Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-09-27

| SIG WIS not SOFTy OF NlS[)letlScu u
have Carson give chase unsuccessful
ly. She was very angry with him.
Suddenly she looked astern and was
amazed that such body Of water
had been passed without her knowing
it. as one journeying over prairie
might feel to look behind and see an
ocean. The subtle expression Of the
tossing waves told her that this was
the open sea. For miles and miles she
saw great waves bursting in immense
explosions of spndrift and spray.
swept clean Of shipping, the CLASSY
back to her eyes sinister glints from
the rare CLEANS of the western sun.
and out into this fierce fight Of the
elements the Roc was drifting stern
on in spite Of the frcnZied thrust Of
her great screws into the suck Of the
gale.
Uncle" said she, pointing. ~ see.
It's the Ocean!"
"Yes." said he. God forgive me-
Virginia. for numbering you and your
aunt! Go to herr
Suddenly Virginia pressed his arm
"Uncle"- said she.
"On board the ship"
The call sounded in their very ears
Within thirty yards hung the Virginia,
headed into the wind and drifting east.
ly with the Roc
"What do you propose to do?"
It was CarSon's voice through the
trumpet, but it sounded sweet to
Shayne. He had no idea of any man
ner in which the Virginia would aid
him. but the sickening speed with
which he was driving out to sea made
anything welcome as a modification Of
his despair.
do you understands? shouted Car
son. you are lost if you drift on.
Drop your painter. and I'll give you
tow
Swallowing his pride. Shaync order
cd the painter dropped. The Virginia.
running easily into the wind. dropped
back, took the line and. with word
of cheer, walked up into the blast,
pulled the painter taut and. like a tug
with freighter. threw herself against
the pressure of the immense gas bag.
and for the first time the people on the
deck chung fast and turned
their faces from the wind as they felt
its stroke.
"Hurrah!" came the cry from the en-.
CINE room. She's holding u.s."
For moment she did, and then she
dropped the painter. and the abandoned
Roc fell off before the storm again
The aeronef, having shown her power.
ginia again drew close in.
Put on your life preservers" cried
Carson. I'm going to put you in the
water"
mo. you'll not"' said Shayne. Evil
lett. keep her up and run before it.
Well circle the whir and make shore"
"Mr. Willett." said Carson. do as
say or as there is God in heaven I'll
go above. rip your envelope and let you
drop from wherever you happen to be!
If Mr.. Shayne interferes confine him,
and take orders from me-or drop from
herew
The second engineer went forward
to Mr.. Shayne. The answer Of the
others was to set the depressor screws
going, and the doomed Roc, now quite
over the sea, dropped nearer and near
er to the waves.
"Now," said Carson. "I'll tell you
why turned you adrift. Your envelope
won't stand the strain. 1t had started
to cave in at the bow. and in another
it would have ripped open and
dropped you. But I'm going to give it
the test. If the Roc can stand the
you. If she doesn't l shall drop you
INTO the Atlantic, you'll collapse. and I
IAN tow you in the water easily. Put
IN your life prcservers! Hurry"
Again the Virginia took the painter
aboard and surged against the gale.
but this time drifting with the wind
while the life preservers were ADJUST
I'd. Carson was confronted with a
fearful alternative. If he let the Roc
got out to sea she had bare chance.
hough no such escape was recorded.
IN the other hand. dropping her In
he water was an eXpedient full of
LANCER. The collapsed envelope might
blanket the passengers and drown
hem; some might be hit by breaking
beams or stunned by conclusion with
he water from badly judged height.
And Virginia! Yet, weighing the
chances, he did not hesitate.
"All ready?" he shouted.
"Now cried Shayne. Come back
here"
"All ready. Willett?" asked Carson.
"Yes!" cried Willctt. "Go ahead"
Slowly crowding on power, the Vir-
,inia fought forward into the storm.
The painter strained taut as steel
,ar, and Carson wondered If it would
lold. Suddenly rainy gust bore down
N them in fury, the envelope of the
Roc crushed in at the bow with an
wful ripping sound. and the huge
teely bubble-longer than city block,
anne ragged cloud of tattered frag-
nents and, with all on board, fell into
he Atlantic and hoated in a shapeless
mass Of wreckage.
Carson looked down to see whether
he form he loved was smothereu un-
cr the torn fabric or floating free.
ut never halted for the drowning or
he living. He let out fifty yards OF
me he had made fast to the painter to
i've slack for the Rocs fall. and then
With frenzied eagerness he dragged