The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-03-24
VIRGINIA f $;' : z A!!S =: .: g..
7oo07dsiasd By ao5is NORTH CO.. ll1E2\l \IJG1n Quick

|evaded the struggle, but her COM
mander seemed to have no notion
of retreat. Though terrified by
the lights and towers and multi
tudinous life of New York, he
drove his craft unshrinkingly in
to the teeth of thunder and light
ming and wind and rain.
Put on your oi;skins," said he
to Craighead.
Its humiliating," said Craig
head, but I reckon l must"
There's an opening yonder in
the rain," said Carson. "If it
doesn't close up, We may slip
through to the back of the storm
|again!"
AS If the wings Of the advancing
army had extended it's lines until
they pulled apart in the center,
the rain opened where Carson
pointed. At that moment the
whole heaven was black, save
where the moon, now riding high,
touched the cloud-summits with
silver; but in an instant a sudden
discharge of looped and linked
lightning lit up the whole north
west, and Craighead saw through
to the rear of the rain as through
a window, the base of which was
the hills, its upper limit straight
horizontal line of black nimbus,
its sides misty and indefinite with
encroaching downpour.
1--WE must go lower" said Car
son, "and pass under. The rain
is closing in; but reckon we can
slip through, pretty dry"
The on-coming black arch
lighted to wilderness when the
lightning blazed-swelled fear
fully as they approached, it's
rainless gap narrowing momently.
1t was race with the elements.
The penalty, if they lost, was, to
be sure, nothing more than a
drenching: but it was none the
less exciting for that. The cur
tains of water, drawn aside as if
to let the travellers through,
swung together as they approach
ed. The edges of the cloud curled
under, rolled by the contending
currents, the lightning became al
most incessant.
"Whoop!" cried Craighead.
THE Virginia wins! l guess I'll
stay in this deal for while after
all! Chief Hole-in-the-Cloud, l
renew my fealty!"
AS he spoke they passed under
the rain cloud, and the wind turn
ed and swept the Virginia's decks
in gale. To left and right the
binding flashes revealed bills
dashed by the torrential downpour,
and forests bowling in the storm
blast, while a deep, rushing roar
rose from the earth, like the
sound of Niagara. There was a
moment of the sharp dashing of
huge drops with strokes like hail
stones; and the Virginia slipped
through the thinned phalanx of
the rain and winged her way on
only to find herself face to face
with stronger army following
the first. Towering so high as
to overhang the interspace be-
tween showers, came another
storm, it's front solid and heavy
and uncompromising.
Surrounded! cried Craighead.
Nov must we surrender at dis
erection, or sell our lives dearly!
Me for surrender-if we can find
an inn. Some would be live
coward rather than a dead hero,
but I'd rather be a live tumble
bug than a dead anything. Come,
brave Southron, surrender! Let's
to an 'otel."
Carson Misunderstanding o.
Shaynes Hold, and conjectliring
as to it's whereabouts. If he read
his chart correctly, the lights
seen afar to the northeast indi.
Gated that they had left the Kaat.
erskill behind, and were nearing
Black Head Mountains-thougt
The confessed to himself that the
crags revealed by the lightning
might be the Hunter Peaks, oil
even the SUBMITS of Slide Noun
tain. All he really knew was tina,
he was above the Catskills, ami
that unless he could out-maneuvel
the elements, they faced an en-.
counter with rain, wind and great
possibilities in the way of light.
ming. The domes of thunder.
cloud few miles to their right
Iseemed almost low enough to be
|overpassed; so he set the levers
for an ascent; and the Virgins
rose like an osprey chased by an
eagle.
(which way does that shoot
u.s." queried Craighead, If 6
Iforemast tar may inquirer"
"Forty-five degrees up" an.
lswered Carson.
Afraid of contamination by
low associations, or what?"
"I'm trying your suggestion.
answered Carson. "I'm scaling
the front of that shower"
THANK you," said Craighead
"a dash into blizzard may give
me an appetite. Oh. for a hard
boiled hailstone! But
man, man, the audacity of It'll"
Even Craighead's voice was