The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-08-02

" nth a quick turn. Edmund
NM lodged the nearest pursUer,
and We rose so RAPIDLY that
in two seconds we were
sldrtinE he great tower. Then Others
saw US. and forty ai-ships Joined in the
chase Jacks spirit rose with the ex-
citeaeut
sorry TO run away from these Venus
es. he said. but no dungeons for me.
If You please"
We're not away yet" Edmund re-
sDonded over his shoulder.
Indeed. we were notl
The airships swarTned out on every
side. ike hornets from their nests The
air seemed full Of them gave ND AL
hope Of escape. but Edmund was Ike a
racer who hears the thunder Of rival
roofs behind him he put on more and
more speed. until We had 10 hang to
anythi1 z handy 10 prevent being blown
of by the wind we made or whiCled
overheard on sharp turns
crash We had run straight into a
huge aeroDlane that persisted IN getting
in our way. She Dipped and rolled like
a floating log I saw the men on her
deck tumble over one another as we
shot BY but fortunately none fell on 1
say fortunately. because surely il would
not haze bettcred our case to XIII any
more Cf them just now
Busy as he was. lodging and turning,
Edmund did not cease occasionally
speaking 10 US
There's lust ore chance 70 beat
them" he said. and only one. and I'1n
going TO Try il as quick as can get Out
Of this press
had no notion OF what he meant. but
q Few minutes later / OWNED MS i1ten-
ton I'll the while, observed. he was
working higher and higher. The spec
t1cle OF mat magnificent city. spreading
changing shapes and colOrs Ike a view
IL a kaleidoscope, would have held us
euchatned with admlraJiOn-if I had had
time 20 OK my attention upon IT.
SIN We shot upward. making the nee
eSSdrE circles as small as possible. and
50 recAi-sS-y had Edmund turned on the
speed int at last & really began to
look as { we should escape Tvvo-thir5s
q our pLrsuers were FAR below our
level. But the others comprehended our
plan al>I rose with US. some eldeaVOriug
70 GET ahead and cross our bows
While 7 saw that Edmund's idea was
to hold a szyward course I was far
from guessing the particular reason he
had on doing So Finally Jack spoke Up
See here Edmund he said. III you
keep on going UP instead OF running on
one way OF another, they'U corner yCu
in the middle OF the sky Don't you see
how they have circleC out on all sides.
get as high as we can go. they viii sim
ply close IN all round, and We'll be In
trap.
-'OhI no, we won't said Edmund
Il don't see why
Because they cant 90 as high as we
can
I'D like TO knox why they cant. Z
guess they understand these things as
well as YOU do
can 3 FISH live out OF water2'' asked
Edmund. laughing
What are you driving at2''
''W ny, it's plain enough These peo-
pie are used 10 an atmosphere two or
three times as dense as that which
we have on the earth. II doesn't
trouble our breathing much. having
plenty Of oxygen, but we can so where
they would gasp for breath. because
we can stand the rare air at & great
height
Ny only doubt is about the buoy
ancy Of The aeroplane, br.t, luckily.
this - a light car. and being under
way. I think she'll run as high as
we need TO go, and stay there. You'll
see them dropping OF pretty soon.