Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-09-16
VIRGINIA
HE AIR
BY
HERBERT Quick
CHAPTER XIV.
! RETREAT FROM BABYLON.

RETREAT FROM BABYLON.
"NHE date when the Virginia left
the dunes Of the Alabama
coast for her first long voyage
Is now historic. 1t placed
man as a flying animal on an equality
with the birds and bats and insects.
The gas bag of the aerostat and the ae-
ronefs Of the first decade of the century
went the way of the tentative and i'm
perfect with the steam engine Of Hero
and the war gins Of Archimedes. CALI
machus and Demetrius. The new era
is one of great flying engines beside
which the Virginia was as humming
bird to a hawk. but which are. every
one. built on the virginia's principles
the direct thrust Of the blades and the
balancing by the automatic distribu-
ton of power by means Of light gyro-
scopes. The new hero was the misera-
BILE young man who looked like one
with his death wound and Unanswered
the new machine like veteran-TheO-
dore Carson. Every schoolboy knows
these things
But every one does not know of her
difficulty In getting OF. At least three
times did Carson turn back to allow
Craighead to converse In farewell with
Mrs Graybill and Mr.. Waddy. Final
" Craighead consented to be separated
from the alluring Mrs. Graybill. and.
passing over the bay with wide west.
erly detour. the Virginia came In over
Spring hill and alighted softly at the
aeronef landing at Mobile. From a
hundred sally ports-streets. alleys and
wharfs-poured q throng Of people at.
tracted by the strange craft that had
made port.
"Howdy. folksT' said Craighead.
take good look, for even when 70
visit not we vanish. Out Of the great
deep we come, into the great deep we
go. The elementals who send us are
the pow'fulest spirits what there is.
But brief space have we to warn
Mobile. Repent! Repent! Yet a few
mo- days an Mobile shall be done de-
stroyed!'
Dan Thomas" said Carson to an
old negro with a whip in his hand.
''come here"
eyes. Mistah Cahson." responded the
negro.
"Fetch me at once one No. q can Of
A quality methanose. and get me
list of the aeronat clearings for the
last two days"
'Yes, subj"
Thomas darted away.
pardon me-" said man who had a
vithered arm drawn up to his side In
such a way as to give one the impress
sion that he was holding his breath.
''but are you going far SO short hand
edY"
"Not farm time." replied Theodore.
"Only to Alaska" added Craighead
1--WE meet a Russian admiral IN St
Michael at 3. II that niger doesn't
hurry we shall be late. general. and
what will Admiral Phlaskovodka say
Them
The man lifted his sailor hat. bowed
politely and stepped back. unwilling a
face behind him which Carson knew
the foxy. suspicious face of Wilmer.
the inventor Of the lost helicOpter.
Carson stopped as II for some casual
purpose and laid hold on spanner.
With the spanner in his hand he rose.
and with an angry leap he stood In the
midst of the crowd. Wilmer had fed.
but through the thinned crowd Thee.
dore saw his wiry figure, with the arm
that Virginia's bullet had reached
hanging in sling. Carson gave chase.
Some one cried. "Stop him!' and an
officer. seeing in Carson the only fugi.
tive in sight. stopped him.
.sLet me gol'' cried Carson, strug-
Cling. Come with me and arrest a
man for attempt to murder"
A boy in a messenger cap interrupted
the colloquy BY calling "Mr. Cahson.
Mr.. Cahsony' as II paging" man In
hotel.
"Im Carson" said Theodore. ''What
do you want?"
somebody on the wire for You at
the telephone booth in the hotel" re-
piled the messenger.
WUuUSIlu$ WIN Az AAVOAAO AAAA00s Wv
sire speech with him. Carson said.
.sWh0s thisY into the transmitter.
"Your old friend Wizner." said the
receiver "Crazy as ever. Never mind
where am. I'll tell that after I've
talked II you want me to. you pup!
Carson glared dercely into the re-
ceiver.
II didn't get that" said Carson.
.You can have me pinched. but can
prove an alibi And while I'm proving
things I'll FIX you fellows for SNUG.
Cling and put Harrod where the dogs
won't bite him and you too?'
II don't know anything about SNUG
Cling" protested Theodore.
SWELL" went on Wilmer. III you dig
into the big sand hill with the steel
buoy on It. you will. You'll 6nd