As hours.
True he had left the Dr. keeping
watch and ward over the city. but that
was small thing now that the jour
lney he was forced 10 take ceemod
likely 10 je long one.
Strong debated with himself wheth-
er IL woud not be better 10 pick up
the "Di" on the wireless and order
Arbuthnot 10 come up with them And
on this he finally decided. because he
saw quite plainly that II he were 10
successfully follow up the flight or the
King and ascertain the whereabouts OF
Diana it would be far more simple
matter t. accomplish with the "Di'
than in tie Victor"
Without any further delay. there
fore. he picked up the 'Di' and In
structed Arbuthnot 10 inform NJ. Stall
van that the "Di' would be temper
arly Withdrawn from Bomberg. Ar
buthnot was also ordered to inform
the premier that during the absence OF
the "Di." Strong would expect the pre-
inter- 10 carry out the instructions
which he had given him, and 10 i'm
olicitly obey any further orders he
might receive by wireless
The wind held fair just to the north
OF st. and Strong noted that the bal
loon hung very well on the course
which It had first shaped when Lud-
wig had put the helm down.
1t was now about noon. and toward
3 O'Clock the "Di" showed up on the
horizon. Arbuthnot licked for instruc-
tons. but Strong had none TO give.
Lying above at convenient dis
lance, Strong was we'll able TO observe
what passed in the balloon. Toward
the afternoon the king, Col Conrad.
and Diana had made a sort OF picnic
meal in the stern. And IL made
Strongs heart ache to see that Diana
ate but little.
AS O'Clock drew near the light
began 10 fade. and Strong Judged that
they were then Just north OF the Turk
ish frontier and Croatia.
Darkness came down very swiftly,
and for the first time that IL had been
necessary to use II. the searchlight OF
the Victor" played upon the balloon
below. Strong saw that its intense
light dazzled the occupants OF the bal
loon, and out of consideration for d.
ana he lifted the light little so that
il only cleaned upon the great cigar
shaped gasbag.
Toward 10 o'clock he let the light
down again upon the car, and saw
that Diana lay wrapped up in rugs and
annarpnflv aGiaan Tho ling Gtin
awake, smoking.
So they went on through the night,
and Strong chafed greatly at the de-
lay. The travelling was very different
to when. having nothing to delay them.
they could make 200 miles an hour or
SO.