The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-04-12
THE SKY PIRATE

! him to be ] should have done what
did II you had not spoken
The secretary gave me pressure OF
the hand, and I felt greatly encouraged,
for I knew / should have his support,
however the thing turned out The
oveTtsks Payton again. which felt sure
II doing because OF the damage the
Chameleon had suffered So I visited
Jim, and melted him 10 renewed efforts
Get her Up to q hundred and forty,
said We've another and a last
''T'n do It or bust her." he grimIy re-
piled
And for my part I was willing that
he should take any chanceS If MI
Grayman's daughter was not rescued.
didn't care whether we persisted or
not we did go at an astonishing
speed, and no long time elapsed before
our gain vas so great that 1 told Ethan
to be ready
begin 10 fight until we are within easy
range and 7 want you 10 pelt MIN
without mercy. Only" I added. aim
for the aerOplanss and save the hull-
The Chameleon carries the richest girl
in the world, and we've got her father
aboard here"
I'm not a-goin' TO tech hair O. her
head IOoteuant'' reDifed Ethan. with,
1 thought. a knowing grin We been
10 the show in my day. an I know al
about Romeo an his JOOliett"
felt my face burn, and turned away.
This pracl ical-minded Yankee evidently
had his -'oman1c side, too, and hSo
DenetrateC a secret of which 1 did not
dare 70 think myself
I do not believe that the Chameleon
was now making more than a 135 at
the most, and in a couple OF hours we
had her almost within range As We
drew nearer, Paytcn evidently saw tfisll
the game was Up. and that his Only
course was TO fight. But there was no
white feather on him, and ne met the
situation with characteristic braVadOss
IN the circumstanc possessed some OF
the elements Of the heroic.
He ran Up his black flag and crossed
his Her, from stem 10, stern, in the
same color. thus stamping her sill
bOllette with startling diSttnCtness
and giving her an aspect so fierce ana
menac.lE that ] saw some Of my men
regarding her and one another with
doubtful looks and shTugs.
In the drama now preparing, nature
seemed 20 have decided 70 play part
II was near the hottest hour Of the
day. and the clouds Of the morning had
gradually given place 10 towering
advancing 10 meet US. The clTcuTn-
stance worried me, for I feared that
Payton might resume his bO-peep tao
tics II once he could, get into the storm
clouds So I called 10 Jim 70 pile on
the speed once more and to Ethan 70
follow the range and announce Il TO
''Four miler' he presently sung out
three mile an a half
Before ne called again, a vast smoke
beIlted cloud. which had been piling It's
golden paEodas up into the sunshine
above, seemed to make a sudden rush
all along its 'front.' and at the same
time crinkleC with lightning In an
astonishing b-ief time its advance had
reached the Chameleon. while fanking
vapOrs ran out Ike a charge Of cavalry
and began to envelOp US
The sweep OF the storm was so sud
den and swift that almost In a moment
the Chameleon vanished, and then the
Osprey vas Swallowed I'D with dark
ess. Illuminated now and then By ven
omOus lightning bolts
The thunder gTowled and ratified all
about Us, and the aero luuged and
pitched so dangerously that I advised
Mr. Graymau and the Secretary 20 take
the fiier sup-srbIy, and IN few min
utes the storm passed. and We found
ourselves n q valley Of CioGGand-blue
sky overhead thunder clouds piled like
vast rocks al around. and the earth be
meath hidden With dark nimbus-
Beyond the nearer clouds the vapor-
peaks rose giitterinE in the sunshine
like snOWClad mountains
Then Z caught sight OF the Chame-
leon. also incIOsed in a cloud-walled
valley. not more than a quarter Of
mist. she was Just pushing out OF the
sCud. her great aeroplanes looking as
fuuereal as mighty pals. and her black
haS whipping In the wind
She was brOsdside to, and Payton's
eve had been a. quick as mine His
action was quicker,
Hardly five seconds had elapsed from
the moment that We caught sight Of
one another when both his guns spit
their blue flashes, and the shells
screamed 50 close that I wondered At
our escape I yelled an order 70 the
Sreersna1 to bring our bow in line with
the Chameleon. meaning 20 run her
down. but before we had swung into
the desired position she fred twice
again and once narrowly missed her
aim
Ethan was ready now. and the word
''Firei'' had hardly left nv lips before
his sun responded and knocked one Of
Fayton's aeropianes INTO a Snapeless.
fiutterinK mass His second shell burst
aboard her. sending my heart into my
throat in the fea- that Il had killed half
she people she carried
Careful Ethan ] shouted Re
member the prisoners
IAN right, lcOtenant- he replied
but, blast him. he's fooled Us long
enough
the Chameleon was once more swal-
owed from sight by boiling, sulphur
tinted Vapors. and as before. the Os-
prey to. was Immediately involved
in the second rush Of the storm. This
time the glare OF the lightning and
the vicious raps Of thunder were al
most inCesssnt. We had all We could
do 10 retain Al upright position on the
pitching AID swaying deck. Yet again
the storm : ssed quickly, leaving US
in another ue-domed and vspOr-bot-
toned atmospheric valley, among the
flashing fnundeT-heads And there Sill
vas the Chemeleon, like a black demon
OF the air, awaiting Is
The battle was II stantly resumed
with greater iHIpetuOsity than before,