The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-03-15

'oeihS the SKY ike clOuQ. III
came with the most amazing speed,
like an eagle in mid-swoop, so
swift, so light. SO facile that all
impression of weight was abolish
ed, and the huge thing filled the
mind with the notion Of levity-
like humming bird. 1t swerved,
as 1t neared the lake, and sheered
round as swings a gull to pick up
food. The whir of machinery
came down to them like the rush
of thousand quail bursting from
covert; as, with a wide graceful
curve. it departed as suddenly as
1T had come, leaving them gazing
after it, spellbound. almost struck
tdumb.
ooh, Of course" said Craighead
his hands trembling, his face
white. this man Carson Is a
fraud! Oh, yes, we knew it all
the time! But you see that his
aeronef has gone through the
empty form of eventuating all the
same. Flying like a frigate bird I!
Shayne, charge. Roll over, Silber-
berg! And don't dare move till
l say SO! Oh, this is rotten, rot
ten! I've got to kiss someone.
Hooray!"
Mrs. Graybill was running along
the path after the guide, who was
straining every nerve to attain the
beach where the view would be I'M
impeded. Craighead ran after her,
Mr.. Waddy putting along behind,
hopelessly unplaced.
did you see Carson?" said
Craighead. And there was a girl
with him. Some confidence, to risk
a lady on board. not?"
| ooh, let us hurry" said she.
TITS the most marvellous thing in
the world"
Emerging from the dunes, they
saw the air-ship skimming off
along the line of beach foam,
growing smaller with a rapidity
that spoke eloquently of her speed.
Down the beach stood Mrs. Stott
and Captain Harrod, looking after
the air-ship in amazement and de-
light. 1t was the day of the first
trial. The prophecy of the night
before was fulfilled. They had
her in the air."
Perhaps two miles she sped from
them, then turning like a fright
ened heron, she swept seward
about to the line of the outer bar,
and came down the wind like an
arrow. Virginia waving an Amer
lean flag over the rail, and Theo-
dore swinging his hat. In all
three groups was Joy. The won
derful creation of Carson's genius
was awning, as he had promised,
her every movement under perfect
control.
Suddenly, as she passed them,
with maneuver so astounding
for aerial craft that they could
scarcely believe their eyes, she
stopped. The sharp whir of the
beating wing sections told of the
sudden reversal of their stroke,
and of the unprecedented phe-
nomena of the almost instant ar
rest of such machine in mid-air.
II was an unnecessary strain,
thought the captain-Theodore
ought not to have done 1t.
He saw the reason, however, a
moment later. A black, Shiny
nose-the nose of the Stickleback
|-poked itself above water right
ahead of the Virginia. A boat
that looked stove and sinking,
drew away from her, with a strug-
CLING, gesticulating figure in it
waving a signal of distress. The
Shiny nose sank; and the appar-
ent castaway was left as if to per-
ish, unless rescued by the Vir-
'ginia.
Accepting the humane task, she
reversed with that boiling whir
that had reached the ears of those
on land. Lower, lower, lower sank
the aeronef, until it's car appeared
almost to touch the waves. The
man in distress seemed to throw
something like a lasso over the
nacelle of the air-ship; and the
great bird rose slightly, as if to be
safe from the pillows. The Sickle
back again peeped above the
waves, her manhole opened, the
of the stove boat went
down into the submarine.
1t was absolutely beyond the
power of anyone looking on to-
guess what was taking place. Why
had the man made the signals for
help, IL the submarine was stand
ing by? If the coming of the sub
marine to his rescue was unexpect-
led, why had he not cast off the
line from the aeronef? Why--and
suddenly they all felt that some
thing sinister, something devilish,
was taking place. They heard a
shout from Theodore, scream
from Virginia. The submarine had
come awash again; and from her
open manhole came the crack of a
pistol-a pistol aimed at the air
ship. Then she sank again and
the air-ship was drawn downward
by the fatal thread. like a trapped
bird, she strained at her tether,
while the grim submarine. like a
devil-fish which had thrown a ten
tacle about waterfowl. made
|seaward, out into the Gulf, out
into deep water, with a purpose
rs manifest as 1t was deadly.
CHAPTER XIII.
DeyiI-Fish VS.. BIRD.