Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-07-26
VIRGINIA OF : ? 5; t;z'.z
THE AIR LANES I
- Copyright the Bsbbs
HERBERT QUICK Merrill
CHAPTER XVI.
4 RACE WITH THE ELE,1En1

QOmeu capltOl at washington
far to port, passed between
Baltimore and Dover and d.
rectly over Philadelphia. where Car
son made a wide circle above tho
vast aerial harbor, scanning the berths
for huge silver aeronat of the Con-
dor type, but finding none. 1t was
growing dusk, and the west and north
west were ramparted with towering
thunder heads, qufvering with light
ming toward which Carsonihurled the
Virginia like bullet. The town stud
ded suburban. region of New Jersey
swept under them as if drawn by
swift mechanism, and the harbor Of
New York lay beneath, alive with
shipping. The lights were already
burning, and the far spread Babylon
Of the modern world hung like fairy
dream from the foreground to tho far
Their rim of the concave cup Of the
earth. Carson was amazed and stun
ned. He had never seen New York,
aud his ideas were all inadequate to
| the actualities before him. The streets
, flashed into sight as the Virginia pass
I ed into positions permitting view Of
the bottom of one metropolitan canyon
! after another. The boy was afraid.
The huge city roaring up at them like
q ravening beast struck him with ter.
ror.
/ why dost circle about like a sand
i hill crane? said Craighead. 'WhJ
don't you 'ight?"
I; Like the sand hill crane" replied
Carson, I'm afraid. Where can we
! alight?"
"Gad." said Craighead, II, never
1 thought Of that! New York, has al
/ ways reached out for me so lovingly
that the idea Of there being any diff
! ficulty in getting into her embrace
! never entered my brain. We are lit
tie shy Of knowledge Of how to get in
from above, aren't weT'
! what are the harbor rulesY asked
! Carson.
changed If I know" replied Craig
head.
Z It was quite dark now, save for the
moon. which, nearly full, was climbing
the eastern sky. still clear. To the
northwest lowered the pearly clouds
palpitant with lightning. Craighead
expected Theodore to turn the Virginia
to some far New Jersey village and
was astonished when he entered upon
q swift fight up the Hudson, which
lay shining in the moonlight, laced
with the wakes Of boats. Far ahead,
on both sides. quivered the lightning
Of the storm. and from afar came the
rumbling Of thunder. Carson seemed
to be seeking night in the heart of a
thunderstorm. Craighead seized his
arm and tried to CLEAN something Of
his mood from a scrutiny of his face.
I'm going to the Catskills.'' said
Theodore. Before sleep I'm going
to find shayne's Holdp'
Carson crossed the Hudson in a slow
dTizzle at Kingston and stood north
west toward heavy dense masses Of
towering clouds screening the high
peaks of the Catskills-and Shayne's
Hold.
"Why not hurdle the tempest, cal
tiff ?" cried Craighead.
Those highest towers" replied Car
son, pointing to the thunder heads now
again snowy in the moonlight, ARE
thirty, forty. fifty thousand feet high"
'sWell, what do we careY' protested
Craighead
There's an opening yonder In the
RAIN" said Carson. III 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 its lines until they
pulled apart in the center, the rain
opened.
1--WE must go lower" said Carson,
"and pass under. The rain is closing
In. but I reckon we can slip through
pretty dry"
The oncoming black arch, lighted to
whiteness when the lightning blazed,
swelled fearfully as they approached,
its rainless gap narrowing momently.
It was q race with the elements. The
penalty II they lost was, to be sure,
nothing more than drenching, but
It was none the less exciting for that.
The curtains of water, drawn aside as
If to let the travellers through, swung
together as they approached.
"WhoopY cried Craighead. '"The
Virginia winsy'
Aao A0 cHVAo lucy PaSSSO uuNSI SAS
rain cloud.
Carson was thinking of Shayne's
Hold and conjecturing as to its where
abouts. II he read his chart correct
" the lights seen afar to the north
east indicated that they had left the
Kaaterskill behind and were nearing
Blank Head mountains, though he con-
tossed to himself that the crags reveal
ed by the lightning might be the Hun
ter peaks or even the submits Of Slide
mountain. All he really knew was
that he was above the Catslxills and
that unless he could outmaneuver the
elements they faced an encounter with
rain, wind and great possibilities In
the way of Lightning. The domes Of
Thunderstorm few miles to their right
seemed almost low enough to be over
passed, SO be set the levers for an
ascent, and the Virginia rose like an
osprey chased by nm eagle.
"I'm trying your suggestion" said
Carson. "I'm scaling the front Of that
shower
Even Crai6hes3's voice was hushed
In avs. Like the fairy domes Of some
cllY or orlenraI ian;;e ssses rec sse cc..oo::SS
castles, their SUBMITS white In the